Black Hawk, Part 10

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 10

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 13

DATELINE
16 June 79

PAGE COUNT
4

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk almost becomes a human sacrifice.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance by a named genuine historical character, in this case Gaius Suetonius Paulinus.

INFORMATION
(according to established history this part ought to take place in either 60 or 61 AD)

While General Paulinius leads an attack on the druids of Mona, in the south, Boadicea stages an uprising.

BLACK HAWK
A druid tries to sacrifice him, but Lonus gives his life to spare Black Hawk. When freed from his bonds, he lifts the sacrificial stone slab above his head. He fights druids using their own sacred sickle. After the battle, the dying druid priest prophesies that Black Hawk will be trapped and surrounded by water. A despatch rider brings news from London of an uprising there.

OTHER CHARACTERS
THE BIRD
She grabs the druid's sacred sickle in her talons and flies at him aiming for his neck. The bird drops the sickle into Black Hawk's reach and he frees himself from his bonds.

BARABBA
Stronus and Batus force him to cross the water to Mona on foot.

LONUS
When Black is threatened with becoming a human sacrifice, Lonus leaps into the path of the sickle and dies saving Black Hawk.

STRONUS
He and Batus steal the Roman cavalry's horses and lead a crossing to Mona to save Black Hawk.

BATUS
He and Stronus steal the Roman cavalry's horses and lead a crossing to Mona to save Black Hawk.

GENERAL PAULINIUS
He leads the second wave attack. He gets word of an uprising lead by Boadicea calling all troops back to London.

DEATHS
At least two, possibly hundreds. Lonus jumps in front of the Druid priest's sickle and the priest dies of injuries possibly caused by the bird.

BEST LINES
Roman soldier: "Nobody can beat the Druids' power! I'm not setting a sandal on that hell-hole of an island!"

WORST LINES
Priest (as the bird seizes the sacred sickle in its talons): "What the-? The bird seizes the sacred sickle in its talons!"

CATCHPHRASES
Barabba screams an "Aiee!", Lonus an "Aieee!", while the Druid priest plumps for "Aieeeeeeeee!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus (dates unknown) was genuine Roman general who lead an assault on the island of Mona in either 60 or 61 AD, a Druidic stronghold. The tribes of the south-east took advantage of his absence and staged a revolt, led by Boadicea or Boudica of the Iceni (dates unknown).

MISTAKES
Lona has now been renamed Lonus.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: G.F. Day
Artist: Azpiri
Letters: Unknown

REVIEW
The tying into genuine historical events is nice as is the camaraderie among Black Hawk's men. It's a shame we only learn that it is Lonus that literally sacrifices himself because we later discover that Lepus is still alive. It's odd that Black Hawk lifts the sacrificial altar above his head saying "I've another use for your vile stone slab!" and then whatever he does with it occurs between panels and is then never referred to.

Next Week: London...A City Under Siege!