Commander William (Bill) L. Battle was a World War II flying ace, master spy, and divisional director of the US Secret Service. While patrolling the skies after reports of a UFO in the area, Battle’s plane collided with a flying saucer. Battle and his copilot ejected from the plane, with Battle suffering a broken leg. His copilot decided to investigate the damaged saucer, which had landed nearby, and was abducted as Battle helplessly looked on. Later saucer sightings observed the ship diving into the Atlantic Ocean. Fearing that the saucer was a Russian secret weapon, the construction of the Atomic Sub was ordered into immediate production on October 14, 1951. Personally chosen by President Eisenhower to command the sub, Battle was given the task of finding three outstanding crew members. After a nation-wide search, Battle selected the following men: Dr. Edwin Blake, aka “Doc”, award-winning scientist, expert on atomic fission, and a master of modern mechanics; David B. Ruggles, aka “Champ”, champion boxer, wrestler, decathlete and weightlifter; Tony Gardello, aka “Gardello the Great”, world-renowned escape artist. As the Atomic Command Corps, aka the Atomic Commandos, Battle and his crew searched the area of the ocean where the saucers were observed. After discovering that aliens from Mercury had built a base on the ocean floor to launch an attack to conquer Earth, the Commandos were able to use the sub’s advanced atomic weapons to destroy the base and save the planet. He kept a one-way radio in a false heel of his shoe, dialed to a special wavelength to talk to the crew of the Atomic Sub.
First Appearance Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #1 (July-August 1954)
First Publisher American Comics Group / ACG [CB+] [DCM] [GCD]
Appearance List Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #1-7
Sample Read Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub [DCM] [CB+]
Description Commander William (Bill) L. Battle was a World War II flying ace, master spy, and divisional director of the US Secret Service. While patrolling the skies after reports of a UFO in the area, Battle’s plane collided with a flying saucer. Battle and his copilot ejected from the plane, with Battle suffering a broken leg. His copilot decided to investigate the damaged saucer, which had landed nearby, and was abducted as Battle helplessly looked on. Later saucer sightings observed the ship diving into the Atlantic Ocean. Fearing that the saucer was a Russian secret weapon, the construction of the Atomic Sub was ordered into immediate production on October 14, 1951. Personally chosen by President Eisenhower to command the sub, Battle was given the task of finding three outstanding crew members. After a nation-wide search, Battle selected the following men: Dr. Edwin Blake, aka “Doc”, award-winning scientist, expert on atomic fission, and a master of modern mechanics; David B. Ruggles, aka “Champ”, champion boxer, wrestler, decathlete and weightlifter; Tony Gardello, aka “Gardello the Great”, world-renowned escape artist. As the Atomic Command Corps, aka the Atomic Commandos, Battle and his crew searched the area of the ocean where the saucers were observed. After discovering that aliens from Mercury had built a base on the ocean floor to launch an attack to conquer Earth, the Commandos were able to use the sub’s advanced atomic weapons to destroy the base and save the planet. He kept a one-way radio in a false heel of his shoe, dialed to a special wavelength to talk to the crew of the Atomic Sub.
