Mission One: The Flying Chief -- The Debriefing

Cloud is introduced as an untested warrior desperate to prove his worth. But he must first convince his wing-mates who are wary of his Navajo heritage. And so, he risks his life to prove his mettle – his death dive marks the turning point in the story. Cloud earns six kills, and he scatters the bomber formation so that his flight can pick them off. Consequently, he becomes flight leader.

The story also reveals how his father names

 his son after he sees the Great Warrior Spirit in the sky. He is impressed that the apparition shines bright amongst the stormy clouds. This is no minor detail; yet it is easy to miss since we do not know the whole story. Come to find out, this apparition is a prophecy – one of many to come. Put simply: A great warrior in the sky will be challenged by a dark threat (and win).

And so, the Chief names his son Flying White Cloud. The name presages his role as fighter pilot giving us our first hint that Cloud is indeed destined to fight in the skies against a dark threat. And that threat is Nazism.

Cloud’s flashbacks tell us more. We meet his Big Brother – the same apparition first seen by his father. His Big Brother empowers him early on to stand up for himself when bullied at school. Again, this episode reflects what is to come. Soon enough, Cloud’s mission will be to protect others like him – not Navajos specifically, but the vulnerable.

We also see Cloud’s angst in a schoolyard flashback when he is bullied. He is different. He knows what it is like to be called out, teased, and attacked. And on a personal level, he must prove himself over and over. Together, these elements shape his character, casting Cloud as a restive soul who yearns to act gallantly and earn the respect of his crew while he also struggles to appreciate his untapped power.

His power? We catch a glimpse in his first dogfight. He needs cumulus cover to dodge a bandit, and he gets it. Yes, the heavens move for him, but he has to take the initiative and press it to his limits. This is a theme that we shall see over and over again.

It is a marvelous start, but still, I have questions. It seems premature to elect Cloud to lead the flight. He is green and his angst is raw. It is all the more surprising that he adopts such a childish name for his flight. What happened to his disdain at being called a Chief? Perhaps his naming of the Happy Braves highlights Cloud’s ambivalence about who he is, who he wants to be, and how he can be it. Perhaps also that Kanigher (our writer) is not fully aware of the powerful character he just developed.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#82 (December 1960); Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics.