Great Rao
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« on: April 20, 2007, 03:53:02 PM » |
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The story behind why "Captain Marvel" was renamed "Captain Thunder" for the crossover appearance in Superman #276 - and information about Roy Thomas' proposal for an African-American Captain Thunder - are in yesterday's Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed.  |
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"The bottom line involves choices. Neither gods nor humans have ever stood calmly in a minefield forever. Good or evil, they are bound to choose. And when they do, you will see the truth of all that motivates us. As a thinking being, you have the obligation to choose. If the fate of all mankind were in your hands, what would your decision be? As a writer and an artist, I've drawn my answer." - Jack Kirby
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JulianPerez
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« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2007, 01:41:29 AM » |
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One thing that has always impressed me about Maggin is how absolutely well-read he is.
For instance, Maggin's "Captain Thunder" story has a reference to Uncas, which is the "U" in THUNDER. It was Uncas that gave Captain Thunder his bravery. Uncas was the founder of the Mohegan tribe (which was the tribe that the Medicine Man who gave Willie Fawcett his powers belongs to).
Interesting but unsurprising that Uncas, a figure in New England and especially Connecticut history, would be be even briefly talked about in a story written by a New Englander like Maggin!
Maggin's Captain Thunder had one of the great characteristics of a stand-in pastiche character (which can also be seen in Moore's 1963), which is that they are just as interesting as the character they're based on, and yet clearly different. The whole Indian jazz was a fascinating substitution.
Actually, I'm far more interested in Captain Thunder than Captain Marvel, in some respects.
And the idea of Roy the Boy writing a black Captain Marvel in the 1970s is enough to send anybody salivating. Cap's appearances in ALL-STAR SQUADRON were among the only times the character was even remotely palatable to me, and the idea of Roy doing for the Big Red Cheese what he did for other Golden Age characters from the Whizzer to Miss America will remain one of the great "What Ifs" of comics.
It's important to remember here that the black Captain Marvel would have been on EARTH-1 version of the character, just as Hal Jordan is an Earth-1 version of Green Lantern. In other words, Earth-S Billy would have been off somewhere. The idea was that the Rock of Eternity exists beyond time, and therefore there is only ONE Shazam for the multiverse.
It would have been interesting to see an Earth-1 based, clearly different version of the Marvel Family, perhaps with clearly different variations of Earth-S villains, and some new, exclusive bad guys too: just like Earth-1 Superman has a Lex Luthor instead of Alexei Luthor, and a Brainiac (for whom no counterpart exists on Earth-2).
And the idea of a gorgeous black woman being "Mary Marvel"...Mama Mia!
Intriguingly, in the DC COMICS PRESENTS #49, we learn there is a Billy Batson on Earth-1, except he is white, and has no powers.
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"Wait, folks...in a startling new development, Black Goliath has ripped Stilt-Man's leg off, and appears to be beating him with it!"
- Reporter, Champions #15 (1978)
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Uncle Mxy
Superman Squad
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« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2007, 02:24:29 AM » |
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He would've been called "Black Marvel", ""Black Thunder", and|or "Black Shazam", if Black Lightning and Black Vulcan were any indication.
I do think it's a fantastic idea... perhaps it can be revisited post-IC.
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Great Rao
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« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2007, 02:48:41 AM » |
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He would've been called "Black Marvel", ""Black Thunder", and|or "Black Shazam", if Black Lightning and Black Vulcan were any indication.
According to the article, his name was going to be "Captain Thunder" instead of "Captain Marvel." |
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"The bottom line involves choices. Neither gods nor humans have ever stood calmly in a minefield forever. Good or evil, they are bound to choose. And when they do, you will see the truth of all that motivates us. As a thinking being, you have the obligation to choose. If the fate of all mankind were in your hands, what would your decision be? As a writer and an artist, I've drawn my answer." - Jack Kirby
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Super Monkey
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League of Supermen
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« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2007, 03:45:23 AM » |
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He would've been called "Black Marvel", ""Black Thunder", and|or "Black Shazam", if Black Lightning and Black Vulcan were any indication.
I do think it's a fantastic idea... perhaps it can be revisited post-IC.
Don't forget Black Racer (New Gods), and of course Black Adam, who is African, technically speaking. |
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"I loved Super-Monkey; always wanted to do something with him but it never happened."
- Elliot S! Maggin
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Permanus
Superman Squad
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« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2007, 09:26:52 AM » |
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So what's the Black version of Mary Marvel? Black Betty?
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Between the revolution and the firing-squad, there is always time for a glass of champagne.
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crispy snax
Superman Family
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« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2007, 12:19:33 PM » |
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the thing i find about te whole way race was so "political" back in 70s comics, and all the "edgy" characters like black lighting and mal duncan is that well... they are all black...
there was never an edgy new asian character or anything..
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jamespup
Last Son of Krypton
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« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2007, 12:50:38 PM » |
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I love that song ! Bam A Lam...by Wham Jam from an old Leadbelly song.......now that song COOKS !
Oh Black Betty, bam a lam !
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