Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: fox features syndicate, victor fox

Victor Fox's The Eagle, Rebooted for War in The Eagle #1, at Auction

Published Sun, 17 Oct 2021 17:02:08 -0500

The Eagle first appeared in the venerable Fox Features Syndicate early 1940 release Science Comics #1. As the series name implies, the origin of his powers was based in science: "Bill Powers, young scientist, discovers an anti-gravitation fluid which, when placed on his specially designed wings, enables him to fly like a bird." But the American comic book industry was moving particularly fast during this period of history, and following directly in the wake of the release of Marvel's Captain America #1, rival Victor Fox rebooted the super-scientist into a super-soldier, complete with a sidekick named "Daredevil Boy" Buddy (the most obvious telltale that the new Eagle was influenced by Captain America, based on his sidekick Bucky). A classic and obscure early WW2-era Fox Features Syndicate title, there's a copy of The Eagle #1 (Fox, 1941) CGC Apparent VG 4.0 Slight (C-1) Off-white pages available at the 2021 October 17-18 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122142 at Heritage Auctions.

The Eagle storylines will have a familiar feel to fans familiar to Golden Age Captain America comics. As Bill Powers and Buddy, the Eagle and Daredevil Boy become U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Camp Richards somewhere in the United States. From there, the pair become entangled in all sorts of Fifth Columnists and spy plots against the country. The lead story of The Eagle #1 includes no less than Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, and Josef Goebbels directing an underling called the Green Spider in a plot to use chemical weapons against American soldiers while simultaneously developing an army of giant Nazi super-soldiers.

Early Fox Features Syndicate comic books are usually tough gets, and this one is no exception. There are 21 entries for this comic on the CGC Census. A prototypical example of WW2-era superhero comic books, there's a copy of The Eagle #1 (Fox, 1941) CGC Apparent VG 4.0 Slight (C-1) Off-white pages available at the 2021 October 17-18 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122142 at Heritage Auctions.

The Eagle #1 (Fox, 1941) CGC Apparent VG 4.0 Slight (C-1) Off-white pages. Nazi U-boat in America cover. The Eagle begins. Rex Dexter of Mars appearance with art by Dick Briefer. Klaus Nordling art. CGC notes, "Restoration includes: small amount of glue on spine of cover." Overstreet 2021 GD 2.0 value = $242; VG 4.0 value = $484.

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 1221865002 and purchase grader's notes if available.

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