Perry Webb

Perry Webb
Aliases:	American Ace; Lieutenant Lank; Perry Wade
Notability:	Main character
Gender:	Male
Race:	Human
First:	Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1

Perry Webb, aka the American Ace, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared in the uncirculated Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 in 1939. The character would make his first public appearance when his Motion Pictures Funnies Weekly strip was published in Marvel Mystery Comics #2 and #3.

Overview

Despite an intelligent and adult story line, American Ace was abruptly cancelled just as soon as the second story, defining the hero's purpose, saw print. The reason was possibly because the strip seemed too politically intense for the mostly adolescent audience, or because artist Paul Lauretta, an inker on backgrounds and designer of thugs seen in Superman's early stories, had a style, which at the time, seemed crude even by Golden Age standards. However, the latter was later discredited as the artwork was drawn in a humorous style reminiscent of E.C. Segar's Popeye. The artwork highly contrasted with the politically jarring story and sentimental romance.

However, several months later the strip turned up in the pages of Centaur Publications's The Arrow #2, under the name "Lieutenant Lank." Perry's last name was changed to "Wade" and the story had him shoot it out in the skies against Ursula's men with the announcement that he would raise a team of pilots next issue of all fallen nations.

Centaur Publications then published a six-page story Lieutenant Lank in Amazing Mystery Funnies #24. When his plane is destroyed, and he is captured by Queen Ursula, Lank escapes in one of the Queen's tanks and makes it back to his lines, but not before Lank spanks Queen Ursula after Queen Ursula steals a kiss. This issue also had Basil Wolverton's Space Patrol.

But with the demise of Centaur Publications, the strip was once again cancelled.

Biography

The American Ace was just one of many costumed operatives active during World War II where were recruited into the United States military. The purposes was to enlist such individuals in order to publish propaganda in the form of comic books that were commissioned by the United States military and published by Timely Comics. These comics were used to convince Americans to support the war, and increase enlistment. Like many heroes recruited in this fashion, the Ace's fictional exploits were few. For most of these early heroes it was due to their deaths in combat.

Presumably, much like the Young Allies, the fictional exploits of the Young Avenger may be based on actual events. However, for the sake of clarity, this article differentiates between the two.

Perry Webb was merely an American mineral scout searching for Uranium when he landed in Attainia, a country plunged into war with the neighboring country of Castle D'Or thanks to the machinations of it's evil Queen Ursula. Unaware of the conflict, Perry soon found himself caught up to speed when he is caught in the middle of an air-raid.

Surviving the initial blast, he saves the life of Jeanine the last survivor of her immediate family. When she says she has relatives on the country side, Perry flies her there where he stays for a week to get to know the girl and her family better. Deciding that he must get back to his job, Webb would hop back into his plane and fly off. However, he would get caught in a dog-fight against Castle D'Or fighter planes and get shot down. Recovered from the crash from the family, Perry would vow join the fight and stop the war no matter what it took.

The outcome of this conflict, and Webb's fate remain unrecorded. However, some sources speculate that the conflict likely became a moot point due to the start of World War II shortly after.

At some time following his ordeal in Attainia, the American Ace got marriedR

. However, Ace was secretly homosexual.

Following the United States entry into World War II, the American Ace became pilot for the Crazy S.U.E.S. following the battle of Normandy in 1944. During the victory party with the Crazy S.U.E.S. and the Invaders, Ace and Captain Flame learned that they were both gay and secretly slipped away from the party. They had a romantic interlude in a back alley, unaware that they were secretly being watched by their team mate Albert "Slow Motion" Jones.

Ace and Captain Flame kept their romance going while the Crazy SUES were involved in the liberation of France, much to the disgust of Jones. After the battle, the team spent time relaxing in Paris. When the group decided to go looking for girls, Ace expressed a disinterest in doing so. When Jones called him on it, Ace explained to them that he was married. Learning this, Captain Flame stormed off.

American Ace's subsequent activities are unknown.

Notes & Trivia

• The character of Perry Webb was created by artist Paul J. Lauretta.

• Perry Webb was introduced in the same comic book issue that introduced Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

• Perry Webb is the first retroactively canon Marvel Universe character outside of the Sub-Mariner and his supporting cast.

External Links

• Perry Webb at MDP
• Perry Webb at Wikipedia
• Perry Webb at Comic Vine
• Perry Webb at Comicbookdb.com
• Perry Webb at the Marvel Microheroes Wiki

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