Lady Blackhawk
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| Lady Blackhawk | |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (Zinda) Blackhawk # 133 (February 1959) (Natalie) Blackhawk (vol. 5) # 1 (March 1988) |
| Created by | (Zinda) Jack Schiff Dick Dillin (Natalie) Howard Chaykin |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | - Zinda Blake - Natalie Reed (birth name Natalie Gurdin) |
| Team affiliations | (Both) Blackhawks (Zinda) Birds of Prey |
| Notable aliases | (Zinda) Queen Killer Shark (Natalie) Constance Darabont |
| Abilities | (Both) Ace pilot, skilled marksman, superior hand-to-hand combat abilities |
Lady Blackhawk is an alias used by two fictional comic book characters appearing in American comic books. The first, Zinda Blake, was introduced in a DC Comics publication in 1959; the second, Natalie Reed, appeared in a DC Comics title in 1988. Both characters were aviatrices and soldiers.
Reed has not appeared since the 1992 one-shot special; Blake became a regular character in the Birds of Prey comic book in 2004.
Contents |
[edit] Zinda Blake
[edit] Character history
Zinda Blake, the first Lady Blackhawk, is a fictional DC Comics character. She was introduced in Blackhawk #133 (February, 1959). (Quality's characters having been purchased by DC Comics, DC published Blackhawk from #108.)
However, Military Comics #20 (July, 1943) featured a story about a woman who attempts to become the first woman member of the Blackhawks, who looks, sounds and behaves much like Zinda Blake, although she does not divulge her name, and never calls herself Lady Blackhawk. In the story, she flies to Blackhawk Island, declares herself part of the team, and helps the Blackhawks on a mission behind German lines. Ultimately, she rescues Blackhawk himself. Some say that this is Zinda Blake's true first appearance, but this has never been official.
[edit] Blackhawks
Zinda Blake, determined to become the first woman member of the famed World War II unit known as the Blackhawks, trained herself to pilot a wide range of modern aircraft and made herself an expert in various forms of combat and weaponry.
Her first attempt to join the group came when she helped rescue a member from a modern-day pirate called the Scavenger. Despite her able assistance, Zinda was told that the Blackhawk codes forbade a woman from joining the team.
Zinda followed this exploit by rescuing the entire Blackhawk team from the Scavenger, and in return was told, by Blackhawk himself, that she could become an honorary member of the team.
After a number of adventures with the Blackhawks, Zinda became the victim of the villainous Nazi operative Killer Shark, who used a chemical potion to brainwash her, forcing her to take up the identity of the costumed Queen Killer Shark. Zinda battled her former comrades a number of times before she was freed of the effects of the potion.
Due to the time-warping effects of Zero Hour, Zinda is now in the present DC continuity, looking as she did in 1959. She has served as a supporting character to Guy Gardner, Warrior. She appeared right outside of Guy's headquarters. Having met her during the events of Zero Hour, Guy was willing to support her.
[edit] Birds of Prey
In 2004 Zinda began service as the team's pilot in Birds of Prey. Oracle recruits Zinda Blake as the team's fourth member. Since Zinda is looking for a change, she gladly accepts. When she leaves the Blackhawk organization (and her stake in the company), Zinda takes with her but one thing: a state-of-the-art jet (the Aerie One) with which she transports the Birds to their various destinations. (Birds of Prey #75 confirms that the other Blackhawks had died.)
Zinda first suggested the name Birds of Prey for Oracle's team in Birds of Prey #86.
After leaving Gotham City, Oracle established a headquarters at the Dalten Tower in Metropolis. Zinda appeared with a new helicopter, the Aerie Two, and handed out new jackets bearing a modified Blackhawk logo to the other Birds of Prey.
Zinda enjoys cooking and dancing when she's not flying planes and fighting evil. She also claims to know how to order beer in 30 different languages (Birds of Prey #100).
For a time she harbored an unrequited attraction to Creote, who she did not realize is gay. Upon learning this fact, Zinda exclaimed: "Holy Crow! The boy is fancy?!"
In Birds of Prey #107, Blake resigns from the Birds of Prey rather than see Oracle forced to dismiss her under orders from the group's new leader, Spy Smasher; she marks her resignation by punching Spy Smasher in the face. However, she comes to Oracle's aid in Birds of Prey #108, and rejoins the team, which is restored to Oracle's command.
Blake established a close friendship with Big Barda after she joined the Birds of Prey. Following Barda's death in Death of the New Gods, Blake travels across the country in order to place Barda's photograph on a wall of honor at a pub near Edwards Air Force Base in California; the wall features photographs of Blake with her now-deceased colleagues in the Blackhawks. (Birds of Prey #112)
A new Killer Shark enters her life, apparently still looking as young as he was when brainwashed Zinda. After some time of stalking and a quick spar, he leaves a map for her to follow, hoping to get her at his side again. Zinda is left contemplating the idea to follow him, as he promises revelations on her past. In fact he's only Killer Shark's grandson, a young genius in marine engineering, heir of the Killer Shark's legacy and a large supply of his brainwashing serum. As his late grandfather never disclosed to him the location of the booty ammassed in a lifetime of crime, he simply decides to brainwash Zinda into remembering it for him. The alliance is shortlived, and Zinda immediately freed by Helena Bertinelli.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Zinda is an ace flyer, able to easily handle any type of aircraft. She is a fine markswoman, skilled in the use of a variety of weapons, and has superior abilities in hand-to-hand combat.
[edit] Costume
Blake continues to wear her own version of the Blackhawks uniform in Birds of Prey, which consists of a blue tunic, military cap, frilled miniskirt and boots. In her early appearances she was drawn wearing blue tights.
[edit] Natalie Reed
Natalie Reed (born Natalie Gurdin), the second woman to be known as Lady Blackhawk, was introduced in the 1988 prestige format mini-series Blackhawk written and drawn by Howard Chaykin.
[edit] Character history
Reed was written to have been a part of the Blackhawk Squadron (at the behest of the Soviet Union) from 1943 onwards. This retcon established her as the first Lady Blackhawk in the DCU timeline. Natalie's history with the Blackhawks was a chaotic one, comprising the era of World War II and much of the Cold War that followed.
Brooklyn-born Natalie Gurdin was the child of Benjamin and Lucille Gurdin, card-carrying members of the Communist Party, U.S.A. They raised their daughter to believe as they did.
At her parents' urging, Natalie entered and won the "Miss Young Communist League" beauty contest in 1937. The title sparked a short-lived modeling career and a role in the low-budget 1938 film "Gun Molls in Trouble." Miss Gurdin changed her name to Reed at this time, in honor of John Reed, the American Communist journalist who lived for long periods (and died) in the Soviet Union. Natalie emigrated to Russia in 1940 to live and study.
Natalie became an expert in aeronautical engineering, and chief designer at the Valentine-Prendergast Airplane Factory. Due to the state of competition between the Soviets and the West, it is possible that her adopted country may have provided exaggerated accounts of Reed's skills as a pilot and expertise in aircraft design.
Reed's connection with The Blackhawks came with her contribution to the design and production of the team's modified Grumman Xf5F-1 Skyrocket planes. Later, while working with Soviet intelligence, she helped defeat Death Mayhew in his plot to destroy Manhattan. During this period Natalie Reed was dubbed "Lady Blackhawk" by the U.S. press.
Aside from several publicity tours and a brief resumption of her modeling career, little is known of Miss Reed's post-war life. She briefly was employed by Blackhawk Airways in Singapore in 1947, but dropped out of sight shortly thereafter.
In 1948 Natalie Reed resurfaced in New York, employed as the writer of licensed comic book adventures about the Blackhawks. She was accused of working Communist doctrines into her scripts, but she was cleared of this charge.
Little is known about the accident that cost her the use of one eye. All files containing information about Natalie Gurdin Reed remain classified, and her current whereabouts are unknown.
Reed had a son with a fellow Blackhawk, Ritter Hendrickson. Hendricksen was lost in a helicopter explosion in the spring of 1948 shortly after discovering he was the father of Natalie's child, Jimmy (born in 1945; Blackhawk Annual # 1).
Jimmy joined the Blackhawk squadron as a young adult, serving first with the ground crew (circa 1963), and eventually as a pilot.
As a result of internal strife in the 1950's within the ranks of what became the CIA, which the Blackhawk Squadron was informally allied with, Reed was surgically altered and forced to assume the identity of Constance Darabont, a former paramour of Blackhawk and owner of Darabont Industries, a major defense contractor. She remained in that identity at least until 1968, according to Blackhawk Special # 1(1992).
Reed's current disposition is unknown.
[edit] Other media
Lady Blackhawk's distinctive uniform appears in a display case in the "I Am Legion" episode of the animated series Justice League Unlimited.
