#blackhawk

365 DC Comics Heroes & Villains Paper Cut-Outs

March 15th - Blackhawk

The World War II hero known as Blackhawk has a mysterious past.  In the most prominent telling, he was an ace pilot of the Polish Air Force whose squadron took on invading German aircraft despite being outnumbered by an overwhelming margin.  He was the sole survivor and was forced to crash land after he shot down nearly a dozen enemy targets.   

Now known simply as ‘Blackhawk’ he returned shortly thereafter as the leader of an elite squadron composed of pilots from a variety of the Allied nations.   His ‘Blackhawk Squadron’ became a scourge of the Axis Powers, running successful missions all over the world.  Blackhawk himself was a tough but inspiring leader who demonstrated a prowess as a fighter pilots that bordered on the supernatural.  As the war progressed, Blackhawk and his squadron were tasked with more important (and bizarre) missions.  Headquartered on the remote Blackhawk Island somewhere in The Atlantic, the squad had countless adventures and their bravery and skill proved invaluable to the Allied war effort.  

The squadron did not have to adhere to standard air force regulations.   They flew experimental planes and women and pilots of different racial backgrounds were allowed to serve side by side with the enlisted airmen.  The Blackhawks continued on after the war as a peacekeeping and anti-espionage outfit.  Blackhawk and his team continued to fight off all manner of threats.  What ultimately became of Blackhawk himself remains unreleased, but his name and mission continues on in the form of the heroine Zinda Blake (also known as ‘Lady Blackhawk’) who has served with an updated iteration of The Blackhawks as well as with The Birds of Prey.