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Captain Battle
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.