Military Comics Issue No. 6
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January 1942
Writer: Dick French, Artist: Chuck Cuidera (Cover art by Cuidera)
The Vial of Death: In Nazi headquarters high in the Alps, officers gloat over their plan to use germ warfare against the allies. Suddenly, the lights are shot out and unseen foes attack. In a nicely composed and executed series of panels, Cuidera shows the Blackhawks overcoming the Nazis and taking the secret "formula". However as they make their escape in their planes, they are bounced by a squadron of Nazi fighters. All escape except Blackhawk. For some reason, he does not have a parachute and his plane crashes. It appears he has been killed and the rest of the team flies away. But Blackhawk is not dead. Crawling from the wrecked Skyrocket unharmed, he steals a German staff car and drives up the mountain. When the snow becomes too deep, he gets out and walks until he collapses. He is rescued by a beautiful young woman named Elsa and her large man servant, Pierre, both of whom are on skies. They take Blackhawk back to her chateau, against the wishes of her father, Professor Hammel. When Blackhawk comes to, he realizes this is the same Hammel who discovered the killer germ the Nazis plan to use as a weapon. The Professor enters and brags about his accomplishment and all the death it will cause. Elsa explains that her father has been driven mad by the torture inflicted on him by the Gestapo. At that moment, the Gestapo arrive, searching for Blackhawk. Blackhawk is hidden in the attic, but when the Gestapo commander threatens Professor Hammel with another beating, Hammel gives him away. The Nazi shoots the Professor anyway, since he is no longer needed. Elsa throws a oil lamp at the Gestapo commander, who catches fire and then sets the whole chateau on fire. Blackhawk escapes out the window and down a vine. The vine breaks but he lands on a German soldier who breaks his fall. Elsa calls from a window for help. Blackhawk tells her to jump and catches her when she does. They make their escape on skies, avoiding German soldiers and an avalanche, but cannot escape a German fighter plane that shoots Elsa. She dies in Blackhawk's arms, pleading with him to keep fighting for freedom. Of course, the rest of the Black Knights had come back to make sure about Blackhawk. Olaf forces the Nazi fighter down and Blackhawk takes off in it. They engage the rest of the German fighters in a fierce dogfight and sweep them from the sky. When Blackhawk lands on Blackhawk Island, Chop Chop sees only a Nazi fighter and tries to shoot it down, but fortunately his machinegun jams.
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