Black Hawk, Part 17

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 17

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 20

DATELINE
4 Aug 79

This issue of Tornado also featured The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, The Lawless Touch, Storm, Captain Klep, Tornado's True Tales, Victor Drago, Big E In Action and Victor Drago's Black Museum Of Villains, with a cover by Unknown.

PAGE COUNT
4

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk meets some new recruits.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
None.

BLACK HAWK
He and his men arrive back in Rome. He is greeted as a hero by the slaves outside the city, but prevented from entering the city by Crassus. They are joined by several new recruits, including a couple of fellow Nubians and a blind man who saves him from an assassin within the quarry. Black Hawk suspects the assassin is one of his new recruits.

OTHER CHARACTERS
CRASSUS
Now a Tribune, he prevents Black Hawk or his men from entering Rome and instead sends them to the quarry where they first trained.

BARABBA
The blind man could tell he was concealing some wine.

THE BLIND MAN
He hears so well that he fights as well as a sighted man. He volunteers to join Black Hawk's auxiliaries and fights Black Hawk and two of his men. He prevent an assassination attempt on Black Hawk's life. He can smell poison and claims to be able to smell treachery and deceit.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Blind Man: "The feathers I hear are not of that bird..."
Black Hawk: "An arrow! And it was heading straight for me!"
Blind Man: "Aye. Those were the feathers I heard!"

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The blind man who sees better is an archetype that goes back as far as Greek mythology and Tiresias.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
This is great stuff and the blind seer would have been a welcome addition to the last sixteen parts. It's a shame we don't meet more potential assassins.

Next Week: Can Black Hawk Escape The Assassin?

Black Hawk, Part 16

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 16

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 19

DATELINE
28 July 79

This issue of Tornado also featured The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, Wagner's Walk, Storm, The Lawless Touch, Big E In Action, Victor Drago's Black Museum Of Villains and Victor Drago, with a cover by Massimo Belardinelli.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk reluctantly searches for Boadicea, but finds Barabba.

FIRSTS & LASTS
Last Black Hawk set in Britain.

INFORMATION
None.

BLACK HAWK
He and his auxiliaries are ordered to join the search for Boadicea. He orders Barabba be dressed up as Boadicea and ride her chariot past the Roman victory celebrations. Weeks alter he receives new orders to return to Rome.

OTHER CHARACTERS
BARABBA
He attempts to find Boadicea's body in the forest to sell to the Roman generals, but Black Hawk discovers him and knocks him out of a tree. Wearing a fallen bird's nest as a wig, he is forced to ride Boadicea's chariot past the Roman victory celebrations.

DEATHS
One. A Briton dies of an arrow wound. We do not see definitive evidence of Boadicea's death.

BEST LINES
Black Hawk: "Look, a Roman victory in full swing! I knew it wouldn't be long before they were gorging themselves!"

WORST LINES
Briton #1: "Boadicea! But she is dead! It's a trick!
Briton: "But not a trick on us. Look at those Romans scatter! Ha, Ha!"

CATCHPHRASES
A falling Barabba screams an "Aieeee!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Nobody knows how Boadicea died, Tacitus (Circa AD 56–after 117) wrote that she poisoned herself, while Dio (Circa AD 155–235) says she fell sick and died.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
This is a nice note to end Black Hawk's British visit on, but I'm not sure how creating the illusion that Boadicea is still alive means the Romans will stop looking for her.

Next Week: All Roads Lead To Rome!

Black Hawk, Part 15

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 15

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 18

DATELINE
21 July 79

This issue of Tornado also features The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, Wagner's Walk, The Lawless Touch, Storm, Captain Klep, Victor Drago's Black Museum Of Villains and Victor Drago itself, with a cover by Ian Kennedy.

PAGE COUNT
4

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk spares Boadicea's life.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
None.

BLACK HAWK
He and his men fight the rebels until they are routed and then as the Roman Legions take their revenge. Black Hawk misses Boadiciea, apparently on purpose.

OTHER CHARACTERS
BOADICEA
Black Hawk misses her with his javelin.

DEATHS
At least eight, but presumably hundreds. We see two Brits killed in battle and Black Hawk spears at least eight buzzards with a single throw.

BEST LINES
None.

WORST LINES
Barabba: "Wait! The Centurion's picked up another Javelin!"

CATCHPHRASES
A Roman soldier mentions "Zeus!" and a British Rebel screams an "Aieeee!".

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The collective noun for "a pack of buzzards" is apparently a wake of buzzards.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
Black Hawk is shamed by his actions and appalled by those of the Legions. This should be a great character moment, but it's lost. It's a shame that we don't really get to see their atrocities as Black Hawk's turnabout comes seemingly from nowhere and results in some unnecessary avicide.

Next Week: Pride Goes Before A Fall!

Black Hawk, Part 14

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 14

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 17

DATELINE
14 July 79

This issue of Tornado also features The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, Wagner's Walk, The Lawless Touch, Storm, Captain Klep, Victor Drago's Black Museum of Villains and Victor Drago itself, with a cover by Eric Bradbury.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
The Britons attack the Roman base and Crutus turns the tide.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
Britons call their scythed chariots, Reapers.

BLACK HAWK
He requests the use of a chariots and some horses for some special training. He demonstrates to his men that they must jump over the scythes.

OTHER CHARACTERS
THE HAWK
She lands on Crutus' shoulder and when he need to jump the Reaper's scythes, he does. Whether she helps lift him just that little bit higher or whether he believed she did is not clear.

STRONUS
He drives the chariot for Black Hawk's special training.

BATUS
He affixes wooden stakes to the chariot for Black Hawk's special training, to represent scythes.

CRUTUS
Supply soldier and one of Black Hawk's men. He is infirm and walks with the aid of a crutch. He volunteers to attempt Black Hawk's special training, but is knocked to ground and mocked. Black Hawk puts him in charge of the field mess. When the rebels attack with their Reapers, Crutus stands firm, the hawk lands on his shoulder and he attempts to jump the scythes again. He succeeds and then jumps into the chariot itself. Crutus attacks the charioteer and takes control of the vehicle. He is killed by another charioteer armed with a spear, but not before the overturns the chariot in the path of the oncoming rebels. Black Hawk describes as the bravest man he has ever known.

DEATHS
Probably dozens. We see at least three Romans killed by the scythes of the Reapers, Crutus is speared by a British charioteer and the crash Crutus caused must have lead to a loss of life.

BEST LINES
None.

WORST LINES
Charioteer: "Curse you Roman dog! You did not look capable of such a feat!"

Uh, thanks.

CATCHPHRASES
A British charioteer screams an "Aiee!" and his victim joins in with a "Aieeeeeee!", when Crutus hits a charioteer with his crutch his victim lets out an "Aiieerrghhh!" and the crash Crutus caused elicits an "Aieee!".

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
Hooray for Crutus. The most interesting character to appear in Black Hawk since it began. I hope he's around for a long time to come. Oh.

Next Week: Massacre!

Black Hawk, Part 13

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 13

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 16

DATELINE
7 July 79

This issue of Tornado also features The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, Wagner's Walk, The Lawless Touch, Victor Drago, Captain Klep, Victor Drago's Black Museum Of Villains and The Billy Preston Report, with a cover by Ian Kennedy.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk and his men escape Londinium.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of Boadicea, although not explicitly named as such.

INFORMATION
Human beings can hold their breath for at least three minutes.

BLACK HAWK
He, Stronus and Batus demonstrate to the men that they can hold their breath for three minutes. He orders the men to hold their breath and swim underwater, and under the cover of the waterfowl on the surface, to avoid being caught by the rebels. They successfully traverse the river.

OTHER CHARACTERS
MISTRESS
She flies over he waterfowl on the river preventing them from flying off.

STRONUS
He, Black Hawk and Batus demonstrate to the men that they can hold their breath for three minutes. He stops a breathless Barabba from breaking the surface of the water. They successfully traverse the river.

BATUS
He, Black Hawk and Stronus demonstrate to the men that they can hold their breath for three minutes. They successfully traverse the river.

BARABBA
He runs out of whilst swimming underwater and Black Hawk forces him to breathe air from a discarded wineskin. They successfully traverse the river.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
None.

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
A Roman mile is equivalent to 1620 yards or 1481 metres (see MISTAKES below).

MISTAKES
Black Hawk estimates the distance to swim as half a Roman mile, so about 740 metres. The current freestyle world record for the 400 metres is 3 minutes 40.07 seconds, so well over the three minute mark. The closest distance measured for which a world record is collated that I could find was the 800 metres freestyle and 7 minutes 32.12 seconds, so it's no wonder Barabba was running out of air. That said the current record for holding one's breath underwater (without resorting to breathing pure oxygen) is 11 minutes 35 seconds.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
This is dull. Black Hawk's demonstration of holding his breath and his yelling to Stronus and Batus whilst hiding from the rebels are both pretty daft.

Next Week: Chariots Of Death!

Black Hawk, Part 12

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 12

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 15

DATELINE
30 June 79

This issue of Tornado also featured The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, Wagner's Walk, The Lawless Touch, Victor Drago, Storm, Captain Klep and Victor Drago's Black Museum Of Villains, with a cover by Massimo Belardinelli.

PAGE COUNT
4

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk and his men attempt to escape rebel occupied Londinium.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
Following the Roman departure from Londinium, the rebel troops turned on the Romanised Britons.

BLACK HAWK
He and his men are trapped in Londinium and surrounded by British rebel forces. Black Hawk orders his men to wrap heavy chains around a Roman archway, he confronts the rebels alone and leads them back to the archway where his men pull it down on them. They move their position, but are trapped again by a rebel barricade. Black Hawk considers an escape by water.

OTHER CHARACTERS
THE HAWK
She hovers over a hiding Barabba and Pocus.

BARABBA & POCUS
He and Pocus hide in an outdoor Roman bath rather than fight. He is revealed by the hawk. This inspires Black Hawk to escape via water.

DEATHS
At least a couple of dozen. We see five British rebels buried in falling masonry from the archway and an unknown number of Romanised Britons drown when their boat sinks.

BEST LINES
None.

WORST LINES
Black Hawk: "You wanted to see Roman London fall, Britons - now you have it!"

CATCHPHRASES
The crushed Britons scream an "Aieeeeeeeeee!", Black Hawk uses Zeus' name in vain.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
This strip achieves very little in story terms, but it adjusts the character of Barabba from conniving coward to comedy coward.

Next Week: The Way Out!

Black Hawk, Part 11

NAME
Black Hawk, Part 11

FIRST PUBLISHED
Tornado Issue 14

DATELINE
23 June 79

This issue of Tornado features The Angry Planet, The Mind Of Wolfie Smith, Wagner's Walk, Victor Drago, Storm, The Lawless Touch, Captain Klep and Victor Drago's Black Museum Of Villains, with a cover by Barry Mitchell.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
Black Hawk: The Intergalactic Gladiator.

SYNOPSIS
Black Hawk heads into Londinium, out of Londinium and back in again.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
The British used scythed chariots.

BLACK HAWK
He arrives in Londinium and is ordered by the governor to hold the city. He refuses, helps escort the governor from the city. Upon realising his hawk is not with him, he returns to Londinium and is caught in the governor's palace. He struggles with the rebels until his men come to his aid. They are trapped within the city by the rebel army and its scythed chariots

OTHER CHARACTERS
THE BIRD
The governor order that she be tied to a table in his palace and abandoned. She is freed by a rebel.

THE GOVERNOR OF LONDINIUM
He orders Black Hawk to hold the city, when he refuses the governor orders that his bird be tied down and left behind.

BARABBA
He and Pocus go looting in the chaos of Londinium.

POCUS
He and Barabba go looting in the chaos of Londinium.

DEATHS
At least one. We see a rebel shot with an arrow.

BEST LINES
Black Hawk: "Hold Londinium? With less than a hundred exhausted men against thousands of rebels? No, Governor!"
Governor: "That is an order! I-"
Black Hawk: "I take my orders from the military, not the civil powers! I was told to escort the citizens safely, not make a mad suicide stand to buy time for you to load more valuables!...I don't intend to remain in the city when the rebels come!"

WORST LINES
Roman soldier: "Pah!"

Yep.

CATCHPHRASES
British rebel scream "Aiee!", "Aieee!" and "Aeieeeeeeee!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The British did apparently use scythed chariots and recalls scenes in films like Ben-Hur (1959).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

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

REVIEW
Black Hawk's toing and froing in and out of London is a little odd. How does Black Hawk know the governor is responsible for his hawk's disappearance? Once again, Black Hawk is saved by his men. He is arguably becoming something of a liability.

Next Week: The Battle!