Congo Chronicle 28: The One-Man Army!

Though he enjoyed the second longest running feature in Action Comics behind Superman himself, Action Comics #52 (September, 1942) would be Congo Bill's only cover appearance in that magazine.  And what a cover!  America was fully engaged in the war by now, and her four-color masked men were doing their parts to sell war bonds and the like. (There's actually a clever, in-story explanation as to why Superman didn't just hop across the pond and bash Hitler's face in, involving dark magic and the Spear of Longinus, which I won't bore you with here.) Anyway, sharing the spotlight here, from left to right, are Bill's fellow archetypal he-men Mr. America, The Vigilante, Superman, and Zatara the Magician.

 So, where were we then?  Ah, yes, Bill has left The Flying Tigers behind and continued on to mainland China, where he's leading a band of brave resistance fighters against the Yellow Peril!

 Surveying an occupied village, Bill meets up with a rude and opinionated Japanazi rat!

 Uh-oh, Tojo....you don't wanna mess with our man Bill!  Ka-POW!

 His honor satisfied, Bill continues on his way, and is pulled aside by a Chinese beggar.  But, what's this?  That's no beggar, that's Ting Ho, a Chinese-American, working undercover!  And he's got a mission for an adventurous daredevil!

 

Bill's luck runs out as he's leaving the village, and is captured by the same soldier he decked earlier!

 Worried?  Me either! Not when Bill can put his Jungle Skills to good use!

Well, bully. Now he has a jeep.  But...he's somewhere in the middle of China. And it's raining, so he can't use the stars as a guide. What now?!?

Another clue to Bill's past - he was apparently a Boy Scout! Since we know Bill fought in World War I, and the Boy Scouts were founded in 1910,  we can assume that Bill was born sometime around the turn of the 20th Century, and was probably a charter member!

In a clever bit of lifesaving and educational business, Bill uses the minute hand of his watch, a helmet, and rainwater to fashion a makeshift compass which leads him to the Chinese Commander's village. Now, I know what you're thinking - all this trouble for a lousy pack of cigarettes?  But you see...

'Atta boy, Bill! Show those brave Chinamen the true meaning of Yankee stick-to-it-iveness!

Congo Chronicle 25: The Last Shipment!

Now that we're officially at war, Bill heads stateside for a pow-wow with the big guy himself!

Bill makes his way to "somewhere in China" quick-as-you-please, and vows to do his level best, which believe-you-me, is PLENTY GOOD ENOUGH!

But before the adventuring starts - an inspiring Braveheart-like speech!

No sooner if the convoy underway, when a stowaway is discovered tagging along. Bill makes chase, only to find...

(By "Great Scott", I think he probably meant "Ick"!)

Since she is plain, Ah Hee probably bears no relation to the famous Ah Hee Diggings in Oregon.  Though, like all comic-book Asians, she is a sallow yellow color.  I guess we should be thankful that that artist Fred Ray was progressive enough not to furnish her, or any of the other Asians in today's strip, with comically-oversized teeth or coke-bottle glasses.

In a plot twist I'm too lazy to explain,  the convoy is overtaken by an American air ace, "Broadway Charlie", who proves to be on the up-and-up!

But - what's this? Ah Hee love Broadway Charlie long time!

In another plot twist, the convoy has fallen in with a group of Chinese guerrillas who have arrived to accompany the shipment to Chiang Kai-shek. But Bill has a hunch that something's not on the level!

Congo Bill sees th - - WHAAA?  Japanese people walk differently than Chinese?!?

Well, actually, the Japanese DID cultivate a specialized way of walking the Namba Aruki, through the 19th Century, so I suppose this could be what Bill is referring to. Suffice to say, he knows a rat when he smells one!

Having been captured and bound, Bill overhears an ambush in the planning!

Heh. "Rough pole".

After his inevitable escape, C.B. and B.C. try to out-manly-man each other in their attempt to outwit Tojo's army. Ka-POW!

But...while Bill and Charlie are putting the drop on each other, Ah Hee out-mans them both!

Since, with the advent of war, we've apparently done away with recurring supporting characters, Charlie's heroic act ensures the death of both he and Ah Hee.  But not before Bill gets in a few righteously indignant zingers!

Bill's own showbiz aspirations have already been revealed, so it's only natural that he'd want to share one last manly embrace with the like-minded Broadway Charlie.  And...what's that, Charlie?  

"A-a-a-h....Ah WHO?"  Only natural that you would forget your would-be war bride after experiencing the musclebound jungle embrace of Congo Bill!