Mission Six: Broken Ace Part 2

Last time we checked, Johnny Cloud was told by his CO to stop volunteering for extra patrols. He wants to fight, but he is having combat nightmares. He needs rest.

After a night of fitful sleep, Cloud prepares for another patrol. But, he is exhausted. Cloud overshoots the runway on takeoff and folds his P-51 into a tree. The flight surgeon grounds him and orders him to rest. 

Cloud is frustrated. He watches his flight take off without him and bemoans to his Big Brother that he is a Broken Ace.

Moments later, bandits attack the base and blast aircraft parked along the runway. Cloud ducks behind a burning hulk and fires his Colt at the marauders. As the bandits circle back for a second pass, Cloud runs across the tarmac to one of the damaged planes.

He motors down the runway even though the Mustang cannot fly. 

His foil draws in a Me-109, foolishly swooping low on a head-on strafing pass. Cloud’s thumb is on the trigger, and he destroys the bandit. Then he angles his damaged P-51 atop a small mound so as to aim his wings guns upward at a second bandit roaring in higher this time. Another attacker angles in behind Cloud, leveling off just yards from the ground. The Mustang is pinched between them. 

Cloud opens fire without effect, but the Huns break in the same direction and collide in fiery CRAASH!

Cloud climbs out of the grounded Mustang feeling vindicated. The flight surgeon and the CO gasp in disbelief. “Nobody can really ground an ace,” the surgeon remarks. And so, Cloud was cleared to fly.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#87 (October 1961); Story Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Six: Broken Ace

Johnny Cloud's next few missions are non-stop. A good sleep is rare.

This saga starts with a scramble. A division of Tiger tanks has launched an offensive, and Cloud’s flight is called to respond, double quick.

Cloud laments that he is constantly in the air – he looks to his Big Brother and bewails: “We spend as much time up here now – as you do.”

The Happy Braves hit the tanks. The firefight is fierce, and several Mustangs are lost. Cloud nails a Tiger and pulls up to confront a swarm of Me-109s diving out of the sun. Cloud meets them head-on and unloads on the first bandit. The leader blows up causing a chain reaction that collects two more in the fury. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Cloud downs another before the dogfight is over, but his Mustang is thrashed, and his flight is badly mauled. They limp back to base, exhausted.

The scrambles continue, day and night. The CO sees that Cloud is exhausted and stops him from volunteering for additional patrols. He threatens to ground the Navajo ace if he does not rest.

In the predawn black, Cloud’s sleep is interrupted. Another scramble! Cloud hastens his men to get ready. Every minute of delay cost lives! This time, the flight intercepts German bombers roaring towards the sleeping cities. The Happy Braves attack, and several bombers are destroyed, but as the Mustangs regroup, a second wave forms overhead and begins raining explosives on them. Cloud is frantic to retake the offensive when suddenly his men shake him awake.

It was all a nightmare!

Afterwards, Cloud drifts in and out of a fitful sleep, when suddenly he hears the alarm again: “scramble, scramble.” He rushes to wake his men, frantic as before, but again they shake him awake.

Another nightmare!

The next day, Cloud overshoots the runway on takeoff and folds his P-51 into a tree. The flight surgeon grounds him and orders him to rest. 

Cloud is demoralized. He watches his flight take off without him and bemoans to his Big Brother that he is a Broken Ace.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#87 (October 1961): Story Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Five: Top - Gun Ace - The Debriefing

Without a doubt, Top-Gun Ace is Johnny Cloud’s best adventure yet. 

His maturity shines, as he balances his combat skills with his promise to protect his pilots (just as he promised Mack, his former Flight Leader). The action is sharp, without pause. Cloud’s early teething phase is over!

The storyline is similar to Tex’s introduction in Fighting Blind, but the writing is tighter, the plot, more plausible. Plus, it reflects how Cloud felt on his first mission when he, too, desperately wanted to make a splash (not in the water, mind you). Hence, Cloud is tolerant and gives Kid Cole leeway, especially in the beginning when Cole asks to open fire early.

To his surprise, Cole is a good shot and notches a kill. 

But Cole's luck runs out. And now comes the lesson. Cole’s impulsive attack, diving past Cloud and Tex to take the lead, shows his lack of experience despite his bravado. His P-51 is quickly turned into a target. 

Cloud saves him (of course), and the upstart Cole learns a valuable lesson – a lesson that Cloud himself had to learn in Death Dive: Wait for the right moment. Plus, he learns to respect the guidance of those more experienced than he. And most important: An Ace is more than just a combat record filled with kills ... An Ace is a man who looks out for his flight!

Johnny Cloud is all that!

Image Credit:

AAMOW#86 (August 1961): Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Five: Top - Gun Ace Part 2

We left our hero Johnny Cloud in the middle of a wild dogfight!

To recap: Cloud's flight attacked a gaggle of Fw-190s. Just as Cloud and Tex peel off to engage the Huns, a brash new pilot Kid Cole jumped into the fray.

Cole's exuberance caused him to make a critical mistake, as two Fw-190s dodge his assault and get on his tail. They hammer Cole’s Mustang. Cloud swings in behind the two bandits, but a third one catches his tail. 

In this critical moment, Cloud sees an apparition of Mack reminding him to not lose a man first time out. Here is where we pick up the action ...

Cloud continues his attack and destroys the two Fw-190s on Cole’s six, then he loops his P-51 to blast the third one that was behind him. WHAAM! BLAAM!

But Cole is finished and rapidly losing altitude. Cloud flies to his wing and coaches him. The pair is pounded by flak, as they head for the channel. Barely past the shoreline, Cole bellies into the surf. 

His Mustang begins to sink with Cole trapped inside – his canopy is jammed shut.

Cloud tangles with a fourth Fw-190 as Cole’s plane nearly disappears. Cloud half-loops and downs the bandit, but the fight is not over! 

A German patrol boat zooms towards Cole’s Mustang. Cloud dives at the boat with guns blazing. The boat explodes but not before ripping the wings off Cloud’s P-51 with its flak guns. CRAACK!

Cloud parachutes out and swims to rescue Cole. He is desperate to not lose the newest member of his flight. Mack's words echo in his mind.

Cloud breaks open the canopy with the heel of his pistol, and a delirious Cole exclaims: “An Ace isn’t a pilot that just knocks down five enemy ships!” The newbie is completely won over.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#86 (August 1961): Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Five: Top - Gun Ace

We meet the top gun-ace at the start: He is Kid Cole, a young, brash pilot who claims that he will rise to the top. Big words for a newbie who has not seen action!

Kid Cole's declaration jolts Johnny Cloud and elicits a flashback of a fistfight between an upstart brave named Swift Fang versus an older, and respected, warrior known as Brave Eagle. The older man wins the fight, but he bemoans that there is always “some reckless one that will risk death” to gain status.

This sets the stage for Cole’s bluster.

During their first sortie together, Cloud tells Cole that he will look out for him, as he has never lost a man first time out. Cole is dismissive, but Cloud looks to his Big Brother and muses that the brash young man will have to learn the hard way.

The flight spots a gaggle of Fw-190s in the distance; Cloud orders his Happy Braves to climb and prepare for attack. But Cole requests permission to open fire before the P-51s are staged. Cloud reluctantly allows it, and Cole sprays the sky with bullets.

To Cloud’s surprise, Cole’s early salvo nails one of the bandits.

The remaining Fw-190s quickly form up and close the gap. Cloud realizes that the bandits are experienced and out for blood.

Cloud and Tex peel off to draw fire, but as they are angling for position, Cole zips by at full speed to lead the attack. His exuberance causes him to make a critical mistake, as two Fw-190s dodge his assault and get on his tail. 

They hammer Cole’s Mustang causing smoke to stream from his cowling. Cloud swings in behind the two bandits, but a third one catches his tail. Is Cloud cooked? And how about Cole? In that critical moment, Cloud sees an apparition of Mack reminding him to not lose a man first time out.

Can Johnny Cloud save Kid Cole?

Image Credit:
AAMOW#86 (August 1961): Cover Art: J. Grandenetti; Writer: R. Kanigher.
Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Four: Battle Eagle - The Debriefing

Battle Eagle misses its mark as compared with Cloud’s previous adventures. 

The title does not reflect the plot line. And the wonderful cover by Russ Heath is not associated with any of the action in the story. 

And what about the action? The combat is secondary to the machinations that Cloud goes through to please Sandy's son Billy. After hearing about Johnny Cloud's heroics, coupled with his Navajo heritage, Billy expects to see an Indian from the Wild West.

Cloud wants to cheer the boy up, especially after Billy is injured following a bombing raid over London. 

Desperate to cheer the boy, Cloud stains his honor by donning a headdress of a Chief, which he is not. Plus, it is not clear if the costume is Navajo, which again, would be shameful.

But the rude irony is that his father, the Chief, bid him to act honorably at the start of the story. Is dressing up the honorable thing to do? Really?

Part of the problem is that Billy is an insolent brat. His demand to see a cinema-style Indian adorned with feathers deserves a spanking with a paddle, not a show. 

Hell, I'd paddle his ass myself if he were real!

If I may be bold, I can think of several ways to improve the story and add depth to Cloud’s character; for example, why didn’t Cloud intrigue the boy by sharing a proud keepsake that uniquely reflects his Navajo heritage – a warrior’s arrowhead or protective amulet perhaps. Better yet, he could have regaled him with a story about his Great Warrior Spirit emblem – I think Kanigher missed an opportunity here.

Instead, our writer took the simple route. As a result, this story is watered-down. It could have been a pivotal event wherein Cloud shares some of his own insight about his role as an avatar of the Great Warrior Spirit.

On its face, Battle Eagle tries to show Cloud as empathetic and forgiving – but at what expense? 

Yeah, Kanigher should have gone with the Great Warrior Spirit emblem! 

Image Credit:

AAMOW#85 (June 1961); Story Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Four: Battle Eagle

Let's get back to the missions, shall we?

Johnny Cloud’s fourth saga opens with a flashback: His father bids him farewell and implores him to “do honor to the Navajos.” Cloud asserts that in this war he is an American first. Cloud recounts how he endured racial taunts from his crew until he proved his gallantry in combat. We also learn that he was awarded a medal for Conspicuous Valor. At last, Cloud felt vindicated.

The action starts with a mission to intercept German bombers headed for London. The Happy Braves tangle with a swarm of Me-109s, but Cloud urges his pilots to press on and catch the heavies. Four planes get through and we briefly meet three members of his flight: Sid, Hank, and Sandy – not to ignore Tex who is Cloud’s loyal wingman.

Cloud destroys the first bomber, but a bandit finds his tail. Cloud half-loops away, now inverted, and blasts the wing off a second bomber – the hapless Me-109 pilot crashes into the severed wing. SMAASH!

The bombers make a hasty retreat.

Back at base, Sandy introduces Cloud to his son Billy who is staying in London with his mother. Despite the tales that Sandy has told his son about Cloud’s valor and Navajo background, Billy frowns when he meets the man himself. Cloud tries to regale the boy, but Billy sulks because Cloud is not dressed as an Indian warrior.

That night, alone on the tarmac, Cloud laments to his Big Brother that wearing a war bonnet to impress others is what he had been fighting against all his life.

A short while later, Billy is injured during a raid over London. Desperate to cheer the boy, Cloud tries to find an Indian headdress at several costume shops. But the shops are closed.

The next day, Cloud misses his morning flight due to a clogged fuel line. With the line partly fixed, Cloud rushes to intercept a lone bomber reported nearby. He locates the marauder dropping incendiaries on a supply depot located next to an opulent manor. Cloud strafes the bomber when suddenly his fuel line clogs again – now he has to maneuver with a dead stick.

Undeterred, Cloud dives at the bomber. The turret gunners rattle his ship with lead, but Cloud zeroes in and scores hits all along the bomber’s fuselage, detonating its deadly load. WHAAM!

Without power, Cloud is forced to make a hard landing at the doorsteps of the manor. As he climbs out, Lord Leslie greets him and invites him inside. It just so happens that the Leslie collects military uniforms from around the world.

What happens next stretches credibility: Cloud borrows an Indian war bonnet and heads to London to visit Billy much to the boy’s delight. Afterwards, Cloud reflects that wearing the headdress was the medicine needed to help cure the boy.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#85 (June 1961); Cover Art Russ Heath; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics.