Featuring: Marvel Boy
Release: June 15, 1940
Cover: September 1940
10 cents
10 pages
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Do not be sad, for I do not really leave you– I shall be back– when America needs me the most–
Well, that’s an unfortunately racist cover from Jack Kirby and Joe Simon.
When we met Marvel Girl in X-Men #1, we took the excuse to meet Marvel Boy from 1950. That was actually not Marvel’s first character named Marvel Boy, and perhaps we should have met the other(s) then. We didn’t.
We’ll read about him/them now due to his/their connections to Hercules. (Join me in the next post to see why I seem so confused about singular vs. plural pronouns.)
This Marvel Boy is a creation of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, before the same team created Captain America, and before Jack Kirby and various collaborators would go on to create… a lot of famous superheroes.
I think there is a case to be made this might be Kirby’s first superhero co-creation, which makes Marvel Boy quite notable in itself. Moreso because you can see elements that made their way into Captain America, including the basic mask shape, the boots and gloves, using Hitler as an enemy.
Two notes against that point. Kirby had previously co-created with Martin Burstein the feature “Mercury in the 20th Century”. This was about the classic god Mercury. Not precisely a superhero, but if Thor counts, perhaps he should too. (We’ll probably read that Mercury story in the near future when we are ready to meet Pluto.)
That same issue introduced Jack Kirby’s science fiction hero Comet Pierce. In the Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers mold. Again, not exactly a superhero.
Marvel Boy is Kirby’s first standard superhero co-creation.
Except the second note is I have no idea who created Marvel Boy. Harry Mendryk explains the creation of this issue as follows on the Kirby Museum blog. He credits Joe Simon with the initial 3 pages which introduce the character and lay out his origin, and then Kirby with the rest. It’s thus quite possible that Joe Simon created the character on his own, and then gave the partially completed issue to Kirby to finish.
Often, history doesn’t tell us with much certainty what the division of labor going into an issue was. So I usually find it easiest to credit the writers and artists of a character’s inaugural issue as co-creators. By my normal intentionally naive standards, I would say Marvel Boy was a co-creation of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
But there is probably room for disagreement and assertion this was a Joe Simon creation.
The character only lasts one issue, though there is a sort-of revival 3 years later we will consider in the next post.
I’ve expressed before my opinion that initials are generally the worst logo for a superhero uniform. Imagine that chest with a better logo, like say a star. And imagine he wore pants. Now lose the cape and add some little wings to the cap. You’re getting closer to a good superhero design.
The story is a melting pot of different cultures’ myths. It begins in Egypt with the secrets of reincarnation, which were forgotten to all but the Roman legend Hercules. Hercules the god who famously loves America and with his dying breath vowed to return to save America in its time of need. Upon death, Hercules goes to Valhalla (more traditionally the home of fallen Norse heroes). Jupiter is the ruler of Valhalla.
Simon and Kirby’s more famous creation began his career by punching Hitler in the face. Even early in 1940, they are quite anti-Hitler and concerned about German espionage directed against the United States.
The timeline is a bit confusing. Hercules seeks reincarnation to stop Hitler, but then is reincarnated as a baby, who has to age to a point where he can fight Hitler, which turns out to be 14. The story is from 1940. Would Hercules have known of Hitler’s threat in 1926?
A shadowy messenger tells young Martin Burns of his true origins and bestows a superhero costume, telling him it’s his destiny to fight Nazis as the reincarnated Hercules. He shall be Marvel Boy.
Let’s summarize the next several pages: Marvel Boy defeats the spies.
The ending is already a superhero trope by 1940. It’s the wink-at-the-audience scene. The teacher doesn’t appreciate Martin Burns, but does appreciate the heroism of Marvel Boy. It’s that idea that you and the hero have a shared secret. And maybe the idea that it’s possible for you to be special in a way those around you may not appreciate.
It doesn’t make much sense here. The teacher comments that Martin is tardy again. The implication should be that his adventures as Marvel Boy frequrently make him tardy, but since this was his first adventure, he must have had an issue to begin with. Also, fighting German spies yesterday is hardly an excuse for being late to school today.
About secret identities. Marvel Boy’s true name is Martin Burns. If I were Martin Burns and wanted to disguise my identity, a suit with the large initials “MB” on it would seem counter-productive.
Parts of this comic are quite an eyesight test, with the text set against dark backgrounds. Maybe I’m just getting old.
This Marty Burns version of Marvel Boy did not go on to fame. I like to imagine people booing him for being lame, but him being uncertain if they were saying “Boo” or “Boo-urns”.
The name would stick around though. The company was not yet known as Marvel. The company was historically a collection of companies and shell companies thanks to Goodman’s fancy accounting practices that I can’t keep track of, but it was generally known as Timely at the time. It would be known as Atlas in the ’50s and Marvel since the ’60s. But the company’s history with the word Marvel goes back to its first comic, Marvel Comics #1. Marvel Boy is their first hero to have “Marvel” in the name, but a succession of such characters would follow. Several other Marvel Boys and Marvel Girls and Ms. Marvels and Captain Marvels. More than most can count.
While he was Marvel’s first Marvel-themed superhero, he was not the first in comics, predated by Fawcett’s Captain Marvel by around 6 months.
Characters:
- Marvel Boy/Martin “Marty” Burns
- Hercules
- Adolf Hitler
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Martin’s mom
- Martin’s dad
- The messenger
- Stohl
- Herr Broen/Bruen
- Shultz/Schulz
- Strohm
Story notes:
- Egyptian secrets of reincarnation lost for thousands of years, but not to Hercules.
- Hercules a defender of America and its ideals of liberty.
- Hercules, Son of Power, a mortal man… died and his soul ended up in Valhalla.
- Adolf Hitler described as a “mad dictator”.
- Mars the War Lord on the march.
- Germans plan to conquer America through espionage.
- Hercules petitions Jupiter to be reborn to combat Hitler.
- Hercules reborn as Martin “Marty” Burns, strong even as a baby.
- On Martin’s 14th birthday, a mysterious messenger drops off a package, which turns out to be a superhero costume.
- A shadow, perhaps the same messenger, tells Martin he is a vessel for the soul of Hercules.
- Martin has the strength of 20 men.
- Nazi spies observe Nazi sub infiltrate the Hudson River.
- Strohm the submarine captain.
| Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Daring Mystery Comics #5, Story H | PRELUDE | USA Comics #7, Story C |
| Daredevil #9 | Reading order | Journey Into Mystery Annual 1 |
