THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #49

“The Plans of S.A.T.A.N.”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

The Fightingest men in the world are taking down some Oriental Communists smuggling weapons to saboteur groups. Only it is a trap sprung by Nico the head of S.A.T.A.N. Nico dresses in a spandex red suit with a giant S on his chest, a high collar and antennae. He also has a goatee and pointy ears. Not to mention a pitchfork. Basically he dresses like Satan. He uses his pitchfork to shoot a paralyzing beam on the leader Hennessey. Then sleep gas on the others. This was a warning for the 5 not to get involved with his plans.

The 5 recover and head back to HQ. There they find out Nico was a double agent during WWII. He was decorated by the Allies as well as the Nazis. Apparently the guy thrives on chaos and destruction. Nico causes bombs to go off in the French Riviera. Only this is a distraction as the 5 go there he hits the New York Stock Exchange. He forces them to sign over control of all the major companies, cartels and gold mines. Then using an armored subway car as a distraction he escapes.

So the 5 figure out his future plans and they involve the city of Venice. Nico sets the canals on fire and plants mines. He also unleashes hordes of killer whales and sharks. While this is going on he loots the palaces. Only the 5 manage to confront him but he uses his pitchfork and gas. He seems to have won but the 5 were immune to the gas thanks to an antidote and Hennessey survives because of extra armor. They attack his sub and capture it but Nico jumps into the canal amid a shark feeding frenzy. Did he perish or will he be back?

“The Enemy”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

PFC. Billy Trent is in the jungles of Guadalcanal and scared to death. Every little sound and animal causes him to panic and run. He bumps into a seasoned sergeant who straightens him out to overcome his fear. The two then attack a Japanese machine gun.

I thought this couldn’t get any goofier but I was wrong. This is just plan nuts. Some super villain in a Satan suit causes all this over the top mayhem. He forces the NY Stock Exchange to give him title the all the world’s wealth. Yet he continues to cause chaos for his own pleasure. We never do find out what S.A.T.A.N. stands for. So the series ends. We got all sorts of evil in the world the team fought. Of course there were Communists galore. Soviet saboteurs and Viet Cong with Chinese Communists. There were also Nazis and Aztecs. Evil scientists and mafioso taking over corporations. Not to mention a kooky evil genius in a Satan suit. Yet the Fightin’ 5 went on to be a backup feature in another series which we will in the future explore. Commies and evildoers beware.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #48

“Hidden Empire”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Blanche

Dr. Hubert Nijus is a world renowned scientist who has developed a pill that can enable people to live underwater. He recruits his students and builds an underwater city. A government agent comes to him because the families of his students are concerned about their disappearance. This agent discovers what Nijus is doing and is kidnapped. So the Fightin’ 5 are called in. Their leader is aware of what’s going on and is already training with scuba gear to fight sharks. They track one of Nijus’s students to the city. They fight off sharks set on them by wounding some so they fight among themselves. Yet they are still captured by Nijus’s finmen. Nijus plans to turn the 5 into his finmen. Already he has kidnapped a Soviet sub crew and plans to kidnap more submarine crews. He has built a sub of his own and plans to nuke the major ports as part of his plan for world conquest. It all backfires because the 5 already have a cure for the finman serum. They give it to his men who free themselves. Only Nijus refuses to be captured and blows himself up.

“The Treasure Pirates”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

Some treasure hunters are driven off their find by pirates. Only the legitimate hunters later get the drop on the pirates and they are arrested. The hunters get their find but have to give a portion to the government in taxes. Always pay your taxes kids.

“Expendable Except”
Writer: Unknown

A prose story about some O.S.S. agents in Italy during WWII. They are rescuing a scientist and his daughter from the Nazis. Only the Nazis have them trapped in a farmhouse with a tank. The scientist insists that the agents pay the owner $10,000 for the farm which they do. Apparently they carry around a lot of money. Then the scientist invites the Nazis officer in under a flag of truce. He shows how in the wine cellar he has rigged it to blow and this would collapse the tank into the cellar. Then he would set the wine on fire. So the Nazis surrenders and they get away.

This has definitely got to be the goofiest of the series so far. A crazy scientist who creates finmen with shark fins that grow out of the top of their heads. He builds a city underwater and mines uranium for bombs. Yet the macho Fightin’5 have no trouble getting into their scuba gear and fighting hordes of sharks. They also somehow have an antidote to the finman pills. Not really explained but you just have to go with stuff in series like this.

As for the backups. Well one has an underwater theme. Have to put in for the kids the joys of paying your taxes. While the prose story during WWII is just plain nuts. That has to be some strong wine to be highly flammable. Oh and they just carry around $10,000. As I said this was one goofy issue.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #47

“Green Death in Vietnam”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

The Fightin’ 5 get there next assignment while waiting around their HQ. Chu a Chinese specialist from Peking is in Vietnam with 2,000 of his men. He has a reputation of being invincible and has the peasants terrified. So the 5 go to Nam’ and immediately get a lift to the interior by helicopter. As they land they make short work of the VC ambush. The survivor goes to Chu who is furious that the Americans have defeated some of his men. So he goes to a nearby village and using reeds to breath underwater, his men ambush the militia and the Special Forces advisor. He takes the young men as recruits and heads back to his base.

The 5 follow with Hennessey using his jetpack to ambush Chu as the others catch up from behind. Hennessey confronts Chu who in terror flees. They free the captives and tell them to spread the word on Chu’s cowardice. They then come on his base which he is using to train and arm recruits. Hennessey distracts Chu as the others plant explosives and destroy his weapons. At the end Hennessey give Chu a serious ass kicking and exposes him for the coward he really is. Chu is paraded around to show the whole country what a loser he really is.

“The Green Badge of Courage”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

A story that tells how great the Special Forces are. They not only have trained in every fighting skill and can operate in any climate. They have language skills and can teach how to farm and prepare defenses. This seems to be another Special Forces recruitment ad.

“American Ingenuity”
By Juan Fernandez

A prose article by a South American journalist covering the war in Vietnam. He tells how American forces are experts in improvisation. That spikes planed by the Cong were causing casualties so the Americans made metal soles for their boots. They also armed themselves with hatchets for the close quarter fighting.

So this was their all Vietnam war issue. I find it interesting because this was written back in 1965 or 66 when the war was in it’s early phase. When advisors were actually small groups of Green Berets and not whole divisions. I find it so optimistic about the war. Just reading it I wonder how we ever lost. I mean the enemy were cowardly agents from China. Here you have these guys in bright blue uniforms with bright red berets being able to melt into the jungle unseen by the VC. Plus they had jet packs to fly around with. I think veterans would get a good laugh out of this. Ah such an innocent time back then.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #46

“Death Rode the Red Wind”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

In an unnamed North African country an evil guy named Kifa-Ray has kidnapped two American Peace Corp workers. A Doctor and his nurse Loomis. The king Fazam-El believes Kifa-Ray is his twin brother that was kidnapped as a baby and brought up no good. He calls his friends the Fightin’ 5 to rescue the kidnapped Americans. So they come and go into the Inferno to rescue them. They first get attacked by a Stuka and manage to shoot it down. Then they come to an old French Foreign Legion fort that is being used by Kifa-Ray. They manage to successfully break in but Kifa-Ray gets them to surrender after threatening the life of Nurse Loomis.

Kifa-Ray is under the influence of his kidnapper a former German Nazi colonel named Wolfgang Kuss. Kifa decides to send the 5 along with the hostages into the Inferno to die. Hennessey the leader manages to convince him to give them back their weapons and supplies which he does. So they go out and manage to survive thanks to some super duper plastic sheets that protect them from the 117 degree heat and sandstorms. They shoot down another Stuka sent to find them and the pilot survives. He decides to join them and shows a secret underground tunnel entrance to the fort. They come in and set off the fuel to explode but not before they rescue Kifa-Ray who has decided that Kuss is a no good Nazi.

“The Sport of Judo”
Writer and Artist: Frank McLaughlin

An illustration on how to throw down on an opponent. Also talks about the sport and how popular it is in Japan. Also remember how to fall properly. Has warning at the beginning and end that kids shouldn’t try this without proper supervision.

“Fightin Facts”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

A brief overview of Special Forces. That they must graduate parachute training and have all sorts of tough training to become a member.

I just love this issue. You have Nazis and Stukas and evil Arabs. The Nazi Kuss even has an eyepatch. So he kidnaps a baby and decades later is using him to take over a country. That is some long term planning. A weird thing in this is the two captives tell that they haven’t eaten or drank in two days. Now you could survive two days without food but I don’t think you can without water. Anyway I remember loving this issue with it’s Nazis and Stukas and other goofy stuff in a mysterious desert.

The backup had something different. An instructional on Judo. I wonder how those warnings worked out. I doubt that discouraged any kid from trying these moves out.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #45

“The Many Masks of Doom”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

The Fightin’ 5 are training at their Virginia estate when a State Department official brings them their next assignment. An Asian country is about to have a military coup. General Winh is a popular figure in the army. Yet they have heard that Le Duch Du Mort or the Duke of Death is the one really behind the coup. Du Mort has worked for the Gestapo under Hitler, helped Stalin in the purges and worked for the Mafia in the drug trade. Guy gets around. He is also a master of disguise and can speak any known language.

The 5 are ambushed at their hotel by troops of the coup but they easily defeat them and take their half track. They arrive at the Presidential Palace and find the phony General Winh staging a coup. Du Mort manages to use tear gas to disarm the 5 and take them prisoner. Only the 5 have explosives hidden on them and bust out. They go to the embassy but find the Marine guards replaced by Du Mort’s men. Du Mort has now impersonated the ambassador and announced that the US government now supports the coup. They free the ambassador and take back the embassy. Only Du Mort now is disguised as the leader Captain Hennessey. Luckily the real Hennessey shows up and captures him. Only at the end the insidious Du Mort escapes disguised as the commander of the Marine guards and with millions of gold and art from the country.

“O.S.S.”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

The O.S.S. or Office of Special Services operated in all countries during WWII. They counterfeited money to destabilize currency. They bribed corrupt officers for information and other acts of sabotage. The members never received any medals and couldn’t tell any war stories because they were sworn to secrecy.

“The Meuse-Argonne Battle”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

On September 26,1918 250,000 troops with 2,700 guns attacked the Germans. This was the last major offense of the war and cost America 117,000 dead and wounded.

Coincidentally as I write this a military coup is going on in Myanmar. Strange coincidence. Anyway this is one wild story. This Duke of Death could easily disguise himself and apparently worked for every evil organization in the world. It is interesting that this opponent is the only one so far that the Fightin’ 5 didn’t fully defeat. This guy managed to escape and take millions with him. He sounded like a villain that was planned for future issues if this series had a longer run.

The backup historical shorts were good little fillers as usual.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #44

“The Ransome of Big-D”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

General Dynamotors or “Big-D” as its known is the world’s largest corporation. It makes everything from cars to tanks. Missiles, ocean liners, fabrics and steel. Only there is a problem with the quality of products from the corporation lately. Hennessy buys a Big-D sports car and the steering fails. Irv the Nerve is parachuting and the ripcord on the Big-D made parachute fails. Luckily he manages to cut the cord and the chute opens in time. While Granite Gallero is testing a new tank for the army when the fuel line bursts and the tank bursts into flames. It was also a Big-D product.

The Fightin’ 5 decide this is something they must look into. Luckily Hennessy is very rich and is a majority shareholder in the corporation. So the gang head out to the mid-west to visit the corporate office in their trusty jet. First they are attacked by a corporate jet fighter that they manage to shoot down. They get to the HQ and find that a criminal kingpin named Luckens is in control. Apparently he threatened shareholders to give him their proxy vote to give him control of the board. Now his criminal gang is looting the company. They try to escape in a bomber and destroy the HQ with a cobalt bomb but the Fightin’ 5 stop them. So they avert a major depression by saving this massive global corporation.

“The Phantom of the Sahara”
Writer & Artist: Unknown.

Ervin Rommel is sent to North Africa to stop the British 8th Army under Wavell. He manages to use phony tanks to fool the British that his forces are in place to delay them. He was known for riding around in his staff car all over the battlefield. He also used a captured British tank to travel around behind enemy lines. His tactics defeated a force larger than his but the lack of fuel and parts eventually doomed his Afrika Corp.

“The Instant Army”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

The modern American Army division can be airlifted anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. Large jets transport the troops to their destination. Once there helicopters take them to the area. Heavy equipment like artillery and tanks are parachuted to them.

Wow I did not know that it was so easy to take over a major corporation. You just need to threaten the major stockholders and they just roll over. So this was an unexpected story. I never though about the criminals threatening the free world by taking over the a major corporation. Luckily the head of the group is filthy rich and they seem to just do anything they want. It does confuse me how they managed to take over the company if Hennessy is the majority shareholder.

I also love how this corporation has access to such high tech stuff as jets, bombers and a cobalt bomb. Good to know that there is such tight oversight of these things by the government. The cover is a bit misleading. They never fight a giant so not really sure what that was about. I guess it was to symbolize the giant corporation.

As for the backup there are another treat. The Rommel story seems very far fetched but just nuts if true. I might have to look into Rommel. He probably has a very interesting story. The second seems to make the transfer of heavy divisions look a little too easy. Still troops can be moved about much faster then in the WWII/Korea era.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #43

“The Aztec Destroyers”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

Lev is a Soviet agent sent to the Sierra Madres to train the local Aztecs in sabotage. One of these Aztecs manage to sneak aboard an aircraft carrier and denotate a bomb. The guy survives and realizes that Lev lied about America. So he tells the Fightin’ 5 about his secret base. The 5 then infiltrate to Mexico. There Hennessy and Frenchy capture the Aztec queen. Only she manages to escape through a trap door and because the guys don’t want to shoot the innocent Aztecs, Hennessy is captured. Later Tom-Tom is also captured and the two are going to be sacrificed to their sun god. Only Tom-Tom is so strong that he breaks the chains. An old legends tells that someone would do this and lead the Aztecs against evil.

Lev decides to flee and shoots the Aztec princess seriously wounding her. So the 5 then attack Lev’s base which is inside a giant stone statue on the mountainside. Lev decides to launch his nuclear missiles to save himself. As he says, “Almost all the world will die but I will live.” OK well luckily the Aztecs show up and turn against the Commies. They manage to destroy the nuclear missiles and capture Lev. The princess survives and wants Hennessy to say with her but Hennessy has a greater mission, to continue with his team to fight the threats to freedom.

“The Space Warriors”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

In the future soldiers will be equipped with laser rifles, rocket packs and little jet powered capsules. They take less then a day to accomplish what took 2,000,000 to accomplish a hundred years ago.

“They Made a Man”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

PFC Billy Cleeve is scrawny kid just out of high school. The army turns him into a lean, mean fighting machine. He joins the special forces and helps the Vietnamese train to fight the VC.

Oh those evil Commie bastards. They use these poor naive Aztecs that just want to worship their sun god and offer him human sacrifices. Instead they are turned into ruthless saboteurs for world Communism. I love these old stories. They are just so off the wall goofy. Didn’t know the Commies would just casually send off a bunch of nuclear missiles to a training camp in Mexico…and give control of them to a very unstable guy. I really fail to see the logic of launching the missiles. Sure they would destroy the world but they wouldn’t stop the Fightin’ 5. They’d still be close enough to kill him.

The small little backup stories were a hoot. The first was very upbeat about how easy the war of the future will be. The second seems like a recruitment to get young boys to sign up for special forces to fight the VC. God do I love these old stories.

THE FIGHTIN’ 5 #42

“America’s Super Squad”
Writer: Joe Gill
Artist: Montes Bache

America has decided they need a special fighting force to take on the dictators, Commies and other threats to freedom. So they go to five men that can fight anywhere on land, sea and air. The first is Frenchy the Fox. A former Navy officer who is an underwater demolitions expert. He now is in the French Riviera working to recover stolen jewelry for an insurance company.

Irv ‘the nerve’ Haganah is a former highly decorated member of the Israeli army. He now works as a private eye in New York. He has just successfully had a gunfight with some art thieves.

Granite Gallero tests weapons for friendly governments. He is currently testing a jet belt pack and armor for a South American country. Only that country’s friendly government is overthrow and their agents are out to get him. Fortunately they are no match for him.

Hank Hennessy is a captain in the Army Special Forces. Comes from a rich family and is young and handsome. Also somewhat of a ladies man.

Finally is Tom-Tom a professional wrestler playing the part of the bad guy in the ring when approached. Apparently you always need a professional wrestler on your elite forces.

Their first mission it to go to East Germany and rescue Ernst Von Essen. A naturalized German scientist who can really improve nuclear weapons. He was kidnapped and being held in a castle. So the five get their bright blue BDUs and red berets. Armed with grease guns, a bazooka and flame thrower, they fly in on their jet belts and kick some Commie ass and free the scientist.

“The Story of the Medal”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

The first awards for bravery were the Romans who gave laurel wreaths. Later in medieval times the nobility was given metal medals. This was reserved only for nobility but George Washington was the first to issue medals to common soldiers. This is where the purple heart comes from. Napoleon later adapted medals for his army. Now America has a whole slew of metals for bravery including the Medal of Honor. Most of these are awarded posthumously.

“American Pioneer”
Writer & Artist: Unknown

Daniel Boone first came to prominence during the French and Indian war under General Braddock. He later helped open up the Kentucky frontier and founded the town of Boonesboro. Elected to Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1915.

So this was a reprint of an old series from 1964. I really love this old series. It has these guys having all these futuristic weapons of the time. They fought the old evil Commies and other threats to freedom of yore. Definitely the good old fun days when comics were fun. Really glad Charlton decided to reissue this series in 1981 so I could enjoy as a kid. Also I loved the little historical backups to these issues. Very informative for an old comic.