| American Eagle | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Standard Comics AC Comics America's Best Comics (DC) |
| First appearance | America's Best Comics #2 (Sept 1941) |
| Created by | Richard E. Hughes Kin Platt |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Tom Standish |
| Team affiliations | SMASH |
| Abilities | Enhanced strength Flight "Fighting qualities of America's national bird" |
TheAmerican Eagle is asuperhero from theGolden Age of Comics. He first appeared inAmerica's Best Comics #2 (Sept 1942), published byNedor Comics, an imprint ofStandard Comics.[1]
American Eagle was revived by two other comics publishers: firstAC Comics, and then byAmerica's Best Comics, by writerAlan Moore as part of hisTom Strong comics and its spin-offTerra Obscura.
American Eagle was the secret identity of scientist Tom Standish. While performing experiments for the US government, he was accidentally exposed to a mysterious black ray infused with the blood of an eagle.[2] The ray gave him the powers of thebald eagle — flight, strength and (of course) patriotism. Standish used his powers to fight theNazis and other enemies duringWorld War II.[3] He was accompanied by his young companion Bud Pierce who, as "Eaglet", had powers similar to the American Eagle.[4] His enemies include Dr. Amoto and the Red Mask. In one story, "The Machine That Raised the Dead", the Nazis use a machine to bring historical figures back to life, includingBlackbeard, a Neanderthal and a Viking.[5]
The American Eagle appeared in:[6]
AC Comics has reused the Golden Age American Eagle in their revival of the Nedor Comics superheroes. He has appeared in issues ofTheFighting Yank, set during the 1950s.
The Golden Age version of the American Eagle was also revived byAlan Moore for hisTom Strong comics, published by America's Best Comics. Moore used the Nedor Comics characters to populate Terra Obscura, the alternate universe version of Tom Strong's Earth. In Moore's story, the heroes had been placed in suspended animation in 1969, and were revived 30 years later by Tom Strong. The American Eagle made a brief appearance inTom Strong #12 (June 2001).
The American Eagle is featured briefly in theTerra Obscura spin-off series. Issue #4 reveals that the American Eagle and Eaglet had been looking for the missing Captain Future, and had traced him to the lair of Dr. X. In the struggle that followed the American Eagle and Eaglet were both killed; their bodies were discovered three years later by theScarab and theLiberator.