Raven and the Hangman Redrum

 
From the same issue of Blackhawk comics as my last post on Drago, #73, February 1954 comes this rather convoluted tale of Raven and her infamous cohort the Hangman. Set against a middle European conflict between the democratic forces of Ramonia and the commie state of Transvania. The Blackhawks are fighting on the side of Ramonia when an explosion sends Blackhawk plunging over a cliff. Unable to find his body the Blackhawks learn that their leader has been captured by the forces of Transvania - the cost for his release the disbanding of the Blackhawk squadron. Being the proactive guys they are the Blackhawks fly to Transvania, where all but Hendrickson are captured. There appear to be two leaders in the country - Raven, called her highness, and the Hangman Redrum who coincidentally looks a lot like Hendrickson. Hendrickson subsequently stumbles across Redrum, knocks him cold and takes his place. Raven orders the execution of the Blackhawks but just as they are about to lead the team to the gallows the real Redrum shows up and challenges Hendrickson. Raven declares Hendrickson to be the real Redrum and the actual Hangman is shot down by his own troops. Turns out Raven is really trying to free her own regime from the Hangman's influence and she aids the Blackhawks to escape and blow up her castle, which contains an ammo dump. So, one might ask who was really leading the country in the first place. Guess Redrum was dead and Raven was out of a job. As for the figures, I used some GI Joe parts and the head from a Black Hole Harry Booth (which I had also used for Hendrickson) to make the Hangman. The biggest challenge was the gallows design on his chest, which I did freehand. In this story Hendrickson is not all white haired as he is normally so he better matches Redrum. Raven was made using the body of a Streetfighter Sonya Blade and the head from a female GI Joe figure (Lady Jane I think), making her skirt and cape from T-shirt material.