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"Capt. Marvel and the Endless String!": Billy watches an old man collecting old bits of tinfoil and string to try to eke out a living. Strangely, the old man starts reeling in a string that seems to have no end. Because the string goes through a hole in the middle of the park that leads to anoth

Captain Marvel Adventures #55 is an issue of the series Captain Marvel Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1946.

Synopsis for "Capt. Marvel and the Endless String!"

Billy watches an old man collecting old bits of tinfoil and string to try to eke out a living. Strangely, the old man starts reeling in a string that seems to have no end. Because the string goes through a hole in the middle of the park that leads to another world, and is tied to the local king's prize carpet. Captain Marvel brings back a scientist to help him study this bizarre phenomenon, but is distracted when the old men gets caught and dragged through the hole. Cap's too big to fit through, but changes back to Billy and crawls through to retrieve the old transient. Both of them get arrested by the royal guards for unraveling the king's prize carpet.

Fortunately, the penalty for thievery is to have their tongues burned off with a red-hot brand, meaning they pull Billy's gag down to let him say his magic word and transform again. After Marvel easily fights his way through the castle guards and back to Earth, he throws the string through the hole so nobody will accidentally find it again.

Appearing in "Capt. Marvel and the Endless String!"

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Other Characters:

  • Dr. Grenn (A famous scientist) (Single appearance)
  • The King of Zoozland and his subjects (Single appearance)
  • An unnamed old man (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "Capt. Marvel Fights the Gorgon's Curse"

Professor Edgewise gets a package from a late uncle, containing nothing less than the severed head of the legendary gorgon, along with a note never to gaze into the awful thing's eyes. He brings it to Billy, just before a man in a dark suit barges in and tries to steal it. Naturally this fails as soon as Billy changes to Captain Marvel, and the man, Dr. Zorro, explains the history of the gorgon: she had the power to paralyze anyone with her gaze and that she was eventually decapitated by a warrior using a mirror to attack her from behind. The man plans to bring the head back to life and give it a body so she can help him rule the world, but Cap thinks he's a crank and throws him out.

Edgewise doesn't believe all the talk about legendary monsters, but Cap looks into his eyes and finds himself frozen by the gorgon's petrifying powers. A few minutes later he's able to shake it off thanks to his divine invincibility, but is fully convinced of the danger the head poses and flies after Edgewise to destroy it before the professor can show his amazing discovery on live TV. In the course of catching up to the thief Cap accidentally looks straight into the head's eyes and is cursed to have petrifying vision himself, which he mitigates by wearing sunglasses. Dr. Zorro tries to steal the head again but gets paralyzed, and Marvel tackles Edgewise before he can unveil the head, making him drop it so it shatters on the ground. Cap and Edgewise don't have the gorgon's gaze anymore, and Cap catches Zorro before he can flee.

Appearing in "Capt. Marvel Fights the Gorgon's Curse"

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  • Dr. Zorro (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • A gorgon's severed head (Medusa?) (Dies in flashback)
  • Guiseppe Bottoglia (The "world's greatest sculptor") (Single appearance)
  • Professor Smith's late uncle, Horatio Q. Smith (Mentioned only)

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Synopsis for "Captain Marvel and the Crime Egotist of Columbus, Ohio"

Captain Marvel tries to capture the elusive Vulture Vane, an egotistical crook. Billy sets a trap with a private screening of how Vane managed to repeatedly make a fool of Captain Marvel, knowing Vane's ego wouldn't allow him to miss something glorifying his deeds.

Appearing in "Captain Marvel and the Crime Egotist of Columbus, Ohio"

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Antagonists:

  • Vulture Vane (An escaped convict) (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • People of Columbus, Ohio
    • Al Albinger (Broadcaster for WCOL-Radio) (Single appearance)
    • Art Robinson (Columnist for the Columbus Citizen) (Single appearance)
    • Bob Hooey (Sports editor of the State Journal) (Single appearance)
    • F.D. Henderson (Warden of Ohio Penitentiary) (Single appearance)
    • James Rhodes (Mayor of Columbus) (Single appearance)
    • Johnny Snappe (A newsreel cameraman) (Single appearance)
    • The Knot-Hole Club (A boys' club sponsored by Mayor Rhodes) (Single appearance)
    • Lester W. Merica (Columbus Police Chief) (Single appearance)
    • Scott Krauss (Magazine distributor) (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "Capt. Marvel and the Furious Five Minutes!"

Five minutes before his newscast, Billy has nothing to report. Until a lump of coal falls off a passing train, hits a man on the head and provokes a fight, causing a cascade effect, until Billy has more news than he can possibly deliver.

Appearing in "Capt. Marvel and the Furious Five Minutes!"

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Other Characters:

  • Father Time

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Synopsis for "Capt. Marvel and the Hobo Newscast"

Just before Morris is about to go on vacation, he gets a wire that the Jolly Rovers A.C., a group of boyhood friends of his, are coming to visit. Since he can't cancel his plans, Morris puts Billy in charge of showing them around. The Jolly Rovers turn out to be a group of penniless hobos who quickly get up into wacky hijinks in Mr. Morris' mansion, throwing the entire upper crust neighbhorhood into an uproar.

Judge Snobbish, apparently a neighbor, tries to order the hoboes thrown out of town to show he's working hard to clean it up for decent people and make himself a public hero. The hoboes go on the air to plead their case and claim victimhood, having no wealth or status to fight back against a powerful judge. Snobbish storms into the studio, but the building's surrounded by sympathetic picketers. The Jolly Rovers get a regular spot on the air, and Snobbish is forced to leave town.

Appearing in "Capt. Marvel and the Hobo Newscast"

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Other Characters:

  • Former members of the Jolly Rovers A.C. (A boys' club to which Mr. Morris once belonged) (Single appearance)
    • Sam Dalton (Single appearance)
  • Judge Snobbish (Single appearance)

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Notes

  • "Capt. Marvel and the Endless String!" was reprinted in Shazam! #1.



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