World of Archie (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #12
In "The Challenge," Archie stumbles upon a surprising side of Principal Weatherbee during an air show, where he learns the man once served as a heroic helicopter pilot in Vietnam—saving a fellow soldier at great personal cost. Written by Bob Bolling and illustrated by Bob Bolling with inks by Bob Smith, colors by Barry Grossman, and letters by Bill Yoshida, this heartfelt story reveals a hidden past that reshapes how the Riverdale students see their famously gruff principal. The cover by Fernando Ruiz and Rich Koslowski captures the moment with quiet intensity.
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Riverdale High students kid about Mr. Weatherbee's limp, and about his being bald and overweight. Archie spots him at an air show, in deep conversation with another older man. That man (Perkins) tells Archie that Wild Waldy Weatherbee was the best helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Among other things, he saved Perkins' life at great risk to his own, being wounded in the process. Archie writes about this in a school essay. Warned by Miss Grundy that the principal is a very private man, students never reveal what they know, but they treat Mr. Weatherbee with deep respect.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).