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
''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...
'' and in his own eponymous series. He was created by writer
Joe Samachson
Joseph Samachson (October 13, 1906 – June 2, 1980) was an American scientist and writer, primarily of science fiction and comic books.
Biography
Joseph Samachson was born on October 13, 1906 in Trenton, New Jersey, the son of Russian Jewish par ...
and artist
Edmond Good
Edmond Elbridge Good (July 1, 1910 – September 22, 1991) was a 20th-century Canadian illustrator, writer and co-author of more than a dozen comics during the Golden Age of Comic Books.
Biography Early life
Born in Saco, Maine, Good's parents ...
, and first appeared in ''Star-Spangled Comics'' #69 (June 1947). Tomahawk's uniqueness stems in part from the time frame of his 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 premiered in September 1950, and lasted 140 issues, until June 1972. Most stories during this period were by writer
France Herron
Francis Edward Herron (July 23, 1917 – September 2, 1966) was an Americans, American comic book writer and editor active in the 1940s–1960s, mainly for DC Comics. He is credited with co-creating Captain Marvel Jr. and the Red Skull, as well a ...
and artist
Fred Ray. The last ten issues of ''Tomahawk'' were titled ''Son of Tomahawk'', featuring the character's son, Hawk Haukins, but the change did not slow the dropping sales which led to the book's cancellation.
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
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
in the warfare between the British, French and
Iroquois forces during the decades prior to the American Revolutionary War. He acquired his nickname due to the resemblance between his birth name and a trademark weapon of the
Iroquois Confederacy
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
's warriors, and to the skill he developed with that weapon. He's assisted by a young white friend, Dan Hunter.
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
David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...
, 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
''The War that Time Forgot'' was a comic book feature published by DC Comics beginning in 1960 in the title '' Star Spangled War Stories'', created by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. It ran for eight years, ending in 1968 and retur ...
''.
During his quest to find a special stone, Haukins met and married an Apache princess named Moon Fawn, with whom he had two sons; Hawk and Small Eagle.
A new version of Tomahawk appeared in ''All-Star Western'', Vol. 3, #13.
In other media
A version of Tomahawk appeared in the
1991 Swamp Thing TV series, voiced by
Harvey Atkin
Elliot Harvey Atkin (18 December 1942 – 18 July 2017) was a Canadian actor best known for his roles as Morty Melnick in '' Meatballs'', Sergeant Ronald Coleman in ''Cagney & Lacey'', and for voicing King Koopa in ''The Super Mario Bros. Super S ...
. He is a Native American ally to the Swamp Thing that battles the Un-Men.
References
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External links
Cover galleryat
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...
{{DC Western Characters
1947 comics debuts
1972 comics endings
American comics
DC Comics characters
Characters created by Joseph Samachson
Comics by Carl Wessler
Comics by Robert Kanigher
Comics characters introduced in 1947
DC Comics military personnel
DC Comics titles
DC Comics Western (genre) characters
DC Comics male characters
Fictional American people
Fictional American Revolutionary War veterans
Fictional axefighters
Fictional hunters
Fictional soldiers
Golden Age adventure heroes
Comics set during the American Revolutionary War