More Ideas about Johnny Cloud's Origin in the mind of Robert Kanigher

Last week I began to explore some of the roots that led to the development of Johnny Cloud's character. More specifically, I examined two Indian warriors that might have prompted Robert Kanigher to consider this theme. Today, we look at some of the fighter pilots that that came before Johnny Cloud, several of Kanigher’s stories stand out for their juxtaposition of Western and WW2 themes. 

Flying Cowboy appeared in the November 1955 issue of SSWS with Western themes front and center. Here, we meet Tex the steer-punching ranch hand who likens aerial combat to a roundup. In one instance, Tex chases after a V-1 rocket in his Mustang while musing that the buzz bomb is just like a runaway bronc. I, for one, cannot escape the obvious kinship with Cloud’s wisecracking wingman, Lt. Tex Brown who shows up in the second book of the series.

Six months later, the May 1956 AAMOW featured a P-51 pilot known as Lucky Luke who visited his grandfather while on leave. The old man crowed about his exploits on the western frontier. “You don’t know what a real fightin’ is … ‘till you’ve been ambushed by Apaches!” He went on his high horse with a tale about being left to suffer the scorching desert sun.

As the elder gloated, Luke thought about his own harrowing experiences in combat over Europe – namely, how three bandits tried to bounce him – two from behind and another coming head-on. He abruptly broke left and barely escaped the crossfire just as all three enemy pilots collided.

Once again, this juxtaposition of Wild West imagery with WW2 aerial combat hints at Kanigher’s budding ideas for a fighter pilot character with the ethos of the frontier. Lucky Luke’s language speaks for itself: “… the Messerschmitt reared right back on his heels and shot up like a wild stallion … [the bomber] was a big as a ranch house with rustler’s guns blazing from every window.”

But there’s more: The splash page shows Lucky Luke in his cockpit surrounded by cumulus Apaches circling his Mustang and shooting arrows, spears, and guns. The title – Sky Ambush! – is emblazoned below. And can you guess who did the pencils and ink? Yep, Irv Novick – the artist who gave Johnny Cloud his rugged features – same as Luke.

Other pilot stories that give hints of what’s to come include the Hellcat pilot who likens combat in the Pacific to roping wayward longhorns in the Flying Range Rider (SSWW; November 1957), and more oddly, the parallel tales of a Mustang mare and a P-51 in Battle Mustang (OFF; January 1959) wherein the horse and fighter are depicted as leaders, and protectors, of their respective herds – wild horses and crippled forts respectively. Both of these adventures rely on shifting frames: Wild West, then aerial combat, Wild West, then aerial combat, and so on. We can add Bob Haney’s Flying Saddle to this genre as well (GIC; March 1958).

In addition to Western themes, Kanigher’s fighter pilots also suffered from combat fatigue and unexpected time travels. For example, in TNT Time Table (AAMOW; August 1958) a frustrated P-51 pilot named Stan suffers combat nightmares about failing to destroy a German ammo train. The train escapes his attacks time after time, and the nightmares worsen to the extent that he finds himself running on the tracks with the train bearing down on him. One day his perseverance pays off, and he finally blows the train to smithereens, and his sleep terror stops.

As we have seen, this malady plagues Johnny Cloud, but instead, he has nightmares about terror rockets and the shame of surrender. In fact, Cloud is grounded by the flight surgeon for acute combat stress that is signaled by his nightmares in Broken Ace. In Second Sight for a Pilot, his dreams forecast combat to come. Clearly, the specter of sleep terror represents a defining characteristic of Cloud that reveals the toll of combat.

Another plot twist that presages the adventures of Johnny Cloud is presented in the October 1960 issue of AAMOW that comes out just before his debut. In the Ghost Ship of Two Wars a WW1 Spad pilot is transported to WW2 as he parachutes through a cloud after having been shot down by the Black Ace. This leads to a bizarre faceoff when the pilot pits his Spad against a black Me-109 – he wins with a melodramatic twist that I will let you chase after. But here are the big questions: Was the Black Ace in WW1 and WW2? Did the Spad pilot really crossover, or was it just a vision?

As we can see, this story parallels Star Jockey when Cloud is transported from WW2 to the Korean War. It seems clear that Ghost Ship of Two Wars was reimagined for Cloud. But I must add that time travel is a reoccurring theme in Kanigher’s writing, as we discover with Cloud. Even Jeb Stuart is shunted back in time in Battle of Two Wars when his tank enters a cave to dodge a Tiger and emerges in WW1 (GIC; January 1967).

These examples show that plot
lines reappear in the Big Five. Why? Because they are great stories for one! And, they come from the same pen. But Cloud’s character went further than the rest. He crossed over and became a superhero by virtue of his relationship with his Big Brother. I dare say that even Kanigher did not fully appreciate what he created.

Ideas, Seeds, Prototypes ... of Johnny Cloud

Last time out, I posed the question: How our illustrious writer, Robert Kanigher, created Johnny Cloud? What influences shaped his character? Did Kanigher intend to fashion a superhero in the form of an Avatar of the Great Warrior Spirit? 

We start our inquiry with a direct question: Did Johnny Cloud appear (in another guise perhaps) in previous Big Five war stories? In geek parlance: Is there a Johnny Cloud prototype? You know, an Indian warrior with a guardian spirit, or one with a communion with hawks, or bears or whatever?

The short answer: No. There are no other Navajo pilots in the Big Five. In fact, fighter pilot stories are relatively few as compared to ground-pounders and frogmen. In fact, I count less than a dozen AAMOW cover stories about fighter pilots. Are any of these flyboys related to Johnny Cloud? They deserve a look, but first, there are two ground-pounders that share kinship with Cloud.

In the December 1954 issue of AAMOW, the lead story is about a Sioux infantry sergeant named Storm Cloud who relies on his native ingenuity to destroy a German depot in North Africa. And yes, you guessed it: He fashions a bow and arrow from parts taken off his stranded jeep, dips the arrow tip in gas, and ignites a store of ammo. When a tank corners him, he shoots a flaming arrow into a narrow gun slit and the tank explodes. Like our ace, Storm Cloud begins his adventure with a flashback when his father – a chief in full regalia – reminds his son: “Your forest lore will protect you … since childhood you have known every trick to enable a brave to survive as long as there is a single blade of grass to conceal [you].”

It is not a stretch to view Storm Cloud as a seedling for what’s to come. His resourcefulness stems from his Indian ways to fight against overwhelming odds by creatively using what few resources are available to him. This story had to catch Robert Kanigher’s eye, even though he did not write it. Keep in mind that he was the editor, so he certainly had input. And consider this: Kanigher wrote dozens of westerns before AAMOW hit the stands in the Fall of 1952; there is no doubt that these Cowboys and Indians sagas shaped some of his Big Five plot lines.

Another Indian warrior gets us closer to Cloud, and that is Johnny Deerfoot in The Eagle of Easy Co. who appeared in the November 1958 issue of GIC. Deerfoot was drafted before he had a chance to earn the esteemed title of Brave within his tribe. But once he was in combat, Deerfoot realized that he could earn his Warrior’s Emblem in the fields of Europe. He destroyed a machine gun nest; he stopped a Tiger tank in its tracks; he downed a marauding Fw-190 – in short, he met the criteria set forth by his tribe. That is to say, he killed a rattler, stopped a panther, and downed an eagle respectively.

Although Kanigher did not write this one either, it has his editorial fingerprints all over it. Like Cloud, Deerfoot was concerned about measuring up, doing his part, and becoming recognized as a true warrior. Plus, the parallels between the challenges in Europe and those on the reservation are poignant and clever – I especially like the association between the rattle of the snake and the rhythm of the machine gun. Of note, Deerfoot is considered by some to be a precursor to Little Big Shot, one of the enduring members of Sgt. Rock’s Easy Co.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#8 (December-January 1953-54): Cover Art: I.Novick (P), J.Giella (I), Writer: D.Kahn, Editor: R.Kanigher.

Storm Cloud TM DC Comics