Sgt. Fury #37

Featuring: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Editor: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Scripter: Rascally Roy Thomas
Artist: Darlin’ Dick Ayers
Inker: Jivey John Tartaglione
Letterer: Sandy Sammy Rosen
Technical advisor in charge of parachuting: Jovial Johnny Hayes, ex-para-trooper, Marvel’s swingin’ circulation manager.
20 pages

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X-Men #27	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #44
Sgt. Fury #36	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #38

Now, like the blamed fly-boys always say… Geronimo!

A credit to Johnny Hayes, a name we don’t see often. We did recently see his name because a Bullpen Bulletin made it a point to name some of the behind the scenes staff. Here he gets credit for offering some consulting based on his days parachuting in the military.

I’m going to say that Thomas is really finding his footing on this title. Under Kirby this had been one of Marvel’s best comics, but it fell quickly to mediocrity when he left, with thin cookie cutter plots.

Stan Lee had remained the writer, but in practice as he was “writing” 20 titles every month, most of the storytelling was left to Ayers, who wasn’t up to it. We’re 9 issues into Thomas’ run, who likely is providing more plotting and scripting guidance to Ayers. Thomas had a slow start, but more and more, the comic feels like somebody is writing it.

As alluded to above, we begin with some parachuting. The Commandos are back in North Africa to find a leader of the nomad tribes known as the Desert Hawk. They want to capture him, and then to try to convince the nomads to join with the Allies instead of the Nazis.

We get a story with several twists and turns. The first is that the Desert Hawk is a woman, and the daughter of an Englishwoman.

We get the story from her that her father was a respected tribal leader who married an Englishwoman. Her mother was murdered and the Nazis convinced her father the British were responsible. So he led the nomads in raids against British bases.

However, he eventually realized the Nazis had lied to him. So he was taken prisoner, and his daughter was forced to take over his mantle and continue to raid against the Allies if she wanted her father to stay alive.

Of course, the Howlers will straighten all this out.

Her father is kept in a rather elaborately constructed dungeon for what’s presumably a temporary camp. They emphasize these people are nomads.

Fury will agree to a horseback duel against a Nazi Colonel. Who of course will try to cheat.

After saving the day, Fury is rewarded with a kiss. This leads him to reflecting on Pam Hawley, and that this Desert Hawk is the first woman to make an impression since Pam.

Will Fury meet this woman again?

Spoiler: No.

Rating: ★★★☆☆, 53/100
Significance: ★★☆☆☆

Characters:

• Eric Koenig
• Percival Pinkerton
• Robert “Reb” Ralston
• Gabe Jones
• Corporal Dum Dum Dugan
• Izzy Coen
• Sgt. Nick Fury
• Desert Hawk/Sheila
• Desert Hawk/Ben Ali Mussim
• Colonel Otto Frick

Minor characters:

• Hashim

Story notes:

• Commandos ready to parachute out of a plane over North Africa.
• Izzy from Flatbush Ave.
• Desert Hawk wears a swastika headband and leads desert nomads in attacks on Allied forts. G2 doesn’t know Hawk’s identity or why most attacks are on English forces.
• Mission is to take out Desert Hawk and convinced the nomads to ally with the Allies.
• Dum Dum knocked unconscious and captured.
• Rebel uses lasso to capture Desert Hawk.
• Desert Hawk a woman, daughter of an English woman and Ben Ali Mussim, leader of the nomadic tribes of the area, the original Desert Hawk.
• Sheila’s mother killed, and Nazis produced evidence the murderer was British. This led Mussim to lead raids on the Allies. When he learned the Nazis deceived him, he refused to help them, so they took him prisoner. Sheila continues in his name leading the tribes against the Allies to protect her father.
• Nomads offer trade of Dugan for Sheila, but Fury refuses. The mission was to capture the Desert Hawk.
• Frick takes Dugan as his prisoner over nomad objections. They insist they will decide his fate.
• In Sheila’s absence, Frick claims leadership of the tribes.
• The tribes believe Mussim to be dead. Only Sheila knows he is a prisoner.
• Frick offers Mussim a chance to lead the tribes again to avenge his captured daughter; he refuses to ever again support the Nazis.
• Commandos disguise in desert gear and raid the camp.
• Fury tries to tell the tribes the truth. Frick and Fury will settle differences in trial by combat. On horseback, with a rifle with single bullet.
• Rebel defies orders to go rescue the Commandos; Sheila joins him. They find the underground cell with Mussim and Dugan. Dugan had already freed himself.
• In duel, soldiers are supposed to pass each other with guns raised in salute, then turn and fire. Frick cheats and attacks early.
• Frick misses Fury but does take out his cigar.
• Frick cheats again as he had a second bullet. Hashim shoots him for cheating.
• Coen takes out tank with grenades. Other taken out by timed charges Reb and Dugan left in tent.
• Mussim agrees the Nomads will fight with the Allies to expel the Nazis from the desert.
• Sheila thanks Fury with a kiss. He reflects that he likes Sheila and remembers Pam.
• Nomads turn over Frick as prisoner to Allies.

Previous	#637	Next
X-Men #27	Reading order	Amazing Spider-Man #44
Sgt. Fury #36	Sgt. Fury	Sgt. Fury #38