Howard Chaykin, Steve Oliff and Ken Bruzenak
The story opens with a trio of Mayhew's White Lions stealing a truck, whose only cargo is a crate confiscated from the resistance, from the Nazi SS. Back in New York, Janos and Natalie are commiserating over his fall from hero status. Senator Hightower is still publicly accussing Blackhawk of being a Communist while secrety meeting Sir Death Mayhew.
The White Lions load the stolen atomic bomb on to the "New York bomber," which seems to be two He 111's stuck together with an over-sized fuselage in the middle. The Germans actually built a plane that used two He 111 bombers joined by a common wing that mounted a fifth engine (in addition to the two each supplied by the bombers). It was designated the He 111Z and was used for towing the Me 321 Gigant glider. I doubt if it could have flown from Germany to New York and Chaykin's "New York bomber" certainly doesn't look capable of the job. Also, when the White Lions remove the crate containing the atomic bomb from the truck, it is about three feet long by one and a half wide, and can easily be lifted by one man. The Fat Man atomic bomb was huge and weighed several tons. A B-29 Superfortress had it's bomb bay modified to carry it. The first bomb, the Little Boy, was small only in comparison to the second. True, we have suitcase nuclear devices now, but they certainly didn't have them in 1945.
Reba MacMahon, who has been abused by Mayhew, goes to Prohaska and tells him that the bomber is coming and Mayhew is lighting the Empire State Building as a beacon for it. Natalie flies a autogyro to drop Prohaska on the top of the Empire State Building, where he fights Mayhew to the death. Prohaska sends the radio signal that detonates the atomic bomb while the bomber is still out over the sea. Blackhawk is a hero again.
Although I may not care much for Chaykin as a writer, there can be no arguing with his talent as an artist. The cover for this issue has always been one of my favorites. I recently learned the story behind the cover.
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