Splash from Military #7 (1942); art by Phil Martin.From Military #7 (1942). Art by Phil Martin
The Yankee Eagle was a minor hero whose outfit changed occasionally, from
a green and/or plaid jacket, to a red-shirt-plus-scarf ensemble. On the day
Jerry Noble went to see his father, Senator Walter Q. Noble, he brought along
his pet eagle, Sam. Jerry had a knack with animals, and could even coax natural
enemies to get along. Sometimes he spoke to them by imitating their sounds.
The Senator poo-pooed Jerry’s skills, so he set out to prove that it was more
than just kid stuff. When the U.S.S. America was overrun by spies in Annapolis,
Jerry dubbed himself the Yankee Eagle and launched an attack on the Germans,
using Sam and a flock of seagulls to drive the spies out. Afterwards, he asked
the Captain not to mention his involvement. (Military Comics
#1)
When the “Yankee Eagle” feature returned in the pages of Crack Comics later
that year, the hero’s name changed to Larry Noble, and he was now an ex-stuntman.
Gone was any talk of lovable pets or the strange powers to speak to them.
Larry’s adventures centered on using his considerable athletic skills to
foil second-rate crooks. (Smash #38) One nemesis, the Crow, was similar to
the Batman’s foe, the Penguin. (#40) The feature ran in Smash Comics #38–47
(Dec. 1942–Oct. 1943).
Notes
In
an online interview, Phil Martin identified himself as the creator of
the “Swing Sisson” feature in Feature Comics. The art in that feature is very
much the same as that in “Yankee Eagle,” which was signed “John Stewart.”
Powers
The Yankee Eagle could persuade and
communicate with most land animals, including birds and mammals. He could also
pilot a single passenger plane.