Number 2178: Captain Marvel Jr's “Multiplicity”

This 1943 Captain Marvel Jr tale reminds me of the 1996 comedy, Multiplicity, starring Michael Keaton, where multiple clones were made of the lead character. The Cap Jr story doesn’t use the word “clone,” but that word was in use in those days. It was taken from Greek in 1903 by plant physiologist Herbert J. Webber to “refer to the technique of of propagating new plants using cuttings, bulbs or buds.” (From NPR.org, and bless the Internet for providing the information.)

In the comic book story the cloning is done with a “cell divider,” a devilish contraption used by Nazi spies. As in the much later Multiplicity, it is mostly magic, since cloning doesn’t work like that. But in the comic book it is used to solve another problem for Cap Jr — that of being identified publicly as newsboy Freddie Freeman. It is like those Superman stories where Superman sends in a robot to fool the people who have figured out his secret identity. The result is the same for Cap Jr. Like Superman, there is chicanery, and Freddie protects his secret.

From Captain Marvel Jr #8 (1943). Artwork by Al Carreno.

Number 1737: “Where there’s cheese you will usually find rats!”

I hope I’m not spoiling this Captain Marvel Jr story for you by telling you the mysterious detective-with-no-name Freddy Freeman is rescued by is none other than Sherlock Holmes. But then, you already deduced that, didn’t you? Tell me, was it the deerstalker cap that tipped you off?

For some reason Freddy is selling papers in London. This is the last of four stories from Captain Marvel Jr #2 (1942). I looked at the other three and there is no mention of Freddy in London, so I assume he must’ve taken it upon himself to help the British rid themselves of black marketeers. (The final panel was obviously wishful thinking.)

I assume Sherlock is not given a name because in 1942 the Holmes stories were still under copyright. Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930, but his estate retained the rights to the character. To this day, lawsuits concerning the rights to the character, and whether he is in the public domain or not, are still being fought out in the courts.

Art attributed by the Grand Comics Database to Al Carreno.