Captain Crossbones!

 

cover art by Ogden Whitney

Soldiers of Fortune (published by the American Comics Group) began its twelve-issue run with the March-April 1951 issue. For most of its run, it featured two modern-day adventurers (Ace Carter and Lance Larsen), as well as a pirate known as Captain Crossbones. By the time it ended its run, the comic had morphed into a war comic--probably in response to the beginning of the Korean War. 

It's the first Captain Crossbones story that we'll be looking at today, because... well, because pirates are nearly as cool as dinosaurs and original Star Trek. Not quite--but close.

We don't know who wrote this story, though we do know the art was by Sheldon Moldoff. The tale recounts the origins of Captain Crossbones. He begins life as a young apprentice named Tom Rutherford, who runs away from his cruel master and stows away on a boat.

But his romantic notions of life on sea are soon squashed. Once he's found, the captain puts him to work scrubbing the decks. The other sailors haze him and when he fights back, one of them burns the image of the royal seal onto his arm. The sadistic sailor had no reason for using the royal seal other than it was handy and it was a way to cause Tom pain.

The captain punishes the sailor, but further feuding is put on hold when the ship is attacked by the notorious pirate Red Rover. Tom's ship is captured, but he's spared from walking the plank when the captain runs a bold bluff, telling Red Rover that Tom was a member of the royal family and had a mark on his arm to prove it. Tom, in other words, is worth a fortune in ransom.

The bluff works and Red Rover holds Tom prisoner rather than kill him. 

The story is a  little weak here. Tom spends several years on the pirate ship, learning the trade and growing an Errol Flynn mustache to remind us that swashbuckling is in his future.

Why Red Rover never sought to ransom him and how Tom was able to avoid committing atrocities along with the rest of the crew is never explained. He's just suddenly an adult with some wicked fencing skills.

Things finally come to a head when the beautiful Lady Nancy is captured by the pirates. Tom kills a pirate to defend her. Tom is tied to the mainmast as punishment, with the intent of eventually whipping him to death.

But a sympathetic pirate named Duke lets Tom free. What follows is a duel to the death with the Red Rover, then Duke using a cannon full of grape shot to subdue the rest of the crew. Tom, taking the name of Captain Crossbones, is now in charge.

Lady Nancy and Tom have, of course, fallen in love. But he's a pirate now whether he wants to be or not, so he sends her away in a boat. 

It's a fun story despite some weakness in the middle act. It moves along briskly, gives us heroes to like and villains to hate, and Moldoff's art is strong. We may visit again with Captain Crossbones at some point.

You can read it online HERE.

Next week, we'll visit with Superman's Pal.