Mission Nine: Wingmate of Doom -- The Debriefing

Before the holiday, I presented Wingmate of Doom. What an intriguing parable. And clever writing by Robert Kanigher. This one is a top-10 Johnny Cloud saga. 

The tension between Johnny Cloud and Two-Talons is suspenseful from the start and builds until a surprise ending brings an unexpected resolution. The reckoning of the grudge is simple yet surprising. This one forces you to ponder the arithmetic just as Cloud had to.

It is a story that lingers long after the comic book is put down.

But it wasn't just Cloud that had to figure out to resolve the grudge. No. One can only wonder how Two-Talons struggled with his own conflict of conscience. We see this struggle front and center by his behaviors. His first response was to leave Cloud exposed to attack, but then, after being saved, he found a way to discharge his demand for vengeance. Certainly, Cloud’s selflessness stunned him. 

And, we all get a life lesson here about letting go.

And furthermore, one has to wonder if the name Two-Talons is symbolic of how difficult this lesson can be. Kanigher was good at using names to reflect the plotlines.

As with Ace of Vengeance (reviewed a few months ago), this adventure introduces a new foe: German Ace Von Krieg. But he plays in the background, as the conflict with Two-Talons crowds him out. Perhaps, Von Krieg returns later (hint). But oddly, Two-Talons disappears, and we never see him again. 

Image Credit:

AAMOW#90 (April 1962): Story Art: J. Grandenetti; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics