Premiering in the first issue of Whiz Comics (listed as #2 because of those weird publishing and mailing issues we keep coming across in the Golden Age comic reviews), the original Captain Marvel was on his way to becoming more popular than Superman, the hero that predated him. Unfortunately, National Comics (like a lot of publishers at the time–even the Comic Code was designed to hurt a rival publisher) decided to sue Fawcett Comics…and from there I get confused because I’ve heard multiple versions of what happened next:
- National Comics, the future DC Comics, won and Fawcett was forced to drop all the Marvel Family titles
- Fawcett won but National lost on appeal
- various other takes on what happened with the original case and appeals
- either way, the superhero downturn led to Fawcett shutting doors, DC buying those characters, and while they tried it’s possible they made sure Captain Marvel didn’t overshadow Superman ever again.
There is more to the story. Multiple characters, lawsuits, fights over the Captain Marvel name after Marvel Comics got a bug up their butt and decided “we’re Marvel, WE should have that hero’s name”, and the fallout even hit the UK. Comic Drake has an updated compilation of all the various legal nonsense that went on, all tied to Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel Junior, all versions of characters ruined by DC comics in their various reworks, 52, the New 52, and the Geoff Johns reimagining. Prepare for a good dose of how dumb and self-interested publishers can be when they have corporate bucks backing up their tomfoolery.
A slight correction for early on. Adventures Of Captain Marvel was a serial, the precursor to TV shows before there was TV. You had to go back to the theater each matinee to see the next installment. Superman would get two of his own: Superman and Atom Man Vs Superman, the latter being the first time Lex Luthor left the comics. I didn’t know it was a rights issue keeping DC from doing the serial. I had heard DC just turned Republic down so they went with Captain Marvel.
Like I said earlier, I’ve heard so many competing versions of how the DC/Fawcett lawsuit went that I don’t know the full story.
So was Mary Marvel not popular in the UK or did they just not use her because cooties?
Alan Moore took existing superheroes and made them dark, depressing, and borderline evil? I’m not surprised, but it was too early in his career to see it coming. Doesn’t really get me interested in reading it. Also curious how science gives you a magic word.
Marvel using chicanery to mess with people and push their power? Also, not surprising. Ask Jim Shooter what happened with Defiant Comics. Also remember that Marvel Comics keeps trying to push their Captain Marvel so Billy Batson can’t have his real hero name back because “we’re Marvel Comics so we should have the Marvel hero names”. Sounds like Todd McFarlane learned a lot from his time there…and not in a positive way.
Okay, the clothing one I didn’t see coming. It’s like the World Wildlife Foundation demanding the World Wrestling Federation change their name because of the WWF abbreviation.
The whole trademark/copywrite distinction should also be remembered when it comes to things entering public domain. For example, when Superman enters public domain, DC still owns the character names and what’s coming into availability is the 1939 version with weaker powers and the triangle S. The Daily Planet was called Daily Star and the editor wasn’t Perry White (who DC got rid of anyway) but George Taylor. It’s complicated.
As for the Roy Thomas stuff, I already raged about that in the comments: “I had to pause the video in anger hearing what Roy Thomas wanted to do with the original Captain Marvel. I have issues with stuff Geoff Johns did to the character and his lore. I hate what Thomas wanted to do (“I’m such a fan of these characters that I want to change everything about them I possibly can”?????) as someone who didn’t grow up with the comics but did grow up with both TV shows…and I KNEW he was called Captain Marvel, which is how I found out about the serial in later years. He’s one of my favorite heroes because of the shows and seeing what’s been done to Billy Batson and company over the years makes me sad.”
To specify, I don’t care about the black kid except he’d be replacing Junior. The Captain Marvel characters existed in a brighter world, I don’t like the connection to Silvana as Billy’s evil uncle (that and his parents dying were part of the original origin, but the uncle wasn’t Dr. Silvana). It’s all the stuff he wanted to do AFTER that which I objected to. Also, what did they have against Fred McMurray? The man invented flubber and raised three sons with the help of his brother. Or Uncle. I didn’t watch a lot of My Three Sons. Everything about what they wanted to do with Mary Marvel is terrible, about as bad as what they did to her in 52 (the miniseries).
I’ve mentioned how much I don’t like Geoff Johns’ reimagine. It’s not the Captain Shazam I know and love.
So that’s the insane world of trademarks, copyrights, and revenge. The sad thing is nothing has changed, only now we have the activists, the media corporations who only see comics as a way to boost the “important” media, and the elitist snobs joining the grimdarks, the “better ideas”, the retcon happy who just want to make money on their reimaginings, and the people seeking revenge while greedily screwing each other over. The same true victims remain: the readers. If you like a character the way they are, good luck seeing them that way in the future if the wrong people come along and corporate nonsense gets in the way. It’s tough to enjoy superhero comics when so many supervillains are in charge of their stories.
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