Captain Marvel Facts #1

Here are some Captain Marvel facts you might not be aware of!

Because Captain Marvel was created by the wizard Shazam using magic, he can never age!  (Whiz Comics #98, April 7, 1948)

In The Marvel Family #7 (November 15, 1946) we learn that the wizard Shazam created the three Marvels, Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr, so that they could always fight the three forms of evil (wickedness, sin and terror)!

These Captain Marvel facts will become an ongoing feature here on my blog - hope you find them interesting!

Did You Know...

Did you know that Mary Marvel was once sent an extra powerful lightning bolt to get her out of a trap set by Sivana?  We learn about this in Mary Marvel #1 (published November 14, 1945*) where Sivana tricked her into wearing earrings that prevented her from gaining the Shazam powers.

We know that when Mary says the magic word, "Shazam!" she is transformed into Mary Marvel by a magic lightning bolt.  We learned in Whiz Comics #125, it's Zeus that throws the magic lightning that transforms Mary's brother Billy Batson into Captain Marvel (you can read about that here)!

In Mary Marvel #1, we find that Mary calls out to her patron goddesses to help her out of Sivana's trap and they respond!  Minerva orders Hippolyta to fashion an extra powerful lightning bolt to help Mary.  Hippolyta prepares the bolt and throws it from the heavens!  The powerful magic lightning defeats Sivana's trap and transforms Mary into Mary Marvel and restores the Shazam powers to her.  

So now we know that Zeus throws the magic lightning to transform Billy into Captain Marvel, and it's Hippolyta that throws the magic lightning that transforms Mary into Mary Marvel!

*According to Mike's Amazing World of Comics 

Introducing Mary Marvel!

Mary Marvel's origin is given to us in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (published November 13, 1942).  Within the pages of this comic we not only have her origin, but we also learn that she's Billy Batson's twin sister!

The story begins with station WHIZ hosting the The Mental Marvel Quiz show, with Billy starring as emcee!  The contestants are Percy Pill, Mary Bromfield, and Freddy Freeman.  Billy starts with the quiz questions, and each contestant proves they are up to the mental challenge.  While an announcer takes over with some commercial announcements, Billy is handed a strange hand-written message that says, "Dear Billy Batson, I am dying.  Please come and see me.  This is most urgent."  The letter is signed by Sarah Primm of 14 Elm Street.  Billy has only 5 minutes before The Mental Marvel Quiz begins again, so he transforms to Captain Marvel and within seconds arrives at Sarah Primm's house.  Captain Marvel transforms back into Billy before entering the house.

Inside, Billy meets Sarah Primm who is on her deathbed.  She tells Billy that her hour has come and she must tell Billy about...his twin sister!  Sarah reveals that she was nurse for both Billy and his sister Mary when their parents died.  She took the babies into her own home before taking them to an orphanage.  However, Sarah was also the nurse of a rich family who had also just had a baby girl that had suddenly died.  Sarah came up with a scheme - she switched Billy's sister with the dead baby girl of the rich family.  Billy's sister would be raised by the wealthy family and Billy was taken to an orphanage.  Billy asks, "Who raised my twin sister?  Where is she now?  How will I know her?"  Sarah tells him, "You'll know her by this broken locket.  She wears the other half.  (Sarah gives the locket to Billy) She was raised by a wealthy lady named...."  But death strikes before Sarah Primm can reveal the name of the family that raised Billy's sister.  Billy's 5 minutes are almost up, so he transforms back into Captain Marvel and returns to The Mental Marvel Quiz.

The Mental Marvel Quiz comes to an end and Billy escorts Mary Bromfield to her car and after she leaves he realizes she was wearing a locket just like the one Sarah Primm gave him.  Billy and Freddy Freeman say their magic words and transform into Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Junior and take off after Mary.  The two heroes arrive just in time to see Mary being kidnapped!  In short order the ruffians are dispatched and Captain Marvel  asks Mary about the locket she's wearing.  Cap gives Mary the locket Billy was given by Sarah Primm, Mary puts the lockets together - a perfect fit!

"What does it mean?" Mary asks, and Cap proclaims, "It means you are Mary Batson -- the twin sister of Billy Batson!"  Mary asks where Billy is and why didn't he come, and then before her eyes Captain Marvel transforms back into Billy Batson!  Billy lets her in on the 'family secret' and then Captain Marvel Junior also transforms back to Freddy Freeman - now Mary knows the secret of both Captains.

While Billy, Mary and Freddy are rejoicing, the ruffians have recovered and capture the two boys and put handkerchiefs over their mouths.  Unable to say their magic words, Billy and Freddy are at the mercy of the hoodlums.  Mary shouts, "Billy!  Freddy!  Speak your magic words!...Oh, they can't they're gagged...Billy can't say Shazam!..."  The comic narrator tells us, "Mary Batson said the word 'Shazam' for the first time...and instantly there is an answering roll of thunder...a blinding flash of lightning...and a new figure appears in the place of Mary Batson!"  Yes, Mary Batson has just transformed into Mary Marvel!!

Mary Marvel withstands the kidnappers assualt of assorted slaps, chairs and bullets before she defeats them single handed.  Billy's astounded at Mary's transformation and decides they need to visit the wizard Shazam to get some answers.  Billy and Freddy transform into their heroic selves and the three Marvels make their way to the secret subway tunnel where Billy first met Shazam.

Shazam meets them and Billy introduces Mary to him.  Shazam assures them all is well, he knew all along about Billy and Mary, but he allowed things to unfold naturally.  Shazam also explains that Mary doesn't derive her powers from the same heroes Billy does, but instead, hers are sourced from a different set of Shazam's heroes.  He explains who gives Mary her powers:

• Selena - grace
• Hippolyta - strength
• Ariadne - skill
• Zephyrus - fleetness
• Aurora - beauty
• Minerva - wisdom

Shazam then tells Mary, "Go now, my child!  Fight evil and wrong in the world as your brother and Freddy do.  My spirit is always with you!"  The three kids exit the subway and transform into the mighty Marvels.  Freddy departs - telling them he needs to get back to his own adventures.  Cap tells Mary to stay with him for a while and then they'll fix her up with her own spot in Wow Comics!

Holy Moley!  What a turn of events that led Billy to not only find his twin sister, Mary, but also to learn that Mary is also a mighty Marvel.  Now the Marvel Family is complete and individually and collectively they do fight evil and wrong in the world.  

Introducing Freckles Marvel!

We are introduced to Freckles Marvel in WOW comics #35 in the story "Mary Marvel Meets Her Rival!"  Freckles Marvel is Mary Dudley, niece of Uncle Dudley and self-appointed cousin of Mary Batson.  Like Uncle Dudley, she has no Shazam powers but she dresses like one of the Marvel family and 'helps' them!

In WOW comics #35 we have Mary Dudley visiting her Uncle Dudley and meeting Mary Batson for the first time.  Mary Dudley let's Mary Batson know that her nickname is Freckles!  Uncle Dudley lets Freckles know she can't stay but Freckles threatens to reveal Uncle Dudley's 'secret' that he doesn't really change into Uncle Marvel, he just simply changes his clothes!  Uncle Dudley is unaware that Mary Marvel already knows that truth, so he allows Freckles to don the Marvel uniform and become Freckles Marvel!

In Freckles Marvel's first adventure she helps Uncle Marvel and Mary Marvel recover missing money for Roger Cole.  Mr. Cole had just inherited a large sum of money from his uncle, but his uncle left him clues he has to follow to recover the money!  Freckles manages to be more of a hindrance than a help, knocking down Mary Marvel, getting everyone stung by hornets, and letting the masked bad guy get away!  At one point Uncle Marvel says, "Couldn't we just dump Freckles off somewhere --like a lake?  Or a coal mine?"  But in the end, it's Freckles - not Mary Marvel - who confounds the crook and recovers the money!

Based on other adventures, we learn that Freckles Marvel comes from nearby Marveltown.  Marveltown was originally named Skunkville but was officially renames Marveltown in honor of Freckles Marvel!

Freckles Marvel is a wonderful character with a lot of depth.  She's a leader (Mary Marvel #13), a scrappy fighter (Mary Marvel #9), and courageous non-powered hero (Wow #35).  She is a fantastic addition to the Marvel Family!

The Original Marvel Family

The original Marvel Family was made up of Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Mary Marvel.  Each of these family members received their powers from the wizard Shazam.  In later years, other characters would come to be considered part of the Marvel Family but they did not have any powers.  Uncle Dudley (Uncle Marvel) and Freckles Marvel are examples of the non-powered Marvel Family members.  (There were also the three Lieutenant Marvels (Hill Billy, Tall Billy and Fat Billy) introduced to us in Whiz Comics #21, but they were not considered members of the Marvel Family.)

Captain Marvel was introduced to us in Whiz Comics #2, published in December of 1939.  We are given Captain Marvel Jr.'s origin in Whiz Comics #25 in November of 1941.  Then, in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (on sale November of 1942), both Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. introduce us to Mary Marvel!  Each Marvel Family member had met the wizard Shazam and was given powers by him.

All three would go on to star in their own comics as well as other Fawcett titles.  Captain Marvel primarily starred in Whiz and Captain Marvel Adventures.  Captain Marvel Jr. would land in Master Comics and his own Captain Marvel Jr. comic.  Mary Marvel would appear in Wow comics and also her very own Mary Marvel comic.  

While they had tremendous adventures on their own, they also had combined adventures told to us through The Marvel Family comics, with issue #1 going on sale November 21, 1945.  This series had a total of 89 issues, the final issue published in September of 1953.  If you haven't read any of these comics, you are missing out on some fantastic stories!!

In the near future I hope to publish articles on the origin of Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel.  I'm also planning on writing about Freckles Marvel and Uncle Dudley, the Marvel Lieutenants, etc., as well.