What a boner I pulled! I never thought they'd leave the back way! It looks as though this is the end of the money and me! Just a second! That jack gives me an idea! If I can only hook this gag on it -- CAPTAIN MARVEL! 
Captain Marvel, Jr. #46 is an issue of the series Captain Marvel, Jr. (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1947.
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Double or Nothing"
Freddy Freeman is not peddling papers today, but encouraging people to be civically-active by donating to the Metropolis Hospital Fund and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL behind a sign to become Captain Marvel, Jr. to also promote the Hospital Fund. Across the street in a hotel room is “Lucky” Paxton, a broke gambler and his goon associate, Cuff, are upset at only having $150 between them. Paxton decides to get Junior's attention by jumping out of a window and then telling him that he can invest people's money and guarantee to double it! He takes a man's $25 and offers he meet him at the front of the hotel tomorrow and he'll have $50 for him. Junior says that the man shouldn't gamble with his money, but he points out that Paxton did guarantee it. Junior decides to return to being Freddy to sneak around closer and watches to find Lucky doesn't even leave the hotel and gives the man his $50! Freddy is suspicious, but bemused as to how this all worked and goes to turn in his collected money to Mr. Buren, who runs Hospital Fund HQ. Buren says that only at 50% of their goal and they need someway to speed things up, but Freddy suggests doing it slowly is best. Buren goes to take the money to the bank. Meanwhile, Lucky's goon friends ask how he doubled the money and he merely says that it's a trade secret and starts to double up people's money all over. Buren, in a frenzy, invests the whole $50,000 in his bag, then tells Freddy about it later. Freddy goes to stop him from skipping town.
At his hotel room, Lucky decides that they've got enough money to skip town with and they plan on sneaking out the fire escape, finding Freddy and pistol-whip him and dump him into his trunk, planning to shoot him later when they're out on the road. Freddy wakes up bound and gagged in a car trunk, but he slips his gag on a car jack and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to become Junior again, crashing into the front seat and terrifying both goons. Returning everyone's money, Freddy says Lucky and Cuff are doing 13 in jail and chides Mr. Buren for putting his faith in thieves and he admits they don't have enough to complete the Hospital Fund, but they are halfway there!
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Double or Nothing"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- "Lucky" Paxton
- Cuff
Other Characters:
- Mr. Buren, Hospital Fund Chairman
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Hospital Fund HQ
- New York City
Items:
- A Car Jack
Vehicles:
- Paxton's Sedan
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr., King for a Day!"
Freddy Freeman closes his newsstand for the night and prepares to go home, but is suddenly abducted by Count Provost and his cohort, who drag him to the airport bound and gagged. While flying back to their nonspecific European Kingdom, they explain things so far: King Bernard just died and his young son Prince William is due to have a coronation within the month. However, the King's cousin, Duke Wade, has been embezzling from the Treasury Department and decides they have to kill Prince William so they can continue getting away with it. Afterwards, they found the Prince was missing and signs of a struggle were clear. However, Freddy Freeman looks just like Prince William and they want to crown him by proxy as King of their nonspecific European Kingdom to secure control over Duke Wade! Finding a heavy thunderstorm ahead of them, Freddy calls CAPTAIN MARVEL and becomes Captain Marvel, Jr. to shove the plane as fast as he can. Duke Wade spots Freddy arriving and goes to find Prince William asleep in a secret dungeon cell he's locked him in and realizes that Freddy is an impostor, but that they can't admit that, since they can't prove that he isn't Prince William. They decide to kill him too and take a secret passageway to the King's Chambers. Freddy sees Duke Wade and his goons pulling guns on him in a large ornate mirror and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to become Junior again and they retreat, only for Junior to return to being Freddy for the imminent coronation. Duke Wade again tries to kill him at the coronation by dumping a statue off a roof on to him, only for Freddy to call CAPTAIN MARVEL to let it shatter against the body of the World's Mightiest Boy. They decide to try diplomacy and appeal to King Freddy, offering that he could continue being King as their puppet if he's appointed Secretary of the Treasury once more. He admits that they have the true King hidden nearby and they will kill him soon, but King Freddy says he wants to see it happen if he's going to believe them. They let him into the secret dungeon and prepare to stab Prince William in the heart, but King Freddy calls CAPTAIN MARVEL and Junior punches out the evil nobles and spirits Prince William to his own coronation in time to be named King. The new King William asks Freddy if he has anything he wants, but Freddy says he just wants to go home!
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr., King for a Day!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Prince William, (looks exactly like Freddy Freeman)
Antagonists:
- Count Provost
- Provost's Cohort
- Treasury Secretary Duke Wade
- Duke Wade's Goons
Other Characters:
- King Bernard (Dies) (Behind the scenes)
- A Pilot
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- An Unnamed European Kingdom
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Captain Marvel Jr. Fights Superstition"
Prof. Eggmont Whittlestick is a mad scientist who finds that it's Friday the 13th yet again. He asks Freddy Freeman on the street if the Globe published his headline, which they have: Prof. Whittlestick says that he's going to disprove superstitions today and has invited a bunch of reporters to his house to do it while laughing throughout. He starts by opening a black umbrella indoors, only for a sudden gust of wind to drag him bodily through his own window and into the sky, where Freddy spots him and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to fly up and catch him as Captain Marvel, Jr. The reporters laugh at him and he continues to let many black cats cross his path, but this instead has the effect of summoning street dogs that start to fight the cats until Junior breaks them up and suggests he cut his losses and stop tempting fate, even if he generally agrees with him that superstitions are baseless. For his final proof, he decides to bicycle across a tightrope between two buildings. Two devious gamblers watch, having made a lucrative bet against him. He has several men hex him with outdated hand signs to charge up his bad luck before he starts his ride across two buildings. The gamblers knock out the worker on the other end of the rope and loosen it to drop the Professor to his death, but Junior flies in to save him and punches out the evil gamblers, who are soon arrested. Later, Prof. Whittlestick insists that this proves that superstition can always be tracked to logical problems, though a reporter does say anything really can happen with Captain Marvel, Jr. around though...
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Captain Marvel Jr. Fights Superstition"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Professor Eggmont Whittlestick
Antagonists:
- Two Unnamed Evil Gamblers
- Street Dogs
Other Characters:
- Numerous Black Cats
Locations:
Items:
- An Umbrella
Vehicles:
- A Bicycle
Synopsis for Freddy Freshman: "A Stolen Book"
A thief, Spike, breaks into the Podunk University Library to steal a rare 16th Century book and goes to his hideout. The next morning, Ace and Stooge spot a fight breaking out outside a poolroom and see Spike punch at least two men in the face and point out he does this at least once daily and decides to play a prank on Freshman Freddy! Later, Harriet delivers a note to Freddy offering he “be a hero” by punching out Spike and retaking the book he stole. Ace and Stooge take the opportunity to say that Freddy went into the Podunk Pool Room, against college rules! Freddy strikes up a game of pool with Spike, accidentally jabbing him in the stomach, poking him in the eye and ripping the felt to find the stolen book was hidden under it. Spike tries to scarper, but slips on the billiard balls that fell on the floor. The Dean goes with Ace, Stooge and Harriet to the Pool Room to find Freddy there, but Freddy proves that he was informed by an anonymous tip and got the book back, earning the Dean's respect for going into a place full of disreputable characters to help the school!
Appearing in Freddy Freshman: "A Stolen Book"
Featured Characters:
- Freshman Freddy
Supporting Characters:
- Harriett
- The Dean
Antagonists:
- Spike
- Ace
- Stooge
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Earth-S
- Podunk
- Podunk University
- Podunk U Library
- Podunk Pool Room
- Podunk University
- Podunk
Items:
- A Rare 16th Century Book
- A Pool Cue
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and Freddy Freeman's Xmas!"
A small child spots Captain Marvel Junior flying through the air after going to see sick children at the City Hospital on Christmas Eve, which they find commendable. Junior returns home and turns back into Freddy, who decides to have a lean dinner from a can at home by himself. He is lonely that no one particularly seems to need him. He gets a knock at the door and Mrs. Fotheringam asks him to help her out by watching kids at the orphanage for a Christmas get-together. Thereof, Freddy meets a jaded child who thinks Santa Claus won't show up for the sake of orphans and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to become Captain Marvel, Jr. and to go find a Santa. He finds one on a street corner and finds it's reformed pickpocket “Lightfingers” Louie, who faints as soon as seeing the World's Mightiest Boy. He returns to being Freddy to try asking again and he says he'll appear, but that they should probably get some presents for the orphans too, which he'll chip into buying. Freddy feels pride knowing it was him and not Captain Marvel, Jr. who solved this particular problem. Santa's Helper Louie goes to the X-Krooks Club, a place for reformed criminals to hang out and raises plenty of money for the orphans (and milking some from local skinflint “Hard” John.) Louie notes that it's been hard for Hard John while trying to go straight. Hard John proves as much when he cold-cocks Louie around a corner and steals all the presents for the orphans so he can resell them for cheap cash, stealing his Santa outfit to go about it. Unfortunately, he finds that Captain Marvel Junior is helping out Santa today and has to stay on guard as he's dragged to the orphanage. Hard John softens a little when he sees the children receiving gifts and experiencing happiness that he never received and is awestruck and remorseful. Louie returns and says that Hard John did knock him out and steal all the presents from him, but when Junior goes to confront him about it, he finds him dive out a window to save a child falling out after a toy plane. Junior catches them both and drags them back in and Hard John says that he just wants the children to be happy for one night, confessing his wrongdoings in it all. Junior decides to let him off and he returns to being Freddy, saying the World's Mightiest Boy couldn't arrest Santa on Christmas Eve! The clock strikes midnight and everyone cheers for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and Freddy Freeman's Xmas!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Orphans
Antagonists:
- "Hard" John
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Fotheringam
- "Lightfingers" Louie, in a Santa Claus suit
- X-Crooks Club Customers
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- An Orphanage
- The X-Crooks Club
- New York City
Items:
- A Bag of Christmas Presents for Orphans
Vehicles:
Notes
- "Double or Nothing":
- On page 1, panel 2: Civic-minded Freddy Freeman is fundraising for the "Metropolis Hospital Fund."
- On pages 2 and 3: "Lucky" Paxton gets Captain Marvel Junior's attention by jumping out the window of a tall building.
- All of the events of "Captain Marvel Jr. Fights Superstition" take place on Friday, the 13th.
- "Freddy Freeman's X-Mas!" was reprinted in The Best of DC #22.
- Also appearing in this issue of Captain Marvel, Jr. were:
- Rubbernose Randolph: "Can't Beat Him!", by Art Helfant
- Boxcar Benny: "It's Most Annoying"
- Captain Tootsie: "Saves the Sailplane" (advertisement), art by C. C. Beck
- The Snortville Sneeze: "The Double Double-Cross", by Sid Lazarus
- "Speculation In Slugs" (text story), by Joseph Millard
- Boxcar Benny: "No Soap!"
- Rubbernose Randolph: "Has One Question", by Art Helfant
Trivia
- Despite the cover, Captain Marvel, Jr. doesn't get into a gunfight with a criminal on a snowy rooftop.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Marvel Family Recommended Reading
- Whiz Comics (Volume 1)
- Captain Marvel Adventures (Volume 1)
- Captain Marvel, Jr. (Volume 1)
- Mary Marvel (Volume 1)
- Master Comics (Volume 1)
- Wow Comics (Volume 1)
- The Marvel Family (Volume 1)
- Hoppy the Marvel Bunny (Volume 1)
- Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Shazam!: The New Beginning (Volume 1)
- The Power of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder (Volume 1)
- Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil (Volume 1)
- The Trials of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Shazam! (Volume 2)
- Shazam! (Volume 3)
- Shazam! (Volume 4)
- The New Champion of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Shazam! (Volume 5)
