Death Patrol and Blackhawks

Jul 1, 20165 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Jul 1, 2016

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Both the Death Patrol and the Blackhawks were introduced in Military Comics v1 #1 1941 from Quality comics, but Chuck Cuidera (one of the creators of Blackhawk along with Will Eisner and Bob Powell) allowed as how the Death Patrol came first, created by Jack Cole, but editorial (Busy Arnold and Gill Fox) weren't so pleased with it and commissioned Blackhawk as a more serious take on the concept. Something about a character dying in every strip might have had something to do with it.

Jack Cole created the Death Patrol, but only stuck with it for four issues to be followed up by Dave Berg until #12. The strip went on hiatus until #20 and when it came back the Suicide Squad aspect was gone.

When Blackhawk was introduced it was actually a larger organization than the six or seven members it would be boiled down to. This I'm sticking with and completely ejecting the "Girls are Icky" Line that ran through the strip for pretty much its entirety until Howard Chaykin got in on it.

The Death Patrol was

Del Van Dyne – playboy - America
Military Comics v1 #1–12, 20–45

Butch - safe cracker - America
Military Comics v1 #1-4

Hank - cattle rustler - America
Military Comics v1 #1–9, 12, 22–52

Peewee – forger - America
Military Comics v1 #1

Slick Ward – con man - America
Military Comics v1 #1–3

Gramps – pickpocket - from America
Military Comics v1 #1–6, 12, 20–52

Stoney Rock – arsonist - from America
Military Comics v1 #2

Zazzy – thief - America
Military Comics v1 #3–5

Chief Chuck-a-Lug - America
Military Comics v1 #4–12

King Hotintot - North Africa
Military Comics v1 #5–10, 12–52

Boris “the Borsht Eater” Zinoviev – Russia
Military Comics v1 #6–12, 20–52
Flew with the Blackhawks - Military Comics v1 #2 1941

Frere “Jackie” Jacques, the Patchwork Kid - France
Military Comics v1 #7–12, 23–52

"Mademoiselle" from Armentieres - France
Military Comics v1 #8–12
A wash-out candidate for the post of Mademoiselle Marie, rival of Sabine Roth

Goucho - South America
Military Comics v1 #9–12
Gaucho – Santiago Vargas
Detective Comics v1 #215 1955 DC
Would return to Argentina after the war and become a Mystery Man

Prince Totinhot - North Africa
Military Comics v1 #10-12

Yogi - India
Military Comics v1 #20–52

The Blackhawks were

The lads from Poland who faught in the Spanish Civil War
Janos Prohaska – Poland
Bartholomew “Bart” Hawke
Blackhawk v1 #108 1957 DC
Son of Janos Prohaska and Sheila Hawke from Blackhawk v1 #40 1951 Quality
Stanislaus Drozdowski - Poland
Kazimierc “Zeg” Zegota-Januszajtis – Poland

Capt. André Blanc-Dumont – France
Natalie (Gurdin) Reed - Russia
Blackhawk v2 #1 1988
James “Jimmy” Reed
Action Comics v1 #617 1988
Father was Ritter Hendricksen
Ian Holcomb-Baker – England (liaison to the R.A.F.)
Capt. Carlos Sirianni – America (liaison to the O.S.S.)
The Black Falcon
Henri Claude Tibet
Wow Comics v1 #19 1942 Commercial Signs of Canada/Bell Features
Wonder Woman v2 #37 1989 DC
Charles “Chuck” Wilson - America
Wilsons:
Samuel Wilson
All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
Texas Ranger
Maria Wilson
mentioned only, maiden name unrevealed in canon
All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
Richard “Rick” Wilson
Outlaw
All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
Paloma Wilson
maiden name unrevealed in canon
All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
   Mister Wilson
   given name unrevealed in canon
   WWI pilot, lost in Pacific 1922, turned pirate
   Blackhawk v1 #17 1947 Quality
   Missus Wilson
   picture in a locket, name unrevealed in canon
   Blackhawk v1 #17 1947 Quality
      Charles “Chuck” Wilson
      Military Comics v1 #2 1941 Quality

Capt. Olaf Friedricksen - Denmark

Capt. Ritter Hendricksen – Netherlands
Violet
Elsa Hendricksen
Blackhawk v1 #245 1976

Lt. Wu Cheng – Chongqing, China by way of London
Son Lee Cheng
Grandson Nelson Cheng
Red Cross pilot/worker and cook

Boris Zinoviev – Russia
Joined the Death Patrol
Vladim – Russia
Mentioned in Military Comics v1 #2 1941 as an aircraft designer

Zinda Blake
Blackhawk v1 #133 1959 DC

Sugar
Military Comics v1 #20 1943
Eve Rice
Military Comics v1 #34 1944)

Sheila Hawke
Blackhawk v1 #40 1951 Quality
Penelope “Penny” van Camp
Blackhawk v1 #182 1963 DC

Duchess Ramona Fatale
Blackhawk v1 #244 1976 DC
Tania
Ayn
Prudence
Blackhawk v1 #248 1976 DC

The Tigresses
Blackhawk v1 #110 1957 DC
Banded together to apprehend Kurt Ostrec, a professional saboteur who had killed each of their husbands.

Recruited, trained, outfitted, and funded by Contessa Erica Alexandra del Portenza from Superman: Man of Tomorrow v1 #1 1995
Joan Saunders-Smith – America
See Saunders
Husband was Jack Smith who created the Swordfish mini-sub from Hit Comics v1 #22 1942 Quality
Ilse – Norway
Husband was a reporter
Edith – England
Husband was a test pilot
Rita – Spain
Husband was a physicist
Tina – Italy
Husband was a diplomat
Yvette – France
Husband was a secret agent