Who is this guy?

[carmelo]

From Superman issue 276,june 1974.It seems Captain Marvel,but the chest logo is different.An alternate version of Earth-1?                                                                                                               

[MatterEaterLad]

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Captain_Thunder

[crispy snax]

thats Captain Thunder... a sort of copy of captain marvel that DC had him fight...
 
which is weird cuz im pretty sure they owned Captain Marvel at the time

[davidelliott]

I think it was a trial for a meeting betwen Supes and Cap. 

[MatterEaterLad]

I've never read a definitive explanation for Captain Thunder (maybe there is one out there), I assume it was a matter of DC going slowly with crossovers and using this story as a "test" of a newly licensed Captan Marvel (a name which in itself was tricky and secondary to the Shazam title).

[Super Monkey]

Here is the story behind the story:

http://members.tripod.com/originalvigilante/captainthunder.htm

[Great Rao]

It still doesn't explain why DC bothered to create Captain Thunder, instead of just using Captain Marvel.


I think he's a neat character though.  I'd like to see him return.  Just as there was an Earth-2 Superman and an Earth-1 Superman; there could be a Captain Marvel and a Captain Thunder.  Great team-up possibilities.

[ShinDangaioh]

Hmm.

Captain Thunder was one of Captain Marvel's original names. 

Then there is the bit where DC was trying to lock down all superhero names.