Captain Marvel, Jr.
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Captain Marvel, Jr. is a fictional character, a superhero derived from the Fawcett Comics character Captain Marvel, later purchased by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel Family team of superheroes, he was created by Ed Herron and Mac Raboy, and first appeared in Whiz Comics #25 in December 1941.
The super-powered alter-ego of Freddy Freeman, a crippled newsboy saved by Captain Marvel, Junior derives his powers from Captain Marvel himself, while the other Marvels derive their powers from the wizard Shazam. By saying the name "Captain Marvel," he is transformed into Captain Marvel, Jr. Unlike Captain Marvel and the modern-era version of Mary Marvel, Junior remains a young teenager in his transformed state.
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[edit] Character history
[edit] Fawcett years
Captain Marvel, Jr's first appearance in Whiz Comics #25 was part of a three-issue crossover between Whiz Comics and another Fawcett publication, Master Comics, in late 1941. The crossover, printed during the height of World War II, found Bulletman and Captain Marvel at odds with Adolf Hitler's superpowered champion, Captain Nazi. During a battle with Captain Nazi in Whiz Comics #25, one of Captain Marvel’s punches sends the villain careening into a lake. An elderly man, Jacob Freeman, and his grandson, Freddy, happened to be fishing in the lake near the place Nazi has landed, and, not knowing who he is, lift the unconscious man into their boat to prevent him from drowning. Nazi immediately comes to, tosses Jacob into the lake, and knocks Freddy out of the boat with an oar. The old man immediately dies, but Captain Marvel is able to save an unconscious Freddy and bring him to a hospital.
Captain Marvel changes to his regular form of young Billy Batson, and is told by a nurse that Freddy is not expected to last the night. Billy then devises a better way to help the boy: he sneaks Freddy out of the hospital and takes him to the secret underground throne of the wizard Shazam, who first granted Billy the power to become Captain Marvel.
Billy asks the wizard to heal Freddy and save his life, but Shazam cannot, and instead tells Billy that he, as Captain Marvel, can pass along some of his powers to so that Freddy can walk again. Shazam disappears and Billy transforms back into Captain Marvel, just as Freddy awakens. Looking up, he exclaims “Why...it’s Captain Marvel,” and is instantly transformed into a super-powered version of himself. Freddy, who was now called "Captain Marvel, Jr.", resembled a younger Captain Marvel, though with a yellow-on-blue costume with a red cape, rather than Marvel's yellow-on-red with a white cape.
Captain Marvel informs Junior that he cannot remain in his super-powered form at all times, but that he must allow his human form to heal as best it can. With that, Freddy once again said his mentor's name and returned to his hospital bed. Freddy remains permanently lame in his left leg and is forced to walk with a crutch (although Captain Marvel, Jr. bears no such impediment). As a result, Junior sought revenge against Captain Nazi, and the two repeatedly battled over the years.
Captain Marvel, Jr. proved to be a popular spin-off character for the Captain Marvel franchise, and appeared in solo adventures in both Master Comics and his own Captain Marvel, Jr. comic book. The character's solo adventures feature an art style, devised by co-creator Mac Raboy, that was more realistic and dramatic style than the style used by C.C. Beck and the other Fawcett artists for Captain Marvel.
The stories depicted the plight of working-class and working-poor people during the Depression and World War II. The atmosphere was generally much darker artistically and emotionally than the general run of Captain Marvel Senior tales. Even as he fought Japanese air attacks, conferred with United States president Franklin Roosevelt and United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and even came close to capturing Adolf Hitler himself, Freddy continued to live in a run-down hovel and to dress in shabby rags. His one valuable possession appeared to be his diary, which was written in a large, richly ornamented book.
In most of his adventures, Freddy Freeman is depicted as a character to be pitied for his injury, reminiscent of Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, until he transforms into his super-powered state (co-author Beck described the character as resembling both Tiny Tim and Peter Pan). Ironically, as Captain Marvel, Jr., he is unable to introduce himself to anyone, since he would transform back into Freddy Freeman after pronouncing the first two words in his name.
Junior, Captain Marvel, and Mary Marvel began appearing together in The Marvel Family comic book beginning in 1945. That title and Junior's own ran until 1953, when Fawcett Publications discontinued all the Marvel Family comic books as the result of a lawsuit brought by National Comics (later DC Comics).
[edit] Shazam! revival
After Fawcett Comics folded, Captain Marvel, Jr. remained unpublished, alongside the rest of the Marvel Family, for years. In 1972, DC Comics purchased the rights to the Marvel Family characters and revived them in a new series entitled Shazam!. In his 1970s adventures, Captain Marvel, Jr. discovered that fellow superhero Kid Eternity was in fact his long-lost brother, a retcon which took place because of the characters' similar origins and their alter egos' shared last name of "Freeman". In reality. Kid Eternity had been published by another company, Quality Comics, the line-up of which DC had also purchased.
[edit] Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths history
[edit] Current origin: The Power of Shazam!
Retconned out of existence after the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries, Freddy Freeman was reintroduced in The Power of Shazam! #3 (although he makes a very brief cameo in the Power of Shazam! graphic novel). The modern version of the Captain Marvel, Jr. origin, depicted in Power of Shazam! #3 - 8, closely followed his Fawcett origin, with the only major additions being details added to the main story.
In this new origin story, Freddy Freeman was an all-star student and athlete at the Binder school. One of Freddy's friends was Billy Batson, Captain Marvel's alter ego, who worked as a boy reporter for WHIZ radio. At a WHIZ radio spelling bee hosted by Billy in Power of Shazam! #3, Freddy and Billy met Billy's long-lost sister Mary, whom Freddy immediately fell for.
In Power of Shazam! #6, Freddy and his grandfather went on a fishing trip in the Fawcett Bay, while Captain Marvel was engaged in a battle with Captain Nazi. Just as in the Fawcett origin, Captain Marvel knocks Captain Nazi into the lake, and the Freemans are attacked when they attempt to save the villain. Captain Marvel intervenes and rushes both injured bystanders to a hospital. Jacob Freeman slips into a coma, and Freddy is found to have a severely injured spine and a broken leg.
The injured Freddy is taken to the wizard Shazam by Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, who grant the boy the power to become Captain Marvel, Jr. However, Jacob Freeman dies, and Freddy goes on a rampage against Captain Nazi as Captain Marvel, Jr. until the other Marvels intervene. Mary suggests the tagline of 'Junior' to Freddy which he keeps.
[edit] Teen Titans
In Power of Shazam! #13, Captain Marvel, Jr. was written out of the book so that he could begin appearing in Teen Titans with issue #17 of that book. In the issue, Junior gets into a fight with Captain Marvel and quits the Marvel Family. Junior appeared in solo adventures in three special issues of Power of Shazam! (#14, #19, and #37), with art by guest artists such as Gil Kane and Joe Staton. These issues find Junior starting a new life in New York, where he joins the Titans team.
At this time, the character's name was changed to CM3 (short for "Captain Marvel Three", with Billy being CM1 and Mary CM2), so that he could identify himself without changing. After Teen Titans was cancelled in mid-1998, Junior returned to Power of Shazam! until that book's cancellation at the end of the year.
[edit] Outsiders to "Infinite Crisis"
After the demise of Power of Shazam!, Captain Marvel, Jr. made sporadic guest appearances throughout the DC Universe. Beginning in 2004, Junior was once again identified by the name "Captain Marvel Junior" (not "CM3"), and now wears a white cape like that of the other two Marvels instead of his traditional red one.
During the 2005 "Titans Tomorrow" storyline in Teen Titans (third series), Captain Marvel, Jr. has a minor role. He is shown as a future version of himself, having dropped the "Junior" from his name and taken over as Captain Marvel (though he still obtains his powers with the magic words "Captain Marvel"). During the same storyline, the present-day Captain Marvel, Jr. joins the Titans in a battle against Dr. Light.
In The Outsiders (third version) #10, Captain Marvel, Jr. made a guest appearance to battle a new version of Sabbac, an old Fawcett Marvel Family foe. As of Outsiders #28, Junior was a member of the Outsiders, although he was apprehensive about the team's dark tone. He and Marvel Family nemeses Sabbac, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Dr. Sivana all played major roles in the series.
Captain Marvel Junior was sent to Earth-S when it was reformed. When New Earth came, he went with other heroes who could fly to fight Superboy Prime. In the Infinite Crisis hardcover, Freddy joined alongside the other Titans to take down members of the Society who tried to kill Robin.
[edit] "52"
In week 16 of 52 the comic, Freddy along with Mary and Billy attend Black Adam's wedding to Isis. He in charge of crowd control. In week 26, Freddy and Mary battled a "Sabbac" like monster in Boston on Halloween, they were rescued by The Black Marvel Family. Freddy sees Osiris, not knowing who he is, Freddy tells Mary he plans to investigate him.
In week 32, Freddy is a part of the Teen Titans with Beast Boy and Raven. When Osiris shows up, Freddy doesn't want him a part of the team because he part of Black Adam's family. Osiris convinces Freddy he can do good and that is all he wants to do, Freddy accepts this and shakes his hand telling him that he will help Osiris join the Titans.
[edit] One Year Later
[edit] The Trials of Shazam!
Captain Marvel, Jr. is one of the main characters in Judd Winick and Howard Porter's Trials of Shazam! limited series, which redefines the Shazam! characters and their roles in the DC Universe. In the series, Junior and Mary Marvel lose their powers, while Captain Marvel becomes more powerful; both after-effects of the death of the wizard Shazam at the conclusion of the Day of Vengeance limited series. Bereft of his powers, Freddy finds himself required by the gods who empower the Marvels to undergo a series of trials (ala Heracles) to prove himself worthy of his powers.
Currently, Freddy has passed the trial of wisdom, the aspect of Solomon. Furthermore, Freddy is now able to invoke the lightning strike change again with the word; however, his Marvel form is presently indistinguishable from his regular one apart from having full use of his legs. Achilles surfaced as a U.S. Marines Lieutenant in Qurac, asking Freddy to prove himself fighting with him an "Hate Empath", a beast able to feed on emotion. Sabina, a young magician girl linked to the "Council of Merlin", sets free the beast searching to draft some of Shazam's powers for herself and the Council.
[edit] Other versions
An adult version of Captain Marvel, Jr. appears as a background character in the 1996 Kingdom Come miniseries by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. In this alternate future setting, Junior now goes by the name "King Marvel", and resembles like Elvis Presley. Mary Marvel, now called "Lady Marvel", is his wife, and the two have a superpowered son, "The Whiz", named after Whiz Comics.
In December 2006, the VS System Card game released a Freddy Freeman <> Captain Marvel card. He is a 6 drop with 12 Attack and 11 defense.
[edit] Elvis Presley
The musician Elvis Presley was a big fan of Captain Marvel, Jr., and styled his trademark haircut after that of the comic book character. In addition, some of Elvis' stage outfits (with a half-cape similar to those worn by the Marvels) and his TCB logo (with a Marvel-esque lightning bolt insignia) also show inspiration from Captain Marvel, Jr.[1]
In reference to Elvis' admiration for the character, Captain Marvel, Jr. has often be shown as either a fan of Elvis or having been inspired by Elvis. In Teen Titans (third series) #23, Captain Marvel Jr. is revealed to be a huge fan of Elvis Presley. The narrator (Superboy) states that "He's okay, just a little too into the retro thing for my tastes. Loves all that rockabilly crap. Flame shirts and hot dice belt buckles". Captain Marvel Jr. himself quotes Elvis (whom he refers to as "the greatest modern-day philosopher if you ask me") as a role-model: "Do what's right for you as long as you don't hurt no one."
[edit] References
- ^ Reed, Robby. "Elvis and Captain Marvel, Jr.". Dial B for Blog. Retrieved from http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/85/ on September 13, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Captain Marvel, Jr.'s "Who's Who" file at The Marvel Family Web.
- Captain Marvel, Jr. at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
- The Captains Marvel
Categories: 1941 introductions | Captain Marvel/Marvel Family | DC Comics characters with superhuman strength | DC Comics characters who can fly | Fawcett Comics titles | Fictional characters who can move at superhuman speeds | Fictional captains | Fictional characters with the power to manipulate electricity | Fictional characters with precognition | Fictional sidekicks | Fictional orphans | Magic users in comics | Spin-off comic book superheroes | Golden Age superheroes
