LING

Real Name: Ling (full name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (post-World War II era) (Korean)

Occupation: Spy

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Hak, Colonel Tong

Enemies: Combat Kelly, Cookie Novak

Known Relatives: Hak (husband, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Korea during the Korean War

First Appearance: Combat Kelly I#28 (January, 1955)

Powers/Abilities: Ling was a skilled spy. She carried a pistol. One third of a secret weapon plan was tattooed on her back.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 104 lbs.)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black

History:
(Combat Kelly I#28 (fb) - BTS) - Ling, her husband Hak and Colonel Tong of the military were each given one-third of a secret Communist weapon plan which was tattooed on part of their body. Ling's portion was tattooed on her back. None of the three trusted each other and desired to have the entire plan for themselves. For this reason, Colonel Tong decided to have Ling and Hak killed.

(Combat Kelly I#28) - As Ling and Hak were about to be hanged to death, Ling called out for help. She was overheard by Combat Kelly and Cookie Novak, who assumed the plainclothed Hak and Ling were civilians being executed by the military. Kelly and Cookie killed most of the guards, causing Colonel Tong to flee. Kelly untied Hak and Ling, who claimed to the Americans that they were South Korean guerrillas that had discovered Colonel Tong was carrying secret weapon plans, and that this was why Tong wanted them dead. Ling and Hak stressed that Colonel Tong's capture was important. Ling pointed to the tracks Colonel Tong left behind so they could pursue him.

    Ling, Hak, Kelly and Cookie followed Tong's footprints to a building in a hidden valley. Spotting an ammunition depot, Kelly set off an explosion there with one of his grenades. While the colonel's men ran out to stop the fire, Kelly and Cookie burst into Colonel Tong's office and took him prisoner. Bringing the colonel back to Hak and Ling, Ling showed them that the colonel's plans were tattooed on his chest. Ling told them the colonel had only part of the plan but suggested the remainder of the plan "must be tattooed on some other man!"

    Ling suggested they rest for the evening in a cave and continue their search for the rest of the plan in the morning; Hak volunteered to guard Colonel Tong. Kelly and Cookie went to sleep but awoke to hear Hak and Ling having a fight. They were too late to prevent Ling from shooting Hak to death with her pistol. Ling then claimed Hak was a traitor working for North Korea, showing the others that the second part of the plans were tattooed on his chest. The moment Kelly and Cookie dropped their guard, Ling pointed her gun at Kelly, revealing that she had always been a Communist agent and that she had killed Hak because she wanted the entire plan for herself. Ling tried to shoot Kelly to death but her pistol was out of bullets. Because her dress had been torn while scuffling with Hak, the tattoo on Ling's back was exposed, revealing the final part of the plans. 

    Cookie and Kelly forced Ling and Colonel Tong to carry Hak's corpse with them as they set back to U.S. lines, where they placed Ling in the stockade.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Dave Berg.

    All Asian femme fatales owe a great debt to Milton Caniff and his creation the Dragon Lady from the newspaper comic strip Terry and the Pirates.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ling should not be confused with:

• CHU SAN - Spy Fighters foe--Spy Fighters I#11
• COMRADE CHINA - Combat Casey foe--Combat Casey I#14
• HAN RIVER HELEN - Iron Mike McGraw foe--Marines in Battle I#1
• KAESONG KATIE - Combat Casey foe--Combat Casey I#10
• KIMA - Doug Grant foe--Spy Cases I#15
• KOREA KATIE - Combat Kelly foe--Combat Kelly I#13
• LEE-SIK - Iron Mike McGraw foe--Marines in Battle I#1
• MANCHURIA MARY - Battle Brady foe--Battle Brady I#11
• MUKTONG MOLLIE -Combat Kelly foe--Combat Kelly I#19
• NITA - Combat Casey foe--Combat Casey I#15
• GENERAL OLGA - Buzz Brand foe--Battle Action I#11
• PANTHER LADY - Combat Casey foe--Combat Casey I#8
• THE PEARL OF PYONGYANG - Battle Brady foe--Battle Action I#8
• PUSAN POLLY - Combat Kelly foe--Combat Kelly I#24
• RED MARY - Combat Kelly foe--Combat Kelly I#21
• RED POPPY - Combat Casey foe--Combat Casey I#17
• THE SNAKE LADY OF SINYONG - Combat Casey foe foe--Combat Casey I#18
• SWEET LOTUS - Doug Grant foe--Spy Cases I#14
• THE WASP - Battle Brady foe--Battle I#25
• YALU RIVER ROSIE - Combat Kelly foe--Combat Kelly I#7
• other "Ling" characters, groups, items, races or events, or any other beautiful Asian Communist women

Hak

Hak was a North Korean spy like his wife Ling. Along with Colonel Tong, they each had part of the plans to a secret weapon tattooed on part of their body; his portion was tattooed on his chest. When Colonel Tong attempted to have Hak and Ling put to death so he could have control over the plans, their lives were saved by Combat Kelly and Cookie Novak. Claiming to be South Korean guerrillas, Hak and Ling directed Kelly and Cookie to pursue Colonel Tong to recover the plans. After Kelly and Cookie captured Colonel Tong, Hak offered to guard the colonel during the night but Hak and Ling got into an argument, as each of them wanted the full set of plans for themselves. The couple scuffled and Ling shot Hak to death. Ling attempted to throw Kelly and Cookie off her scent by displaying Hak's tattoo and claiming he had been a traitor but Hak had torn her dress when they scuffled, revealing her own tattoo.

--Combat Kelly I#28

Colonel Tong

Colonel Tong was the overweight Communist officer implicated in Hak and Ling's plot. Like them, he had part of the plans to a new secret weapon tattooed on his body; his portion was tattooed on his chest. Desiring the entire set of plans, Colonel Tong attempted to have Hak and Ling sentenced to death so he could retrieve the plans from their corpses. The execution was interrupted by Combat Kelly and Cookie Novak, who freed Hak and Ling, believing their cover story about being South Korean guerrillas. Hak and Ling directed Kelly and Cookie to pursue Colonel Tong and take him prisoner for the tattoo on his chest. Hak and Ling then fell out, as each of them wanted the full set of plans for themselves. Ling killed Hak but Kelly and Cookie took her prisoner and made her and Colonel Tong carry Hak's corpse with them as they went to U.S. lines, where Colonel Tong would be sent to a stockade.

--Combat Kelly I#28

images: (without ads)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 1, panel 4 (Ling, main)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 1, panel 1 (Ling, face)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 6, panel 8 (Ling's tattoo)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 3, panel 5 (Hak)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 6, panel 5 (Hak's tattoo)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 4, panel 7 (Tong)
Combat Kelly I#28, page 5, panel 7 (Tong's tattoo)

Appearances:
Combat Kelly I#28 (January, 1955) - unidentified writer, Dave Berg (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 07/31/2025
Last updated: 07/31/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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