Captain Wonder (Timely Comics)
| Captain Wonder | |
|---|---|
| File:Captain Wonder colour.jpg Captain Wonder. Art by Chris Weston. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Timely Comics |
| First appearance | Kid Komics #1 (Feb 1943) |
| Created by | Otto Binder (writer) Frank Giacoia (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jeff Jordan |
| Team affiliations | The Twelve |
| Abilities | Super-strength, flight |
Captain Wonder (Professor Jeff[1] Jordan) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was first published by Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel Comics during the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. He is a superhero who possesses the power of super strength. He first appeared in Kid Komics #1 (Feb 1943) and #2 (Summer 1943).[2]
Publication history
The character appeared on the cover of Kid Komics #1, but by #2 he had faded into the shadow cast by the Young Allies. He disappeared altogether in issue #3.[3]
He returned in The Twelve.[4][5]
Fictional character biography
Accounts differ on how exactly Captain Wonder got his powers, but the basic story is that Professor Jordan invented a miracle drug that gave the user the strength of twelve men.[6] A young man named Tim Mulrooney somehow ended up at his laboratory, where the Professor was to show him the drug. However, there was an accident in which the vial containing the drug was dropped, causing Tim and Jordan to pass out, with Tim saving Jordan's life. When they awoke, Jordan had superhuman strength, and Tim may or may not have had the same power. Jordan decided to use his powers as a superhero, fighting crime and the Nazis. He took Tim as his sidekick.[2]
The Twelve
Captain Wonder is among the heroes who fought the Nazis at the end of World War II and while searching a base, was captured and put in suspended animation.
When they are awoken 60 years later, Captain Wonder is one of the two who discover that it is the 21st Century. He also discovers that his wife died 20 years earlier and his two sons were killed in the Vietnam War.[1] Later he meets his old sidekick, now an old man who commits suicide rather than die from cancer.[7] Captain Wonder is badly burnt when fighting Dynamic Man.[8]
Powers and abilities
Captain Wonder had, at one time, been described as having "the strength of twelve men."[citation needed] In The Twelve, he is shown to have sufficient strength and flying power to support a damaged space shuttle.
Appearances
- Kid Komics #1-2
- The Twelve #1-12
References
- ^ a b The Twelve #1
- ^ a b Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 168. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 978-1465455505.
- ^ Mystery Men's Dozen: Brevoort Talks "The Twelve", July 26, 2007, Comic Book Resources
- ^ 12 Days of the Twelve: Captain Wonder Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, August 2, 2007, Newsarama
- ^ Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^ The Twelve #7
- ^ The Twelve #11, 2012
External links
- Captain Wonder & Tim at Nevins, Jess, A Guide to Golden Age Marvel Characters. WebCitation archive of latter.
- Captain Wonder at International Catalogue of Superheroes
- Captain Wonder & Tim page