Tomahawk (comics)

Tomahawk
250x450px Tomahawk #15 (Jan./Feb. 1953). Cover art by Bob Brown.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Star-Spangled Comics #69 (June 1947)
Created by	Joe Samachson Edmund Good
In-story information
Full name	Tom Hawk (also given as Thomas Hawk, Tom Hawkins and Tom Haukins)
Species	Human
Place of origin	Earth
Team affiliations	Tomahawk's Rangers
Abilities	Tomahawk is well versed in American Indian languages and customs from many tribes. He is an excellent hand-to-hand fighter, and well versed in the weapons of the era. He has a keen deductive ability and is an excellent horseman.
Tomahawk
Series publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Bimonthly: #1-20, #57-140 Eight Times a Year: #21-56
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Western
Publication date	Sept./Oct. 1950 – May/June 1972
Number of issues	140
Main character(s)	Tomahawk
Creative team
Writer(s)	Ed France Herron
Artist(s)	Fred Ray

Tomahawk is an American comic book character whose adventures were published by DC Comics during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as a backup feature in Star Spangled Comics and World's Finest Comics and in his own eponymous series. He was created by writer Joe Samachson and artist Edmund Good, and first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #69 (June 1947). Tomahawk's uniqueness stems in part from the time frame of his fictional adventures: the American Revolutionary War.

Publication history

Tomahawk was a backup feature in Star Spangled Comics from his first appearance, issue #69 (June 1947) to issue #130 (July 1952), and in World's Finest Comics from issue #33 (Mar. 1948) until issue #101 (May 1959).

The Tomahawk series lasted 140 issues, from 1950 to 1972. Most stories during this period were by writer France Herron and artist Fred Ray. The last ten issues of Tomahawk focused on "Hawk, Son of Tomahawk" (Hawk Haukins), drawn by Frank Thorne. The cover title was "Son of Tomahawk".

Fictional character biography

Known as either Tom Hawk or Thomas Haukins, depending on which of two versions of his published history the reader prefers, "Tomahawk" was a soldier who served under George Washington in the warfare between the British, French and Iroquois forces during the decades prior to the American Revolutionary War and acquired his nickname due to its resemblance to a trademark weapon of the Iroquois Confederacy's warriors, and to the skill he developed with that weapon.

He subsequently achieved further fame as one of Washington's most capable operatives during the Revolution itself, leading a band of soldiers under the informal nickname of "Tomahawk's Rangers".

In issues 35 and 36 (Sept.–Nov. 1955), Tomahawk met a young Davy Crockett, who was very popular at the time. However, this was a historical error, as Crockett (1786–1836) was not born until after the Revolutionary War.

Issue #81 was also notable, introducing Miss Liberty (Bess Lynn), one of the earliest patriotic superheroes by the vague internal chronology of the DC Universe, who would make several more appearances in the series. Liberty Belle is a descendant of hers.

In the Time Masters mini-series, it is established that Tomahawk's associate Dan Hunter is actually Rip Hunter's cousin who travels back in time to stop the Illuminati during the Revolutionary War, deciding to stay in the past.

In 1998, Tomahawk appeared in a 'Vertigo Visions' one-shot, written by Rachel Pollack. This issue retold his origin.

In 2008, he is featured in Bruce Jones' The War that Time Forgot.

References

• 'Tomahawk' at the Grand Comics Database
• Tomahawk at the Comic Book DB

External links

• Cover gallery