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| The Adventure in Time |
Captain Marvel Adventures 71 Universal
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9.2
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Tied with two other comics for second highest grade after a pair of 9.2's.
(Published) April 1947
(Cover) C.C. Beck
12 page Captain Marvel story
"The Adventure in Time"
(Writer) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza
Billy Batson get four different invites for Capt Marvel from four places around the world to celebrate Capt Marvel day. In fact, despite being in different time zones they are all at the same moment. Cap decides to call on the Lieutenant Marvels to take his place at the other three locations. These are three boys named Billy Batson who can all change into a version of Capt Marvel when they are all together. Fat Marvel is sent to Washington, Hill Marvel goes to Paris, Tall Marvel heads off to Moscow while Cap himself goes to Chungking.
Sivana sees an article about Capt Marvel day and decides to use his Instantaneous Rocket Ship to sabotage all four celebrations. Fat Marvel shows up in D.C. while Sivana is busy pricking a hole in an enormous Capt Marvel balloon. It collapses, threaten to suffocate people but Fat Marvel pulls it away. Sivana flees to his rocket and flies off to Paris assuming that Marvel wont be there since he's in D.C. In Paris, Sivana tries to bring down the Eiffel tower but Hill Marvel chases him away as the evil scientist heads to Moscow. Sivana tosses a bomb into a crowd in Moscow but it hits Tall Billy in the back of the head and he snuffs it out. Finally, Sivana escapes to China and hides inside a dragon float. Meanwhile, Cap has learned that an attack has occurred at the other three celebrations and is on the lookout for trouble. He see poison gas escaping from the paper dragon and rips it open to reveal Sivana.
Sivan is furious and perplexed at how Cap was in four places at once so Marvel explains how he worked with the Lieutenant Marvels. Sivana shows him how HE was able to be in four places and then hops in his rocket but before he can escape Cap rips the motor off. The rocket is still able to fly but Marvel pursues and tears off the auxiliary motor and captures Sivana. Cap is amused by the fact that they crossed the international date line and he's arresting Sivana on Tuesday for a crime he committed on Wednesday. Sivana is nonplussed.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel Traps a Sleepwalker"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza
Billy finishes typing his radio script and transforms to take it to WHIZ. It's funny that Cap feels like Billy is taking advantage of him. Feeling tired, Marvel decides to return to his apartment and take a nap. Later, Billy goes to retrieve his script from the WHIZ safe but it's gone. That evening, Cap stakes out WHIZ to try and catch the thief but starts getting sleepy again. He spots a man in the dark and punches him but the main declares his innocence. Turns out he's a private detective named Sloane, hired by Mr. Morris. With Sloane on the job, Cap decides to take another nap. Later still, Sloan spots Marvel and calls to him with no response. He eventually responds and the two find that Billy's script is once again missing and Sloane starts to suspect Cap.
The next day Sloane is checking out the safe and Marvel becomes suspicious. That night Sloane finds Cap sleepwalking and when he wakes he thinks that Sloane is the thief. He carriers Sloane off to jail but when they get there Sloane asks Cap to wash his hands. When he does his hands turn blue which was a trap Sloane used to catch the thief. Turns out Marvel was unwittingly the Phantom Thief and the mystery is solved.
13 page Captain Marvel story
"The End of the World"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
Billy is sent out to do a story on Joachim Jybber, a man who has prophesied the end of the world. When Billy arrives, a small group of Joachim's followers are leaving, saying that he constantly fails in his predictions. Joachim is adamant that the Earth will end on the next day and claims his crystal ball told him it will be due to Atomic Power. In fact, Joachim has created an escape rocket so he will be the only one who survives. Billy tries to stop him from getting on the ship but gets knocked unconscious and put on the ship. When Billy wakes they are in the air but the rocket starts to plummet towards Earth. Billy transforms and scoops the old man out before the ship crashes. The old man scolds Marvel saying that he has only delayed his doom by a few hours.
Marvel scoops up Jaochim and takes him to a nearby village which turns out to be in Tibet. Cap can't understand the locals so he goes to a library and teaches himself the language. He tries to ask a local where they are at but the man trips and turns his ankle so Cap carries him back to his laboratory. Meanwhile, Joachim is trying to convince the locals to repent for the hour of doom is upon them. We find out the man Marvel was inquiring from is a scientist who created two proton bombs which are 1000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb. Marvel carriers the man to a testing site and he sets the timer for a test. However, two other men steal the bombs will Marvel and the Asian man have their backs turned. They belt the scientist in the back of the head and take off. The scientists tells Cap that he just determined that if the bombs blow off they will create a chain reaction that will destroy the world.
The thieves try to take off in a plane but Cap tears off the tail and punches the two out. The bombs roll into a crevice and Marvel struggles to find them with only an hour to spare. Cap manages to find one of the bombs with just a minute left but it turns out it's the other bomb that's about to explode. The second bomb explodes causing a chain reaction that eventually bursts the world asunder. Seriously. Marvel is in space surrounded by the wreckage of our planet. Cap is lamenting the destruction of the Earth when he notices an untouched planet behind him. It turns out when Marvel and Jybber flew away in their rocket they landed on a duplicate Earth (that apparently was right next to our Earth) and that Earth exploded. Cap bemoans the death of Jybber but such is life.
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| Captain Marvel's Record |
Captain Marvel Adventures 72 Universal
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9.4
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Tied with two other comics for second highest grade after a pair of 9.2's.
(Published) May 1947
(Cover) C.C. Beck
8 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel Judges the Dog Show"
(Writer) Bill Woolfolk
A couple of boys mock the dog of a boy named Jimmy. The boy punches one of the bullies in the face and his dog attacks their larger dog. Billy Batson sees the fight as it starts to go badly for Jimmy and speaks his magic word. Capt Marvel breaks up the fight and Jimmy is very appreciative. Marvel decides to keep an eye on Jimmy in case the bullies return. Jimmy's dog ends up running into the street and is nearly hit by a truck but Cap stops the truck but not before a dog that Rover was running with had its leg broken. Marvel rushes Boxer to the hospital and the doctor says he'll be as good as new. The owner is thrilled and tells Jimmy that Rover can come over any time to visit.
Jimmy visits the lady but the dogs don't get along and the readers can hear them speaking. The woman's dog is a snob and an awarding winning dog but can't compete because of his broken leg. Without Boxer's prize money she won't be able to afford to keep her dogs and a man offers to buy her kennel but she says she enter a different dog and the man leaves in a huff. Rover bites the man in the rear and sends him running as he yells back threats.
Capt Marvel agrees to judge the dog show and Jimmy decides to go to the dog show to see Marvel and brushes Rover to make him look nice. When Jimmy arrives at the dog show the man from earlier offers to buy Rover but Jimmy unsurprisingly declines. However, given the interest shown Jimmy decides to enter Rover in the show. For reasons, Cap ends up being the only judge and he awards first price to Rover. The man from earlier is angry because he owned the runner up. Suddenly, Mr Morris, who was supposed to be the other judge, shows up and says the man had kidnapped him. The villain is taken away and we find out that Rover is actually a rare Spautzer Hound and a deserving winner. The prize money goes to the lady and she's able to keep her kennel.
8 page Captain Marvel story
"Buried Alive"
Billy is doing a broadcast on an ongoing bank robbery. The cops are on the trail of two thieves who spot a door with a funeral wreath and duck inside the building. They slip the money into the casket and sneak out when the mourners leave the building.
The next day, Mr Morris sends Billy to the funeral of a wealth philanthropist. Billy is in a car with the widow when another car drives them off a cliff. Billy transforms and saves the car but the hearse is stolen. Cap follows the car to an abandoned house and changes back to Billy to investigate. He sees what's happening through the window but then trips and knocks himself out. The crooks tie and gag him and decide to toss him in the coffin in place of the body. They tip off the police as to the location of the coffin and the burial resumes with Billy being buried. Billy is buried alive. Billy manages to hook his gag on an exposed hinge and removes it. Shouting his magic word he bursts from the grave and flies back to the villains hideout. Marvel punches the two men out and they get very long prison sentences.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel's Record"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
Sivana is constantly bombarded with news about Capt Marvel so he decides to go see a movie but all they're showing is old newsreels of Marvel and he begins to go even crazier. Meanwhile, Mr Morris is telling Billy about a new transmitter than WHIZ is setting up. He wants Billy to check it out in the obscure little town where it's being erected. Billy decides to make things easy and travel as Capt Marvel. Turns out this is the town Sivan decided to travel to to avoid hearing about Cap. Marvel immediately spots the evil scientist. Punches him in the face and hauls him off to jail. However, when Sivana gets before the judge he claims that Capt Marvel is a crook and has newspaper articles to prove it. The articles are real but lack context. Cap is tossed into jail until the judge can analyze the charges.
Cap could break out but decides to stay and not break the law however a week passes with no news. In a near by city the police are laughing about Marvel's predicament which seems really weird. In a strange twist Cap manages to get a costume (I wonder why he didn't change to Billy to get out). Meanwhile, a crowd is angry over the fact that their town is a laughing stock for locking up Marvel. Cap's ridiculous costume causes the jailer to release him and he runs off in search of Sivana but Sivana is stumped for a good world conquering scheme. Cap shows up and punches him in the face and the judge relieves Cap of all charges.
9 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel' Discovers a New Planet"
(Script) Otto Binder
Billy announces in a radio broadcast that Capt Marvel has discovered a tenth planet in our solar system and later he decides to meet Prof Peter Cathell and hopes to get a chance to look through his giant telescope. The professor tells Billy to look for a specific star but Billy can't see it so he transforms in Capt Marvel. Cap IS able to see the star but he also sees another object which turns out to be a new planet in our solar system beyond Pluto. Cathell scoffs at the idea so Cap decides to fly to the planet to prove its existence. He finds a cold, dead world and from this distance the sun looks like little more than a bright star. Suddenly, Marvel is struck from behind with an energy beam. A pair of aliens are attacking and Cap punches one in the face sending the two running. They duck down a trap door which Marvel pries open and discovers an entire underground city. Guards immediately attacks but Cap pummels them. Their chief steps forward and uses a telepathy box to communicate in English and apologize for his guards actions.
It turns out the tenth planet had only recently entered our suns orbit and they are hoping to move closer to the sun for more warmth. Marvel and the chief form an friendship and Cap even changes back to Billy to do a broadcast from the planet but when the chief sees that he is now a boy he grabs Billy, binds and gags him. They plan on shooting a rocket into the run so it goes supernova, devouring the inner planets and giving their own planet warmth. They toss Billy into the rocket and shoot it off towards the run but Billy manages to catch his gag on some gears and speaks his magic word. He manages to explode the bomb far from the sun but when he returns to the planet finds it has slipped from its orbit because of the recoil from launching the bomb. Cap lets the planet go and returns home and lets the scientist know that the 10th planet has left orbit.
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Captain Marvel Adventures 76
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9.0
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Tied with two other comics for second highest grade after a single 9.2. The other two 9.0's are both Crowley copies.
(Published) September 1947
(Cover) C.C. Beck
9 page Captain Marvel
"The Atom Ambassador"
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
A little old man is stopped at the U.S. Border by and officer who asks for identification which he produces showing him to be a scientist named to be Rmr Ulggrr. Meanwhile, Billy shows up at Professor Dostrow's lab to see his cyclotron. When the cyclotron is turned on it's starts acting oddly pulsing regularly as if sending a message. Billy transform so the Capt. Marvel can use his super brain to figure it all out. The message asks them not to destroy the atom or millions will die but Dostrow decides to go ahead with it anyway. As he goes for the switch Ulggrr enters and hits him with an electricity beam. The ray gun has no effect on Marvel and Uggrr is punched into submission. It turns out Ulggrr is actually from the atomic universe. Not only that but he claims that the large universe is actually an atomic structure within even a larger universe and it is being threatened. The hurry to Ulggrr's Time Globe and travel to the larger universe however Capt. Marvel is still quite small, only perhaps seven inches. He punches out a scientist who is about to bombard their own atomic sized universe (relative to the larger universe) but not in anger just to stop him. They determine that this larger universe is within an even LARGER universe. Cap determines that carbon atoms are the only ones that contain life so all atomic research must end on carbon atoms. Of course wouldn't he have to travel to every expanded universe to inform them ad infinitum? Oh well, Ulggrr returns to his universe and all is well.
7 page Captain Marvel
"Billy's Big Game"
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
A trio of hoods are hold up in a cheap hotel getting bored so they decide to bet on the outcome of a football game outside their window. One team is the local Captain Marvel Club. One of the thugs cheats by taking the QB of the Capt. Marvel club out for sodas and gets him so sick on sodas that he's LAID UP FOR A WEEK!!! The team responds by adding Billy Batson as their quarterback and apparently he's even better. The thug from earlier tries to take Billy out for a soda but he shows no interest. When that fails the crook just decides to smash his head with a wrench but Billy spots him and transforms to Capt. Marvel. Marvel doesn't have evidence that that thus was actually going to hit Billy so he let's him go and in the next panel Billy is smashed in the head as he walks down the street. Brilliant.
He gags Billy and drives him out of town and dumps him on the side of the road. Billy, however, catches his gag on a tree branch and transforms. Billy arrives and the score is 28-20 with 1:30 left and the Captain Marvel Club is on their own goal line. The Captain Marvel Club manage to score but they're still down by 1. Somehow the opposing team fumbles and the Captain Marvel Club sets itself up for a field goal. When Billy goes to kick the ball one of the thugs shoots the ball in mid air which is pretty freaking amazing and the ball flops down on top of the goal post deflated. The ball drops and the Captain Marvel Club but the crook decides to just take the winnings and run even though he lost (why was he allowed to hold it?) Outside the field all the crooks get into a scuffle and Capt. Marvel punches out the trio and arrests them.
7 page Captain Marvel
"Sivana's Jailbreaker"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
The story opens with Sivana working in his lab on his 'automatic jailbreaker'. He walks into a cage and apparently the jailbreaker disintegrates all the bars. So as a real test he decides to get himself captured by sending a letter to Billy announcing his crime. Sadly for Sivana two other thugs decided to commit the same crime and the same place so when Capt. Marvel shows up he arrests them and leaves a frustrated Sivana as he demands to be arrested. Siviana decides to just throw a brick through a window but the store owner only thanks him because insurance will allow him to replace a window he already wanted to replace.
Sivana's next plan is to simply murder Billy Batson so he walks in on his broadcast by shooting him. Billy notices and transforms catching the bullet in his mouth but oddly Sivana shoots from behind a door so Cap doesn't see the shooter. Cap spots a man from the sound effects department and grabs him instead of Sivana. In frustration Sivana smashes his own invention but later when Cap discovers the sound effect man didn't fire the gun he arrests Sivana who no longer has his jailbreaker. The End.
2 page Jon Jarl text
"Hitchhiker of Space"
(Script) Otto Binder [as Eando Binder]
9 page Captain Marvel
"The Body Broadcaster"
(Writer) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
A stereotypical Chinese man walks into WHIZ speaking Chinese so Mr. Morris goes to Billy's office and asks his secretary Ms. Jameson to ring Billy. Billy can't speak Chinese so he transforms right in front of Mr. Morris who apparently is aware of Billy's dual identity. Capt/ Marvel is able to converse with the man who claims to have mysteriously teleported to the U.S. mere moments earlier. Next a Russian appears and then a Greek all speaking their native languages and claiming to have appeared in the U.S. in an instant. .
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| Captain Marvel Saves Sivana |
Captain Marvel Adventures 78 Universal
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9.0
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Tied With Three Others for fourth Best Graded
(Published) November 1947
(Cover) C.C. Beck
15 page Captain Marvel
"Captain Marvel Meets Mr. Atom"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
(Pencils/Inks) C.C. Beck
The backstory of Mr. Atom is narrated by the robot himself. Dr Charles Langley intends to create mechanical life but he ends up blowing up his lab. Out of the wreckage comes the Atomic powered Mr. Atom. Billy is at the explosion and changes to Capt Marvel and finds Langley barely alive. Meanwhile. Mr. Atom starts walking around town frightening people with his strength. He decides that it is his destiny to rule men.
Langley finally wakens and tells Cap that he needs to find his Atomic robot. He heads back to the lab but assumes that the robot was blown to bits when no sign of him is found. Later, Billy is doing his broadcast he's interrupted by an alert that a mysterious bandit is terrorizing the U.N. Mr. Atom is standing before the U.N. issuing threats but all he receives is laughter. He responds by killing a man with an electric bolt. Marvel shows up but finds Mr. Atom to be the strongest foe he has ever faced. Cap is punched through the U.N. roof and Mr. Atom unleashes a final threat before leaving. The world leaders discuss whether to fight Mr. Atom. As they talk Cap returns and tells the leader the Mr. Atom can be beaten.
Billy issues a challenge to Mr. Atom on his radio program and Atom accepts. The two clash in a titanic battle and seem evenly matched. After a monstrous crash Mr. Atom is shown chained up in prison. He send out one last message vowing to free himself from the thick walled lead prison.
7 page Captain Marvel
"Captain Marvel Saves Sivana"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza?
Sivana is furious that in 100 crimes he's been caught by Capt Marvel 100 times and hatches a devious plan. Cap is investigating a jewel robbery and suspects Sivana and fingerprints at the scene prove his suspicion. He spots the evil scientist strolling down the street and socks him in the jaw. Sivana claims innocence even as Cap delivers him to jail but as he leaves Marvel considers the possibility that Sivana is telling the truth and decides to do some investigating. Cap checks out a notorious fence and finds the gem but the fence claims it was 'Mike the Gangster' that sold it to him. Sivana is released (which seems weird since I thought he was an escaped convict) and gloats over the OTHER gems he stole. Cap finds Mike the Gangster but Mike claims the jewel was sold to him by Sivana so Cap rearrests Sivana. Pretty weak story.
9 page Captain Marvel
"The Street of Forgotten Men!"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza
The city of forgotten men is a street of once famous men who've fallen on hard times. Billy is being given a tour of the street by a police officer when a shot rings out. Sadly the young cop loses his nerve when he pulls his gun and Billy needs to change to Capt Marvel to capture the thief. The cop is so humiliated that he turns in his badge and became just another homeless man on the street of forgotten men.
Billy sees him and informs him that the crook Capt Marvel captured, Duke Durgee's, has escaped. but Jim Casey is no longer a cop. Cap looks for help from a down and out inventor who has a 'footprint tracker'. Marvel borrows the invention and quickly finds Duke but the crook manages to escape by jumping out a window. He runs past Jim Casey, kicking a boy in the process, and Casey decides he's had enough and tackles Durgee. Casey ends up getting shot but is saved by a homeless man who had been a brilliant doctor. In the end the inventor, the doctor and the ex-cop all get their lives back and leave the street of forgotten men.
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Captain Marvel Adventures 80 Universal
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9.0
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Currently the fourth Highest Graded Copy of this Issue.
(Published) January 1948
(Cover) C.C. Beck
9 page Captain Marvel
"A Twice-Told Tale"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza
Sivana decides to travel back in time to kill Billy before he ever became Captain Marvel. Just as Cap shows up, Sivana takes a time pill to travel back a few years but let's the Big Red Cheese know his plan. However, Marvel believes it's all gibberish and ignores. Turns out when Sivana is in the past he quickly loses his memory of future events. He runs into Billy and buys a newspaper without either recognizing the other. Forgetting he's from the future, Sivana hatches a plan to destroy all radio. Meanwhile, Billy's origin plays out as normal and he gains the powers of Shazam.
Later, Billy overhears two thugs mention that they work for the Phantom Scientist (Savana) and tells Mr. Morris (this is prior to him working for WHIZ). Morris tells him if he's right he'll give him a job. Billy speaks his magic word for the first time ever and transforms. Marvel finds Sivana and smashes his machine in what is now their first encounter. Sivana discovers his time pill and escapes to the future while Mr. Morris holds true to his vow and gives Billy a job for finding the Phantom Scientist.
Sivana returns to the exact time and place he left where Capt Marvel is still standing and is immediately captured.
7 page Captain Marvel
"Captain Marvel's Inferiority Complex"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
Mr Morris invites Capt Marvel to a party thrown by Mrs Van Rockabilt, a financial backer of WHIZ, but Billy shows little interest. Morris convinces Bill but when he transforms Marvel is angry that Billy promised he would show up. Marvel shows up but inadvertently makes an ass of himself. He's feeling depressed when a psychiatrist spots him and suggests he come to his office to investigate his inferiority complex.
The next day he goes to Dr. Deflong's office and finds out his inferiority is brought on by a woman who called him the Big Red Cheese. The Dr suggests he regain his confidence by attending Mrs Van Rockabilt's croquet match. Cap goes and ends up taking over for an ill player. He smacks the croquet ball too hard but in retrieving it discovers a crime and the woman who previously called him the Big Red Cheese is there and says that she had always intended on apologizing and everything turns out well.
7 page Captain Marvel
"The Weathermen"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
A farm in Indiana has been experiencing a terrible rainstorm for 200 years. Billy decides to interview the owners of the farm with the worst weather in the world but he has to transform into Capt Marvel when a tree nearly falls on him from the wind and lightning sets the farmhouse on fire. Marvel rescues farmer Cranston. Cranston seems intent on sticking it out despite but then a nasty hailstorm whips up. In anger Cranston curses the weatherman.
As Cap is walking home a strange man approaches asking the location of the Cranston farm. The man walks off but it suddenly dawns on Marvel that the hail wasn't touching him. The weatherman shows up at the farm and begins to mock Cranston and his wife. Cranston attempts to kill the weatherman but gets a bolt of lightning in his rear. The weatherman tries to create an even bigger storm but gets punched down by Marvel. The weatherman creates a fog and runs out the front door. Cap grabs him and orders him to stop tormenting the farm but the weatherman claims the farm is where he dumps all the excess storm for the year. Cap convinces him to dump the weather somewhere else and he chooses a deserted island. From then on the Cranston farm is a success.
4 page Captain Kid
"On The Griddle"
(Script/Pencils/Inks) Al Liederman
2 page Jon Jarl text
"Duel in Space"
(Script) Otto Binder [as Eando Binder]
8 page Captain Marvel
"Captain Marvel in the Land of Surrealism"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
The artist Leonardo VInch wins first prize at the surrealist art show but grows indignant when the presenter suggests that the painting is imaginative rather than literal. The presenter threatens to take the blue ribbon from Vinch unless he admits the painting is not reality and gives him 24 hours to confess. Vinch refuses and Billy Batson asks him why. Vinch offers to take Billy to the place where he created his paintings called Goofy Grotto. True to his word, VInch takes Billy to a literal surrealist jungle but the surreal dream turns into a nightmare as the weird plants attack and Billy is forced to transform.
Capt Marvel finds Vinch missing but locates him further into the strange forest. Vinch is being painted by a weird creature against his will. The creature tries to grab Cap to be the subject of another painting but Marvel gives him a punch and sends him on his way. Cap scoops up Vinch and tries to fly away but fireworks force them down. They stumble upon an art show where the judge is disbelieving that the portrait of Vinch is real and not imaginary. A twist on what happened to Vinch. The strange artist is attacked and Cap defends him with his fists. The creature leads Cap and VInch out of the grotto and the two to keep the place a secret.
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Captain Marvel Adventures 82 Universal
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9.0
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Fourth Highest Grade Behind a Trio of 9.2's.
(Published) March 1948
(Cover) C.C. Beck
9 page Captain Marvel
"Sivana Meets Aunt Minerva"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
Sivana has come up with a brilliant plan to eliminate Capt. Marvel, climb in Billy Batson's window and slit his throat. Meanwhile, Aunt Minerva has created a love potion that she'll use on Capt. Marvel after forcing Billy to transform. Minerva arrives at Billy's just after Sivana prompting him to dive under a bed when he senses an intruder. Mistaking Sivana for Billy she hits him with the love potion and he pops out moonstruck. Not being choosy, Minerva is fine with Sivana's advances until Billy wakes, transforms and belts Sivana in the face. Minerva embraces the Big Red Cheese causing him to change back to Billy and Sivana knocks him out with a chair. Minerva dives into Sivana's arm knocking him down and out.
Back at Minerva's hideout, Sivana continues to profess his love so she orders him out and steal the finest jewels. Still having a crush on Marvel she calls Billy and tells him where Sivana will be stealing the jewels. Marvel shows up as Sivana is breaking into a vault and punches him in the face but he escapes while Cap is occupied with his underlings.
Impressed by the jewels Minerva agrees to elope and Sivana goes back to his hideout to gather all his money when Cap shows up and punches him to the ceiling. The jolt shakes Sivana out of his love stupor and he begs to be put in jail to avoid Minerva. Cap ends up carrying both to prison as they hit and curse each other.
7 page Captain Marvel
"The Streamlining of Captain Marvel"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
Spotting "Blimp" Baldwin's gang robbing the Hysler Building from their blimp, Capt. Marvel swoops in and begins pummeling them. The pilot accidentally steers the dirigible into the building igniting it in flames. Marvel carries the burning blimp away from the city and rescues the crooks who are now happy to go to jail.
At his HQ, Blimp Baldwin is angry over his lack of weight loss even as he consumes a huge meal. Baldwin has a very porcine appearance with a pig nose and huge belly. He's told that Capt. Marvel thwarted the Hysler robbery and decides crime doesn't pay with Cap around. He proposes a plan to weaken Cap by causing him to lose weight.
At WHIZ Billy receives a massive amount of mail for Capt. Marvel each one encouraging him to lose weight. Later, Billy finds an image of a fat Capt. Marvel drawn on the sides of a building. He changes to Marvel and begins washing the picture off the wall when some boys begin mocking him for being fat. Cap ducks into a clothing store and checks out his rear end in a mirror to see if he truly is fat. Unsurprisingly, we find the boys were given money to call Marvel fat. A man approaches Cap suggesting he could help him lose weight and gets Cap to spend time in a sweat box at his salon. Two hours later ,Cap is told to sit on a vibrating horse. He hears a phone ring and answers it but before Cap can say a word Baldwin lays out the evenings crime thinking he's talking to someone else. Cap reacts quickly punching out the salon owner and capturing Blimp. The End
7 page Captain Marvel
"The Medieval Demon"
(Script) Bill Woolfolk
Horace Stoker, a practitioner of the black arts, makes his living shaking people down by threatening to put a curse on them but as he's lost credibility his income has declined. In order to gain back respect he decides to destroy Capt. Marvel.
Later, Billy is stuck in a traffic jam and transforms to Capt. Marvel to investigate only to discover a hairy bipedal creature blocking the road. A cop tries to arrest the demon but he escapes and begins scaring other people. A bus runs over the demon but he just disappears returning to Stoker. Horace sends the demon out again to destroy Capt. Marvel but the creature seems sad and lost in this strange world. He arrives in the city and kids start pelting him with stones thinking he's a man in a costume (which still doesn't make it right). Cap saves the demon, still not realizing it's a demon. Try as he might the demon can't convince people he's for real until he tries to paralyze Marvel with fear and choke the life out of him at which point Cap knocks him so hard he disappears. He appears backs at Stoker's house and chokes him to death which is a surprising brutal ending for a Capt. Marvel story.
8 page Captain Marvel
"The Return of Tawky Tawny"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Inks/Pencils) C.C. Beck
Visiting Tawky Tawny at the museum where he works, Billy inquires as to how he learned to speak. They arrange to meet later at Tawny's apartment but on the way Billy hears a gunshot and changes to Capt. Marvel. He discovers a man named Tom Todd holding a smoking gun, standing over a corpse. Tom claims innocence saying that the dead man was his boss and after he heard a gunshot he picked up the gun without thinking. The police take him away assuming he's guilty but Cap believes his unlikely story.
Later, Billy arrives at Tawny's and mentions the shooting including the suspects name. When Tawny hears the name he exclaims that Todd was an old friend. Turns out Tom Todd raised Tawny from a cub after his mom was shot by hunters. He even brought Tawny to school and when Tawny was full grown rode him like a horse. After Tawny is accused of killing a man in a nearby village he and Tom are forced to flee. They come across a hermit who happens to be testing a brain energizing serum and lo and behold Tawny is granted the ability to speak.
Tom and Tawny start back towards the village and spot the true killer tiger. Tawny defeats the tiger and they drag it back to the village to prove Tawny's innocence. Now Tawny wants to help Tom just as Tom helped him. They go to the scene of the murder and Tawny is able to use his tiger nose to track the true killer by smell. They capture the man and Tom is set free.
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| The Freedom Train (4 Part) |
Captain Marvel Adventures 85 Universal
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8.5
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Tied with two others for second highest grade
(Published) June 1948
(Cover) C.C. Beck
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Freedom Train Ch. 1: The Freedom Train Rolls On"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Constanza
Billy goes to check out the Freedom Train, a legit train that ran from 1947 to 1949. Sivana, however, hates the train and makes plans to destroy it. Sivana brings an explosive camera to the Freedom Train but when he tries to fire a rocket and FBI agent approaches him and some marines knock him around. Sivana responds by taking the bomb and hurling it into a crowd. Billy transforms and catches the bomb and tosses it through a skylight. Sivana is taken off to jail but he escapes that evening with a robotic helicopter. Billy is called about the escape and flies directly to Sivana's lab just as Sivana is running out the back door. Sivana escapes to his helicopter which vanishes in a poof of smoke. Turns out the helicopter is a time machine that has flown back to 1776. Cap goes back to the lab and spots a history book opened to 1776 and deduces that Sivana went back in time.
9 page Captain Marvel story
"The Freedom Train Ch. 2: The Chase Through History"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Constanza
Sivana has gone back to 1776 to replace the Declaration of Independence with his Declaration of Dictatorship. Meanwhile, Capt Marvel has used the Rock of Eternity to travel back in time to stop Sivana. Just as Sivana shoots a flaming arrow at the Declaration of Independence during the singing, Cap catches the arrow and breaks it in two. He chases Sivana but the local guards mistake Cap for a redcoat prompting Marvel to speak his magic word and transform back to Billy. Sivana spots him as he walks away and smashes him on the head with a brick, binds him up and puts him in the chopper. His next stop is Washington crossing the Delaware. He drops Billy into the water and tries to upend Washington's boat with a hook. Unsurprisingly Billy's gag slips off and he's able to transform. As he grabs the hook, Sivana fades travelling to 1787 but Cap ends up getting pulled through time with him. Sivana tries dropping a bomb on the signing of the Constitution. Cap stops the bomb and takes control of the helicopter setting it to returns to 1948.
8 page Captain Marvel story
"The Freedom Train Ch. 3: The Heritage of America"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Constanza
Sivana kicks a lever and drops out the bottom of the helicopter. Cap lands the helicopter but by the time he returns Sivana has escaped. The two are now in 1814 at the burning of Washington D.C. Somehow Sivana is able to determine that a specific stagecoach is carrying the most famous U.S. documents including the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and plants a boulder to wreck it. Capt Marvel shows up and moves the boulder but Sivana uses the opportunity to grab his helicopter and disappear. Cap believes he's gone to destroy the Emancipation Proclamation and uses the Rock of Eternity to travel to 1863. Sivana manages to switch the document for one that makes EVERYONE a slave. Cap spots and the document and Sivana and punches the evil scientist to the ground. He replaces the document and captures Sivana. They fly back to 1948 but when Cap tries to have Sivana arrested the criminal uses his wrist remote control to fly away into a patch of clouds.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Freedom Train Ch. 4: The Freedom Plane"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Constanza
Having failed in the past, Sivana decides to try his luck in the future, 2048. Sivana arrives on the hundredth anniversary of the Freedom Train and to celebrate the Freedom Plane is touring the 53 American states. Old Shazam informs Capt Marvel that Sivana traveled to 2048 and Cap heads off in pursuit. Sivana starts blasting the Freedom Plane with electrons forcing it higher into the air. A distress call is put out and Cap flies to the rescue. He pushes the plain down but the harder he pushes the more the plane strains because of the extra electrons. He pushes the plane into a thundercloud to discharge the electrons. Meanwhile, Sivana, thinking all the famous American documents are destroyed, announces himself the King of America. Cap captures Sivana and puts him behind bars and Marvel encourages all readers to sign his freedom pledge.
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| Captain Marvel Becomes a Jinx |
Captain Marvel Adventures 92 Universal
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8.0
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Despite Being a Mere 8.0 this is the Highest Graded Copy of this Issue and one of only four graded comics.
(Published) January 1949
(Cover) C.C. Beck
9 page Captain Marvel story
"The Lionizing of Mr. Tawny"
(Appearance) Tawky Tawny
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils and Inks) C.C. Beck
Mr. Tawny gets a letter from Epic Studios asking him to come to Hollywood and appear in a jungle film. Tawny will play the part of an actual jungle tiger but with his intellect he can easily follow the directorial directions. Tawny replaces an animal impersonator who later decides to KILL Tawny as an act of revenge. Cap protects him and Tawny becomes the toast of Tinseltown enraging his enemy further. The stress of being so popular begins to weigh on Tawny even as the killer makes another attempt on his life. Cap finally manages to catch the villain and Tawny returns home to sit in his easy chair and look over letters of fans who've submitted suggestions for his name. There was an actual contest at the time to see who could come up with a first name for Mr. Tawny.
In the story Hollywood producer Gordon De Boom accidentally calls Captain Marvel Captain Marble which is the name Mad magazine used in the Cap parody.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Curse of the Evil Eye"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza?
Billy spots Millionaire Reginald Vanderpool shoplifting jewelry in a department store. When Cap apprehends him Vanderpool seems confused and the store declines to press charges so he is released. Almost immediately he tries a hold up outside the store before again being caught and released by Cap. A distance away Patcheye Patchog is using his "long range hypnotic powers" to force Vanderpool to rob. After Vanderpool attempts arson Captain Marvel is finally forced to take him to the police. Vanderpool is released with a stiff fine but his reputation is ruined. Later Vanderpool robs a jewelry store at night and takes the jewels to Patchog while Billy Batson watches on. Spotting Batson, Patchog paralyzes him with hypnosis Patchog controls Vanderpool to shoot Billy but his aim is terrible and the sound of the gun discharging wakens Billy from the hypnotic control. Captain Marvel takes out Patchog and Vanderpool's name is restored.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel Becomes a Jinx"
(Appearance) Dr. Sivana
(Script) Otto Binder
Captain Marvel travels to Binkville for Captain Marvel day but the moment he walks into town a car crash occurs when a driver spots the famous hero. A rumor starts circulating that Captain Marvel is a jinx which seems confirmed when he lands hard on the grandstand and absolutely demolishes it. Turns out Dr. Savana sabotaged the grandstand and intends to continue to slander Captain Marvel's name. Captain Marvel and the mayor decide to tour the town in the mayor's car but Sivana sabotaged that also causing the steering wheel to dislodge and the bottom to drop off. Later, Cap has an ill advised tug of war against the towns strongest men but the rope snaps sending all the men into a lake. Convincing the town the Cap is a jinx Sivana leads a crowd to burn a statue of Captain Marvel in effigy but Sivana accidentally lights his own fake beard on fire and Cap punches him out. He puts out the fire and the day ends up a success despite Sivana.
2 page Jon Jarl text story
"World of Youth"
(Script) Otto Binder [as Eando Binder]
9 page Captain Marvel
"The Land of Limbo"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils and Inks) C.C. Beck
When an Art Museum art director wish a painting would 'Go to Limbo' a strange man shows up to literally do just that. He is the collector from Limbo and as he's leaving he decides he's tired of only taking things people don't want so he grabs an expensive painting also. Captain Marvel spots him but before he can act the man rides a horse drawn cart into the air straight into Limbo. When the collector tries to grab another valuable sculpture Captain Marvel follows him straight into Limbo. Problem is when Cap arrives in Limbo his memory is lost and he can't remember what he was trying to recover. Cap returns to Earth but everyone has forgotten the items taken to Limbo. Somehow Captain Marvel is able to remember and returns but the collector unleashes a forgotten God named Boolzeboob and then an ancient forgotten dragon which are both dispatched by the world's mightiest mortal. He returns the stolen items and later reveals that Cap learned what items were stolen by looking at the police blotter which kinda makes no sense.
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| Sivana's Better Self |
Captain Marvel Adventures 107
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7.5
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Despite being 7.5 it is the second highest grade following the 8.0 copy. It's also a Pedigree copy and one of only three graded copies. The other Crowley copy is even lower at 6.5. Not sure why Crowley beat this issue so badly.
10 page Captain Marvel story
"The World's Mightiest Fight"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) C.C. Beck
Captain Marvel flies to Africa to take care of an illegal poacher but this is no ordinary hunter, it's a space hunter with a paralysis gun. The hunter seems to be no match but then downs some Atomic Energy and punches Captain Marvel a mile away. The hunter goes back to his ship filled with living trophy's and listens to the exploits of Marvel on his radio. He decides he wants to bag the biggest game of them all, Captain Marvel himself. He downs a pile of Atomic Energy and heads out to fight Cap bare handed. The two have a titanic battle. The fight continues to heat up as the hunter downs more and more Atomic Food. For hours hey punch each other from one end of the planet to the other neither able to gain an advantage. Trying to be clever Cap jams all the rest of the Atomic Food down the hunters throat causing him to literally explode like a bomb which he miraculously survives. However, with no more Atomic Food left he quickly submits and leaves Earth for good.
4 page Captain Kid story
"Tripped By a Boat Trip"
(Pencils and Inks) Al Liederman?
7 page Captain Marvel story
"Sivana's Better Self"
(Appearance) Sivana
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
The story opens with Sivana already the dictator of a "friendly country" but he gets on the radio and claims that he only has peaceful intentions. No one believes him and with good reason because Sivana is only trying to scam the world. In order to convince people he IS good Sivana takes a formula that will literally turn him good for 24 hours. Captain Marvel shows up and Sivana being good reveals his entire scheme. Sivana has missiles pointed at all the great cities of the world and Cap speeds to destroy them all. After destroying only 8 of 50 the formula wears off and Sivana orders the missiles launched. Cap fairly easily destroys the rest of the missiles and rushes to capture Sivana who has hid in a barrel. Sivana tries to convince Cap it wasn't his fault but Marvel isn't buying it and takes him to prison.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel Helps WHIZ Get Color Television"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
Billy and Mr. Morris are preparing things as station WHIZ gets ready to move to color when "The Color Maker" makes an appearance. He claims to make all the colors of the world by Billy and Mr. Morris just assume he's a crackpot, that is until he steps out a window and disappears. While Captain Marvel assists in setting up WHIZ the Color Maker is back in his factory setting up colors when one of his assistance comes by with some recent artwork from earth. He's so appalled by the use of colors that he strips all the color from Earth. Cap is flummoxed by the loss of color until the Color Maker shows up and explains that this is his revenge for the ugly use of colors in Earth paintings. When Cap threatens him the Color Maker recolors him except in purple with yellos polka dots. The Color Maker takes Cap back to his factor and even Cap agrees the colors in the paintings are pretty bad. The Color Maker wishes the colors on artwork looked more like his own paintings so Cap offers to show off his artwork on WHIZ. When the Color Master sees that his artwork is being broadcast in black and white he returns color to the world and the premier of color on WHIZ is a rousing success.
2 page Jon Jarl text story
"Time Trip"
(Script) Otto Binder [as Eando Binder]
9 page Captain Marvel story
"The Man Who Stole Dirt"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) Pete Costanza
Billy decides to work as a farmer during some time off from work to get into shape and settles in a valley with some of the best soil on Earth. But an evil farmer decides to flood the plains by bursting a dam. Cap saves all the people in the valley and then comes across the evil farmer who' tossing dynamite. He convinces Cap her's only trying to dynamite a hole to drain the water and so he does but the land in the valley is ruined. The farmer starts buying up all the worthless land from people more than happy to sell. Billy is suspicious and follows the farmer who spots Billy, knocks him out and throws him into a cavern. Billy wakes up and shouts his magic word. Cap discovers that all the good soil simply washed into the cavern (not sure it works that way). Cap punches out the farmer and spreads the prime soil across the valley.
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| The World Without Fire |
Captain Marvel Adventures 116 Universal
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9.0
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Tied with two others for Second Highest Grade. There is an 8.0 Davis Crippen D Copy
(Published) January 1951
(Cover) by C.C. Beck
10 page Captain Marvel story
"The World Without Fire"
(Script) Otto Binder
Sivana is on an alien planet selling property on Earth to aliens. His plan is to get the aliens to Earth and the rule them. First, he needs to get rid of human civilization and sprays a gas over the Earth that prevents any fire from being ignited. Capt Marvel is a attempting to put out a massive fire when it spontaneously extinguishes. Cap rescues a plane falling from the sky because its engine can't fire. Cars and factories are dead and the world is in real danger.
Cap comes across a pair of aliens building a house and they cheerfully show our hero a deed signed by Sivana. He sends the aliens away and flies to Sivana's laboratory but several aliens are guarding the place. Marvel overhears a conversation that they have instructions to blow up the lab and the antidote for the anti fire catalyst if the see Capt Marvel. He changes to Billy and the guards let him right into the lab because he's not Marvel. Billy finds the formula but get clocked by Sivana. Sivana ties Billy to a post and lights a fire under him (because apparently he hauled him to the alien planet). Naturally the flame burns away Billy's gag and he speaks his magic word. Sivana is punched out and Cap releases the antidote over the entire Earth. Pretty weak ending.
4 page Captain Kid story'
"The Case of the Violin Case"
(Pencils and Inks) Al Liederman?
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Magic Carpet Menace"
(Script) Otto Binder
Billy is interviewing a carpet salesman named Zopodian who claims to have a magic carpet. He speaks and ancient magic word and flies out a window. The carpet Billy is standing off also flies off and Billy falls forcing him to speak his magic word. Turns out EVERY carpet in the city is taking flight. Capt Marvel flies around saving people but there are now thousands of carpets filling they air. Cap spots Zopodian and asks if this is all intentional. Zopodian claims it was an accident and asks Marvel to change back to Billy and he'll broadcast the magic word to stop all the carpets. Zopodian demands 1 million dollars to say the magic word and when Billy threatens to call up Capt Marvel he's knocked out. He tosses Billy on to a flying carpet. Billy saves himself by smashing into a window slicing off his gag. He flies back, punches out Zopodian and speaks the magic word (not sure how Cap knew it). Amazingly the rugs all float to the Earth gently rather than dropping like rocks. Zopodian is taken to jail. The End.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Mystery of the Flying Saucer
(Script) Otto Binder
The story opens with Timothy Taine running from his own shadow. He is known as the biggest coward in town. Like a bully he takes out his frustration of being mocked at out on his cat. Elsewhere, an alien saucer appears and begins dropping bombs on a small town. Capt Marvel flies to the rescue and destroys the bombs but the saucer manages to escape in a cloud bank. A message from the aliens floats down taunting Cap and claiming another attack will come that evening. He spots the ship that evening but it shrinks from sight before he can capture it. The town is on fire when who should emerge but Tom Taine with a machine gun and a new sense of bravery. He flies a plane into the sky, shoots the saucer and causes it to explode.
The next day a parade is held in Taine's honor when suddenly Capt Marvel flies up and punches him in the face. Cap claims the saucer was a balloon that Taine simply popped and the man is hauled off to prison. Surprise ending considering it doesn't explain where the bombs came from.
9 page Captain Marvel story
"The Sinister Thrill Seekers"
(Script) Otto Binder
In Paris the Eiffel Tower suddenly disappears causing panic. Elsewhere, a plane spots a jet towing the entire tower. Billy Batson sees a news report on the theft while visiting Washington D.C. when he spots the entire Washington monument being yanked into the air. He transforms into Capt Marvel but loses the monument in the clouds. Later, a pair off odd looking thieves begin stealing things like a skeleton of Java man, a car wheel and other random object.
Cap is trying to figure out the logic behind all these crimes when he spots the rocket dragging away a whale. The rocket begins to fade away but Cap manages to spot writing on the rocket saying, "Made in Lyria 5000AD". Capt Marvel uses the Rock of Eternity to travel to 5000 AD and finds all the stolen items. Apparently it was all just a scavenger hunt and an angry Marvel reacts but punching the two future men out. The two manage to distract Cap and escape back to the present time. Cap discovers that their next item to kidnap is Billy Batson.
Cap goes back in time and decides to trap them by changing back to Billy but ends up getting bound and gagged. Dummy. They take Billy back to 50 million BC and decide to scare Billy with a dinosaur by the dino ends up eating him. The teeth of the dinosaur rip away Billy's gag and he knocks the beast out (which seems unnecessary). The future men take back all the stolen stuff and pay for any damages.
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| Sivana's Sound Plague |
Captain Marvel Adventures 118 Universal
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9.2
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Currently Tied as the Highest Graded Copy of this Issue. The other 9.2 is also a a Crowley copy. There is also a 9.0 Davis Crippin D.
(Published) March 1951
(Cover) by C.C. Beck
Captain Marvel in
"Sivana's Sound Plague"
(Script) Otto Binder
5 page Captain Marvel story
"The Pie Plot"
(Script) Otto Binder
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Space Orphan"
(Script) Otto Binder
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Weird Water Man"
(Script) Otto Binder
9 page Captain Marvel story
"The Mountain That Grew"
(Script) Otto Binder
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| Captain Marvel Battles Hallucination |
Captain Marvel Adventures 136
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9.0
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Currently the Third Highest Graded Copy of this Issue. There is a 9.6 and 9.2 Crowley copy. This issue actually has three Crowley's.
(Published) September 1952
(Cover) by C.C. Beck
8 page Captain Marvel story
"Captain Marvel Battles Hallucination"
(Appearances) Sivana, Dexter Knox
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) C.C. Beck
Turns out that Sivana and Billy Batson have nightmares each night about the other. Capt. Marvel consults Dexter Knox to see if he has a way to track down the evil scientist when to his surprise Sivana strolls through the door. Sivana aims a gun at Knox who seems entirely unaware of the scientists presence. Cap pushes Dexter out of the way of the blast and Sivana escapes. As Marvel pursues Knox considers the possibility that it was all in Capt. Marvel's imagination. Next, Sivana goes after Pa Potter who also fails to see Sivana even as Cap lifts him out of danger. Both Pa and Dexter discuss the idea that Cap may be hallucinating.
Cap flies back to WHIZ and finds Sivana aiming his gun at Mr. Morris. Marvel blocks the blast but just before Mr. Morris never saw Sivana. At this point even Cap starts to consider that he may be cracking up. Elsewhere Sivana is chuckling over his new invisibility belt that only allows Capt. Marvel to see him. Sivana baits Cap into punching him and then turns his belt all the way up so he is entirely invisible. Cap grabs the invisible fiend but a crowd begins to believe he's gone bonkers. An actual attempt is made to lock Marvel up prompting him to transform back to Billy. With a tear in his eye he decides he can never change to Capt. Marvel again. He even announces on his radio program that Marvel is finished.
Sivana literally dances with joy but now he decides to pull the same stunt on Billy. Billy becomes convinced that he too is nuts so Dexter Knox takes him to a 'crazy house' to Sivana's delight. However, Dexter takes Billy out the back door telling him he knows he's not crazy. Somehow Dexter figured out Sivana's entire scheme. The story abruptly wraps up as Sivana appears on a TV thinking Marvel is gone and Cap tracks him back to his base on punches him out. Dexter explains at the end that having both Cap and Billy have the same hallucinations tipped him off. Seems kinda sketchy.
2 page Jon Jarl text story
"The Space Pyramid"
(Script) Otto Binder [as Eando Binder]
4 page Captain Kid story
"The Practical Jokers"
(Pencils and Inks) Al Liederman?
6 page Captain Marvel story
"Television Trickery"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) C.C. Beck
Timmy Tinkle, the robot, dreams of operating a camera at WHIZ. Billy suggests that Timmy could help him with a marionette show he'd like to do and they ask Mr. Morris for permission. Mr. Morris rejects Tinker but accepts Billy.
That night, Billy begins his new puppet show and everything is going well when suddenly a tear gas bomb explodes. Billy transforms to Capt. Marvel and spots Tommy Tinkle taking over camera work after the camera man runs off. The gas is ventilated out and the show continues but after it ends Cap accuses Tinker of lobbing the bomb to get the cameraman position. Tinker uses his exceptional strength to pull himself away from Cap's grip and hides. We can see Tinker's thought and he's innocent.
The true culprit is Anton Garsh who's taking revenge on Mr. Morris for dropping his show. He tosses tear gas at another show and Timmy Tinkle arrives to assist. Cap thinks he's the one behind the gas attack but decides to put on his own act to keep the show going. Tinker acts as cameraman and the gas clears up. When the show is over Tinker turns himself over to Cap but Marvel already saw Garsh and punches him out. Apparently Cap always knew Tinker was innocent and was simply trying to smoke out Garsh. In the end Tinker gets the cameraman position her desperately wanted.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The Witch of Haven Street"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) C.C. Beck
(Reprinted) Adventure Comics #498
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| The World's Maddest Ghost |
Captain Marvel Adventures 138 Universal
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9.4
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Currently Tied as the Highest Graded Copy of this Issue. The other 9.4 is also a Crowley copy.
(Published) November 1952
(Cover) by C.C. Beck
8 page Captain Marvel story
"The Flying Disk Danger"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils/Inks) C.C. Beck
Pa Potter is outside looking for flying saucers when one arrives prompting Billy to transform into Capt. Marvel. The saucer lands and a group of human looking figures emerge asking for help but before Cap can act a long range ray fries the humanoids. Cap gets into the space ship and flies off in search of other saucers. He spots a caravan of saucers landing in Antarctica. The aliens land and start forcing slaves at the crack of a whip to load ice onto their spacecrafts.
Cap frees the slaves but the amount of ice removed has actually thrown the Earth off balance causing the entire planet to shake. To solve the issue Cap dumps one of the moons mountains at the Earths ice cap to restore balance. At their home planet the aliens are dumping the ice out. Marvel attacks the aliens but when their commander pulls a gun no the slaves Cap inexplicably changes back to Billy to throw him off. Billy is IMMEDIATELY captured and the alien leader explains that their planet is too close to the sun so they steal ice from other planets to cool their own. Billy is dumped on a pile of ice to freeze to death but Billy manages to scrape off the gag placed over his mouth and shouts his magic word.
Cap smashes an enormous block of ice over the alien king's head, frees the slaves and pushes the planet into a new orbit further from the sun. He returns to Earth and transforms back to Billy and we discover on of the great questions about Billy Batson which has always plagued me. Where does he live? Apparently it's with Ma and Pa Potter.
2 page Jon Jarl text story
"Interplanetary Firebug"
(Script) Otto Binder [as Eando Binder]
4 page Captain Kid story
"The Losing Winner"
(Pencils and Inks) Al Liederman?
6 page Captain Marvel story
"The Horrible Haunted Armor"
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils) C.C. Beck
(Inks) Pete Costanza
A shady looking fellow tries to buy Pa Potters antique store but when Pa refuses, the man stalks off angrily vowing to get rid of him another way.
Later, Billy stops by the store and Pa shows him a mysterious suit of armor someone sent him. On the armor is written "Ye Haunted Knight". Suddenly, the armor comes to life and takes a swing at Billy with his sword. Billy transforms and the sword shatters against his invincible chest. One punch and Capt. Marvel knocks the armor to pieces. After Cap leaves the villains from earlier returns, clunks Pa Potter on the head and puts the armor back together. Life returns to the suit and he leaves with murderous intent. The first person he comes across is Billy Batson who once again speaks his magic word and rushes in to finish the armor off once and for all but it turns out Pa Potter was placed inside the armor. The armor raises it's visor to show Pa within and then rushes off with Cap unable to destroy him. This actually was not the villains intent as he wanted Cap to kill Potter.
Capt. Marvel tries to stop the armors violence but the armor threatens to ram itself into a wall to kill Potter. He even tries to ram himself head first into Cap prompting the Big Red Cheese to flee and change back to Billy and dump some tar on the ground trapping the armor. He changes BACK to Capt. Marvel, rips off the armor and crushes it into a ball. He tracks the armor back to a competing antique store and the evil owner is put into jail.
7 page Captain Marvel story
"The World's Maddest Ghost"
(Appearance) Dr. Sivana (birth year given as 1892), Dexter Knox
(Script) Otto Binder
(Pencils and Inks) C.C. Beck
(Reprinted) Adventure Comics #498'
Sivana hides behind a tree with a gun laying in wait for Billy Batson but Billy has is wearing a Sivana alarm and it begins to sound prompting the boy the speak his magic word. Sivana runs off and blasts a wall to slow Cap down. Marvel needs to hold up the wall to stop it from crushing people allowing Sivana to get away.
Later, Sivana is frustrated by the detector Billy is wearing and decides to simply lob a bomb and WHIZ from a helicopter. The Sivana detector goes off again and Capt. Marvel takes the force off the bomb on his chest and takes off in pursuit of Sivana. Sivana's helicopter flies straight into a cliff face and explodes. Capt. Marvel pulls his charred body from the wreckage and flies his away for a proper burial. Cap seems almost sad standing over Sivana's grave when unexpectedly Sivana walks from behind his own graving claiming to be a ghost returned to atone for his sins. He asks to meet with Dexter Knox to operate as a "ghost scientist" and Cap agrees (wisdom of Solomon, my butt).
Feeling good, Capt. Marvels leaves the two scientists alone and changes back to Billy Batson. Billy is thrilled and throws away his Sivana detector only to get clunked on the head. Sivana is still alive and ties up and gags Billy. What they buried was a dummy. Billy/Capt. Marvel are idiots but Sivana is a bigger idiot so he has Billy and Dexter tied up but doesn't shoot them. Billy manages to free himself from the gag, transform and punch out Sivana. The End,
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