Captain Battle

Fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comics

Comics character

Captain Battle
Art by Don Rico.
Publication information
Publisher	Lev Gleason Publications Image Comics
First appearance	Silver Streak Comics #11 (May 1941)

Captain Battle is a fictional hero and one of the features in Lev Gleason's Silver Streak Comics, from the period known as the "Golden Age of Comic Books". The character is a wounded World War I veteran who has devoted his life to stopping war. He was created by Carl Formes and Jack Binder.^[1]

Publication history

The character appeared in Silver Streak Comics from issue #10 (May 1941) to #21 (May 1942).^[2]

The character was popular enough to get a brief solo series, published in Summer and Fall 1941.^[3]

Captain Battle is one of the four features in the second issue of Image Comics' Next Issue Project, Silver Streak Comics #24.^[4]

Fictional character biography

Jonathan Battle was the youngest combatant in World War I, and lost his eye.^[5] Since then, Jonathan Battle uses his jetpack, called a luceflyer, and a series of fantastic inventions to prevent World War II from taking place, including a Curvoscope, which allows him to see anywhere on the Earth by following the curvature of the Earth, and Dissolvo, which breaks down nerve and bone tissue into gelatin.^[1]

In his first three-part story, Captain Battle fought an Asian wizard known as the Black Dragon, and his army of Deaglos, humans that the Dragon had transformed into angry bird-men. At the end of the story, the surviving Deaglos were changed back to human — including an orphan, Hale, who became Battle's ward and teenage sidekick.^[6]

During his run he had three sidekicks: Hale, Kane and Captain Battle, Jr. (his son, William Battle).^[7]

The villains that Captain Battle faces include Dr. Dracula,^[8] Herr Skull, Herr Death, Sir Satan, Baron Doom,^[1] and Friar Diablo.^[9]

Film

In 2013, the film Captain Battle: Legacy War was released.^[10]

Notes

In the second story of Captain Battle #1, Captain Battle fights a group of German spies who steal a film about to be shown to a military audience. The Captain apprehends the spies and brings them to an agent friend of his - who doesn't recognize him in costume even though the Captain wears no mask! - then returns to the theatre, where he claims to have slept through the film. Clearly this story was meant to feature another character entirely, as the Captain normally doesn't use a dual identity.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Green, Paul (2017). Encyclopedia of Weird War Stories: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Film, Television, Games and Other Media. McFarland & Co. p. 38. ISBN 978-1476666723. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 181. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 978-1605490892.
^ Wigler, Josh (December 14, 2009). "Next Issue Project" Returns With "Silver Streak Comics" #24". Comic Book Resources.
^ Mougin, Lou (2020). Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics. McFarland & Co. p. 213. ISBN 9781476638607.
^ Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 105. ISBN 978-1605490892.
^ Mougin, Lou (2020). Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics. McFarland & Co. pp. 212–214. ISBN 9781476638607.
^ Morris, Jon (2017). The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains: Oddball Criminals from Comic Book History. Quirk Books. p. 59. ISBN 978-1594749322.
^ Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
^ Haberfelner, Mike (June 2012). "An Interview with Cuyle Carvin, Star of Captain Battle: Legacy War and Revelations". (re)Search my Trash. Retrieved 19 August 2013.