Captain Marvel (M. F. Enterprises)

Captain Marvel
Publication information
Publisher M. F. Enterprises
First appearance Captain Marvel #1 (April 1966)
Created by Carl Burgos
In-story information
Alter ego Prof. Roger Winkle
Species Alien android
Place of origin Unnamed planet destroyed by nuclear war
Team affiliations Earth, Dartmoor University
Partnerships Billy Baxton, Tinyman (D.A. Jack Baker)
Notable aliases The Human Robot, Mr. Marvel
Abilities

Captain Marvel was a superhero published by Myron Fass' short-lived M. F. Enterprises. The character is unrelated to those published by Fawcett Comics, DC Comics, or Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Captain Marvel lasted for four issues (cover-dated April-Nov. 1966).[1] It was followed by two issues of Captain Marvel Presents the Terrible Five, numbered #1 and #5 (Sept. 1966 and Sept. 1967).[2]

Fictional character biography

Captain Marvel was a jet-booted and laser-eyed alien android powered by a blue M medallion, who had been sent to Earth by his creators to escape the atomic destruction of their war-ravaged planet. Vowing to protect the peace of his new home, the self-proclaimed "human robot took the secret identity of journalist turned Dartmoor University professor Roger Winkle. He fought crime using his superhuman strength, speed and durability. As well, he could detach his head, limbs and hands and send them flying off in all directions whenever he shouted "Split!" and reattach them when he shouted "Xam!"[3]

The M. F. Enterprises version of Captain Marvel made a cameo appearance, along with other alternate versions of Captain Marvel, in issue #27 of DC Comics' The Power of Shazam! (1997). The character is shown performing his trademark division trick while wearing the traditional thunderbolt costume of Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel.

Antagonists

Captain Marvel fought villains including the elastic-limbed Plastic Man, whose name was that of a preexisting character from another company, and who was renamed Elasticman after his first appearance[4] the bristly-mustached mad scientist Dr. Fate (not the DC Comics character), who was obsessed with learning the electronic secrets of the android;[4] Prof. Doom[5] of the subversive organization B.I.R.D. (Bureau of International Revolutionary Devices), whose on-campus mind control experiments endangered Prof. Winkle's relationship with the university president's attractive young daughter Linda Knowles; Tarzac, the bald, amphibious, self-style "King of the Sharks" who rode a giant seahorse;[6] nuclear physicist turned metal-mouthed pirate Atom-Jaw, who could bite through solid steel;[4] and the miniature Tinyman, who reformed to become the local district attorney[7]

The only foe Captain Marvel actually hated (because he was pre-programmed to by his makers) was the flame-throwing Destroyer, an android like himself, a literally fiery-eyed, skullcap-clad weapon of mass destruction created by the enemy Volcano People of the hero's home planet who also escaped the death of their world and was now allied with Earth's own hostile subterranean race.[8]

The flying, hypnotic mastermind known as the Bat[9] resembled Batman enough so that to prompt a response DC Comics attorneys. The character's name was changed to the Ray,[7] (not the Quality Comics character) with the addition of a lightning bolt emblem to his chest.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ Captain Marvel (M. F. Enterprises, 1966) at the Grand Comics Database.
  2. ↑ Captain Marvel Presents the Terrible Five #1 (Sept. 1966) and Captain Marvel Presents the Terrible Five #5 (Sept. 1967) at the Grand Comics Database.
  3. ↑ Howlett, Mike, The Weird World of Eerie Publications, Feral House, 2010 p. 281
  4. 1 2 3 Captain Marvel #2 (June 1966)
  5. ↑ Captain Marvel presents The Terrible Five #1 (Aug. 1966)
  6. ↑ Captain Marvel presents The Terrible Five vol. 2, #5 (Sept. 1967)
  7. 1 2 Captain Marvel #4 (Nov. 1966)
  8. ↑ Captain Marvel presents The Terrible Five Vol.2, No. 5 Sept. 1967
  9. ↑ Captain Marvel #3 (Sept. 1966)
  10. ↑ Howlett, Mike, The Weird World of Eerie Publications, Feral House, 2010 p. 282
  11. ↑ http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/46/
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