The Black Claw

The Black Claw

Creator: Douglas D. Hawk

Characters

Victoria Kirkland

Armand Devereaux

Peter D’Arcy

Sonja Gannon

Police Lt. Shane Chandler

Police Sergeant Marty O’Malley

Police Chief Alexander Firebaugh

Eddie Tobin

Yancy Fleet

            It’s April 1942, not long after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and pulled America into the world war. In an unnamed city, Nazi agents sabotage key points and are after secret documents from a military installation. The Operation, a government organization is set up to battle the threat; just who the organization is, is never revealed. One of their operatives is a masked vigilante called The Black Claw, dressed all in black, and carrying twin automatics; on the left glove is a claw, which can be used as a deadly weapon against foes.

            The local Operation is headed by a Frenchman named Armand Devereaux. Peter D’Arcy is his assistant. Among Armand’s agents is The Black Claw, a costumed vigilante.

            The Black Claw wears all black, and on the left glove are ebony claws, sharp and deadly, which can be used as weapons in a fight. Armed with twin automatics with silencers, the vigilante prefers not to kill, but does when absolutely necessary. Yellow cat’s eyes stare from the eye slits in the full-face mask. An electric filter helps disguise the voice, giving the vigilante a whisper; the police start calling the vigilante The Whisperer, after the popular pulp magazine character. A card with claws splayed in the center is left at every scene.

            The car is painted a flat, dull black Duesenburg V-12, with no chrome or shiny work anywhere. The body and windows are bullet proof. Equipped with black light, infrared goggles to see at night without headlights. The windows are tinted black also.

            Victoria Kirkland is a reporter for The Herald. She was stuck on the society column until The Black Claw started making headlines, now she seems to have inside information on the vigilante, and is moved to crime reporter. Vicky has the poise of a dancer, walks with an easy stride and light step. Her moves are with a confidence that spoke of someone comfortable in her own skin, secure in her character. Toned and tanned, she projected an athletic quality, a healthiness that conveyed a sense that this woman was accustomed to working up a sweat on a tennis or basketball court, yet her every action was unpretentious and natural. Her soft flowing hair fell to her shoulder in smooth waves of dark ginger, forming a face that was neither cute nor girlish, but classically beautiful. Green eyes held a depth in which men were often lost, although there was in them an innate and ancient sadness that even an unadulterated smile could not completely wash away. Some thought she had ice water in her veins. She drives a Pontiac coupe.

            Armand Devereaux is tall, thin, and dapper; with salt and pepper hair combed straight back from his angular, aristocratic continence. Besides being in charge of the local government agents, he's also the father of Vicky Kirkland. He and her mother had divorced, and Vicky’s mother married someone else. She has never liked her real father, but we are not told why.

            Yancy Fleet is a reporter for The American, a black newspaper. He is usually seen in his trademark chesterfield and broad brimmed fedora. He has a flare for writing, and a knack for scooping the competition.

            Eddie Tobin, with only an eighth grade education rose quickly from copy boy to reporter to managing editor of The Herald. He has an instinct for news, and could write copy that was snappy, clean and tight. He welds a blue editing pencil like a rapier. His face is always flushed, has a bulbous nose that bore the unmistakable reddish tint of a heavy drinker.

            Sonja “Blackie” Gannon is also an agent of the Operation. She's called “Blackie” because of her dark black hair. I kind of suspect the author has more plans for her in future stories.

            The police officials are Lieutenant Shane Chandler, and his partner Sergeant Marty O’Malley. Shane is smitten with Vicky in the first story. Marty is often caught reading a pulp magazine. One time he’s reading “The Jade Dragon”, a copy of The Shadow. Others are seen reading Spicy Detective Stories.

            Although the author has mapped out about ten stories, only two have been published so far. These were written in 1998, and only now been released on Kindle. Actually “Justice of The Black Claw” was written first, but “Mark of The Black Claw” became the actual first release. Published by Raptor Mountain Publishing.

“Mark of The Black Claw”

“Justice of The Black Claw”