New Heroic Comics #40

Detective George Patton transformed Brooklyn's crime-ridden streets into safe neighborhoods through relentless pursuit of pickpockets—a one-man crusade that earned him their fear and respect over two and a half decades on the force. From his first arrests in the subway system to his final days before retirement, Patton's unwavering dedication to cleaning up the city sets the stage for the next chapter of the Patton legacy, as his son Edward steps forward to continue the fight.

On March 12, 1936, when a catastrophic ice jam floods the Housatonic River in New Milford, Connecticut, a stranded motorist manages to call for help—and it's John T. Steck, a telephone company construction foreman, who answers the call. Steck riggs a daring rescue using the telephone line itself, navigating the raging floodwaters to reach the trapped driver and secure him to safety. This true-life account captures the ingenuity and bravery that earned Steck the Vail Medal of Honor.

Trolley motorman James O'Dowd spots a young boy frozen in the path of an onrushing automobile at a street intersection and springs into action without hesitation. In a split-second decision to save the child's life, O'Dowd makes a sacrifice that will forever change the lives of everyone who witnesses it. This 1947 true-life drama shows the extraordinary courage of an ordinary man facing an impossible choice.

Boy Scout Bill Zimmerman spots suspicious activity at a closed coal company while on his delivery route and must decide whether to investigate further. His alertness and quick thinking set off a chain of events that brings the police to the scene, where the criminals' desperation leads to an unexpected turn. The story celebrates how Bill's Scout training and preparedness prove their real-world value when it matters most.

Tom Dwyer is waiting on a street corner in Indianapolis when a desperate bandit flees a grocery store robbery—gun in hand—right toward him. Drawing on his football instincts and quick thinking, Tom uses a nearby signboard to tackle the armed crook before he can escape. It's a thrilling true-life moment where athletic courage turns an ordinary bystander into a hero.

On a cold April morning in 1946, Patrolman David Cohen is called to Steeplechase Pier in Coney Island after a man falls into the icy Atlantic waters. Facing rough waves and freezing temperatures, Cohen dives in for a grueling twenty-minute struggle to reach the drowning man and bring him to safety. This gripping true-life account showcases the quick thinking, endurance, and courage that define New York's finest.

Meet Jacob Hays, New York's pioneering lawman who became the city's first High Constable in 1802 and revolutionized detective work through his own unorthodox methods. From perfecting techniques for crowd control to developing what he called "shadowing" and the controversial "third degree," Hays earned a fearsome reputation as the master sleuth of his era—a man who could reportedly identify criminals by their faces alone, as he famously demonstrated in the 1828 Timothy Redmond case. This non-fiction portrait captures the larger-than-life story of the man who shaped American policing and became the terror of New York's criminal underworld.

Jack Dempsey, the legendary former heavyweight champion turned sports director, takes on a new kind of fight—battling juvenile crime and intolerance in America's struggling neighborhoods. When a young man caught up in gang violence and hate-driven crimes comes before the courts, Dempsey sees the root cause: idle youth with no outlet for their energy and minds poisoned by prejudice. He teams with the Adam Hat Welfare Committee to launch a nationwide campaign providing sports equipment and opportunities, determined to transform lives before they're lost to the streets.

When a barn near Elmsford catches fire, 13-year-old Patty Fink learns her beloved horse is trapped inside and makes a desperate choice—racing into the inferno despite the danger. With the building collapsing around her, Patty must navigate the blaze and smoke to save her friend from certain death. A true-life drama of courage and quick thinking in "Blaze of Glory" from *New Heroic Comics* #40.

Three boys find themselves trapped and sinking in treacherous mud dumped in an empty lot, struggling desperately to escape as they sink deeper. When William Janicek happens upon their plight, his quick thinking and decisive action—gathering planks to create a lifeline—turns a potential tragedy into a rescue. A taut drama of danger and neighborly heroism that reminds us sometimes a clear head is all that stands between disaster and salvation.

Al Manfre learned early that crime leads nowhere, guided by his father's steady moral compass and the cautionary examples of neighborhood boys who turned to the streets. Years later, working as night manager of a New York hotel, Al's commitment to doing right is put to the test when armed robbers strike—forcing him to decide whether his principles will hold when danger is on the line.

When a fire breaks out across town, Captain Julian S. Wise and his crew of volunteer lifesavers spring into action—but the real test comes when they arrive to find a victim who's stopped breathing. With a collapsing building and the clock ticking, Andy Hodges and the team deploy their resuscitator in a desperate race against time to save a life.