Commando Yank
(Chase Yale)
Context
Commando Yank is a minor Fawcett (and thus DC) Comics hero. He first appeared in 1943 (cover date), and most of his material was in Wow Comics.
These old notes were done based on two of his appearances – that was before the Golden Age comics saw much reprinting, collections and scans. In this small set, Commando Yank is just… bland. He doesn’t have any obvious gimmick and acts as a standard superhero for that decade.
Background
- Real Name: Chase Yale.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Former member of the British Commandos.
- Base Of Operations: Gotham City (?!)
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Powers and Abilities
He’s just a guy in a costume who runs around punching bad guys.
History
His origin is unknown (at least to me), but then, he’s just a guy in a costume anyway. In his secret identity of Chase Yale, he works at “a telecast studio”. Here are a summary of the two Yank stories that I have.
First story
Reporter Betty Graham (star reporter at the Gotham Daily Star) is sent by her boss (editor Jim Brown) to find out how Chase Yale gets so many scoops. She realizes that Commando Yank does all the work and must be tipping off Chase Yale. She decides to follow him to find out his secrets.
He tries to shake her off unsuccessfully, even when going on a vacation by tramp steamer. She stows away and (when trying to escape after being found) she falls overboard and has to be rescued from a shark by Chase Yale. Note that Chase Yale *doesn’t* fight the shark, he just pulls her out of the water in the nick of time.
Later, the steamer strikes a reef, forcing the passengers to disembark by lifeboats to a nearby island, where wild natives are waiting for them. However, these natives seemed to be doped. Yale goes off to investigate, finding cartons of opium labelled “For United States”. There is obviously a dope ring at work, so Chase Yale changes into Commando Yank !
The Yank finds a house and decides to explore, only to be met with a hail of gunfire. Commando Yank runs away, but the thugs follow, so he beats them up. He takes the guns to the other passengers so that they can defend themselves from any remaining dope peddlers. Betty is concerned about the missing Chase Yale, but the Yank tells her not to worry.
During the night, Betty is kidnapped. The Yank searches the island and finds another house. The steamer captain and Betty are there. The captain turns out to be the chief of the dope peddlers. He takes the Yank down by surprise. He decides not to “waste bullets” on the two, and instead drops them into a pit containing a snake.
The Yank is tied up, but Betty is not. The snake however is coiled around Betty’s neck. The Yank attracts the snake towards himself, allowing Betty to attack the snake from behind. She then frees him, and with the help of the other passengers, they put an end to the drug cartel.
Chase Yale, however, decides to let Betty report the story in exchange for her promise not to follow him anymore except when he calls her for a date.
Second story
The second Yank story I have is “Danger at the Dyke,” a tale involving the Yank (constantly in costume) in Holland, helping to rescue a meerschaum pipe in which is contained complete data on Nazi defenses along the Holland coast.
Later notes about his early career
During the first year of publication (mid-1942 to mid-1943) he was the leader and head scout for a group of British Commandos — hence the name. Most of the Skills, Advantages and Connections in our games stats are based on what could be observed of these adventures.
His identity of Chase Yale wasn’t revealed to the readers until Wow Comics #13. After this issue he became a roving war correspondent and no longer answered to the British Military.
After the war he became a standard crime fighter.
Description
He wears a hideous purple and blue costume, consisting of a long-sleeved purple shirt, purple pants, blue boots and belt, blue gloves (?), a blue Batman-style cowl (minus the pointy ears) which has some extra fabric at the rear, and a chest-symbol consisting of a large blue circle inside which is a white star.
In one story he seems to have a pistol holstered to his side, but he never uses it.
I put a question mark by blue gloves above. It is possible that he does not wear gloves. The cover to Golden Age Men of Mystery #4 colors him without gloves. However, in the story contained in that issue (reprinted in black and white), his hands are zip-a-tone colored the same as the blue parts of his costume rather than his flesh.
To make things more ambiguous, the Commando Yank story in my reprint of America’s Greatest Comics #7 fairly clearly shows him without gloves.
Personality
He’s a boring bland standard hero-type.
Quotes
“Chase Yale—Eh—I—uh—I didn’t see him ! But he can take care of himself !”
DC Universe History
He’d easily fit in Fawcett City with the other Fawcett characters.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Commando Yank
| Dex: 07 | Str: 04 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Upholding the Good |
| Int: 05 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Telecast reporter |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 021 | HP: 030 |
Skills:
Artist (Writer): 02, Artist (Actor): 05, Martial Artist*: 07, Medicine (First aid): 03, Military science: 06, Thief: 07, Vehicles (Air, Land, Water): 05, Weaponry: 07
Advantages:
Languages (German, French), Lightning Reflexes.
Connections:
British Military (Low), British Commandos (High).
Drawbacks:
Secret Identity.
Equipment:
His usual weapon was a revolver, probably a MkVI Webley [BODY 03, Projectile weapon: 04, Ammo: 06, R#02, Drawback: Long Reload].
Source of Character: Fawcett Comics (I don’t think he’s appeared in any DC Comics).