|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jun 1, 2022 16:23:19 GMT -5
DC Comics Presents #33-34  Creative Team: Gerry Conway-plot (33, assist on 34), Roy Thomas-script (33, writer on 34), Rich Buckler-pencils, Dick Giordano-inks, John Costanza-letters, Gene D'Angelo-colors, Julie Schwartz-editor Sort of a Marvel Exile team, with Conway, Thomas and Buckler (You could say Costanza, but he freelanced for a bit) Synopsis: Clark Kent is needling Jimmy Olsen about reading a comic book, on company time and Jimmy says Perry White gave it to him, as background for a feature article on the star of the comic, Captain Marvel. On Earth-1, Cptain Marvel is a comic book character (whose comic is still called Captain Marvel, in a middle finger to the competition). However, Jimmy knows he exists on a Parallel Earth and recently (the Superman vs Shazam Collector's Edition) appeared on Earth-1. Perry want him to write a feature and Jimmy is rather taken with The Big Red Cheese. Clark spots a runaway El-train and runs to the storeroom, to change, but discovers he is wearing Captain Marvel's costume!  To make matters worse, some of his powers aren't working, like X-ray vision. His flight and super strength still work and that is all he needs to stop the train and save the passengers. However, they wonder why he is in the new costume and he goes off to ponder it, himself. He recalls their battle during the JLA/JSA/Squadron of Justice crossover and the more recent battle, with Supergirl and Mary Marvel tagging along. he realizes the only powers he still has match Captain Marvel's and zips off to Earth-S to see if TBRC has suffered a similar fate. After he pops out of that reality, we discover who is behind it all....  Mxy is working with an unnamed partner. Supes/Cap flies to the Rock of Eternity and zips around a few times and returns, to find himself on Earth-S, in New York City. He hears sirens and swoops down to help the police catch the crooks; but, he is beaten to the punch by .......Superman?  It's Captain Marvel, in Superman's costume, with his powers. He nabs the crooks, then spots Supes/CM and flies up to see him. They confer and the same thing has affected CM/Supes. They try an experiment; Supes/CM says the magic word, "SHAZAM!" and transforms into Clark Kent, who starts to fall off the side of the building. CM/Supes catches him and takes him into an alley, then has him say the word again and he transforms into Supes/CM. Out of nowhere, a tentacled monster attacks and is vanquished. Then Mxy turns up to explain....  Earth-S is more magic-oriented, making Superman more vulnerable and possibly trapped. Billy takes Clark to his boardinghouse home, for dinner and we then see who Mxy's partner is....Mr Mind! Then, cliffhanger. The rest of the issue is filled with the back-up story of "Whatever Happened to....Star Hawkins?" Issue 34 picks up the story, as Captain Marvel and Superman have somehow been returned their costumes and powers. Billy relates how he found himself in Superman's costume and possessing his powers. They then fly off to Freddy Freeman's newsstand, where they join Freddy, Mary Batson Bromfield and Uncle Dudley. A quick magic word or two (and a fast change for Dudley) brings the Marvel Family...  The family is sent on patrol (and CM explains the humoring of Dudley) and then CM and Supes go to the Rock of Eternity to consult the wizard, Shazam, after first checking the barriers that hold Superman on Earth-S. They find the wizard asleep and Mxy turns up with King Kull & Mr Mind. Mxy has amped up Kull' power to match Supes and CM and they go bouncing off him. The heroes disappear into another realm, thanks to Mxy, which angers Kull, who wants to kill. Mr Mind is also a bit bloodthirsty and Mxy is a but put off by their zealousness. He just wants to have fun, they want to kill and maim.  Meanwhile, Superman and CM find themselves in a dimension, populated by anthropomorphic rabbits and they stop a robot rabbit from crushing some bunnies.  Meanwhile, Kull lands in New York and is intercepted by Captain marvel Jr and Mary Marvel; but, Mxy's magic lightning rod, on the Rock of Eternity, is feeding equal power to Kull and he wipes the floor with them. Also arriving in the city are two rabbits, from the other dimension. One of them is named Hoppy and he has a secret of his own...  When he says the magic word, he is transformed into Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, the World's Mightiest Lepus! He is about to attack, when Uncle Marvel pulls him aside to devise a strategy, before attacking Kull (at least someone has some brains in this outfit); but, Kull is about to get al murdery; so the go for a frontal assault. Mr Mind materializes in side the robot rabbit, controlling it and he is about to kill Superman. Mxy has had enough and turns babyface, speaking his name backwards and breaking his spells....  ...and setting off a chain reaction. Shazam wakes up and Supes & CM smash Mr mind's robot. Hoppy decks Kull with one punch and wins the day! The Marvels give their thanks and Hoppy returns to his dimension, with Millie, his girlfriend. Supes returns home and Jimmy finds him reading his favorite comic, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, saying Funny Animal comics could be quite realistic! Thoughts: Well, the first part was a bit cliched; but, the second part was a hoot, for both Mxyzptlk having second thoughts about his allies and their bloodlust and the first DC appearance of Hoppy the Marvel Bunny! The credits in 34 give plot assist to Gerry Conway; but, per GCD, Roy said he did not have any part of issue 34; only the plot of #33. That might be why the second half is so much more satisfying. Conway's plot in 33 feels rather like what he did in the All-New Collectors' Edition, Superman vs Shazam, which isn't bad; but hardly original. Roy's story, in 34, is a lot more fun, mixing in more of the Fawcett world, with the Marvel Family and a rationale to bring in Hoppy. Hoppy's stories, and Fawcett's Funny Animals comics, in general, were terrific comics, full of fun and humor, while still delivering adventure. Modern superhero audiences really miss the boat when they turn up their noses at the genre (as many also do to westerns, romance and kid strips), as they miss some really great material, from very talented writers and artists, including people like Walt Kelly, Sheldon Mayer, and even Carl Barks, if they have never read Uncle Scrooge. The Underground artists understood and they sung the praises of the funny animals (especially Barks) and created some of their own, in a few places (including Star*Reach's Quack. Without those comics, we would have never gotten Howard the Duck or even Fritz the Cat. They carried the same spirit as their cartoon counterparts, like Bugs & Daffy, Mickey & Donald, Woody Woodpecker, or some of the other animated favorites. Roy would go on to revive that, however briefly, at DC, with Captain carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew. Marvel would do the same with Peter Porker and try to steal harvey's thunder (since they weren't using it much) with their Star line. It's a shame that Roy's intentions for Captain Marvel got derailed by Crisis and Don Newton's sudden death, as they had plans for new Captain Marvel tales and even a new African-American Marvel. Next time, issue 49, as Superman & Captain Marvel again team-up, to face Black Adam. Then, we head to DCP Annual #3, where they face Dr Sivana, imbued with the power of Shazam! From there, we move into Crisis on infinite earths and CM's cameo, in Action #583. Then, we usher in the Post-Crisis Captain Marvel.
|
|
|
|
Post by zaku on Jun 2, 2022 6:18:36 GMT -5
Soooo... Captain Marvel would be just a Superman with less powers..?  It's fun that Superman says "puny little cape" but it's drawn the same length as Superman's one. If anything, it even seems that Captain Marvel's cape used more fabric!!! |
|
|
|
Post by zaku on Jun 2, 2022 7:57:04 GMT -5
I found this image from the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide where the two heroes are depicted together. So, actually CM's cape is almost half as long as Superman's, but it seems that Rich Buckler didn't get the memo...  |
|
|
|
Post by Commander Benson on Jun 2, 2022 14:32:54 GMT -5
[Bridwell] did a similar fine job with the Super Friends comic, which was way better than it had a right to be . . . At times, his Super Friends stories were more entertaining than the regular JLA series! Amen, brother! I'm only about halfway through this thread, but I had to chime in here. I distinctly remember feeling Bridwell's Super Friends read a lot more like my Justice League (which ended with JLA # 63 [Jul., 1968]) than the actual JLA title at the time. |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jun 2, 2022 21:35:43 GMT -5
I found this image from the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide where the two heroes are depicted together. So, actually CM's cape is almost half as long as Superman's, but it seems that Rich Buckler didn't get the memo... Superman's cape is supposed to be a full length affair, like a circus performer. Captain Marvel's is based on a pelisse. It was a short jacket, draped over one shoulder, like a cape, by cavalry officers, in the Napoleonic period....  They were fastened by a cord that ran across the chest and under the arm, usually draped over the left shoulder, leaving the sword arm free. Captain Marvel's basic costume is a stylization of uniforms of that age and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the 1800.s The look was popularized in light opera and Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda, particularly the film versions, with Ronald Coleman (1937). Superman's boots, though, are more in keeping with the cavalry boots of the period, as you see in the photo. Notice the cuffs. Captain Marvel's are closer to the older jackboots, though a tighter fit; again, more in keeping with light opera. His tunic (and it was drawn as a tunic, in his debut) has the military flap and then sleeve braiding, which would indicate rank, in some armies and might be ornamental, in others, depending on the styling. Surprised he wasn't given stripes down his trousers, as would have matched the style more; but, CC Beck was probably trying to simplify it. Buckler also drew CM's cape longer (and Mary Marvel, too) in All-New Collectors' Edition #58, Superman vs Shazam! He also, generally, as it hanging from the back, instead of over the left shoulder, when standing at rest. I think it is mostly that he likes to have it flowing and cheats on the scale to achieve the effect. |
|
|
|
Post by zaku on Jun 3, 2022 1:03:42 GMT -5
I found this image from the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide where the two heroes are depicted together. So, actually CM's cape is almost half as long as Superman's, but it seems that Rich Buckler didn't get the memo... Superman's cape is supposed to be a full length affair, like a circus performer. Captain Marvel's is based on a pelisse. It was a short jacket, draped over one shoulder, like a cape, by cavalry officers, in the Napoleonic period.... They were fastened by a cord that ran across the chest and under the arm, usually draped over the left shoulder, leaving the sword arm free. Captain Marvel's basic costume is a stylization of uniforms of that age and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the 1800.s The look was popularized in light opera and Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda, particularly the film versions, with Ronald Coleman (1937). Superman's boots, though, are more in keeping with the cavalry boots of the period, as you see in the photo. Notice the cuffs. Captain Marvel's are closer to the older jackboots, though a tighter fit; again, more in keeping with light opera. His tunic (and it was drawn as a tunic, in his debut) has the military flap and then sleeve braiding, which would indicate rank, in some armies and might be ornamental, in others, depending on the styling. Surprised he wasn't given stripes down his trousers, as would have matched the style more; but, CC Beck was probably trying to simplify it. Buckler also drew CM's cape longer (and Mary Marvel, too) in All-New Collectors' Edition #58, Superman vs Shazam! He also, generally, as it hanging from the back, instead of over the left shoulder, when standing at rest. I think it is mostly that he likes to have it flowing and cheats on the scale to achieve the effect. I just noticed that sometimes he often doesn't draw the "flowers" on the cape too! (But I suppose they can be an headache...) |
|
|
|
Post by Commander Benson on Jun 3, 2022 7:33:53 GMT -5
Captain William Bligh, commanding officer of HMS Bounty, of the famous mutiny . . . is wrongly maligned by Hollywood and others, as the ship's log showed him to be rather lenient, doling out lesser punishments when the average captain would have flogged or hanged a man. his crew was inexperienced and may have been trying to avoid a return to sea duty, after 5 months in the paradise of Tahiti. Bligh and loyalist crew were set adrift, in a launch, with a week's provisions and 4 cutlasses, but no charts or chronometer (they did have a compass and quadrant. Bligh successfully navigated the launch (with a few stops) to Timor, in the dutch East Indies, some 3600 nautical miles from where they were set adrift. Thank you, sir, for inserting this. The perniciousness of five films, two Australian and three American, have implanted in the cultural minds of most folks thst Captain Bligh was a sadistic tyrant. It doesn't help that image that in the most popular film version, the 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty, Fletcher Christian is portrayed by handsome, testosterone-oozing Clark Gable, while Bligh is played by squat, porcine-featured Charles Laughton. By modern-day standards, Bligh's methods for enforcing order and discipline were harsh. But when taken in the context of the common methods of ships' captains of that era, Bligh, as you point out, was lenient and more tolerant. In fact, many seamen of the day preferred to sign on with Bligh. The sequence in the 1935 film (with which I am most familiar) that depicts Bligh closest to his true personality were the scenes of his handling of the lifeboat in which he and his loyal crewmen were cast adrift. We see Bligh patient, paternal, supportive with the other men in the boat. Speaking of which, the one thing even all the films acknowledge is Bligh's exceptional seamanship. Manœuvring an overcrowded lifeboat through sea squalls, the burning sun, hunger, and thirst for forty-three days, some 3,600 nautical miles, and arriving at his destination, Timor, without the aid of charts, but steering strictly by his reading of the stars, is an incredible feat. One that a surface warfare officer like myself can truly appreciate and marvel at. The actual teason for the mutiny was, as you mentioned, many of the crew, especially the new men unaccustomed to the rigours of life at sea, grew indolant in the paradise of Tahiti during Bounty's five-month layover there. When the ship finally put sail back to England, Bligh found many of his crew had lost their discipline and he had to bear down harder on them to get them to act like seamen, again. For certain, Captain Bligh was no saint---he committed his share of indiscretions---but he wasn't nearly the monster cultural opinion purports him to be. I appreciate you mentioning this. |
|
|
|
Post by Commander Benson on Jun 3, 2022 8:52:32 GMT -5
Nope, just metathesis, a common occurrence that plagues almost all of us without our realizing it. Some word(s) in our vocabulary, often one we've read but not heard, initializes to an incorrect mental spelling and from then on, until we are directly corrected, it stays at that spelling in our head. It's fascinating to me that the proper spelling doesn't seem to register even when we read the word; we almost never come across the word and notice that it's spelled differently from how we know it to be! In comics fandom, you'll find plenty of people who think the X-Men artist was John "Bryne", the Elongated Man was Ralph "Dinbey", Wonder Woman's from "Themyscria". In the general public, no matter how many times they see it in print, some people are absolutely certain that "et cetera" is abbreviated "ect." (These same people, I've noticed, tend to think it's pronounced "eck cetera", which jibes better with their perceived abbreviation). I've been corrected on plenty of 'em myself; the earliest I can remember was when I lost points on a school quiz on national capitals because I was certain the city's name was "Helinski". For years I thought when someone got paid for their work it was "renumeration" (this was corrected when I read an article on the phenomenon--apparently that word is a common one for people to get wrong, as it's one we usually see in print rather than hear spoken, and we tend to associate 'numer' with numbers and hence with amounts of money). First, someone familiar with nautical history. Now, someone who knows English grammar. This is the best thread ever. |
|
|
|
Post by mikelmidnight on Jun 3, 2022 11:26:25 GMT -5
Thoughts: Well, the first part was a bit cliched; but, the second part was a hoot, for both Mxyzptlk having second thoughts about his allies and their bloodlust and the first DC appearance of Hoppy the Marvel Bunny! It's a shame that Roy's intentions for Captain Marvel got derailed by Crisis and Don Newton's sudden death, as they had plans for new Captain Marvel tales and even a new African-American Marvel.
I have a reasonable amount of affection for Hoppy and was pleased to see his return in such a prominent role.
I think his African-American 'Captain Thunder' was a terrible idea however and am frankly glad it never came to fruition.
Soooo... Captain Marvel would be just a Superman with less powers..?
Yeah .. actually one team-up I always wanted to see was Captain Marvel JUNIOR and SuperBOY as their coloration and powers are so similar (proposal: young Lex teams up with Sivana Junior to steal Superboy's powers but get interrupted before the process completes … Superboy complains about losing his sensory abilities and Cap Jr is unsympathetic … meanwhile Lex and S Jr and melting Smallville down with dual heat visions … )
|
|
|
|
Post by Commander Benson on Jun 7, 2022 15:02:22 GMT -5
I understand your reasoning for zipping through the last several issues of World's Finest. But in doing so, you inadvertently gave the short shrift to one of the last stories in which one could determine that Billy Batson and Captain Marvel were two distinct entities. Like you, that was my take on their relationship: they were discrete individuals (albeit with shared memories)---until post-Crisis DC insisted that the Big Red Cheese was a tranformed adult with Billy's juvenile mind.
In supporting the concept that Cap and Billy are separate persons, I've used the Golden-Age examples mentioned early in this thread, along with "Billy Batson's Xmas", from Captain Marvel Adventures # 69 (Feb., 1947), in which Billy and Cap exchange Christmas presents. (Not as a dodge to protect their secret, but each genuinely seeking to give the other a Christmas gift.)
I always mention the fact that Batson and Captain Marvel referred to each other in the third person. Those who disagree always respond with something like "Big deal! Lots of super-heroes do that. Bruce Wayne will hear a news report about a particularly heinous crime and think, "It's time for the Batman to take a hand!" Except that when Billy and Captain Marvel did it, it wasn't an affectation.
Nothing illustrates that like "Silence, Please", from World's Finest Comics # 274 (Dec., 1981). As you know, in this tale Our Heroes are up against an assassin called the Silencer, from his ability to deaden all sound in his propinquity. Billy comes up with a plan to ensnare the Silencer and briefs his secretary, Joan Jameson, on the details. As Billy is preparing the trap, he calls on Captain Marvel, and for once, the Wisdom of Solomon kicks in.
He tells Joan that there is a flaw in Billy's plan, something that Billy overlooked, but he [Cap] spots, because he has the Wisdom of Solomon. It couldn't be more clear that Captain Marvel sees Billy as a separate entity from himself. And, logically, quid pro quo.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jun 15, 2022 15:02:19 GMT -5
DC Comics Presents #49 Creative Team: Roy Thomas-plot, Paul Kupperberg-script, Rich Buckler-pencils, John Calnan-inks, John Costanza-letters, Gene D'Angelo-colors, Julie Schwartz-editor Synopsis: Superman is flying over Egypt and Roy & the gang seem to think that the modern world hasn't touched anything outside of Cairo. he is speeding towards the Aswan High Dam, where terrorists have rigged it with explosives and threaten to blow it up, unless their demands are met....  They shoot at him, the bullets bounce off, they throw their weapons in frustration, he ducks and then he smacks their heads together and they fall unconscious to the studio floor. Wait, that was every episode of The Adv. of Superman! Same basic thing, but in color, and Superman tosses the bomb into space and scoops up the terrorists in a giant net. Let's see George Reeves do that! The terrorists had a back-up and an explosion goes off, damaging the damn and Supes must work to make quick repairs. It sets off tremors, which threaten to destroy the Temple of Abu Simbel, so Supes lifts it out of the way and sets it down safely. However, he sets it down a little lower than it had rested and that causes the sun's rays to shine through a chamber....  Meanwhile, Eath-1's Billy Batson dreams of the origin of the Earth-S Billy and Captain Marvel, until morning comes and his Uncle Dudley wakes him for breakfast. He finishes breakfast and heads off for school, where a passing hip dude, with a boombox, allows Billy to hear news reports of some musclehead in a black costume and a lightning bolt, causing problems in the park. He heads for the park, like a little moron. Sure enough, Dwayne Johnson is there, making a scene....  Superman turns up and Black Adam asks if he likes pie and tells him it doesn't matter what his name is because he is going to take his foot, trun that sumb@#$ sideways and stick straight up his candy @$$, if you smell what the Adam....is cooking! He also tells him how he came over from Earth-S, thanks to Supes moving the Temple....  Black Adam then pearl harbors Superman and starts getting heat on him. Billy watches, helpless and is seen by Jimmy Olsen, who thinks the kid looks familiar. Superman tries to make a Superman Comeback (of course); but, he is cut off by Black Adam and Billy tries to hit the ring to help him; but, he is snatched up by Black Adam, like a ragdoll. Adam recognizes him as Billy Batson; but, he can see that he is an alternate version, without Shazam's magic. He threatens to snuff out the brat's life if Supes doesn't leave. Superman scoops up Jimmy Olsen and flies away, to Jimmy's shock. Supes says he is buying time and uses his telescopic vision to pbserve Black Adam taunt Billy and threaten to layeth the smack down on him. Billy tries the magic word, to no effect. Adam is amused and lets him go and Billy runs away, like a sniveling little twerp. He is intercepted by Jimmy, who has him follow and they go to Superman, who tries an experiment. he flies Billy to Egypt and has him try the magic word at Abu Simbel, but it doesn't work. Superman studies the hieroglyphs and sees a cartouche referencing Captain Marvel. he figures out what he did wrong and fashions a mirror to redirect the sun's rays onto the cartouche....  and the magic works this time, bringing over Captain Marvel. The pair go and hit Black Adam, but, Superman has to save an obelisk from being destroyed, while Captain marvel tackles Black Adam, alone. They have a slobberknocker; but, are too evenly matched. Superman weighs in and Adam is getting his butt kicked and takes a powder, snatching up Billy again. He threatens again and Billy tries the magic word, but has some trouble saying it, until Adam corrects him....  Captain Marvel knocks Teth Adam cold and they cart him off. Captain Marvel says goodbye to Billy and tells him he was part of being Captain Marvel and may be someday, again. He leaves and Billy walks home, trying the magic word. Thoughts: Nothing terribly original; but, a nice bit of fun. It is similar to the Captain Thunder story, in Superman #276, with an Earth-1 Billy unleashing Captain Marvel, of a sort. The use of Abu Simbel is a nice touch, which harkens back to the Adv of Captain Marvel serial, as well as plants a seed for the future Power of Shazam. In many ways, this, like the Superman story, feels like a test run for an Earth-1 Captain Marvel. Roy had plans on revamping things, though those specific plans didn't come to fruition, at that point. Uncle Dudley is established as this Billy's real uncle. That would be it, for Black Adam, until Crisis. Captain Marvel gets another go, in DC Comics Presents Annual #3, which is our next topic.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jun 26, 2022 17:11:03 GMT -5
DC Comics Presents Annual #3 I think this cover is why Mark Strong got turned into a super-powered figure in the Shazam movie. Superman looks constipated. Creative Team: Roy Thomas-story (with contributions from Julie Schwartz & Gil Kane), Joe Cavalieri-script, Gil Kane-art, Ben Oda-letters, Carl Gafford-colors, Julie Schwartz-editor Synopsis: Superman is dealing with a giant robot, raging through the city (those pesky Power Ranger kids!), which turns out to be piloted by Dr Sivana!  Sivana's robot swats him away, but Superman comes back and smashes up the robot and Sivana ejects in the head cockpit. Superman pursues, but has to stop and rescue some silly bystander and their kid from falling rubble. He has lost Sivana and he goes back to work at WGBS. Sivana heads to the Rock of Eternity, where we learn he has whammied the wizard, Shazam.  The effect is temporary and Sivana is up to something. He grabs some other contraption from his mountain hideaway and flies over the city, in Earth-S and calls out Captain Marvel. Billy Batson sees this and goes off to call the lightning. He says the magic word and the lightning strikes both him and Sivana's craft. Captain Marvel apepars and rockets after Sivana's craft and runs smack into Captain Sivana......  The wail on each other, but Captain Marvel realizes he is feeling pain and then has problems righting himself and wonders if he is losing the Stamina of Atlas and the Speed of Mercury. Mary Batson and Freddy Freeman witness the battle from the street and say their magic words and Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr fly to aid the Captain. Sivana snatches Captain Marvel up into his craft and flies away, leaving behind Mary and Junior. Sivana takes Captain Marvel to the Rock of Eternity and shows him the whammied Shazam. he also reveals that he has siphoned off the good qualities of the Elders who granted his powers and has been left with their negative qualities....  Sivana overpowers Captain Marvel and buries him under a rock, at the base of the Rock of Eternity, with depleating air. Captain Marvel cannot move it. Mary and Junior arrive, while Sivana dubs himself Major Sivana (gee, why not Colonel or even Field Marshal?). They fight and Sivana holds his own, but they are stronger than captain Marvel, as their abilities are filtered through other means. However, Sivana's evil genius is boosted by the Wisdom of Solomon.  Sivana spins around the Rock, headed either for the future or the past and the Marvels split up to pursue. However, Sivana is actually up at the top and has tricked them into leaving. He is going to stop the Rock of Eternity from spinning, preventing them from returning from other time periods. He gloats to the trapped Captain Marvel, calling himself Colonel Sivana (promoted himself faster than Idi Amin). Sivana gloats and gloats, but realizes he still has to beat Superman to become ruler of the Universe. He flies down to Metropolis, but discovers he is on Earth-2 and soon faces the Superman of Earth-2. They battle and Supes get his licks in; but, Sivana realizes and also surmises that Superman's powers are weaker, due to age, compared to the Earth-1 Superman. He starts wailing on Superman....  He hauls Superman into space and leaves him in the presence of kryptonite. He then promotes himself to General. Billy is still trapped and Clark kent is distracted, on Earth-1. As he snaps out of it, General Sivana smashes his way into the studio and makes Lana Lang his spokesperson as he declares himself Ruler of the Universe. Clark uses the distraction to change and then attack as Superman. They fight, but Sivana brought some Kryptonite back with him and uses it on Earth-1 Supes. He fashions it into "brass knuckles" and pummels Supes. Captain Marvel witnesses all of this. He tries to escape, but loses confidence and starts to throw in the towel. He is visited by a vision of the Elders...  They make him understand that Sivana could not steal the virtues bestowed, just mess with his head. They cheer him on as Captain Marvel continues to fight. He finally frees himself and then comes to aid Superman. Superman hears that his alternate self is rtapped in space and passes through dimensions and does a little cosmic pool, to rescue his older version.... Captain Marvel knocks "General" Sivana into the Rock of Eternity and wakes up Shazam, who retrieves the power from Sivana, busting him back to lowly civilian. The two Supermen soon arrive, safe and sound, followed by mary & Junior. They all have a cape party and then fly off, then Captain Marvel thanks the Elders. Thoughts: This is a pretty cliched idea, similar to multiple stunts by Sivana (or Black Adam or Kull); yet, it is really fun. Sivana gets physical power who puts him in the driver's seat and he also plays a mind game on Captain Marvel that is more effective than any of his previous stunts. He cleans the original Superman's clock and establishes the idea that his power is decreasing back to the level it started out at (though this was established, in the DC Universe, elsewhere) and, thus, Sivana is physically stronger, thanks to the wizard's magic. Superman of Earth-1 is also vulnerable, so Sivana gets to hold the upper hand. as in any good heroic story, the villain has to gain the upper hand and seem invincible, for the hero's triumph to be all f the sweeter. What is really nice about this is that, despite it being Superman's book, it is Captain Marvel who gets to shine, as he overcomes the mind block and frees himself, then takes down Sivana hard enough to finally wake Shazam, allowing him to retrieve the magic that is powering Sivana. Superman rescues his older self, despite the danger to his own form, from the Kryptonite. Only the Earth-2 Superman ends up looking a bit weak; but, he doesn't count as he is there to do the job for the modern heroes, just like Buddy Roberts, in the Fabulous Freebirds....  I had a suspicion that Superman would be the one to save the day, since Julie Schwartz was editing and Superman had to appear superior to Captain Marvel. Thankfully, Roy came up with a story that let each hero shine, in their own right (except Earth-2 Superman),, rather than at the expense of the other. The DC Comics Presents Annuals were all pretty darn good, up to this point, with the first giving us a great team of the two Superman, against the two Lex Luthors and the Earth-3 Ultraman. this leads to the debut of Earth-3's Alexander Luthor, as their first hero, who helps defeat the villains. He would go on to father a son, who becomes instrumental in saving the Universe from the Anti-Monitor (before being ruined later). The second annual has a nice tale from Elliot Maggin, using Kristin Wells, from his novel, Miracle Monday, bringing her into the DC Universe and making her Superwoman. Now, we have an excellent crossover with Captain Marvel, with some terrific Gil Kane artwork (who seems to be having a blast, wit the Marvel Family and Sivana, as a Marvel), and a story that lets him show both tremendous action; but also real heart. My only quibble is that Kane's staging, at this point in his career, kind of overpowers the softer elements. Sivana becoming a Marvel, then promoting himself at each stage is a hoot and his ego would decree that he "outrank" Captain Marvel. I do think Roy stopped short and should have got him to Field Marshall, as Field Marshall Sivana sounds a lot like Field Marshall Rommel. It sings! Better than Provo's Privy...  So, this is Captain Marvel's final appearance, before Crisis on Infinite Earths. We will examine his role, in that epic, next time, as well as what is considered to be his final pre-Crisis story. Then, we will look at the birth of the Post-Crisis Captain Marvel. Or, at least, the first one. ps For the wrestling impaired: The Fabulous Freebirds were a trio of pro wrestling heels, consisting of Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts. Hayes and Gordy started out in the Gulf Coast region, barely out of high school (Gordy started in pro wrestling at the age of 14, for Eddie Einhorn's brief attempt at a national promotion, The International Wrestling Association, as Terry Mecca). In 1979, Hayes and Gordy were a tag-team, using the name The Fabulous Freebirds and entering the ring to Lynard Skinner's "Freebird." They became a big hit in Georgia, before moving on to Memphis and, then, Louisiana. It was in Lousiana where promoter Bill Watts added a third member, Buddy Roberts, who had been part of the Hollywood Blonds tag-team, with Jerry Brown. Watts felt Hayes wasn't a strong wrestler (he wasn't and was never great in the ring) and wanted to use him more as a manager and mouthpiece for the team. Gordy was the standout in the ring and a decent talker. Roberts allowed Gordy and Roberts to primarily wrestle the matches, while Hayes created chaos ringside and did the talking on interviews. Roberts also allowed the Freebirds to be beat, while keeping Gordy strong, as the muscle of the team. They then moved to Dallas, where they set the wrestling world on fire with the famous Freebird-Von Erich feud, as they battled the heroic Von Erich Brothers in singles, tag-team and 6-man matches (3 men to a side, which let Hayes in on the action, against Kerry, Kevin and David Von Erich). This program drew massive business for the World Class promotion, which had branched out beyond Texas, with tv syndication in various tv markets across the country, and a cutting edge tv show. The group later went to the AWA and had a brief stint in the WWF, with Dave Wolfe, Cyndi Lauper's manager an ex-boyfriend, as their manager, until they were fired for missing a show, while hung over and messed up from other substances (didn't help that the ticked off Andre the Giant, whose opinion carried a lot of weight, in the WWF). Probably their biggest fame outside of wrestling came in the form of the opening scenes in the movie Highlander, where McLeod is at "Madison Square Garden" (it was actually The Meadowlands, in New Jersey), to see the wrestling.... That's probably the best Hayes ever looked in the ring, but they really missed showing how good Gordy was.
|
|
|
|
Post by MWGallaher on Jun 26, 2022 20:51:34 GMT -5
I love Gil Kane, but it felt wrong to see his Captain Marvel. Come to think of it, it felt just as wrong to see him on Plastic Man. Both characters had been defined by distinctive and individualistic artists, and seeing those characters pressed into the Gil Kane mold rubbed me the wrong way.
|
|
|
|
Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 27, 2022 3:06:23 GMT -5
I love the art in DCCP Annual #3.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jul 9, 2022 21:56:40 GMT -5
I'm not ready for Captain Marvel in crisis, yet; so, this seems like a good time to talk about his other tv venture. The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! Okay, the first thing you are going to ask is.... "WHAT DA HELL IS DAT?" Okay, so, Filmation still held the rights to do Shazam-related stuff, though The Big Red Cheese did appear as part of the Legends of the Super Heroes specials, from Hanna-Barbera. He doesn't do much, though, as the two specials are very Batman-centric. However, as you saw, one of the villains is Howard Morris, as Dr Sivana. Funny enough, when the Challenge of the Superfriends was pitched, Alex Toth's presentation art was very Captain Marvel-centric....  In fact, Dr Sivana appears to be the leader, with Mr Atom and King Kull in the group. However, Filmation had the rights; so, no soap. So, instead, we got this series, in 1981, well after the heyday of the Shazam live action series and Challenge of the Superfriends.  I don't know the exact origin of how the two segments ended up paired; but, I can talk a bit about the genesis of half the project. Filmation had a long history with Archie Comics, starting in 1968, with The Archie Show. The cartoon featured the Riverdale Gang in various comedic adventures and skits, and musical numbers, including the hit song "Sugar, Sugar." That series proved popular enough to expand it to an hour, the next year, then inspire rival Hanna-Barbera to develop Scooby Doo. Archie would continue in various forms, until 1977, with the New Archie and Sabrina Hour. The Archie component consisted of reruns, while Sabrina had new cartoons. Filmation had tried pitching a new idea: Archie and the gang as their superhero personas, like Pureheart, Evilheart, Captain Hero and Super Teen. They developed the premise; but, Archie passed on it and their relationship came to an end. Filmation thought they had something good and retooled it into a cartoon, called Hero High....  From left to right: Mrs Grimm, Mr Sampson, (Coach, name unknown), Rex Ruthless, Captain California, Glorius Gal, Dirty Trixie, Punk Rock, Kangaroo Ken (I think), Weather Man; Front: Giggler, AWOL, Little Sumo, Peter Penguin, Misty Magic, Captain Walla Walla, Bratman. The main group was Captain California (Archie), Glorious Gal (Betty), Dirty Trixie (Veronica), Rex Ruthless (Reggie), Punk Rock (Jughead, in part), Weather Man (a mix of Jughead and Moose), Misty Magic (a mix of Midge, Valerie of Josie & the Pussycats), Miss Grimm (Miss Grundy) and Mr Sampson (Mr Weatherbee). AWOL and Bratman appeared in several of the cartoons, Giggler and Peter Penguin more as background and comic relief. The rest were mostly background characters. The Hero High characters were represented in the show opener and in wrap around segments with live actors, who also provided the voices. Quite frankly, even if I had been young, I doubt these would have seemed good, to me. The comedy was lame, the adventures minor, and the characters not particularly compelling or well acted. That was reserved for Shazam!  Filmation adapted Captain Marvel, again; but, this time, they had a budget and a format that allowed for the villains and supporting characters. We got the whole Marvel Family, with Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr, Uncle Marvel and even an appearance (in one episode), by Freckles Marvel. Sadly, the Lieutenant Marvels did not turn up; but, Mr Tawky Tawny was a regular (often paired with Uncle Dudley); and, more importantly, the villains were here. Dr Sivana (and Sivana Jr and Georgia Sivana) were there, Black Adam, Ibac, Mr Mind, Aunt Minerva, Mr Atom, the Crocodile Men, and even Night Owl. You can see the entire series on Youtube..... Burr Middleton was Billy Batson/Captain Marvel.  Middleton was the grandson of the original Ming the Merciless, Charles Middleton. he had done some bit parts, in Hollywood, but was known more for voice work, including dubbing Japanese tv series and movies, like Latitude Zero and The Green Slime. Barry Gordon was Captain Marvel Jr.  Gordon is probably best known for the tv series Fish, with Abe Vigoda. Dawn Jeffory was Mary Marvel.  Jeffory appeared in things like Dallas, ChiPs, Dukes of Hazzard and Dynasty. Allen Oppenheimer was Uncle Dudley, Dr Sivana and several other voices.  Oppenheimer was a character actor who appeared in multiple tv series and films, but is known to many as the early Rudy Wells, on The Six Million Dollar Man (after Martin Balsam, in the pilot film). Oppenheimer did guest roles on oodles of tv series, some movies (like the Hindenburg), and did quite a bit of voice work for Filmation, including Ming the Merciless, in The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, and, most famously, Skeletor, in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Writing credits included Tom Ruegger, later a producer on Tiny Toons, and Paul Dini, of Batman TAS fame, creator of Harley Quinn. The bulk of the stories came from Dennis O'Flaherty Flaherty had been a minor actor, in bit parts, but had a longer career, as a writer. He wrote the episode, "Beware the Gray Ghost," for BTAS, which featured Adam West as an actor whose series inspired young Bruce Wayne, shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Richie Rich and Bravestarr and the film Hammett. The cartoons were lively, with imaginative plots, even if they couldn't do heavy physical conflict, except against inanimate objects or robots. Still, they made good use of the villains and it was closer to an adaptation of the comics than the live action series had been and way more faithful than the recent movie (though it is more based on the Geoff Johns rehash). It also was far less grating than Hero High or The New Adventures of batman, with Lou Scheimer's Batmite annoying the ehck out of the viewer (he also voiced AWOL, on Hero High and Orko, on He-man). Sadly, the Marvels didn't get live action counterparts; but, Filmation had already done that. Mary Marvel did make an appearance, in a Hero High episode, and they turn up in one episode of the Shazam cartoon ("Star Master and the Solar Mirror"). |
|
