Captain Triumph
| Captain Triumph | |
|---|---|
| File:Captain-triumph-crack-27a.jpg Lance Gallant meeting his dead brother Michael. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Quality Comics |
| First appearance | Crack Comics #27 (January 1943) |
| Created by | Alfred Andriola |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Lance Gallant |
| Team affiliations | none, All-Star Squadron |
| Abilities | Superhumanly strong, able to fly, invulnerable, able to turn invisible |
Captain Triumph is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comics who first appeared in Crack Comics #27, published in January of 1943 by Quality Comics. The character was later obtained by DC Comics.
Origin
In 1919 twin brothers Michael and Lance Gallant were born in New York City, a pair so alike, even to a T-shaped birthmark on their left wrists, that even their mother could not distinguish between them. The two remained close, even for twins, as they grew up.
When America was drawn into the Second World War, Michael enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, becoming a pilot, but on the day of his 23rd birthday, as he brought his plane into land, the hanger he was entering blew up. His fiancee Kim Meredith and his brother Lance witnessed this act of sabotage, and the latter raced into the burning structure, managing to retrieve his badly injured sibling, only for Michael to die in his arms.
Lance swore vengeance on the murderers, and those like them. Unknown to him, the Fates, creatures of myth, were watching all this, and decided to create a champion. Soon afterwards Lance received a shocking visitation from Michael's ghost, who revealed that they remained linked together, and that if Lance was to touch his birthmark, they would merge together, gaining superpowers as a result. Touching the mark a second time would separate them again. Calling himself Captain Triumph, Lance became a crimefighter
Captain Triumph became a member of the All-Star Squadron, the World War II group of mystery men, brought together by Franklin Roosevelt. Captain Triumph fought with the group for many years.
Captain Triumph retired from action at an unknown time. Lance later appeared in Teen Titans as a friend of Jesse Quick's mother, the aged heroine Liberty Belle. Michael was still present as a spirit, but had apparently gone psychotic in the many years of inactivity. The twins discovered a love affair between Jesse and her mother's young fiance. Lance tried to confront the fiance on the matter, but was taken over by his brother Michael who quickly murdered the man for his infidelity to his friend.
Lance's current whereabouts and the current state of his brother's sanity are unknown.
The GOLDEN AGE mini series
In The Golden Age mini series Captain Triumph has retired and is trying to lead a normal life, despite his brother's ghost urging him to become a hero again. When he sees the Tigress he falls in love with her. In the end he dies fighting Robotman.