Captain Courageous was a supernatural hero appearing in
Banner Comics, then one issue of
Captain Courageous (#6, 1942, from where this story today came). That issue was a one-shot, a continuation of
Banner Comics, which ended with that issue. From there Captain Courageous went to
Four Favorites and lasted the rest of the war years. After a time he made a bewildering and unexplained change to civilian clothes, and was without his supernatural powers. His career ended with issue #28.
What grabs me is that star-shaped mask, which looks silly. I guess if he is a guy who is called forth to help during a time of war and crisis he can wear what he wants. But every time I see it I wonder how it could be taken seriously. Maybe it’s just me.
“The Black Mayor” is drawn by Harry Sahle.
Captain Courageous is an Ace Comic. Sahle worked mostly for MLJ/Archie Comics. Besides his other work, he drew some of the Suzie episodes I have shown in this blog.
4 comments:
"After a time he made a bewildering and unexplained change ... and was without his supernatural powers."
Just like Doctor Fate.
Life is cheap in this story. Neither Senator High nor Captain Courageous act swiftly upon deciding that Gort were the Black Mayor, and so the Mayor and his men are able to kill, brutalize, and rob still more victims. The Senator is killed because of his failure to act more promptly, but the Captain just walks or flies away.
One of my fantasies is a meta-superhero, who moves across stories, clobbering supposed superheroes for their failures to protect the innocent.
Mr. Kitty profiled a Captain Courageous story where our hero battled "Captain Nippo" in China:
http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics156.html
CC and the Chinese guerrillas refer to Chiang Kai-shek as "Gissimo," short for Generalissimo. Whether the Chinese actually called him that, I don'y know.
Jack Kirby's Captain Glory also had a star shaped mask.
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