Glimpses of the Golden Age By Don Ensign 09/27/2009
Story analysis from
Captain Marvel Jr #77 (September 1949)
"The Two Roads" Art by Bud Thompson
PLOT: Young Bobby Deal runs to save a little girl from an onrushing car. Freddy Freeman sees what is happening and changes into Captain Marvel, Jr. (CMJ), who uses super breath to stop the car from running over both children. Harry Sloan, a millionaire industrialist, also witnesses the incident and upbraids the boy(Bobby) for trying to save the girl. Sloan doesn’t believe in heroism, only in making money. “Now I can buy and sell a hundred heroes!” Then Sloan is confronted by a man who has a grudge against him for a bad business deal, and who tries to shoot the millionaire—CMJ intervenes and protects him. Sloan tries to pay CMJ for the rescue, but the super hero refuses. “No thanks! I only want to see justice done! But you wouldn’t understand how I feel about that!” The Blue Boy transports the assailant to police headquarters.
Sloan takes a liking to Bobby and declares, “...someday, Bobby is going to take over my business!” Sloan takes Bobby on a business trip on a poorly-maintained cargo ship. A severe storm comes up and the ship starts to sink from numerous leaks. The ship’s radio operator sends out an SOS which Freddy hears. CMJ flies out and repairs the leaky life boats. In the commotion, Bobby pushes Sloan out of the way of some falling boxes only to be hit by them himself.
Sloan thinks the boy is dead. This causes a change of heart about life’s priorities. “I’ve killed him! This is all my fault! If only I’d made those repairs on the ship, this wouldn’t have happened! What a blind, selfish fool I’ve been! What good is my money now? I’m a lonely old man, with no one who cares whether I live or die! I meant to give Bobby everything, and instead I murdered him!” However CMJ examines the boy and finds he’s still alive. The World’s Mightiest Boy lifts the entire ship and flies it to the home port where Bobby gets hospital attention. Sloan, a changed man, comforts the boy. Freddy sums up, “Yes, Bobby chose the right road, folks! And he helped his new father to find it, too! Because money and power alone can’t bring happiness! True happiness comes from within!”
Comment: This is a good morality story. It has a clear moral message on what is important in life. The splash page has a symbolic illo with Bobby Deal having to make a decision on which road to follow. One road has Mr. Sloan beckoning with a road sign saying “Power and Riches” and Captain Marvel, Jr. gesturing to another road which is posted “To Good Deeds and Helping Others.” The caption reads “Which will Bobby Deal choose, the way of life of Captain Marvel, Jr., or the way traveled by men of power and wealth like Harry Sloan? No one can help him make his decision, for sooner or later everyone must choose for himself. “
This tale shows that money and materialism are not the highest good in life. Sloan sees the light when he thinks Bobby is dead. Several Bible verses come to mind. One is Proverbs 16:25 (all scripture quotes from NASV), “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” About riches, “But for those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who supplies us with all things to enjoy.” (I Timothy 6::9, 10, 17). Freddy’s ending statement gets it partly right. Proverbs 4:24, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.” Jesus said, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:45)
(For those interested in reading the actual story go to http://goldenagecomics.co.uk/index.php?dlid=9539 and download (free) the issue. You will need to set up an account first.)
Captain Marvel Jr #77 (September 1949)
"The Two Roads" Art by Bud Thompson
PLOT: Young Bobby Deal runs to save a little girl from an onrushing car. Freddy Freeman sees what is happening and changes into Captain Marvel, Jr. (CMJ), who uses super breath to stop the car from running over both children. Harry Sloan, a millionaire industrialist, also witnesses the incident and upbraids the boy(Bobby) for trying to save the girl. Sloan doesn’t believe in heroism, only in making money. “Now I can buy and sell a hundred heroes!” Then Sloan is confronted by a man who has a grudge against him for a bad business deal, and who tries to shoot the millionaire—CMJ intervenes and protects him. Sloan tries to pay CMJ for the rescue, but the super hero refuses. “No thanks! I only want to see justice done! But you wouldn’t understand how I feel about that!” The Blue Boy transports the assailant to police headquarters.
Sloan takes a liking to Bobby and declares, “...someday, Bobby is going to take over my business!” Sloan takes Bobby on a business trip on a poorly-maintained cargo ship. A severe storm comes up and the ship starts to sink from numerous leaks. The ship’s radio operator sends out an SOS which Freddy hears. CMJ flies out and repairs the leaky life boats. In the commotion, Bobby pushes Sloan out of the way of some falling boxes only to be hit by them himself.
Sloan thinks the boy is dead. This causes a change of heart about life’s priorities. “I’ve killed him! This is all my fault! If only I’d made those repairs on the ship, this wouldn’t have happened! What a blind, selfish fool I’ve been! What good is my money now? I’m a lonely old man, with no one who cares whether I live or die! I meant to give Bobby everything, and instead I murdered him!” However CMJ examines the boy and finds he’s still alive. The World’s Mightiest Boy lifts the entire ship and flies it to the home port where Bobby gets hospital attention. Sloan, a changed man, comforts the boy. Freddy sums up, “Yes, Bobby chose the right road, folks! And he helped his new father to find it, too! Because money and power alone can’t bring happiness! True happiness comes from within!”
Comment: This is a good morality story. It has a clear moral message on what is important in life. The splash page has a symbolic illo with Bobby Deal having to make a decision on which road to follow. One road has Mr. Sloan beckoning with a road sign saying “Power and Riches” and Captain Marvel, Jr. gesturing to another road which is posted “To Good Deeds and Helping Others.” The caption reads “Which will Bobby Deal choose, the way of life of Captain Marvel, Jr., or the way traveled by men of power and wealth like Harry Sloan? No one can help him make his decision, for sooner or later everyone must choose for himself. “
This tale shows that money and materialism are not the highest good in life. Sloan sees the light when he thinks Bobby is dead. Several Bible verses come to mind. One is Proverbs 16:25 (all scripture quotes from NASV), “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” About riches, “But for those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who supplies us with all things to enjoy.” (I Timothy 6::9, 10, 17). Freddy’s ending statement gets it partly right. Proverbs 4:24, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.” Jesus said, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:45)
(For those interested in reading the actual story go to http://goldenagecomics.co.uk/index.php?dlid=9539 and download (free) the issue. You will need to set up an account first.)
