| Airman | |
|---|---|
 Keen Detective Funnies #23 (Aug. 1940). Cover art generally credited toHarry Sahle (unconfirmed). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Centaur Publications Malibu Comics |
| First appearance | Keen Detective Funnies #23 (August 1940) |
| Created by | George Kapitan (script; unconfirmed) Harry Sahle (art) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Drake Stevens |
| Team affiliations | The Protectors (Malibu Comics) |
| Abilities | Suit gives the ability to fly |
Airman (originallyAir Man) is acomic booksuperhero first published byCentaur Publications in 1940, during the period fans and historians call theGolden Age of Comic Books. He first appeared inKeen Detective Funnies #23 (Aug. 1940), in a story by artistHarry Sahle and an unconfirmed writer, generally credited asGeorge Kapitan.[1]Keen Detective Funnies was cancelled after issue #24, but Centaur published two more stories inDetective Eye Comics #1 and 2 (Nov-Dec 1940) before pulling the plug on the character.[2]
AfterCentaur Publications went out of business, Airman lapsed into thepublic domain. In the early 1990s, he was revived byMalibu Comics as a character in the seriesProtectors, and starred in a namesake,one-shot spin-off.
An Airman story fromKeen Detective Funnies #24 has been reprinted inMen of Mystery Comics #63 byAC Comics.
The original Air Man is Drake Stevens, son of Claude Stevens, a renownedornithologist. When his father is senselessly murdered, the police are unable to bring the killer to justice. Outraged, Drake puts together a costume consisting of a pair of gas-filled wings and a jet-pack, establishing the crime-fighting identity of Airman. He also utilizes guns and bombs in his quest for justice.[3] In one story, he fights pirates aboard a "Ghost Ship".[4]
The new version of Airman debuted in contemporary times. His origin is nearly identical to the original incarnation, except in this version, his father is named Edward and the murderer is revealed to be a supervillain named Captain Klegg. His suit is also different from the original. In addition to a jet pack and the wings on the old suit, the new suit boasts motorized talons in the boots and gloves, as well as a utility belt and a specially designed cowl that gives him telescopic vision.
In the Protectors universe, the heroes have gone into hiding following a disastrous battle at the town of Brinkston. They are drawn together to face Mr. Monday, and the Protectors are formed.
While on the team, Drake is often insecure because of his relative inexperience. He is a friend and an ally ofThresher, the son ofNeptune and amermaid. He rescues the hero in the pages of his own series from the clutches of the Conqueror, a supervillain minion of major Protectors foe the Great Question.
In 2008, the character was brought back byDynamite Entertainment as part of theirProject Superpowers storyline. This version of the character matches the original Golden Age version, but is brought from the World War II–era into modern times as part of the storyline.
