[Eugene Church]

Here is a little history of the Valka Blackhawks... Blackhawk was one of my favorite comic books in the 1940s when I was a kid, so I created a town in the IPA for the high-flying Blackhawks.

Comic books and sports pages in the newspapers were a great aid to EC's education... I probably learned more reading the comic books and sports pages than I did in school... I have always had a good vocabulary and can spell pretty well... creating baseball stats greatly help me to do simple arithmetic... fractions, division and multiplication were easy for EC.

(Special Thanks to Wikipedia)

After a period of membership fluctuations during the first 10 issues of Military Comics, the team finally settles into its most famous roster. Although minor character details would shift and change over time, this original version of the team would stay largely intact from the characters' debut in 1941 to the end of their first run in 1968. At one point or another, every member of the team except Blackhawk is depicted in ways stereotypical for the time, and over the course of the series several would develop their own catchphrases.

Blackhawk – first Polish, then American, the man known as Blackhawk is portrayed as a strong, decisive leader. He's not always easy on his men—calling Olaf a "big fat-head", for example[24]—but always appears to command their unquestionable respect.

Stanislaus – Blackhawk's second-in-command. Polish, Stan is initially depicted like his teammates with various ethnic distinctions, but those disappear as the series progresses to the point that he could very well pass for an American. He is often portrayed as an acrobat, then later as the team's strongman.

Chuck – at different times stated as being from Brooklyn or Texas, Chuck is often shown as the team's communications specialist. His words are peppered with frequent American colloquialisms like "I reckon!" and "Dagnabbit!"

Hendrickson – known as "Hendy" for short, the oldest of the Blackhawks is also their ever-dependable sharpshooter. Heavyset with white hair and a thick, Germanic mustache, he's usually portrayed as Dutch (though German in some accounts), and often exclaims, "Himmel!" (German for "sky" and "heaven") or "Ach du lieber!" (a German phrase akin to "Oh, dear!").

André – with his pencil-thin mustache and natural born suavity, André's appreciation of beautiful women often leads the team into precarious situations. Their demolitions expert, he frequently utters "Sacre bleu!" (an old French profanity).

Olaf – a giant of a man, Olaf is usually portrayed as Swedish, his brutish size and poor English playing into the "big, dumb Swede" stereotype. He often shouts, "Py Yiminy!" and demonstrates impressive acrobatic abilities (a trait that Stanislaus' character loses over time).

(Note: the character Chop Chop may be offensive as depicted in the 1940s... remember the time and place... it is a part of history... we were at war with Japan and Germany... should anyone be offended... I will remove Chop Chop.)

Chop-Chop – Chop-Chop is originally the team's Chinese cook and essentially Blackhawk's sidekick, riding along in Blackhawk's plane as opposed to piloting his own. He evolves over time from comic relief mascot to a valued member of the team proficient in the martial arts. His full name is eventually revealed to be Liu Huang.

Blackie: In the third picture on the right, you can see Blackie, the blackhawk, the mascot of the Blackhawks.