Opération Soleil de Plomb note is the third album and second one-shot story in the Alternate History comic book series Block 109, published in 2011.
In October 1946, the SS invade Belgian Congo in order to seize its uranium mines. There, they face a harsh resistance by the remaining French colonial forces. In February 1947, a squad of convicts is sent to kill the resistance leader known as Colonel Leclerc.
Contains examples of:
- Chased by Angry Natives: Basically what happens to the German commando, without any sort of humor.
- Darkest Africa: Deep rainy jungles, warlords leadings hundreds of spear-wielding warriors... you name it.
- Dwindling Party: Only two convicts of the squad make it home alive eventually.
- Historical Domain Characters:
- Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
is still a colonel in this universe. Turns out he has already died (either of starvation / illness from the jungle or killed by the local tribes) when the German commando reaches his camp. - Otto Skorzeny.
- Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
- Hungry Jungle: What with endless rain, heat and very angry natives.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Whenever German soldiers get ambushed by spear-throwing Africans, or when these get close enough, it ends up like this.
- Jungle Warfare: The German convicts are clearly not prepared to fight in the jungle. Local natives very much are.
- Occupiers Out of Our Country: Part of The Reveal at the end. The African colonial troops manipulate the SS forces throughout the story to make them think the French are still an active threat (in fact, they had already been killed by the natives) so they could lure the Germans into a trap and kick all the colonial powers out of their country.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The SS squad that is sent to assassinate Colonel Leclerc is composed of convicts.
- Rock Beats Laser: Things get really bad for the Germans once they run out of ammo.
- Saved by Canon: It's a certainty that Skorzeny will survive the Africa mission, since he dies in Block 109, which is set in 1953.
- Shout-Out: There are a number of shout outs to Apocalypse Now and Platoon. The Belgian Congo war is basically a mix between the Anglo-Zulu War and Nam. Germans eventually conquer it after the commando's story ends.
- Zerg Rush: The countless African warriors eventually overrun the German commando.
