BREEZY COLLINS
Real Name: "Breezy" Collins (first name
unrevealed - see comments)
Identity/Class: Normal human (WWII era)
Occupation: High school student, glider pilot
Group Membership: Glider
Patrol
Affiliations: Janice Jones,
Nails Nelson,
Wings West
Enemies: Nazis
Known Relatives: William Collins (father)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed location, east
coast of the USA (probably New York State, given his friend's East
River connection)
First Appearance: Kid Komics#1/7 (February,
1943)
Powers/Abilities: Breezy Collins has good
knowledge of aviation fundamentals and is skilled at piloting gliders.
He has basic car driving skills.
He is brave and quick-thinking.
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
History:
(Kid Komics#1/7 (fb) - BTS) - Breezy Collins
developed a keen interest in aviation and soon had his own teen-aged
glider group with friends Wings West, Nails Nelson and hopeful romance
Janice Jones. One day, they completed their latest glider: a small red
glider with an open cockpit.
(Kid Komics#1/7) - Breezy took pilot control as the others used the car's speed to provide lift before releasing the towline. With sunset and few updrafts, the flight was cut short and Breezy landed. Wings insisted on taking the next flight, despite the conditions, and Janice went home. Breezy and Nails took the car but the glider struggled to get aloft. Finally the towline was released, but Nails crashed into a fake roadblock set up by Nazi spies. The would-be roadworkers' harsh German accents made both boys suspicious and they quietly investigated. Breezy signaled to Wings to land hidden from the Germans. Wings distracted the Germans so Breezy and Nails could sneak attack two Germans unconscious. The boys soon found a pick-up post of string tied between two posts whereby a plane pilot could pick up a package without stopping. Feeling increasingly suspicious, Breezy directed Wings to go into town and fetch the police while he and Nails investigated further. First Breezy fixed rope (from their car) to the poles and they then looked at the nearby shed where they found Breezy's father William about to be brutally tortured by the other Nazi spies, who admitted they had already stolen other secrets. Nails knocked out the German guard and passed the gun to Breezy and the other Nazis soon surrendered at gunpoint. The police arrived and William clarified the matter. The German pick-up plane suddenly swooped in to pick up the package but its hook was caught on the rope Breezy had tied earlier, and the plane crashed and exploded spectacularly. Later, the police informed the Glider Patrol that the plane had operated from a Nazi cargo submarine, since stopped by the coast guard.
Comments: Created by Ray Gill & Bob Oksner.
Although readers were promised more adventures of "Breezy and his gang" in the next issue, they never appeared again (as far as I know).
Presumably "Breezy", "Nails", and "Wings" were all
nicknames. Janice didn't get a nickname because... 1943?
The German plane looks like Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive
bomber, which seems a bit large for stealth pick ups, especially as the
fixed undercarriage gear legs had mounted ram-air sirens that provided
Stuka pilots with audible feedback as to speed; maybe they'd been
removed, disabled, or it's simply a similar-looking plane. Whichever,
the story's plane had fixed wheels, which seems a bit dangerous for a
low ground pick up.
Regarding the characters, for me, it's less a case of where are they now? and more who are they related to?
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Breezy Collins has no known connections to:
William Collins was a skilled aircraft mechanic and
likely
encouraged his son's interest in aviation. He installed a bomb sight at
a nearby plant, but Nazi spies kidnapped him to force him to reveal
details; he resisted under threat of torture. The Nazis had him tied up
in a shed near to
where a German plane was to zoom in and pick up other secrets the Nazis
had stolen, but Breezy Collins and his Glider Patrol intervened,
rescuing William. The police arrived and were confused about the
situation until William clarified things, and they watched as the
German plane swooped in but crashed, caught in the trap that the Glider
Patrol had earlier prepared.
--Kid Komics#1/7
Glider Patrol was the name of the small group of teen-aged aviators led by Breezy Collins during WWII and included aviation expert Nails Nelson and additional pilot Wings West plus Janice Jones, who held an interest in mechanics and Breezy. They had an adventure stopping Nazi spies off the east coast of the USA.
That they named themselves Glider Patrol
suggests they took their one successful adventure against the Nazi
spies
very seriously and subsequently patrolled the local skies. That there
were no more stories printed suggests they encountered no more such
dire villains.
--Kid Komics#1/7
Janice Jones had a strong interest in aviation and
helped with the mechanics. She was romantically drawn to Breezy, but he
didn't seem to reciprocate. She helped with daytime activities around
the gliders when Breezy was there, but when night fell, she disappeared
home and so missed out on the boys' adventure against the Nazi spies.
--Kid Komics#1/7
Nails Nelson was the Glider Patrol's newest recruit
and read as much on aviation as he could find. Originally from East
River, New York, his portrait pic showed a city background suggesting
he came from rougher inner city neighborhood and he was always ready
for a fight. Nails was often ready with a joke.
One day, trying out a new red glider
with his friends, he
drove the car to which the glider was hooked. Breezy Collins took the
glider up
and landed it easily. But Wings insisted on flying next, despite the
sky darkening. Wings' weight plus changed wind conditions forced Nails
to drive faster to get the glider airborne. Just as the towline was
released, Nails crashed into a fake roadblock set up by Nazi spies. The
would-be roadworkers' harsh German accents made Nails suspect they came
from a Nazi submarine and the boys carefully investigated. Nails cast
rope
around a tree so that it could later be used a trap, then helped Breezy
rescue his father from the Nazis by knocking out a German and stealing
his gun and bullets. Soon after, they watched as the German plane
swooping in to snatch stolen plans was caught in the rope and crashed.
Although all the young lads are described as "real American boys", at one point Nails refers to policemen as "coppers", which sounds a tad British to me.
--Kid Komics#1/7
Wings West was the ambitious secondary pilot of
Breezy Collins' Glider Patrol, always keen to fly but his overweight
physique made it
difficult for him to climb into a cockpit and for a glider to soar.
His portrait pic indicated he liked his sweet treats.
One day, after Breezy had made the first flight of their new
red glider, Wings insisted on being next, despite the sky darkening at
the
end of day. Wings struggled to get into the tight cockpit.
Changed wind conditions and his heavier weight made it more difficult
for the glider to get airborne. On the ground, team-mate Janice
returned home while Breezy and Nails encountered into Nazi spies.
Breezy signaled Wings to land nearby and then told him to fetch
police. Wings returned just as the others rounded up the Nazis at
gunpoint and witnessed the German plane that had swooped in to catch
the stolen plans instead be caught in a rope trap and crash
spectacularly.
--Kid Komics#1/7
images:
(without ads)
Kid Komics#1/7, p1, pan1 (main image)
p2, pan2 (headshot)
p9, pan3 (William Collins)
p2, pan7 (Glider Patrol)
p1, pan1 (Janice)
p2, pan5 (Nails)
p2, pan4 (Wings)
Appearances:
Kid Komics#1/7 (February, 1943) - Ray Gill (writer), Bob Oksner
(pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 06/09/2025
Last updated:
06/09/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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