THE WORLD'S MIGHTIEST MORTAL ON SCREEN by Dave Goode

 THE WORLD'S MIGHTIEST

MORTAL ON SCREEN

by Dave Goode

GOODE STUFF BLOG

I was first introduced to the Captain Marvel not through comics. His comics ceased publication some years before I was born. It was in the pages of that wonderful one-shot magazine On The Scene Presents Super Heroes from Warren Publications in 1966 that I learned about Captain Marvel, arguably the most popular costumed crusader from the Golden Age of Comic Books. Or should I say I learned about THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (1941) from Republic Pictures. Considered by many to be the greatest movie serial of all time.

Based on the comic book feature from Fawcett Comics,  created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, the 12 chapter serial was directed by John English and William Witney. It starred Frank Coghlan Jr. as Billy Batson and B-Western hero Tom Tyler as his alter ego Captain Marvel, the World's Mightiest Mortal. The story had young Billy Batson on an archeological expedition in Siam being given the powers and abilities of one biblical king and five characters from Greco-Roman mythology by the wizard Shazam played by actor Nigel De Brulier. This was a departure from the good Captain's origin. And I wonder if the fan-boys of the day were up in arm.s about this change. Or were they just happy to see their favorite hero live on screen. The serial finds our hero using the wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and speed of Mercury to thwart the masked villain the Scorpion.

As you may already know artist C.C. Beck had originally modeled Captain Marvel after actor Fred MacMurray. But you cant help but notice a resemblance between actor Tom Tyler and Beck's original  drawings of Captain Marvel. Born Vincent Markowski, Tyler set the amateur record for the right-handed clean & jerk with 213 pounds. And in 1928 he won the National AAU heavyweight championship with a 760 pound total. A record that would stand for 14 years. Not quite the "World's Mightiest Mortal". But certainly a claimant to the title of the "Strongest Man In The World". Tyler was even considered for the title role in MGM's TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932) that would eventually star Olympic swimming champ Johnny Weissmuller.

As for Fred MacMurray who C.C. Beck modeled Captain Marvel's facial features from. Well he portrayed a superhero himself in a dream sequence from the romantic comedy NO TIME FOR LOVE (1943).

 

THE ATLAS HEROES OF THE ATOMIC AGE by Dave Goode

Back when I was ten I laid out a quarter for Marvel Super-Heroes No.12 (Dec.1967). A new character named Captain Marvel was making his much hyped debut in it. The name "Captain Marvel" was magic to a comic fan even if this version had nothing to do with the wizard Shazam. In this origin written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Gene Colon, the reader was introduced to a science fiction based superhero. In an interesting twist he was a spy from an alien race called the Kree named Captain Mar-Vell. Some of his actions however led humanity to believe he was a hero which of course he would eventually become. And his name pronounced in English sounded like " Marvel ". The story was continued in the next issue which I came back for. But I stayed for the other features. Reprinted stories from the fabulous 50s when Marvel was known as Atlas Comics featuring Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, and the original android Human Torch. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess I was a retro kind of guy even back then before I had any idea what retro meant. I thought the art on those stories looked pretty cool if a little bit archaic. The Captain America stories were signed Romita. And looked sort of like Milton Caniff's work. Just a touch more dynamic. But then this was a comic book where the emphasis was on action and not story. I didn't think the artist was the same one who turned Peter Parker into a teen idol after Steve Ditko left The Amazing Spider-Man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sub -Mariner stories were drawn by the character's creator Bill Everett. This was a Prince Namor that I hardly recognized. He was built along the lines of a light-heavyweight boxing champion. And instead of speaking like someone out of Shakespeare he spoke a sort of American slang. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then there was the Human Torch. Some of the stories were drawn by Russ Heath. 'Nuff said. The stories mostly revolved around the heroes smashing some commie plot or another. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Especially the Captain America stories. Later we would find that this wasn't the real Captain America*. Just a psychotic wannabe who got his hands on the super-soldier serum.

Over in Marvel Tales, Marvel's other reprint title, beginning with issue 13 and running through to issue 16 they reprinted some stories featuring Marvel Boy a sci-fi superhero from the 50s who had his stories illustrated by first Russ Heath and then Bill Everett. These reprints were my introduction to Marvel Comics of the Atom Age. Really fun stuff.
















*Thanks to Roy Thomas to retro-active writing



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