BLAZE THE WONDER COLLIE

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Real Name: Blaze

Identity/Class: Dog (WWII to early 1950s era)

Occupation: Companion; former search-and-rescue dog

Group Membership: None;
   formerly American Red Cross;
   formerly US Army K-9 Corps;
   formerly Lynlan Kennels

Affiliations: Cy Bidwell, Pierre Dubois, Dr. Glenn Forest, General Prentiss, Judy Stanton, Tad (last name unrevealed);
   formerly Glenda Stanton

Enemies: Dr. Lawrence Cheney, dognappers (Weasel, one other), Nazis, Purcell, Scarface Raftis and his thugs, Glenda Stanton

Known Relatives: Fury (father)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Springdale, Maine, USA;
   formerly mobile around Normandy, France;
   formerly Lynlan Kennels, Springdale, Maine, USA

First Appearance: Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1 (October, 1949)

Powers/Abilities: Blaze is a purebred collie and possesses remarkable courage, intelligence and devotion, particularly to his master and friends. Understanding spoken language far better than most animals, he adapts quickly to any training (notably military and first aid) and can perform remarkable feats beyond those of almost any other dog. Although possessing a deep love for humanity, Blaze can be a savage opponent when necessary, using teeth and claws in combat.

Height:  2'4" (at the shoulder)
Weight: 83 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Gold and white

History:

(Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - Blaze was sired by the renown collie Fury and raised in Lynlan Kennels (which he felt were confining) in Maine, USA, where he was trained by the possessive Glenda Stanton for dog shows and won trophies while WWII raged overseas.

(Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1) - Blaze won the coveted "Best in Dog Show" cup at Madison Square Gardens, but dognappers, keen for US Army reward money for able K-9 Corps dog candidates, targeted and kidnapped Blaze after the show. Trained to behave but suspicious of the new men who had taken him into a car, Blaze had long looked for a man he could call Master to share loyalty and love. The criminals traded Blaze at the K-9 center in Connecticut and Blaze began his war-dog training with other breeds. However, Blaze's love for humans meant he failed as an attack dog, so he was assigned a Red Cross dog to find wounded and soon dispatched on a troop transport to the heavy fighting of the Normandy invasion. There, US General Prentiss was unimpressed being assigned dogs and passed Blaze to the medical doctor Captain Glenn Forest and the two formed an immediate bond. Blaze found several injured soldiers on the battlefields that led to their rescue and recovery.

(Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/2) - During a lull in fighting, an American lieutenant sent Blaze to retrieve special blood plasma to save his commanding officer and friend. Blaze made it to the hospital unit and the attached message launched support planes to the lieutenant's position. Blaze was fitted with a belt containing plasma units. Blaze stuck to animal paths on the return journey to avoid German patrols, but still encountered the enemy, who shot at and trapped him. Blaze attacked back, instinctively using erratic tactics of teeth and claw on the run. Lightly wounded, Blaze made it back to the lieutenant's medical tent.

(Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1) - Blaze and Forest were called in to rescue Sergeant Kane, badly injured on the French battlefield. Blaze soon found the soldier, but a German fighter attacked and Blaze intuitively pushed Forest out of the way. Kane was dead but Forest was still wounded and soon collapsed. Forest ordered Blaze to get help and the dog raced through a bombardment to Gen. Prentiss, who slowly realized that Blaze was trying to get him to follow to the the unconscious Forest. They returned to base and the anxious collie stayed by Forest's side. That night, the dog became aware of a sneak German attack and barked loudly to alert the US soldiers, and the enemy was repelled with Blaze joining the defense. The camp cleared of Germans, Blaze was assigned a mission to help find local French resistance leader Pierre Dubois and a female American soldier (WAC) (coincidentally Judy Stanton, daughter of Glenda). Blaze refused to go without Forest and they soon found and freed Dubois and Stanton; the latter invited Forest to find her in Maine. Returning to camp, the army rescue team came under a heavy barrage and Forest was badly injured along with Blaze; the dog save some of the soldiers and prisoners and crawled back to alert the base. But both were injured and honorably discharged, and awarded medals for bravery, Blaze being the first canine to receive one. Unsure where to go next and romantically piqued, Forest chose to go to Maine to see if he could find Judy and set up a local doctor's practice. Prentiss arranged it so that Blaze could return with Forest.

   Forest opened his practice in Springdale with Blaze by his side. The war heroes made local front page news, delighting Judy, but Glenda focused only Blaze, stolen from her years before. Glenda had the police chief take Blaze away despite Forest's protestations, and the dog went back to Stanton's kennels. Blaze was confused and angry, but weeks passed and he was unable to see his Master. Refusing to eat and badly depressed, the vet asserted that Blaze was slowly dying, but Glenda dismissed it off. That night, Blaze took his last strength and struggled over the high fence, desperate to reach his Master, but collapsed after freedom. By chance, Judy found him and spoke Forest's name, which revived the dog. Judy took Blaze to Forest, who fed and nursed Blaze to a healthier state, but the next morning, Judy had to take Blaze back to the kennels. Judy kept Blaze nearby and secretly made regular visits to Forest for the dog's well-being, and Blaze recognized Judy as a friend. But one day, a Nazi saboteur set explosives at Glenda's factory and hoped to take Judy hostage; however, Blaze leapt to her rescue and tore out the Nazi's throat. The bomb went off and Judy was caught in the rubble. Forest quickly arrived and sent Blaze to find her and the hapless woman was rescued. Glenda arrived, concerned for her daughter's welfare, but Judy instead insisted that Blaze be returned to Forest or she would refuse medical treatment, and that Forest be her doctor. Glenda reluctantly agreed. Later, Blaze, Forest and Judy rested happily outside under a tree.

(Blaze the Wonder Collie#3/1) - Forrest and Blaze visited Judy at the Stanton Mansion. Blaze cheekily nudged Judy closer to the shy Forest, but Glenda arrived and curtly directed Forest away. The groundskeeper suddenly appeared having found runaway orphan Tad hiding in the kennels. Blaze sensed the boy's distress and snarled at the groundskeeper. Forest quickly offered to look after Tad and they went home together with the happy collie, Tad declaring he loved dogs and had read of Blaze's father. But orphanage administrator Purcell showed up demanding Tad return; Forest offered to adopt Tad but Purcell was dubious about his chances. Meanwhile, Tad heard the exchange and escaped out the window into a snowstorm. Blaze found Tad's scent and gave chase, overpowering a bull that threatened Tad. Forest insisted that the sick boy be treated at his practice and farmer Cy Bidwell agreed with Forest that Purcell return the next day. Tad was feverish and called for Blaze in his sleep, so the dog stayed with him. Rival doctor Cheney arrived with Purcell the next morning, and Blaze disliked both but was ushered away. Cheney misdiagnosed the pneumonia and Forest insisted Tad stay. Days passed until Tad's fever broke with Blaze alerting his Master. Tad's recovery was slow and took weeks, yet Blaze stayed often protectively by him. At the town hall dance, Forest discovered a meningitis outbreak among the town's children and serum was ordered to be flown in by plane, but it crashed in a snowstorm. Guided by Blaze, Forest and Bidwell recovered the serum and Blaze dragged the unconscious pilot on a sled as they returned to the town. Weeks pass and the serum plus Forest's care saw the children recover. Forest's and Blaze's heroism undid Glenda's earlier manipulations and Springdale residents embraced Forest. Judy hugged Forest while Blaze retired with Tad, who considered the love between a boy and a dog to be superior.

(Rex Hart#8/2) - Three thugs burst into Dr. Forest's practice and kidnapped him to operate on their wounded crime boss Scarface Raftis. The thugs didn't want Blaze along and locked him inside, but Forest gave a short command that prompted Blaze to break through a window and follow their scent to the crooks' hideout. A criminal acting as lookout saw Blaze and shot at him, only grazing the dog's skull, and the dog collapsed. Inside the hideout, Forest had finished and was then knocked out by the thugs to cover their tracks as they made their escape, setting fire to the cabin before they drove off. Blaze pulled Forest out of the fire and awaited his command; the doctor told him to go after the criminals. Blaze pursued the car by cutting through the forest and jumping into the car, viciously biting and clawing the bank robbers so much that the State Troopers caught up with the crooks and they had to be hospitalized. Forest soon collected Blaze from the Troopers' office.

(Marvel Pets Handbook (fb) - BTS) - Blaze continued to earn widespread public acclaim during his lifetime, although many of his adventures remain mostly unrecorded.

Comments: Creators not credited.

Issue 3's story finished with the promise of "the most thrilling dog story ever told... the tale of Fury -- sire of Blaze!", but #3 was the last issue of Blaze the Wonder Collie, so we never got to see it. I wonder if anything was drafted up, but lost to time.

I'm not sure if this fits in -616 continuity, but a text comedy story in Willie Comics #22 (January, 1950) starring Little Lana (and many of the anthology comics' other characters) mentioned a "Blaze, the Wonder Collie" television show (as well as TV shows of "Tex Morgan" and "Two-Gun Kid", who also had their own comic titles around that time).

The stories in Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/2 and Rex Hart#8/2 were text only with one action picture. These were later reprinted: Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/2 was reprinted in War Comics#1/3 (December 1950) with a new silhouette-style picture, while Rex Hart#8/2 was reprinted in Man Comics#6/3 (February, 1951) with a new glass-breaking action picture.

Blaze the Wonder Collie received a profile in the Marvel Pets Handbook (2009) & Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #14 (2010).

Blaze the Wonder Collie looks to be clear capitalization on the doggie film super-star sensation Lassie (first film in 1943), with "the Wonder [Dog]" tag added, potentially from the likes of Ace the Wonder Dog (films from 1938-1946). According to the Grand Comics Database, Blaze first appeared on 7/22/1949. Lassie's first comic appearance was on 12/22/1949 in a dog-food promotional comic, followed by a Dell comic series titled M-G-M's Lassie 5 months later. Did Marvel try to negotiate for the rights to a Lassie comic, didn't get it and so made a copycat, or was Blaze just a copycat from the start? (An aside: DC's similarly named Rex the Wonder Dog came out in January 1952, but there were a lot of Wonder woof-woofs around that time).

Marvel ran full-page ads for Blaze the Wonder Collie in several of its 1949 comic books, calling it  "America’s most respected comic magazine", so I guess that gives an idea what 1949 was like.

It's not determined where the comic numbering continues from (Blaze had only issues #2 & #3). Overstreet suggested it continues from Molly Manton's Romances #1, but Grand Comics Database refutes this. Apparently numbering continues with Crime Must Lose #4.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Blaze the Wonder Collie has no known connections to:

Fury

Fury was the father to Blaze. He garnered a popular following and was featured in magazines. The boy Tad was a fan of dogs and already knew of Fury when he met Blaze and his owner Dr. Glenn Forest.

--Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1 (3/1 (mentioned only, no image)

General Prentiss

US Army General Prentiss helped coordinate the Normandy invasion in the closing months of the European theater of WWII. At one point, Prentiss needed more soldiers for the intense fighting, but was assigned K-9 rescue dogs, including the clever collie Blaze. Frustrated, he assigned the dog to the medical doctor Captain Glenn Forest and the two formed an immediate bond. Later, Forest was badly injured on the battlefield and Blaze rushed back, pulling at Prentiss' sleeve to help. Discovering that was the case, the general was impressed and this continued as Blaze displayed his bravery and intelligence. After a particularly bad injury, Forest was honorably discharged and Prentiss arranged it so that Blaze could leave with him, also awarding Forest and Blaze medals for heroism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1

images: (without ads)
Marvel Pets Handbook entry (main image) (from Blaze the Wonder Collie#1/1, p1, pan1)
Blaze the Wonder Collie#3/1, p2, pan4 (headshot, side view)
Rex Hart#8/2, p2 (smashing thru window)
Blaze the Wonder Collie#3, cover (photo pic, against thug)
Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1, p4, pan6 (Prentiss)

Appearances:
Blaze the Wonder Collie#2/1, 2/2 (October, 1949) - uncredited writer, artist(s), editor
Blaze the Wonder Collie#3/1 (February, 1950) - uncredited writer, artist(s), editor
Rex Hart#8/2 (February, 1950) - uncredited writer, artist(s), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Pets Handbook (2009)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #14 (2010)

First posted: 07/15/2025
Last updated: 07/15/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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