Black Hand was the nemesis of Captain Flag who was unknowingly also responsible for the creation of Captain Flag. Black Hand kidnapped John Townsend to steal the wealthy inventor’s plans for a new bomb sight intended for the Army. But Townsend wouldn’t talk, so Black Hand had his cronies snatch Townsend’s useless and drunken son Thomas to use as leverage. When John Townsend still refused to cooperate, Black Hand killed him using the power of his diseased right hand. Black Hand then turned his attention toward Thomas to do the same but an eagle crashed through the window, snatched Thomas Townsend, and flew off with him. During the months that followed, Thomas Townsend was nurtured by the eagle. He built himself up and repented his previous ways. One day the eagle arrived at his aerie with an American flag which Thomas took as a sign. He adopted the identity of Captain Flag. Captain Flag and his eagle companion Yank returned to Black Hand’s hideout and fought Black Hand and his minions. During the fight, the mansion hideout was set ablaze, with our heroes narrowly escaping. Black Hand was assumed to have died in the fire but survived and returned to fight Captain Flag on several more occasions. The first was a plot to free Nazi prisoners from Canadian prisons. In another, Black Hand unleashed a deadly germ into a factory’s air conditioning unit in an attempt to obtain radium that he knew would be used to treat the victims. Finally, Black Hand assembled a cutthroat pirate crew in an attempt to steal Poet Pirate’s book of verses containing clues to a treasure. This time though, Black Hand’s fate was sealed, as he ends up hanging from the freighter’s yardarm, suffering a pirate’s death.
| Alias Black Hand |
| Real Names/Alt Names Unknown |
| Characteristics Villain, MLJ Universe, Skeletal, World War II Era, Public Domain |
| Creators/Key Contributors Joe Blair, Lin Streeter |
| First Appearance Blue Ribbon Comics #16 (1941) |
| First Publisher Archie / MLJ [CB+] [DCM] [GCD] |
| Appearance List Blue Ribbon Comics #16-19, 21-22 |
| Sample Read Blue Ribbon Comics [DCM] [CB+] |
| Description Black Hand was the nemesis of Captain Flag who was unknowingly also responsible for the creation of Captain Flag. Black Hand kidnapped John Townsend to steal the wealthy inventor’s plans for a new bomb sight intended for the Army. But Townsend wouldn’t talk, so Black Hand had his cronies snatch Townsend’s useless and drunken son Thomas to use as leverage. When John Townsend still refused to cooperate, Black Hand killed him using the power of his diseased right hand. Black Hand then turned his attention toward Thomas to do the same but an eagle crashed through the window, snatched Thomas Townsend, and flew off with him. During the months that followed, Thomas Townsend was nurtured by the eagle. He built himself up and repented his previous ways. One day the eagle arrived at his aerie with an American flag which Thomas took as a sign. He adopted the identity of Captain Flag. Captain Flag and his eagle companion Yank returned to Black Hand’s hideout and fought Black Hand and his minions. During the fight, the mansion hideout was set ablaze, with our heroes narrowly escaping. Black Hand was assumed to have died in the fire but survived and returned to fight Captain Flag on several more occasions. The first was a plot to free Nazi prisoners from Canadian prisons. In another, Black Hand unleashed a deadly germ into a factory’s air conditioning unit in an attempt to obtain radium that he knew would be used to treat the victims. Finally, Black Hand assembled a cutthroat pirate crew in an attempt to steal Poet Pirate’s book of verses containing clues to a treasure. This time though, Black Hand’s fate was sealed, as he ends up hanging from the freighter’s yardarm, suffering a pirate’s death. |
| Source Black Hand – Public Domain Super Heroes Wiki |
