Marvel Comics Goes to War
In 1941 Timely Comics (Marvel) introduced us to Captain America.1 This hero teamed up with other Marvel heroes to fight in World War ll long before the United States declared involvement. The Sub-Mariner started fighting against the Nazis in February 1940.1, 2 The Human Torch went from circus fire eater to hero and began blazing against the Germans in 1941.1, 2 Captain America issue #1 published in March 1941, nine months before the Pearl Harbor attack, featured the hero punching Adolf Hitler in the face.1, 2
Captain America: The All-American Hero
Of these Marvel's characters, Captain America, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby became the most visible symbol of patriotism and put Marvel into the top ranks of comic publishers, selling close to a million copies per month.2
"You came up with the villain first. That was the main jumping off point for the characters. Adolf Hitler was the super, ultra villain, very much hated, stranger than fiction, actually, and I came up with the patriotic hero to fight the villain. That was a time when we were all patriotic." --Joe Simon1
This villain is clearly identified on the cover of Captain America #1 which shows America's new hero punching Hitler in the face.
"The time was ripe for an idealized freedom fighter who possessed the character to win and triumph over evil. It is a simple formula, but very effective and powerful."--Jack Kirby2
The story begins with Steve Rogers, a young unfit weakling rejected by the army. He participates in a U.S. government experiment designed to create super agents with superior mental and physical abilities. Steve Rodgers becomes this super agent who fights against evil as Captain America. With a red, white and blue uniform bearing stars and strips Captain America's enemies were often Nazis or Nazi spies. Through the comics, young readers were encouraged to join the fight against these common enemies. For ten cents, readers could become one of Captain America's Sentinels of Liberty and receive a shield-shaped badge that bore the likeness of Captain America along with a membership card that read: "I solemnly pledge to uphold the principles of the Sentinels of Liberty and assist Captain America in his war against spies in the U.S.A."1
Even though Timely Comics (Marvel Comics) publisher, Martin Goodman, used all of his comic heroes as a means to express his concerns about Hitlers aggression in Europe; Captain America was unique among Marvel heroes because he was intentionally created as a patriotic symbol to lead the fight against fascism. Goodman's message reached millions of young minds in the United States as evidenced by the widespread distribution and popularity of Captain America in the 1940's during World War ll.2
1. Marvel: The Characters and Their Universe, Michael Mallory (NY: Barnes & Noble Books 2002)
2. Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics, Les Daniels (NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1991)
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