Blackhawk

Blackhawk was a comic that came out right after America entered into WW2. It was originally published in the comic book "Military Comics" from late 1941. It got it's own title in 1944.

Blackhawk is the leader of a group of fighter pilots with different nationalities. The group is not regular Air force, but rather a freelance group operating from a secret island (Blackhawk Island) fighting the Axis powers.

The members of the group in the image, from left

Chop Chop, Chinese. The outfit's cook and comic relief. Originally Chop chop was drawn as caricature in an otherwise mostly realistically drawn (and very well drawn) comic. A trait that has not aged very well. Here I use a some what later version where he has a more realist form, but still is wearing the same style of clothing as the caricature version.

Chuck, American.

Andre, French.

Blackhawk, originally Polish, later American-Polish.

Olaf, Swedish.

Hendrickson, Dutch. The by far oldest member of the group.

Stanislaus, Polish.

Lady Blackhawk. Came into the comic fairly late, (1959). Never became a regular member, but did appear in a couple of episodes. Though she could actually have been in an early story (Military Comics #20) where a blond female pilot is a part of an operation to free a French general. Later there where other Lady Blackhawks.

The plane in the image is the type of planes the Blackhawks used in the early comics. It looks a lot like a toy version of a plane, but is based on an actual airplane, the Grumman xf5f Skyrocket, which at the start of the comics was a brand new prototype developed for the Air force. The Blackhawks much later switched to jet fighters such as Lockheed F-90B.

Blackhawk also had a movie serial in 1952. Blackhawk was played by Kirk Alyn (who earlier had played Superman).

As the Blackhawks flew into battle they sang their battle song.

"Hawkah - We're the Blackhawks,
Hawkah - We're on the wing,
Over land over sea,
We will fight to make men free
and to every nation
liberty will bring.
Hawkah - Follow The Blackhawks,
Hawkah - Shatter your chains,
Seven fearless men are we,
give us death or liberty.
We are the Blackhawks,
remember our names."