First, I leave Earth! I'll pile on speed! When I exceed the speed of light, I will be cast into the fourth dimension, according to the laws of space and time! 
Captain Marvel, Jr. #56 is an issue of the series Captain Marvel, Jr. (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1947.
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. Finds the First Civilization!"
To settle a quarrel between two archaeologists, Junior Time-Travels to the Cenozoic Era.
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Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. Finds the First Civilization!"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Two Cenozoic Atomic Blackmailers (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Professor Jode, famed archaeologist, 1947
- Sir Basil, rival archaeologist, 1947
- Professor Jall, Cenozoic Scientist, 3 Million BC (Dies)
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Jode's Laboratory
- New York City
- Rock of Eternity
- Cenozoic Farmlands (Destroyed)
- Cenozoic City (Destroyed)
- Cenozoic Desert
- Atomic Experimenter Base (Destroyed)
- Cenozoic Farmlands (Destroyed)
Concepts:
Items:
- A Large Cenozoic Fossilized Gear
- Cenozoic Atom Bomb (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
- Cenozoic Aircraft (Destroyed)
- Cenozoic Truck (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Phantom Canoe"
Chief Nokomis is found dead in the Kane-O-Kee River with an arrow in his back, dying young. His lover, Tali, is inconsolable as he is sent off in a canoe, as they do with their dead. Kia-Suntha, the new Chief, promises Tali he will find the killer. However, she decides to travel to the city to find solace from her grief. While there, she is attacked by two other Native men, which Freddy Freeman is confused and worried by, calling CAPTAIN MARVEL to become Captain Marvel, Jr. and drop-kicks both of them and demands an explanation. Princess Tali says that she has refused coming back to the tribe, but they order her to by Chief Kia-Suntha’s word that she is to marry him! Though she doesn’t want to, since her heart cries for Nokomis. Later, another Native spots someone he believes is Chief Nokomis and runs to tell the Chief and Tali that he was still wearing his death paints and he had a dog in the canoe with him. They consult the tribe’s Medicine Man, who says that this means this is a warning from Chief Kia-Suntha to not marry Tali. The Medicine Man offers that if he goes forth to brave the waters of the Kane-O-Kee River in his own canoe and challenge the spirit himself. If the spirit does not return, his wedding will be blessed. Junior flies in and finds that the Phantom Canoe sure looks real and Chief Kia-Suntha is so terrified that he leaps from his canoe, forcing Junior to drag him to safety on shore. When he follows the Phantom Canoe though, Junior finds that the ghost is seemingly alive and they explain everything… Meanwhile, Chief Kia-Suntha demands the wedding take place anyways, though the Medicine Man says he cannot approve it. Soon enough, Nokomis’ Canoe returns to the tribe, flying around and Chief Kia-Suntha admits to killing Chief Nokomis himself. Junior reveals that he was working with the Medicine Man to use a different brave disguised as Chief Nokomis to scare Chief Kia-Suntha into admitting his guilt. He promises Junior that Kia-Suntha will face justice from the tribes and Junior accepts as much.
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Phantom Canoe"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Chief Kia-Suntha
- two kidnapper braves
Other Characters:
- Chief Nokomis (Dies)
- Princess Tali, his wife
- Medicine Man
- Medicine Man's Imposter
- other Indian people
Locations:
- Earth-S
- Waters of Kane-Oh-Kee
- Indian Village
- New York City
Vehicles:
- Nokomis' Canoe
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Strange Case of the Blue Boy's Black Eye"
Across from Freddy’s Newsstand, there is a drugstore with some kids, led by Braggy, who dislikes that Captain Marvel, Jr. is so tough and says he could put a bullet through his chest, give him a black eye and even prevent him from flying. Two goons listen in from a booth nearby and wonder if it could add up to anything. They other kids bet Braggy he can’t do this and so he heads out to do so. He soon finds Captain Marvel, Jr. and offers him a spyglass, saying that there are two goons in the drugstore and he looks at them and when he enters, the kids find that the end of the spyglass has been blacked with marker, giving him a black eye when he asks if there’s any trouble! The goons are stunned to see it happen as well. Junior leaves, confused but unharmed, goes back to being Freddy. The goons try to peel Braggy away from his friends to discuss opportunities and then lead him at gunpoint to Mrs. Wagner’s Boarding House where they order him to “put a bullet through Captain Marvel, Jr’s chest.” Soon enough, they hear a shot and find that he has shot a chest… owned by Captain Marvel, Jr. and insists that he “can” also keep him from flying. Mrs. Wagner presumes it was a backfire. One of the goons sets off firecrackers and drapes a handkerchief over his phone to pretend there’s a riot going on in the nearby city of Montvale. Junior hears about the “riot” from Officer Jim Bellows and Braggy soon finds him too and says that the goons think he’s an “idol of all the young people” and want a speech from him about honesty, loyalty and courage. When he gets there though, the goons reveal that it’s a trap: if he leaves the spring-rigged platform, it will set off a bomb that could kill everyone on the block. While he’s stuck there, the goons commit a series of quick robberies while Junior removes a single street paving stone and puts it on the platform instead. He easily defeats the two goons and they’re turned over to Jim, who came back from Montvale to find there was no riot. Later, Braggy tells Freddy that he learned a lesson from Captain Marvel, Jr. and that’s that bragging doesn’t pay.
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Strange Case of the Blue Boy's Black Eye"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Mrs. Wagner
- Officer Jim Bellows
Antagonists:
- Braggy
- two crooks
Other Characters:
- Braggy's teen pals
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Freddy Freeman's Newsstand, on Main St. and Oak St.
- The Citizen's Bank
- Drugstore across the street
- Mrs. Wagner's Boarding House
- Montvale (Mentioned only)
- New York City
Synopsis for Kanvasback: "Fighting Fury"
Appearing in Kanvasback: "Fighting Fury"
Featured Characters:
- Kanvasback
Supporting Characters:
- Mal Arky
Antagonists:
- "Killer" Diller (Mentioned only)
Synopsis for Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Strange Deal of Betcha Life!"
Officer Jim Bellows is upset to see Betcha Life, opulent gambler, riding around town due to people who owe him money and that if he wins “your life,” he more or less owns you and because they accept the terms of the gamble, they are culpable in being caught out. He soon leaves and Freddy Freeman instead notices the worried Mr. Simmons, who needs $1,000 for his baby’s operation, but the only way he can do that is going up against Betcha Life… Freddy decides to follow him and make sure Betcha into tricking people, calling CAPTAIN MARVEL to do so as Captain Marvel, Jr. Betcha is fine with betting with him even if he’s broke (since he’ll takes lives as payment) and introduces his miserly brother Wotta Life, who thinks betting is sinful. They cut for a high card and Simmons gets a King, but Betcha draws an Ace. Simmons pulls a gun to shoot himself in desperation, upsetting Betcha that he’d welch on a bet, only for Junior to block the shot. Junior insists that the slaves be freed and Betcha offers him a bet: if he can’t punch his way out of a paper bag in one minute, he’ll just own him for life or he’ll free all the others. However, Betcha reveals to his human timekeeper that the bag is actually made of paper with rubber, making it highly elastic. However, Captain Marvel, Jr. realizes he knows one way to put a hole in the bag and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to summon magic lightning, then does it again to prove he did it. Betcha calls him out on using lightning and Junior calls him out on using a rubber bag and the slaves all go free. Betcha admits that he had that ace in his sleeve and gives Mr. Simmons $1,000,000. A few weeks later, Mr. Simmons’ terrifying baby is cured and thanks Freddy. Later, Freddy tells his diary and notes the similarity how many become slaves to gambling in and of itself...
Appearing in Capt. Marvel, Jr.: "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Strange Deal of Betcha Life!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Officer Jim Bellows
Antagonists:
- Betcha Life
- his entourage: Grandfather, others
- Sivana Junior (Cameo)
- The Acrobat (Cameo)
- The Haircut (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Simmons
- Mr. Simmons' Baby
- Wotta Life, Betcha's brother
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Freddy's Newsstand
- Life's Estate
- New York City
Items:
- Giant Rubberized Paper Bag (Destroyed)
Notes
- Published monthly by Fawcett Publications, Inc.
- First Civilization
- Technically we are living in the Cenozoic Era, which actually began 66 million years ago. Cap Junior only traveled three million years into the past, roundabouts the Paleolithic or "Old Stone Age."
- Captain Marvel, Jr. breaks the Fourth Wall in the final panel, to caution us to not allow OUR civilization to become the subject of future archaeological arguments about its existence.
- Per GCD the pencils and inks on the 3rd story are probably by Joe Certa.
- Per GCD the pencils and inks on the 5th story are probably by Bud Thompson.
Trivia
- Despite the cover, Captain Marvel, Jr. doesn't get a genuine black eye caused by swelling or bruising. Instead, a braggadocious teen uses a spyglass to trick him into getting ink on his face.
- Also appearing in this issue of Captain Marvel, Jr. were:
- Table of Contents
- Rubbernose Randolph: "No Fathead" by Art Helfant
- Boxcar Benny Doesn't Give a Barn by M. H.
- Snortville Sneeze Covers a Silly Filly by Sid Lazarus
- "The King Is Dead" (text story) by R. R. Symes
- Whippersnappers
- Fat Chance
- Mis-Steps
- He Wooden Talk
- Rubbernose Randolph: "Recluse" by Art Helfant
See Also