Is Johnny Cloud a Superhero? Let's check out his Combat Record

Last time, I list the three basic criteria that define who is and who is not a Superhero.

Does Johnny Cloud meet these criteria? Well, let’s apply these three superhero criteria to Johnny Cloud to see where he lands. 

Let’s start with his combat record. Cloud had at least 156 kills – and yes, I counted them. He downed 81 Me-109s, 47 Fw-190s, and 28 bombers of various types. Plus, he destroyed tanks, railroad cars, and terror rocket bases. Now keep in mind that a fighter pilot only needed five kills to be recognized as an Ace – the honor was not an official one, but it was widely used during both World Wars. So, Cloud was an Ace 30 times over.

We can compare this tally to REAL pilot George Preddy of the 352nd fighter group with 26.83 confirmed kills over Europe – 23.83 of them in a P-51. Note that he had two partial credits: one-half a kill plus one-third. Of course, many German pilots had over 100 kills, but most of these were on the Eastern Front against slow and poor handling Soviet fighters. In contrast, Allied pilots were up against Me-109s and Fw-190s, two advanced killing machines that were not easy targets.

Other American Aces included REAL pilot Richard "Dick" Bong who downed 40 E/A in the Pacific where he flew a P-38. He was followed closely by REAL pilot Thomas McGuire who tallied 38 kills, also in a P-38. The top REAL ace over Europe was Frances Gabreski with 28 kills in a P-47 (plus another 6.5 victories in Korea).

Preddy did rival Cloud over Europe in number of kills in a single day. In early August 1944, he claimed six Me-109s while escorting bombers to Berlin. Thirty bandits attacked the formation, but Preddy dove behind them, and at 300 yards, he shot down one, two, then three … six in all by the time the melee was over. He out-climbed, out-turned, simply out-smarted the enemy – and so, amazing combat feats did happen in actual warfare.

As we have seen, Cloud’s highest kill total was six on a single mission – but three of them were bombers. This all happened during his second sortie in AAMOW #82. There’s more: Cloud once nudged a terror rocket with his wing into a swarm of five Fw-190s, destroying them all in a single blast in AAMOW #99.

Still, we expect the numbers to be off the charts for a comic book Ace like Cloud. Certainly, Sgt. Rock destroyed more than his share of Tiger tanks and aircraft with just hand-held weapons! But, there is more to Johnny Cloud that nudges him into superhero territory ...

Is Johnny Cloud a Superhero?

Johnny Cloud was my Superman. No wonder … I was a navy brat, the son of a flyer. And with a nine-year-old brain, I had just enough smarts to know that a pilot with over a hundred combat kills, who rams his enemies, and fist fights them on the way down has to have a superpower of some sort.

What sort?

Well, I wasn’t sure, but no mortal is that good or lucky. So, I must ask: Is Johnny Cloud a superhero (one word), or is he a super hero (two words)?  ... just hang with me here, and I'll explain.

While pondering this, I was surprised to find a book (yes, a whole book, and a hardback no less) on this very topic, aptly titled: What is a Superhero? The editors – Robin Rosenberg and Peter Coogan – had PhDs and years of study. They know more than most of us: Rosenberg is a shrink and Coogan is the Director of the Institute of Comics Studies.

The introductory chapter by Coogan puts it succinctly. Three features define who is, and who is not, a superhero. Let’s make a table …

A superhero must:

1. possess a superpower;

2. devote oneself to the mission;

3. wear a costume.

Okay, let’s take a look. First off, the superhero has at least one Super Power – for example, Superman flies (or jumps); plus he can crush rocks with his bare hands; and he has x-ray vision too! His powers stem from his being an alien from the planet Krypton.

Powers can also come from skills training with some high-tech gadgets thrown in – this nudges Batman into the fold. He’s not an alien, but he’s super skilled and has lots of bat-shit.

Next comes The Mission, namely, to fight against evil and protect the vulnerable. The mission reflects a high moral standard to which the superhero is selflessly devoted. Both Superman and Batman are crime-fighters, and they risk their lives, without pause, to capture bad guys like Lex Luther and the Joker.

Finally, we have the Costume. The colorful garb signals a special identity, often defined by a codename. A secret identity is also included. The title Superman represents the codename whereas his shorts, tights, and cape – plus the big S emblazoned on his chest – make up the costume. You can’t miss him when he is dressed for success, but you hardly notice the man when he puts on his Clark Kent blazer and tie. Clark, the gumshoe news reporter, is his secret identity.

Same with Batman, although he’s cooler – you can’t beat those pointy ears! But after the bad guys are licked, he’s just a rich dude, eating steak, sitting alone in a mansion. Bruce Wayne is his secret identity.

Mission Three: Death Dive - The Debriefing

Death Dive is a strong story with an important detail.

Once again, Johnny Cloud rushes to aid his comrades, and despite being unable to save Jolly Roger, he fights alongside him, and learns a valuable lesson.

Jolly Roger’s bombing experience comes to the fore when he tells him: “Wait for the right moment.” Keep in mind that bomber pilots had to hold the course despite the onslaught of flak and bandits -- the bombs had to be released at precisely the right time.

This advice was critical here too and likely saved the day. It is the wise path to respect one’s elders, and Jolly Roger was just that, a sage B-17 pilot who had completed all of his missions and was about to ring the bell.

Cloud’s Big Brother also supports Jolly Roger’s message of restraint – there is no need for the Great Warrior Spirit to intervene in this instance.

As before, the specter of discrimination is in his face, this time from a sociopathic commandant who berates his captors as feebleminded savages. But it was the commandant that was duped in the end. Irony never fails to entertain.

And now the important detail. Cloud reveals his mission statement in the next to the last panel as he drowns the sociopathic commandant. "I fought not for myself alone ... but for all men who never had the American chance of battling tyrants who called themselves the 'Master Race' -- face to face -- man to man."

This mission statement defines Cloud's purpose ... and as we shall see, the mission is similar to those made by other superheroes endowed with great powers and skills. So too, the message of restraint is an essential part of the mission.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#84 (April 1961); Art: I.Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Three: Death Dive Part Two

As you recall, Johnny Cloud is at the controls of a captured B-17, flying the fort with a pistol aimed at his head. Jolly Roger, the critically injured B-17 pilot, is slumped next to him. He coaches Cloud to "Wait for the right moment." So too, Cloud's Big Brother appears as if to underscore the message.

Cloud wants to act, but he holds back. For now ...

Cloud reluctantly heads for the battleship. The commandant gloats about his plan to use the fort to destroy the unsuspecting Allied ship. Just as they angle towards the target, Jolly Roger leans over and whispers with his last breath: “Finish the mission.”

The right moment is here.

Cloud starts to descend towards the battleship, but then whips the fort to the right and puts it into a steep dive aimed at the blocked German warship. The commandant waves his Luger and roars: “Fool … Madman … Savage!” He reminds Cloud that he has no parachute – he will die. 

The fort is hit with cannon fire from the ship, and Cloud grabs the commandant as they are blasted out of the cockpit. They struggle beneath a single parachute, as the burning fort crashes and sinks the ship. WHAAM!

Mission Complete!

Cloud drowns his captor. And in a moment of clarity, Cloud acknowledges that he fights, not just for Jolly Roger, but also against all men who claim to be of a master race. 

He looks to the sky and sees his Big Brother alongside the face of Jolly Roger smiling at him – Cloud had waited for right moment.

Mission Three: Death Dive

Johnny Cloud and his Happy Braves are ordered to escort B-17 forts across the channel. At the rendezvous, Cloud greets Jolly Roger, the bomber group commander, who tells him that this is his last mission. He cajoles Cloud to ring the bell at his farewell party. They had developed camaraderie over a dozen or so escorts; yet, Cloud had never met Jolly Roger.

Crisscrossing high above the bombers, Cloud sees his Big Brother hiding his face in a dark cloud – a sign that danger is near. Sure enough, a swarm of bandits rage against the forts. Cloud downs a Me-109, as do others, including Tex, his wingman. Despite the onslaught, the forts hold steady in tight formation, as flak peppers the sky with hot shards of iron.

The forts hit their targets and turn away only to be attacked again by the Huns. The Happy Braves climb to meet the threat, clashing head-on in a test of nerves. Cloud cooks several Me-109s, but Jolly Roger is hit. With his engines sputtering, the group commander makes an emergency landing in a field below. Just then, Cloud is hit by flak – BLANG! His Mustang ignites; Cloud parachutes.

Landing near the damaged fort, Cloud races to find Jolly Roger. He’s alive, but gravely wounded. He is startled to discover that Jolly Roger is an Apache – no wonder they bonded.

Moments later, a German search party captures them, and the haughty commandant insults Cloud and Jolly Roger, calling them feeble-minded savages. Cloud seethes, and for a moment he looks to retaliate, but Jolly Roger whispers: “Wait for the right moment.”

The commandant presses his Luger to Cloud’s head and ushers both pilots into the damaged fort, now repaired by a team of mechanics. The fort lifts off with Cloud on the stick and Jolly Roger slumped beside him. The commandant crouches behind them with his finger hard on the trigger. He orders Cloud to fly over the channel.

Below, they spot an Allied battleship blocking a nearby German warship from heading out to sea. Cloud itches to make a defiant move, but Jolly Roger glances towards him with wise eyes that say: Wait for the right moment. His Big Brother redoubles the message.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#84 (April 1961); Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics

Mission Two: Fighting Blind - The Debriefing

Flying Blind underscores Cloud’s struggle to uphold the demands of leadership passed to him by his former flight leader Mack – namely to never lose a man on his first sortie. He nearly fails, but Cloud appeals to his Big Brother who grants him a second chance at redemption.

Still, it is Cloud alone that has to be resourceful. And he is just that. He takes the solo mission, and this allows him to rescue Tex.

The parallel between Tex and Cloud is hard to miss. Both of them struggle to fit in. Tex uses arrogance to shine whereas Cloud is dutiful. Yet, both are willing to risk it all to prevail. There is a lesson here, and the story could have ended with that.

But the lesson is not over, and neither is the action. Cloud saves Tex and completes his bombing run. And then, a theatrical twist binds them.

Cloud is blinded by the bomb blast when he destroys the depot. His loss pulls them together as one (whole) pilot, forged in combat. The fight is not done. A marauding bandit presses them to fight as one. Nothing less could have solidified their alliance.

The symbolism is hard to miss. Tex is short for Texas, a coarse reference to the Wild West and schoolyard bullies everywhere. Yet, his challenge to Cloud’s authority was met by an uncanny series of events that led them to join together against a common enemy. And, in the end, Tex becomes Cloud’s most devoted wingman. The lesson: We must fight together to defeat evil.

All told, Cloud’s fateful world unfolds in spectacular fashion. His is a world that is filled with magical interventions and second chances. When he looks to his Big Brother in the final panel, Cloud appears to have an inkling that he does not fight alone.

Image Credit: 
AAMOW#83 (February 1961); Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.
Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics.

Mission Two: Fighting Blind Part 2

Cloud has returned from a disappointing mission. He has lost his newest pilot Tex. 

That night, alone on the tarmac, Cloud looks to his Big Brother for redemption. His shame is heavy. He needs more than just cumulus cover this time. 

Will his Big Brother help? And how?

Just then, his CO asks to see him, and Cloud fears that he will be demoted. Instead, the commander orders him to choose a volunteer for a secret bombing mission scheduled at daybreak. Cloud takes the assignment, as he sees an opportunity for redemption.

 

In a twist of fate, the target is the same windmill that was damaged when Tex crashed – The tower hides a fuel depot for V-2 rockets. As Cloud approaches the target, he sees that Tex has spelled out a warning using crash debris. Cloud lands in the adjoining field to rescue an incredulous Tex.

With both of them jammed into the cockpit, Cloud zeros in on the windmill. Just as he is starting his bombing run, three bandits dive in behind him. Cloud hits his target and breaks left just as the explosion reaches into the air. The bandits are all swept up in the fireball. WHROOOM!

Cloud is blinded by the blast. Tex tries to work the controls, but his injuries prevent him from taking the stick. And so, he guides Cloud verbally – two injured pilots make one.

They limp towards base when a lone Fw-190, seeing an easy kill, attacks head-on. Cloud and Tex hold steady and suffer the barrage of bullets. Just as the bandit pulls up to avoid collision, Tex shouts for Cloud to fire into the belly of the enemy – the Fw-190 detonates. WHRAAM!

At base, Tex raves about Cloud: “No one but the Chief could have done it!”

Later that evening, during a quiet moment on the runway, Cloud looks to his Big Brother and expresses relief that he was able to uphold his pledge of not losing a new man on his first flight.

Image Credit:

AAMOW#83 (February 1961); Art: I. Novick; Writer: R. Kanigher.

Johnny Cloud TM DC Comics.