Captain Marvel Adventures #78

"Captain Marvel Adventures # 78" has been one of the best issues I've read so far from the Golden/Atomic Age of the old comic Captain Marvel books. I can't stop admiring the art, C.C. Beck not being included among the classic masters of comicdom seems to me something truly unfair, the dynamism, his so well done art, specifically, his so clear style.

Anyway, I'll get into the stories, 3, for this issue of Captain Marvel, the first one, featuring the terrible Mr. Atom! The way Mr. Atom is featured is as "the toughest opponent" that Captain Marvel has ever faced.

Mr. Atom is a robot, but in a "scientifically" manner, when he got the power of the atom, he got alive, with the explosion, he received the power of the universe itself! With this description, I couldn't help but to think about Marvelman, the one who got the power with the magic word "Kimota", and how he got "the key harmonic" of the universe by Guntag Barghhelt transforming him into Marvelman!

I know, I know, I may be ahead of what is truly, but I couldn't stop mysefl into making the connection! Although this issue preceded Marvelman's first apparition for 7 years!

This battle, that takes Captain Marvel even to the United Nations General Assembly (I loved this!) is also described as "the most important one of Captain Marvel in his career", by Mr. Sterling Morris and then, confirmed, by the very same World's Mightiests Mortal.

For today's standards, the resolution to this story might be a little clichéd, but the ominousity of Mr. Atom's last words make him one of the most impressive villains I've read so far in old tales from Captain Marvel!

What resolution would be seeing Captain Marvel vs. Marvelman? I wonder?

Next tale has Captain Marvel "saving" Dr. Sivana! Where we can find a basic confrontation between the good-natured Captain Marvel vs. the naiveteness that some writers use for him.

We see that Solomon's Wisdom isn't a power that dictates Captain Marvel's actions, and that he can also be cheated, specially, by a villain as daring as Dr. Sivana.

Anyway, Captain Marvel, although he's cheated, he follows up his hunch that, the situation might be more than meets the eye (in a way, I think this was ALSO Solomon's Wisdom helping out Captain Marvel) until he discovers Sivana's plan.

It's notable that The Big Red Cheese was always a little reluctant to believe in Sivana's innocence, so he makes a short work after discovering the truth in Sivana's deception. LOL!

In any case, this is another episode in the never-ending battle between Sivana and Captain Marvel, it's interesting because it provides, ONCE AGAIN, evidence that both, Captain Marvel and Billy Batson, look to one another as different persons, here's the example:

What do you think, eh?

This great issue ends with one of the best stories I've read from Captain Marvel (in any era) so far: "Captain Marvel and the Street of Forgotten Men!" Boy! Is this story way ahead of it's time and a great tale that stands out even for modern standards! Believe me!

"The Street of Forgotten Men" is a ficticious location where people who has lost their reputations or their interest for life, go to live, as a limbo. There goes Billy Batson in investigation as he finds one of the few brilliant souls in there, a policeman that gives him a "tour" among some of the infamous inhabitants, as he tells him about their glorious past and why are they there.

Sadly, for the policeman, disgrace strikes him, when a robber appears and he's unable to stop him, when Billy decides to transform into Captain Marvel and stop the thief, he even offers the policeman to take the credit for the action, but, honorable, the policeman don't lies as he looses his work and gets back to the street, now, as a member of that terrible group of people who are there to be forgotten by society.

But the thief escapes, and he gets back to the street, where Captain Marvel begins to ask for the help of those people who are valuable, but for one reason or other, are there, hiding, but, even tho' his amazing powers, Captain Marvel cannot change human nature.

Nonetheless, Captain Marvel's hope in all of them, is justified, as, a team, they overcome tragedy and get back to their lives, being rescued not by Captain Marvel, really, but by themselves, as they recovered faith in themselves.