The Haunted Tank
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"The Haunted Tank" is a comic book feature that appeared in the DC Comics anthology war title G.I. Combat from 1961 through 1987. It was created by writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath in G.I. Combat #87 (May 1961).
The feature centers on the ghost of 19th-century Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart, who is sent by the spirit of Alexander the Great to act as a guardian over his two namesakes, Lieutenant Jeb Stuart (named in the early stories as Jeb Stuart Smith, but eventually just shortened to Jeb Stuart) and the Light Tank M3 Stuart that Jeb commands.
"The Haunted Tank" was often the cover feature of G.I. Combat and was second only to Sgt. Rock as DC Comics' longest-running war series.
[edit] Character history
An origin story in G.I. Combat #114 reveals that, at the time of the ghost's arrival, Jeb is a sergeant in the United States Army who commands a Stuart tank fighting with the Allies in the North African Campaign. Jeb and his men are childhood friends who had volunteered for the cavalry when World War II began. The original crew consists of Jeb as tank commander; Arch Asher, loader; Rick Rawlins, gunner; and Slim Stryker, driver.
The ghost of General Stuart does not initially care for his assignment, but is impressed with the fighting spirit of Jeb and his crew. The ghost is further honored when Jeb flies a Confederate rather than a Union flag on his "haunted" tank. Jeb, however, is the only one who can see or hear the General. His crew thinks he is crazy, but continue to follow his leadership as he has solid tactical expertise (brought about through his consultations with the General, who usually gives him cryptic hints of future events) and rarely fails in his missions or loses crewmembers in the line of duty.
As the Haunted Tank fights from Africa to the European Theater of Operations, the crew goes through several M3 tanks. When their latest M3 is destroyed, the crew scavenge spare parts and wreckage from a "tank graveyard" to build themselves a new tank, known as the "Jigsaw Tank" (G.I. Combat #150), which serves them from that point.
Arch is killed saving them from an exploding German tank (G.I. Combat #162) and is replaced by Gus Gray, a soldier the crew had met just days earlier. Later in the war, Slim is also killed in action and is replaced by the older veteran Bill Craig, (G.I. Combat #244), whose son Eddie also joins the crew a few issues later (G.I. Combat #251), taking over the loader's position and allowing Gus to act as a second gunner.
Following a disastrous mission (based on the Task Force Baum incident), the crew of the Haunted Tank spend time in a German prisoner of war camp. They eventually escape and fight their way back to the Allied lines.
The Jigsaw Tank is eventually replaced by an M4 Sherman tank that sees them through to the end of the war. Despite a story that involves the ghost of General William T. Sherman being assigned to the tank once the crew switches to the Sherman, General Stuart's ghost continues to watch over the crew till war's end.
The feature ended when G.I. Combat was cancelled with issue #288 (March 1987).
[edit] Post G.I. Combat appearances
Secret Origins #14 (1986), featuring the Suicide Squad, reveals that Jeb Stuart is promoted to General after the war, but no mention is made of what happened to the others. The story also revealed that Stuart becomes the godfather of Richard Rodgers Flag, whose father led the World War II version of the Squad. Rick Flag subsequently leads the second and third incarnations of the Squad, and Stuart is instrumental in helping Amanda Waller in the formation of the Squad's third incarnation in the 1980s. The now-elderly General Stuart next appears in Suicide Squad #49-#50 (1991), seeking the Squad's help to rescue Flag's only son, who has been kidnapped.
The tank and its original crew (or their spirits) briefly appear in The Demon #46-47 during temporal anomalies caused by the Zero Hour event in 1994, although Stuart's crewmembers are inexplicably given the names of Arch Stanton, Rick Parsons and Slim Kilkenny. The Haunted Tank and its original crew also appear in the 1999 supernatural "Day of Judgment" crossover in Anarky #7. In this issue, they fight demonic forces in the form of historical entities who wish to overthrow the Presidency.
In Power Company #16-18 (2003), Jeb Stuart lies between life and death, becoming a spirit guide (much like the ghost general) to his granddaughter, Lieutenant Jennifer Stuart. Jen Stuart operates an advanced tank, the Cyber-Command Assault Vehicle, which becomes the new Haunted Tank. Jeb later recovers, assured of his fate after death.
The Haunted Tank appears in the most recent incarnation of the Tales of the Unexpected comic. They assist Doctor Thirteen and other heroic characters in rescuing Traci Thirteen from Nazi gorillas. The General's ghost is mainly featured, becoming involved in a sword fight with the pirate ghost Captain Fear. Since both entities are deceased, the damage they deal to each other is ineffectual.
A "DC Showcase" black and white trade paperback collection Haunted Tank Volume One, reprinting stories between 1961 and 1965, was published in 2006. Haunted Tank Volume Two, reprinting stories from 1966 to 1972, was published in May 2008.
