It’s a frequent point of confusion. Why are there two Captain Marvels in comics? Actually, there’s a less-famous third who is weird enough to be the Oddball of the Week.

First a quick history lesson. 

It all started in 1940 when Fawcett Comics saw the money DC Comics was making hand over fist with its hot new title, Action Comics. It was the dawn of the costumed superhero, and Superman was quickly becoming a phenomenon. A year after the Man of Steel made his debut, DC had another hit on its hands, this time the premiere of Batman in Detective Comics. 

On the backs of those massive hits, DC was dominating the comic scene. Fawcett had a clear picture of the future: superheroes. To get in the game, they created their very own Superman, Captain Marvel. He was geared even more toward kids than his predecessor, as Billy Batson led every kid’s fantasy by being able to change into a muscle-bound hero with the powers of the gods. At one point, Captain Marvel was more popular than Superman.

After settling with DC over a copyright infringement lawsuit and an overall decline in comic sales, Fawcett closed its doors in 1950. With no claim on the famous name, Marvel created their own Captain Marvel. When DC bought the rights to the original Captain Marvel in 1970, the title was renamed Shazam! to avoid issues with Marvel. 

Over time, DC completely relabeled its Captain Marvel as Shazam, and that’s the end of the story, right? Not quite. A year before Marvel unveiled its Capt. Marvel, another publisher made its play for the name. Magazine publisher Myron Fass and his company, M.F. Enterprises, debuted its own Captain Marvel in 1966. 

Between all three Captains vying for the title, M.F.E.’s is the wackiest version. This Captain Marvel had to have been imagined with action figures in mind. Sporting bright red, he could detach his limbs on command so they can all operate independently. Taking many cues from Fawcett’s creation, the magic word wasn’t “Shazam!,” but he instead said, “Split!” He also had a sidekick with the suspicious name of Billy Baxton. M.F.E. would file suit against Marvel when their Captain Marvel hit comic shops, a lawsuit that ended when Myron Fass took a $4,500 settlement. 

CAPTAIN MARVEL #1

The first issue of M.F. Enterprises’ Captain Marvel told the story of an alien android sent from his home which had been decimated by nuclear war. Combining Fawcett’s Capt. Marvel with Superman, M.F.E.’s character had the power of flight, super strength, laser eyes, force fields, and detaching his limbs by shouting, “Xam!” The source of his abilities came from his medallion rather than a wizard. After arriving on Earth, this Captain Marvel adopted the guise of college professor Roger Winkle. 

Being a forgotten character, it should not be surprising that there are few graded sales. The only one to sell last year was a 5.0 that brought $90 on June 22. The last time a 9.8 traded owners online was in 2014 when one copy sold for $476.

CAPTAIN MARVEL PRESENTS: THE TERRIBLE FIVE #1

Although the first Captain Marvel series only lasted four issues, the character appeared in another short-lived series, Captain Marvel Presents: The Terrible Five. As much as M.F.E.’s Marvel took from the original Captain Marvel and Superman, they stepped up their copying for Terrible Five. Among the members of the dastardly group were Dr. Fate, Dr. Doom, Elasticman, Tinyman, and Atom-Jaw. Had M.F. Enterprises been more successful, both Marvel and DC might have filed suits.

Two years ago, a 9.4 sold for $269 and a 6.0 brought $35. Before that, there hadn’t been a graded sale since 2018 when a 7.0 earned $55.

XAM!

Unlike his magic limbs, I don’t predict M.F.E’s Captain Marvel will be reattaching together for a comeback anytime soon. Then again, this is the era for an odd character like the detachable alien android. If either Disney or WB got the rights, it would make for some decent jokes and a nod toward the copycat of copycat characters. We saw the Detachable Kid pull off his arms in The Suicide Squad, but now that I think about it, I wouldn’t mind seeing Marvel’s arms, legs, torso, and even his head have four different battles at once. 

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.