Captain Marvel Fights the Tiger Terror!

Captain Marvel Adventures #142 (published January 2, 1953) gives us a scary possibility - has Tawky Tawny become a monster?  Could it be that the friendly talking tiger has turned into a blood thirsty beast?  That's what we find out in the story, "Captain Marvel Fights the Tiger Terror!"

Our adventure begins with Billy Batson paying a visit to Mr. Tawny to keep the tiger from being lonely.  Billy finds out that Mr. Tawny has rented a spare room to Mr. John Jones, and Tawny and Jones have become great friends.  Mr. Jones is a student of scary things - vampires, werewolves, and ghouls.  Billy's head is clearly filled with such things as he leaves Tawny's house with the tiger teasing him, "Now don't run into any ghouls or vampires on your way home, Billy!  Pleasant dreams!"

While walking home in the dark, Billy is soon confronted by a snarling talking tiger!  Billy thinks it's just Mr. Tawny playing a prank but soon discovers it's no joke!  Saying the magic word, "Shazam!" Billy transforms into Captain Marvel and gives a tremendous punch to the blood thirsty brute, and the tiger turns tail and runs.  Cap tries to track down the mysterious talking tiger and surprisingly runs into Mr. John Jones, Tawky Tawny's new roommate!  Mr. Jones explains that he was out taking a walk but perhaps Mr. Tawny has turned into a 'were-tiger'!  He further explains that, based on his studies, there are not only were-wolves, but all sorts of were-creatures that turn into blood thirsty creatures by the light of the full moon.  Captain Marvel can't believe for a minute that Mr. Tawny is a were-tiger and he runs off to check on Tawny at his home.  Cap and Mr. Jones discover Mr. Tawny at home, soundly sleeping.  There's no way he could be a were-tiger he pleads!  But Captain Marvel is baffled and believes the best about his friend.  But, he decides to patrol the city by night to solve this mysterious tiger terror.

The following night the were-tiger strikes, slashing the throat of an innocent victim.  Captain Marvel fights off the beast, but must rush the victim to the hospital for immediate care and with the hopes that he can pick up the tigers trail.  Leaving the hospital, Cap returns to the scene of the attack and finds bloody paw prints at the scene of the crime.  Cap follows the prints to...Mr. Tawny's house!!  Sick of heart and full of dread, Captain Marvel knows he must bring Mr. Tawny in to the authorities.  But as he enters the house, he finds Mr. Jones who tells him that Tawky has fled, not wanting to be captured by the world's mightiest mortal!  Cap transforms back into Billy and decides to lure the were-tiger back to Tawny's house.  Billy and Mr. Jones sit in full view of the large window, offering a tempting meal to the were-tiger.

Billy soon notices something in the mirror.  He notices that Mr. Jones' reflection isn't shown in the mirror!  And since only vampires and were-creatures cast no images in mirrors, Mr. Jones is the were-tiger!  But before he can finish saying, "Shazam!" Billy is knocked unconscious.  Billy wakes up and Mr. Jones confesses he is the were-tiger and then transforms into the creature before Billy's very eyes.  Only a swift move by Billy saves his life and uses the were-tiger's teeth to shred the handkerchief covering his mouth.  But in the process Billy's throat is punctured and with blood in his throat he can't say the magic word!  Billy runs and evades the tiger but is quickly losing blood and strength.

Suddenly another tiger is on the scene, none other than Tawky Tawny!  Tawky takes on the were-tiger in a tremendous battle.  Billy is able to clear his throat and transform into Captain Marvel.  Cap enters the fray and strikes the ferocious feline a resounding blow.  The were-tiger is unconscious, and Mr. Tawny knows that the only way to truly ends a vampire or were-creature is by putting a wooden stake through their heart.  This Tawny does to the were-tiger, and the were-tigers reign of terror is ended.

At the end of the story Billy apologizes on behalf of himself and Captain Marvel for even thinking Mr. Tawny could be the were-tiger.  Mr. Tawny graciously accepts the apology, asking that Billy just continue to play checkers with him so he won't be lonely.  Thus ends the mysterious adventure of Captain Marvel and the tiger terror!

I really enjoyed this story but also noticed it was slightly less whimsical than most of Cap's adventures.  There are themes consistent in this story that are seen throughout all of Captain Marvel's comics.  We see Captain Marvel being a loyal friend despite evidence to the contrary.  We also see both Billy and Mr. Tawny playing big roles in the resolution of the story.  And we see Captain Marvel's determination to solve the mystery of the were-tiger.  The comic did take on a darker than normal aspect with Billy's throat punctured and filling with blood and Mr. Tawny driving a stake into the heart of the were-tiger.  However, I take these as due to the shift that was happening in comics at this time with less emphasis on the super heroes and more emphasis on science fiction and horror.  Despite the slightly darker tone, this is still a great and thrilling adventure of Captain Marvel and was very entertaining to read.  Sadly, in just eight more issues after this comic, Captain Marvel Adventures would come to an end.

Introducing Tawky Tawny!

Mr. Tawky Tawny is a talking tiger and good friend of Captain Marvel.  While Mr. Tawny first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #79 (Sept 26, 1947) in the story, "Captain Marvel and the Talking Tiger!", we didn't get Tawny's origin until Captain Marvel Adventures #82 (December 31, 1947)  in "Captain Marvel and the Return of Mr. Tawny!"

Mr. Tawny was just a cub when a hunter killed his mother, making him an orphan (just like Billy Batson!).  Tawny escaped the hunter's grasp, and was taken in by Tom Todd, the son of a missionary.  Tom and the tiger cub were the closest of friends, Tom even had the cub sit on his lap during school!  It was Tom Todd who gave him the name, Mr. Tawny.  

Mr. Tawny grew, but he and Tom were still great friends.  Then, one day a man was found killed in the village - his death came at the hands of a tiger.  All fingers pointed to Mr. Tawny as the killer.  Tom defended Mr. Tawny but the village decided he must die, so Tom and Tawny ran away far into the jungle.  Tom just knew his feline friend was innocent.  He said, "You didn't kill that man, did you?  I'm sure you didn't!  But if you could only talk and say so...If you could only tell them you didn't kill anybody!"  Just then a hermit approaches them and asks Mr. Tawny to drink a serum he had just created and wanted to test on a wild animal.  The serum would energize the animal's brain and enable him to use his vocal cords for speech!  The tiger drinks the serum and then Mr. Tawny tawks - I mean talks!  And not only can he talk, he can now verbalize all the knowledge he absorbed as he went to school with Tom!!

Tom and Tawny leave the jungle and return to the village to search for the real man killing tiger.  Tawny finds the killer and after a ferocious battle he brings the defeated man killer to the village and proves his innocence.  Mr. Tawny is cleared of the crime!  Later, Tom left the jungle when his dad was reassigned and Mr. Tawny lived with the hermit.  That's the story of how Mr. Tawny became a talking tiger, but now we need to know how he came to become friends with Captain Marvel. 

Despite the hermit telling him civilization is no good, Mr. Tawny made up his mind that he wanted to leave the jungle and "mingle with human beings."  He wants to try ice cream, watch movies, and wear clothes!  Tawny makes his way to the coast and becomes a stowaway on a ship bound for the United States.  When the ship makes port the stowaway tiger jumps ship determined to make it to the city.

The second person Mr. Tawny encounters is Billy Batson (the first person he encountered ran away scared to death!).  Upon seeing the tiger and not knowing Tawny is a gentle, talking tiger, Billy says the magic word, "Shazam!" and transforms into Captain Marvel.  Cap knocks Tawny unconscious and ensures he makes it safely to the zoo.  

Mr. Tawny escapes his cage at the zoo, and after a brief adventure he once again encounters Captain Marvel.  But this time Cap realizes Tawny is a civilized tiger and in short order gets Mr. Tawny a job at the local museum.  Despite a rocky start, Mr. Tawny and Captain Marvel become great friends!  

We know that Tom Todd gave Mr. Tawny his name, but how did he get his first name Tawky?  He got the name Tawky thanks to fans who responded to Captain Marvel and Mr. Tawny's appeal for suggestions for his first name.  Thousands of suggestions poured in and in Captain Marvel Adventures #90 Mr. Tawny revealed he chose the name Tawny!  (I wrote about this previously, you can read it here!)

Let me share a brief comment* from Otto Binder, creator of Tawky Tawny.  In an interview Mr. Binder said, "As far as I can recall, Tawny was my own concept, which Wendell Crowley - and C. C. Beck in particular - thought was a good concept...Beck did such a great job personifying the tiger that he caught on with readers immediately.  A flood of letters came in on the first story, so we continued him.  Captain Marvel was really just a minor character in all of his stories, the tiger's sidekick.  We made Tawny as lovable and bumbling as we could...He always had great dreams, with unfortunate results.  I wouldn't say Tawny stories were satires...they were more like parodies of human life, showing our weaknesses."

That's the origin of Mr. Tawky Tawny and how he came to know and be friends with Billy Batson and Captain Marvel.  Mr. Tawny would have many adventures of his own in Captain Marvel's comics and has become one of comics most beloved characters.  

*I found Otto Binder's comments on page 64 of the book The Fawcett Companion: The Best of FCA edited by P. C. Hamerlink (Copyright 2001, TwoMorrows Publishing).

Did You Know...

Did you know that the way Shazam is able to transform into ethereal form and to travel back and forth from the Rock of Eternity is by way of a bracelet he wears?  In Captain Marvel Adventures #100 we find Tawky Tawny and Billy Batson speaking to Shazam.  Tawky asks Shazam how he can exist in spirit form.  Shazam then tells him that it is through his bracelet made from an element unknown to earthly science called shazamium.   

The shazamium bracelet allows the wearer to adopt ethereal form, whisk back and forth between the Rock of Eternity in the wink of an eye, and without the bracelet, Shazam will fade away into nothingness in 24 hours!

Did you know how Shazam is able to transform into ethereal form and instantaneously go back and forth from the Rock of Eternity?  Now you know that it is because of his bracelet made from the wonder element shazamium!!

Did You Know...

Did you know that Tawky Tawny was originally known simply as Mr. Tawny - the talking tiger who had no first name!  Mr. Tawny made his debut in Captain Marvel Adventures #79.

Mr. Tawny made a few more appearances with Captain Marvel and then in Captain Marvel Adventures #90, Mr. Tawny bewailed the fact that he had no first name!

Despite Cap's suggestions, an appeal was made to readers in this same edition to come up with Mr. Tawny's first name.  The person who sent in the winning suggestion would receive a full-color picture of Mr. Tawny and Captain Marvel!

After thousands of suggestions, the winning entry was announced in Captain Marvel Adventures #96.

Mr. Tawny selected his new first name, Tawky, as suggested by Detroit readers Mary Garrisi and Pat Laughlin.  Mr. Tawny's first name dilemma was resolved thanks to the suggestions of Captain Marvel fans!  Did you know how Tawky Tawny got his first name?  Now you do!!