Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: March 11, 1965
Cover: May 1965
12 cents
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Dick Ayers
Inker: Chic Stone
Letterer: Artie Simek
20 pages
| Previous | #359 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Avengers #17 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #66 |
| Sgt. Fury #17 | Sgt. Fury | Sgt. Fury #19 |
The title of this story is “Killed in Action!”
“Once again, sudden death claims another victim!” reads the cover.
The “once again” refers to Junior Juniper, the first Commando to fall in battle, all the way back in issue 4. Letting us know that this was a series with consquence. It wasn’t a sure thing our heroes would make it back after each mission.
Since then, they all have turned out okay. But let’s read on.
The art is credited to Ayers and Stone, but Jack Kirby was brought in to redraw most of the famous final sequence.
The issue begins in the middle of intense action. Sgt. Fury is in his fancy duds, clearly having been on a date that’s been interrupted by an air raid.
He insists he needs to get his girlfriend Lady Pamela Hawley to shelter, but she is needed with her ambulance unit. “This is my country– and I have my duty, the same as you have yours!”
Nick understands and goes to help one of the gun crews shoot down the planes while she goes to tend to the injured.
Her devotion to duty and her concern and fondness for him convince Nick that it’s time. He doesn’t know why he’s so lucky, but he finds a nearby jewelry store.
The Howlers catch Fury smiling. He pays nobody any mind as he composes a love note.
Even Happy Sam notices something is wrong with Nick; he almost seems like a real human being.
Let’s pause here and review how we got to this point.
Lady Pamela Hawley is a Red Cross nurse Nick met in issue 4; the aforementioned mission that got Juniper killed is also the mission where Pam’s brother died. Sir Percy Hawley, known as Lord Ha-Ha, had been a traitor to his country, spreading Nazi propaganda. Nick and Pam’s relationship began with tragedy, but they met up again under happier circumstances.
They begin seeing each other and she gets to work on civilizing him. She teaches him the proper way to hold a teacup and not to pick a bar fight with everybody who annoys him. She corrects him when he calls her a dame and chides him for being uncultured. He slowly learns. Fury losing his temper and then having to bring it under control at her insistence is a pretty common thread of their relationship. After a tough battle, Nick always has Pam to come back to. She mostly has him trained, but sometimes someone is asking for a clobbering. Ultimately, she seems to see a different side of Nick than everybody else does.
And that brings us to where we are now.
On their mission, the Howlers notice Nick’s engagement ring and figure out the reason for the change in mood.
Their plans involve disguising themselves as Germans to sneak onto the base so Izzy can plant explosives to blow up the ship. As usual, things don’t go as smoothly as planned.
Nick punches a Nazi overboard, but as he falls the Nazi grabs Nick’s chain with Pam’s engagement ring.
Nick dives into the water after it.
And fortunately is able to retrieve it.
The mission complete, Nick is going to waste no more time. He thinks about how he’s going to become a man she can be proud of. He buys flowers and drives off to give her the ring. Sam and the Howlers try to get a message to him, but he ignores them.
He gets to her house and it’s her father that gives him the news. She was helping the wounded during an air raid and killed in a blast. Her last words were of her love for Nick Fury.
Lady Pamela Hawley is dead.
Rating: ★★★★☆, 76/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
Scans are taken from War is Hell #8 (1974).
I also read this story in Sgt. Fury Annual 6 (1976) for comparison. The thicker annuals are harder to scan.
You can find the story in Sgt. Fury Epic Collection vol. 1: The Howling Commandos. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Pam Hawley
- Sgt. Fury
- Cpl. Dum Dum Dugan
- Pvt. Izzy Cohen
- Pvt. Percival Pinkerton
- Pvt. Gabriel Jones
- Pvt. Dino Manelli
- Pvt. Rebel Ralston
- Sgt. Bull McGiveney
- Captain Happy Sam Sawyer
- Lord Hawley
Story notes:
- JU-87s attack England.
- Mission to take out German raider, the Deutschland, in Norwegian seaport.
- Howlers disguise is identified when they don’t know the password — the name of the Kommandant’s dachshund.
- Death of Pam Hawley
| Previous | #359 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Avengers #17 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #66 |
| Sgt. Fury #17 | Sgt. Fury | Sgt. Fury #19 |
