#wing how

[dcdreamblog]

Seeing you talk about the Crimson Avenger reminded me, what can you tell us about the Seven Soldiers of Victory? I’ve seen different article talk about different members and the number don’t always add up. I’ve seen something about a guy named the Spider, one article even says TNT and Dyna-Mite were members!

And sometimes there’s eight of them?

Oh you will regret this. I actually did my thesis on the 7 Soldiers (Specifically ABOUT the historical mysteries of their membership), you can see on the selfie they posted that I have a decal for them on my phone. This question is a big one. So let's cover what we know...

(Group Photo of the 7 Soldiers from the Squadron's '43 Yearbook. I have cut out the members on the left for rhetorical purposes) This is what I would call the 5 core, inarguable members of the 7 Soldiers.

Crimson Avenger: Lee Travis, newspaper publisher, the first mystery man (Fun fact, because of the drastic difference in costuming. It wasn't until after Travis' death that it was confirmed this Avenger and the original Avenger were the same person) Shining Knight: Sir Justin, displaced knight from the Arthurian era Vigilante: The rider of the purple sage. Frontier mystery man secretly country-western artist Greg Saunders Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy: Industrial heir Sylvester Pemberton and his bodyguard/chauffeur Patrick Dugan. This is the easy part. Below is the hard part.

Two core team members weren't counted for unfortunately obvious reasons for the era...

(Crimson Avenger and Wing at a Squadron Function in 1942) Wing How, the Crimson Avenger's chauffeur and later confidante/sidekick. A Chinese immigrant to Travis' native New York

(Vigilante and Stuff riding down the streets of Independence, MI. 1940) Stuff, The Chinatown Kid. AKA Danny Leong. Another Chinese immigrant this time adopted by country western star Greg Saunders, secretly The Vigilante How and Leong, being Chinese "tag alongs" which was already a loaded trope by the 1940s were often treated more like accessories than real members of the team by media and the public. If you want to know the other 2 soldiers that were on the team when it was founded to lend it that name. Its those two. But it got more complicated than that. 2. The 7 Soldiers gained new members during the War but their name never changed

(TNT and Dyna-Mite at the DC Courthouse after receiving a medal from the city) TNT and Dyna-Mite, DC natives and perhaps the most personally popular superheroes who were not members of the Justice Society during the War years. Owing to their personal popularity in the nation's capital. WHEN they became members of the Soldiers is unknown but they were inducted by December of 1941 at the latest as they partcipated in the "Black Star" case It is unknown whether or not Dyna-Mite remained associated with the team after TNT's tragic death in the line of duty in early 1942. And then there's..him...

(The Spider, glimpsed on the edge of a billboard in his native St Louis) The Spider, AKA Thomas Hallaway. For fairly obvious reasons is no longer concerned part of the superhero community. He was, in fact, an unrepentant criminal who used the cover of a superhero persona as an alibi. It wasn't until post war that his treachery was discovered when he attempted to assassinate both Jay and Joan Garrick, losing his life in the attempt under mysterious circumstances. In the modern day it was discovered that The Spider himself was responsible for the 7 Soldiers' disappearance post war, having been in cahoots with perennial enemy The Iron Hand. The Soldiers were scattered through time and only recovered during one of the early cases of the Justice League, leading to the heroic sacrifice of Wing How to save the lives of his teammates When he became associated with the Soldiers is unknown and he is retroactively cast out from his membership in the Soldiers specifically and the All Star Squadron in general save for the most dry of historical perspectives. Conclusion: If you want me to answer who the "7 Soldiers" were. To me (noting that this is a personal opinion, not a historical fact). It's The Crimson Avenger, Wing, Vigilante, Stuff, Shining Knight, Star Spangled-Kid and Stripesy. With knowledge that TNT and Dyna-Mite were also members because what's in a name anyway? The Spider, by his own action has been stricken from any claim to any membership of any heroic organization.

[dailyjsa]

Stargirl: The Lost Children #5

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Todd Nauck

Colors: Matt Herms

[dccomicsbracket]

Motivations:

Roxanne "Roxy" Leech

Teen CEO and model having to fix her dad's messes. She's a fun character although some of her writing is dated. She is a somewhat rare DC Character in the fact that she thinks de-escalation is important. When Superboy's DNA was unravelling she donated her own genetic material in a dangerous procedure causing her to briefly die. After this, she and Superboy proclaimed themselves sibling. She also once fuses with an Alien being while competing an Alien Drag Race (some kind of race, I forget what called) to make money to pay of her father's debts. She cares about helping people in her own way and has a good heart.

Wing How (Wing)

One of DC's early heroes and sidekick chauffeur to the Crimson Avenger first appearing in Detective Comics #20 in October 1938. He sacrificed himself to save the seven soliders of victory in the 1970s. He was a good hero.

[ufonaut]

Stargirl, meet, well... the lost children.

Stargirl: The Lost Children (2022) #3

(Geoff Johns, Todd Nauck)

[djrenard]

My pull list (03/29/2023):

Dark Knights of Steel #10

Action Comics #1053

Stargirl: The Lost Children #5

Tim Drake: Robin #7

[blanddcheadcanons]

Vigilante was considered one of the kids of the Seven Soldiers, like Wing, Speedy, and the Star-Spangled Kid. He's only a few years older than them.

‎

[shrubsparrow]

It's in the eye of the beholder

[barblaz-arts]

look me in the eye and tell me Charlie wouldn't do this

[the-dragon-girl-27]

It is the middle of a Sunday afternoon. You have nothing on, and aren't expecting visitors, deliveries or post.

Unexpectedly, there is a knock at the door.

you are greeted by...... her

[taliabhattwrites]

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Hate hate hate how when I get angry there is a physical reaction but it's not glowing eyes or growing claws or something it's crying. This feels unfair.

[dcdreamblog]

So, who was the first kid sidekick?

As one could expect, considering he was the first to do the whole thing. The Crimson Avenger also got a leg up on the idea of the kid sidekick.

(Crimson Avenger and his sidekick Wing in a photograph taken by the Seven Soldiers of Victory, circa 1944)

Born in Hankou, in modern day Wuhan sometime in the mid 1920s, Wing How fled to America just before the outbreak of hostilities between China and Japan. Having no means of supporting himself despite his young age he took any work he could find, eventually ending up the valet of newspaper magnate Lee Travis.

Travis, a failed veteran of the early stages of the Spanish Civil War by the time he and How met was disconnected from politics despite his resources as the young owner of the Globe Leader newspaper. Travis, for lack of anyone else to talk to, began to confide in How who in turn pushed Travis to use his resources for the sake of the war in Asia.

In fact, it was a charity benefit masquerade partially sponsored by Travis whose robbery during the often mythologized War of the Worlds incident (though whether the incident itself or Travis' part within it is the more overblown in popular consciousness is hard to say) inspired Travis to fully commit himself to the garb of the Crimson Avenger.

Serving as a confidante from day one, How was never fully on board with the more harsh and violent style of intervention that Travis originally preferred, attempting to once again steer his friend and boss onto a more socially conscious course. It wasn't until Travis was moments away from executing an innocent Chinese immigrant that How fully stepped between his mentor and the problem.

Deciding to fully join his mentor on the streets, Wing's public introduction was most likely the inspiration for the Avenger's rather drastic costume change around the time of the Seven Soldiers' foundation.

The role of How is often overlooked for two equally tragic reasons.

The first being that in contemporary sources he is often heavily caricatured in line with Western depictions of Chinese people. With huge buck teeth, squinty eyes and his natural accent corrupted into something from a minstrel show.

The second being that he predeceased his mentor by some considerable margin, giving his life in battle against the Nebula Man for the sake of his teammates and the Justice League.

His personal effects are, to this day, held in trust by the Justice League alongside the effects of his mentor both in recognition of their status as the spiritual seed the League is grown from and How's personal sacrifice for the League.

[dailyjsa]

Stargirl: The Lost Children #5

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Todd Nauck

Colors: Matt Herms

[cloud-ya]

sobbing.....her little brother is her guardian angel

[ufonaut]

I’ve had months to think about it on this island, years maybe, and... it’s okay. We all have a destiny. And this is mine. To save all of you.

Stargirl: The Lost Children (2022) #6

[djrenard]

My Pull List (05/10/23):

Green Lantern #1

Stargirl: the Lost Children #6