Featuring: Marvel Boy
Release: December 30, 1942
Cover: February 1943
10 cents
7 pages
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| Daring Mystery Comics #6 | PRELUDE | Young Allies #16, Story B |
| Daredevil #9 | Reading order | Journey Into Mystery Annual 1 |
The only wrecks in this subway will be Nazis– not trains!
We read about Marvel’s original Marvel Boy from 1940, and now we jump ahead almost 3 years. Online sources differ as to whether this is the character’s second appearance, or the first appearance of a new character with the same superhero name.
There is textual evidence to support and refute both positions.
I have my own opinion, but let’s read the issue and consider the evidence.
To remind us of the previous Marvel Boy for comparison: Hercules was a master of the Egyptian art of reincarnation and a staunch defender of America and its ideals. When he died, his soul went to Valhalla, which is presided over by Jupiter. When Hercules realized the threat Hitler posed to America, he had himself reincarnated as young Martin Burns. Martin Burns was a very strong baby, and on his 14th birthday, he learned his true identity and purpose, and was given a name and costume to enable him to battle Germany spies and saboteurs: Marvel Boy.
Hypothesis A: These are the same character.
Hypothesis B: These are different characters.
Examine the evidence.
Both are named Marvel Boy. Weak point in favor of A.
Both are named Martin Burns. Strong point in favor of A.
Their costumes differ. Weak point in favor of B.
But have some similarities. The main difference is the color scheme and the addition of a fin upon the head. Logo remains just the initials “MB”, but varies between incarnations. Weak point in favor of A.
Both characters are tied to Hercules. In both origins, Hercules is apparently Egyptian. This time, we see his mummified remains in the Egyptian wing of a museum. Weak point A.
They have different origins, and this character’s origin is told this issue. The other Martin Burns was super-strong as a baby. This one seems timid until his transformation. Strong point B.
The mummy of Hercules falls on Martin and he got cut by a vial of mummy extract, or something. The point is that Martin is infected with the blood of Hercules.
That night, Martin is visited by a shadowy figure, just as the other Martin was. The shadowy figure again gives him a costume and a name and a purpose. Weak point A.
This time, we learn the shadowy figure is Hercules, and that had once been his costume. I’m not going to ask too many questions about that one.
Story ends just as the last one with his teacher scolding him for being late. Weak point A.
This time, his teacher is female. Weak point B.
He has the same name but a different origin. It’s at least a reboot of the character in a new continuity if they are the same character.
Plenty of significant online sources say they are the same including the GCD, and the Kirby Museum.
But the more “official” source, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, claims this is a new character who debuted in this issue. The Handbook invents a middle name the comic doesn’t reveal: Martin Oksner Burns, naming him after the issue’s artist, Bob Oksner.
Marvel refers to the original Marvel Boy as Martin Simon Burns, again a name not revealed in the text, this one named for his creator Joe Simon.
I think the official interpretation from Marvel plus the in-story text evidence all suggest this is a new character, another character named Martin Burns who gains the power of Hercules and becomes Marvel Boy. They don’t reveal what happened to his predecessor. He might not take the job if he learned.
Both versions of Marvel Boy fight against the threat of German spies and saboteurs. This threat was imagined in 1940 when the first Marvel Boy faced it. But by the time this comic came out, a ring of German saboteurs had been caught by the FBI 6 months earlier, from the failed Operation Pastorius.
USA Comics #7 is headlined by a Captain America story, and also features humorous characters Disk Eyes the Detective (get it?) and Jeep Jones, as well as adventure heroes Captain Daring and, oh dear lord, Jap-Buster Johnson.
This is the third story we’ve read from the USA Comics series. From the first issue, we read the introduction of Jack Frost, Stan Lee’s first superhero co-creation. From the last issue, we read about Captain America’s battle against Medusa.
Rating: ★★½, 45/100
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics vol. 2
Characters:
- Martin Burns/Marvel Boy
- Miss Prim
- Hercules
- Von Blubber
Minor characters:
- The signalman
Story notes:
- School teacher takes class to museum to see the mummy of the Egyptian Hercules.
- Mummy of Egyptian hero Hercules falls on Martin Burns; a vial cuts and infects the timid schoolboy; then the cut heals miraculously.
- Marvel Boy as strong as Hercules, as fast as Mercury, and as wise and good as Lincoln.
- Marvel Boy rescues a man from a burning building. Learns he was attacked by Fifth Columnists who tried to murder him and frame him for the fire. Their plan is to cause a train wreck.
| Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Daring Mystery Comics #6 | PRELUDE | Young Allies #16, Story B |
| Daredevil #9 | Reading order | Journey Into Mystery Annual 1 |
At this point, Marty and/or Stan were stealing from themselves. You knew it would happen.
Maybe the best creative minds were all off to war.
Interlude: The button still won’t let me buy you a Coke. Obviously my isp fears it has something to do with the Grateful Dead.
That’s disconcerting. If you’re having trouble, then perhaps my other legions of followers are as well. Admittedly, it’s a new idea for me and I may not know what I’m doing.
My experience has been that, when another feature or option is added to WordPress, it is akin to adding another brake pedal to your car. Or it might be that my mind is deteriorating. I once had a functional brain.