Real Life Comics #28

Robert Blake, a man of philosophy and principle, rises from relative obscurity to become a key naval leader during England’s turbulent Civil War, defending Parliament’s cause against royalist forces and foreign threats. As the Puritan Admiral, he faces daunting challenges at sea, from outmaneuvering Prince Rupert’s fleet to leading a vastly outnumbered navy to victory over the Dutch, all while grappling with the weight of command and the cost of war.

Andrea Doria rises from a life of mercenary service to become the commanding admiral of Genoa’s fleet, forging a legendary rivalry with the Turkish corsair Barbarossa while navigating treachery at home and battles across the Mediterranean. His career spans decades of naval warfare, shifting allegiances, and personal honor, culminating in a final, hard-fought victory that secures his legacy as both a warrior and a statesman.

In 168 B.C., under the oppressive rule of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who demands worship of Zeus and threatens death for those who refuse, the Jewish priest Mattathias and his sons, including Judas Maccabeus, spark a rebellion after a defiant act in their village of Modin. Fleeing to the mountains, they rally followers and wage a relentless guerrilla war against the Greek forces, striking at night and growing stronger with each victory. As the struggle drags on, the Maccabees fight not just for independence, but for the right to worship freely in their homeland.

Commander Robert J. Foley leads the submarine *Greenling* on a dangerous patrol through Japanese-held waters during World War II, targeting enemy supply convoys with precision and daring. As he commands his crew through intense encounters with destroyers and freighters, the story highlights his leadership and the relentless campaign that ultimately earns him a historic fourth Navy Cross.

Roger answers the phone, only to realize he’s the one being called—while he’s already standing in the phone booth just to the left of the man who’s asking him to show up at the store.

Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a young man from an impoverished Parisian family, abandons his law studies to pursue a military and exploratory career, rising through the ranks with courage and vision. From serving as aide-de-camp during the Siege of Quebec to founding a thriving French colony in the Falkland Islands and leading a groundbreaking circumnavigation of the globe, his life is defined by bold ventures and far-reaching ambitions. His legacy endures through his explorations, scientific contributions, and honors from both the French Revolution and Napoleon’s empire.

In the Solomon Islands during the Bougainville Campaign, a group of U.S. soldiers known as the "G.I. Junkmen" scavenge wreckage from downed planes and abandoned equipment across the jungle, using ingenuity and makeshift tools to rebuild thirteen P-40 fighters. With limited supplies and no replacements, they transform scrap into functional aircraft, ultimately taking to the skies to defend American forces and down eighteen Japanese planes.