Super-Chief was a unique pairing of the super-hero and western genres, which regrettably lasted just 3 issues (ASW #117-119). Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino created the series, which told the tale of Flying Stag, the leader of the Wolf Clan, who had super-powers bestowed on him by the great spirit Manitou via a mysterious glowing meteorite. Super-Chief's powers lasted but one hour at a time, and he was instructed by the spirit never to reveal his secret, thus he hid his identity under a bison's skin, keeping an amulet of stone from the meteorite around his neck.

The first Super-Chief story was included in the 100-page giant Superman #245. The others, lamentably, have never been reprinted. So let's see what we've all been missing, shall we?


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"The Invasion of the Indian Giants"

Writer: Gardner Fox

Artist: Carmine Infantino


We begin our tale with a wintry scene, as a trio of canoes laden with furs and meat are homeward bound to the land of "The Nations". Their journey is abruptly interrupted by a terrifying sight:
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The two massive men easily retrieve all of the canoe's booty, climb up the river bank and quickly depart. The terrified hunters, which we're told are members of the Turtle Clan, sheepishly return to their chief empty-handed. The chief, alarmed by their story, orders the sacred fires to be lit, and the medicine men pray to the great spirit Manitou to send Saganowanna (i.e. Super-Chief) to aid them in their hour of need.

We then shift backward in time to a more tranquil scene, as Flying Stag and his girlfriend White Fawn are setting out on a fishing trip. But unbeknownst to the couple, they are not alone:
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Unable to find the elusive Lightfoot, they continue on to their fishing spot along the river. Suddenly, they spot a log in the river veering toward them. White Fawn is spooked, "Aieee! It is the evil spirit of the waters, Dayandaro!" Flying Stag reaches out to grab the log, when he's met by a spume of water shot through a hole in the log right at his face, sending him headlong into the river. The young man is not amused, and quickly uncovers the source of his embarrassment:
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[Deftly written, there - "as many young suitors have done before him"... and yet some critics insist Fox couldn't convey characterization?]

Lightfoot departs, and just as Flying Stag is sitting down to enjoy the afternoon with his sweetheart, a voice from the sky cries "Super-Chief! Your people need you!" Since White Fawn doesn't hear the voice, he realizes "My amulet must be glowing... giving me super-hearing so I can secretly hear my people calling me!" So, much to the consternation of his companion, he cuts short their outing:
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He then makes his way to the secret pit where he hides his Super-Chief costume. As he puts on the buffalo head, his thoughts flash back to when he first acquired his powers:
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Super-Chief then leaps into action - two mighty jumps take him to the camp of the Turtle Clan, where the tribesmen fill him on their encounter with the giants. Super-Chief reassures them that he will retrieve their stolen supplies, and they react in disbelief, "You are going alone... without a war party?"

As the giants didn't bother to hide their tracks in the snow, it doesn't take long for Super-Chief to track them down:
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One of the behemoths comes after Super-Chief with a club, but he easily swats it away, splintering it across the frozen landscape. The battle is then joined in earnest:
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Unfortunately for our hero, his great strength now deserts him as the hour allotted to him is up. He must rely on his wits alone now to survive the assault of the lone remaining giant:
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Super-Chief decides to employ the same strategy that Lightfoot used on him earlier. Using some catgut strings that he has in his carrying bag, he strings it across the trail. The giant crashes to the ground, stunned for a moment. Super-Chief binds him with some vines, but the giant revives, and easily snaps them. The chase resumes, and our hero once again employs strategy against his massive foe:
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[You gotta love the way Infantino lays out this page, using the terrain of the wintry landscape to best advantage!]

The gargantuan snowball slams into the giant, and this time the fight is taken out of him. Super-Chief returns the stolen supplies to the Turtle Clan, and he imprisons the giants in a large cave, giving them light, air, and food, with the promise that they can earn their freedom in the spring if they behave.

Afterward, he returns to White Fawn:
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Terrific story - very tightly constructed by Fox. The domestic scene at the beginning serves not only to flesh out the hero, but cleverly foreshadows the "David vs. Goliath" battle at the end.

And what can you say about the art? The frozen landscapes are beautifully rendered, and the battle scenes are captivating!

Masterfully done, all in all... it really was a shame this series was so short-lived.



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"As for contentment, that is a myth.  Give a man everything he wishes and he will be unhappy, because he didn't wish for more; give him more, and he will die of his worries.  Only a turtle, asleep on a sunny log, knows contentment!"
-Merlin to Prince Valiant

            Hal Foster 3-7-43
Last Edited By: Osgood Peabody Feb 19 11 6:49 PM. Edited 1 times.