National Comics #21

From Quality Comics' wartime lineup, this March 1942 issue of National Comics features a striking cover by Lou Fine — a muscular, stars-and-stripes-clad Uncle Sam figure breaking free from chains as he looms over a snarling, helmeted enemy soldier amid crashing Nazi aircraft marked with swastikas. Inset portraits along the left side introduce the anthology's cast of characters: Quicksilver, Kid Patrol, and Sally O'Neil, hinting at the variety of adventures packed inside. With interior art by Alex Blum and the story "The Man behind the Man behind the Gun!" on deck, this issue captures the fierce patriotic energy that defined American comics in 1942.