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The Golden Age Lady Blackhawk in Military Comics #20, Up for Auction

Published Fri, 17 Jun 2022 17:47:10 -0500

The new Blackhawk team member who showed up in Military Comics #20 is referred to as "the Blonde Bomber" on the cover of that issue and says she wants to be called "Sugar" in the story itself. But collectors have widely considered this character the Golden Age version of Lady Blackhawk. She generally resembles Zinda Blake, the Silver Age Lady Blackhawk who first appears in Blackhawk #133 (cover-dated February 1959), and while Sugar only appears in this single July 1943 cover-dated issue, this memorable story drawn by Reed Crandal, possibly from a script by William Woolfolk, is one of the stand-outs of the series. An often-overlooked moment of Golden Age history about a team that has a Steven Spielberg movie in the works, there's a Military Comics #20 (Quality, 1943) Condition: VG+ up for auction in the 2022 June 19-20 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122225 at Heritage Auctions.

Military Comics #20 featuring the Golden Age Lady Blackhawk (Quality, 1943)

While the Blonde Bomber had no costume like her Silver Age counterpart Zinda Blake had, she held her own with the rest of the Blackhawk team. A pilot herself, Sugar showed up unannounced on Blackhawk island and demanded to be made a member of the team. While Blackhawk was initially reluctant, Sugar persuaded him by saying that her brother was shot down over Germany and that she had a score to settle. She quickly proved her worth by going undercover in Germany to find crucial information for the team's current mission. She even saved Blackhawk with some expert flying in the end. While Sugar said she'd be back at the end of the story, sadly, she would never return in the Golden Age.

The Golden Age Lady Blackhawk was the first female member of the Blackhawk team. Due to her similarity to the Silver Age Lady Blackhawk, she is considered an important predecessor to that character. Spectacularly drawn by Reed Crandall, the character made her only appearance in Military Comics #20, and there's a Military Comics #20 (Quality, 1943) Condition: VG+ up for auction in the 2022 June 19-20 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122225 at Heritage Auctions.