Captain Marvel, Jr.
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Template:Superherobox Captain Marvel, Jr. is a fictional character, a superhero derived from the DC Comics (formerly Fawcett Comics) character Captain Marvel. He first appeared in Whiz Comics #25 in December 1941.
Captain Marvel, Jr. was an orphaned newsboy named Freddy Freeman, who was fatally wounded in a battle between Captain Marvel and his enemy Captain Nazi. Marvel transformed into his civilian identity, Billy Batson, and brought the dying Freeman to the wizard Shazam, who had given Batson the power to become Captain Marvel. Shazam granted this wish: when Batson transformed into Marvel again by shouting the magic word "Shazam!", Freeman shouted "Captain Marvel!" and was also transformed. Freeman, who was now called Captain Marvel Jr., resembled a younger Captain Marvel, though with a yellow-on-blue costume with a red cape, rather than Marvel's yellow-on-red with a white cape. Whenever Freeman says the magic words "Captain Marvel!" he transforms into Captain Marvel Jr. or returns from that form to that of Freddy Freeman. However, as a result of Captain Nazi's near-fatal attack, Freddy is permanently lame in his left leg (although Captain Marvel, Jr. bears no such impediment).
Captain Marvel Jr. also stood out as a character who was unable to say his own name, since he'd transform back into Freddy Freeman if he did.
After Fawcett Comics folded in the early 1950s, Capt. Marvel Jr. remained unpublished, alongside the rest of the Marvel Family, for years. In 1972, DC Comics purchased the rights to the Marvel Family characters and revived them in a new series entitled Shazam!. In recent years, as a part of the unified, post-Crisis DC Universe, Capt. Marvel Jr. became a member of the Teen Titans for a time, calling himself CM3 ("Captain Marvel III") to allow him to identify himself without changing.
Captain Marvel, Jr. and Elvis
Elvis Presley was a big fan of Captain Marvel, Jr., and styled his trademark haircut after that of the comic book character. In addition, Elvis' stage outfits (with a half-cape similar to those worn by the Marvels) and his TCB logo (with a Marvel-esque lightning bolt insigina) also show inspiration from Capt. Marvel, Jr. Geoff Johns, current writer of Teen Titans, recently paid homage to this through the following exchange:
CM3: Looks like he never heard the saying, "Do what's right for you as long as you don't hurt no one."
Superboy: Who the hell said that?
CM3: Elvis Presley. Greatest modern-day philosopher if you ask me.
Hawk<b> (appearing out of nowhere): I prefer Sid Vicious myself.
External Link
- Marvel Family Web entry on Junior (http://marvelfamily.com/WhosWho/whoswho.asp?castid=3)