![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d2/Captain_Flag.png/220px-Captain_Flag.png)
Captain Flag is a superhero created by MLJ Comics' writer Joe Blair and artist Lin Streeter. He first appeared in September 1941, in issue #16 of Blue Ribbon Comics.[1] He continued until the last issue, Blue Ribbon Comics #22 (March 1942).[2]
Fall 1941 was a boom period for patriotic superheroes as the country prepared to enter World War II; during this period, comic book publishers also launched Miss Victory, Miss America, the Star-Spangled Kid, U.S. Jones, the Fighting Yank, the Flag and Yank and Doodle, among others.[3] Captain Flag was the "only one" of the various patriotic-themes superheroes to be "trained by an actual bald eagle".[4]
Publication history
[edit]Captain Flag debuted in Blue Ribbon Comics #16 (Sept 1941), as a possible headliner for MLJ's superhero stable.[5] In his first story, written by Joe Blair and drawn by Lin Streeter, the character faced off against the Black Hand, a super-criminal working for the Nazis. The character's story in the next issue was drawn by Warren King, and introduced the strip's first supporting character, blonde secret service agent Veronica Darnell.[5] The Black Hand reappeared as a recurring menace several times, including Captain Flag's final 1940s story, in Blue Ribbon Comics #21 (Feb 1942).[5]
The character was revived two decades later, when MLJ (renamed Archie Comics) launched a "camp" superhero line inspired by the popular Batman TV show. In The Mighty Crusaders #4 (April 1966), the company brought back all of their patriotic 1940s heroes in a story called "Too Many Superheroes". Of the 18 superheroes who returned in that story, Captain Flag teamed up with Web and the Fox to form the Ultra-Men in Mighty Crusaders #5.[6]
Fictional character biography
[edit]His secret identity is Tom Townsend, the wealthy playboy son of an inventor father. A villain called the Black Hand kidnaps him and his father, intending to torture Tom's father in order to obtain the secret of his latest invention – a new bomb sight.[7] Tom's father dies resisting the questioning but before Tom, too, can be killed, a great eagle crashes through the window and carries him off.[8]
Training with the eagle's aerie at the top of the mountain, the healthy environment and hard living makes him an elite physical specimen. When the eagle brings a US flag, Tom takes it on as his namesake, and makes a costume out of the flag.[9] He names his animal savior-turned-sidekick Yank the Eagle,[10] and goes on to thwart the Black Hand, hanging him from a ship's yardarm.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Markstein, Don. "Captain Flag". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 154. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 52. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ Hoffer, Christian (September 6, 2017). "Celebrate Flag Day With These Five Obscure Star Spangled Superheroes". ComicBook. Archived from the original on 2022-02-16. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c Mougin, Lou (2020). Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics. McFarland & Co. pp. 132–134. ISBN 9781476638607.
- ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- ^ a b Mike Conroy (2004), "Black Hand I [1941]", 500 Comicbook Villains, Pavilion Books, p. 28, ISBN 9781843402053
- ^ Morris, Jon (2017). The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History. Quirk Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-1594749322.
- ^ Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^ Seifert, Mark (2022-05-22). "Before Eagly, Yank the Eagle in Blue Ribbon Comics #16, at Auction". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
External links
[edit]- Captain Flag at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012.
- Offenberger, Rik, ed. Captain Flag at MightyCrusaders.net
Well, that’s interesting to know that Psilotum nudum are known as whisk ferns. Psilotum nudum is the commoner species of the two. While the P. flaccidum is a rare species and is found in the tropical islands. Both the species are usually epiphytic in habit and grow upon tree ferns. These species may also be terrestrial and grow in humus or in the crevices of the rocks.
View the detailed Guide of Psilotum nudum: Detailed Study Of Psilotum Nudum (Whisk Fern), Classification, Anatomy, Reproduction