Line #7 ComicBook/TheHauntedTank


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/haunted_tank.jpg]]
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3	One of the most gonzo war comics to spring from the mind of Creator/RobertKanigher, ''The Haunted Tank'' was the cover feature in ''GI Combat'', and starred Jeb Stuart and the crew of his M3 Stuart tank -- originally loader Arch Asher, gunner Rick Rawlins and driver Slim Stryker. Oh, and the ghost of Confederate General JEB Stuart, who's haunting the tank.
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5	You see, UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat has assigned JEB Stuart to protect his namesake descendant fighting fascism, in order to atone for supporting slavery in UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar. General Stuart's ghost doesn't care for the assignment, but Jeb's comrades impress him enough that he agrees to help if [[StillWearingTheOldColors Jeb flies the Confederate Flag]] instead of the Union one atop the tank. Of course, Jeb's the only one who can see the General, but the rest of the crew go along with him, because crazy as he appears, he's a good commander. And so, the Haunted Tank makes its way through the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII...
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7	The original series artist was war comics legend Russ Heath, and later stories had art by the likes of Sam Glanzman and Creator/JoeKubert.
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10	!!''The Haunted Tank'' provides examples of:
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12	* AffirmativeActionLegacy: There were two modern day incarnations of the Haunted Tank featuring Jeb's grandchildren. Jamal Stuart in the Creator/VertigoComics ''Haunted Tank'' series was black, and therefore not entirely comfortable with his M1 Abrams being haunted by a Confederate general. And Jennifer Stuart in ''ComicBook/PowerCompany'' was female, but her self-designed Cyber-Command Assault Vehicle was haunted by Jeb himself, who was in a coma.
13	* AlliterativeName: Almost everyone. The original crew consisted of Arch Asher, Rick Rawlins and Slim Stryker. Arch is killed and replaced by Gus Gray. The pattern was broken with the next two replacements, Bill and Eddie Craig.
14	* BunnyEarsLawyer: Jeb Stuart seems crazy to his tank crew for his conversations with the ghost of JEB Stuart, but they still trust him as a capable tank commander.
15	* DramaticIrony: African-American crewmember Gus Gray is understandably unenthusiastic about how his commander talks to the ghost of a Confederate general and flies the Confederate flag on the tank. The General himself gets a dose of this, first when the crew switch to the M4 Sherman, a tank named after the Union General who burned Atlanta.
16	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Some early stories called Jeb "Jeb Stuart Smith", who was named for J.E.B. Stuart but not descended from him. Later stories drop the "Smith" and depict Gen. Stuart as Jeb's ancestor.
17	* EvilCounterpart: The crew meet a German tank that's haunted by Attila the Hun ([[{{Pun}} get it?]]) in one issue.
18	* FrankenVehicle: The Jigsaw Tank -- a Russian T-34 hull, Christie suspension and a Russian Y2 engine.
19	* GuestStarPartyMember: Occasionally teamed up with Sgt Rock, and once with the Navajo Ace, Johnny Cloud.
20	* HauntedTechnology: Obviously. It's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
21	* KilledOffForReal: Not often, but one of the tankers died just often enough to establish [[AnyoneCanDie anyone (except Jeb) could buy the farm.]]
22	* MidSeasonUpgrade: After Jeb's M3 Stuart is destroyed, the crew change to the "Jigsaw Tank". Later, they upgrade to an M4 Sherman.
23	* MoreDakka: When the crew upgrade to the Jigsaw tank, and later the Sherman, because against a Tiger the Stuart's 37mm gun might as well be throwing rotten fruit.
24	* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Avoided, as Kanigher felt quite strongly about giving his stories an anti-racism moral. The US Army was of course segregated at the time, meaning Gus Gray couldn't officially serve on the same tank crew as the others. Therefore, his tenure is part of a long StoryArc where the crew is trapped alone behind enemy lines for some time, and Gus (who was a POW they picked up en route) replaces Arch by necessity when he's killed. When they do rejoin their unit, Gus leaves again.
25	* TheRemnant: In ''G.I. Combat'' #235's cover story, The Haunted Tank is ambushed by a German tank crew from World War I who cravenly hid out in a forest and seemingly never came out for 30 years. Their weathered faces and tattered uniforms starkly contrast their spotless tank that never saw combat. When they capture a fancy new-model American tank, the TC is sure the Kaiser will pin their medals on himself.
26	* SapientTank: Well, haunted. The actual tank doesn't seem that unusual, bar some typical comic-book improbable toughness.
27	* WeirdHistoricalWar: It's eventually made clear that Jeb's tank is not the only "haunted tank" out there, among other things.

Context ComicBook / TheHauntedTank