Captain Marvel Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1949.
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel and the Battle of Electricity"
Billy pays a visit to Sparkville, "the most electrified town in the world." He's shown around by "electrical wizard" Willard Watts. However the town's threatened by an evil "electrical wizard", Abner Voltz. Once upon a time Watts and Volts were friends, colleagues, but Voltz wanted to use their knowledge to rule over man instead of serve it with his electrical discoveries. Voltz tries to show his power by destroying the town with giant instances of ball lightning, but Watts rigs up a backpack-mounted lance that Marvel uses to disrupt them. Tracking Voltz to his hideout, Captain Marvel catches a lightning bolt in the face and changes back to Billy. The boy changes back immediately and pounds Voltz before he can attack with another dirty electrical trick.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel and the Battle of Electricity"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Willard Watts
Antagonists:
- Abner Voltz
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Sparkville
- Sparkville Power Plant
Items:
- The Lightning Ball-Disruptor
Vehicles:
- Abner Voltz' Jet-Propelled Blimp
Synopsis for Capt. Kid: "Second Best"
Captain Kid (back in his classic outfit!) sees a billboard going up about the Circus coming to town! His friend Pete says that he'll have to save up to go, but Captain Kid says common work is below him and that he'll get it by becoming a salesman! Pete offers he show off how “good” a salesman he is by selling a salt shaker he has on him (for some reason) to Mr. Morton at the Salt Shop. He goes in to do so and Mr. Morton immediately says no, but he does have a proposition for him… A few minutes later, Captain Kid comes out with a big handful of salt and asks Pete for a dollar, saying that it turns out he's only the second best salesman in the world… after Mr. Morton!
Appearing in Capt. Kid: "Second Best"
Featured Characters:
- Captain Kid
Supporting Characters:
- Pete
Antagonists:
- Mr. Morton
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Earth-S
- Podunk
- Mr. Morton's Salt Shop
- Podunk
Items:
- A Salt-Shaker
- A Big Double Handful of Salt
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel and Sivana's Understudy"
In his lab, Sivana's coming up with another evil invention to defeat Captain Marvel. His janitor, Horace, hoping to become heir to the scientist's knowledge, tries to get on his good side by suggesting some improvements. Sivana brushes him off, but soon unveils his new creation: the Vocalizer, a mannequin head that can make anyone say "Shazam" whether they want to or not. Thus, giving him the ability to revert mighty Captain Marvel to a helpless boy at will.
After Sivana leaves for the night, Horace toys with the Vocalizer to try and make it more powerful to impress the World's Wickedest Scientist. Instead, when Sivana confronts Marvel, the Vocalizer blows up. Sivana builds another Vocalizer, which Horace steals to confront Marvel with, but has it pointed at himself instead of the hero and has to run away when Marvel remains powered up. Marvel follows Horace back to Sivana's hideout, and the mad scientist uses another Vocalizer to change Marvel back to Billy. He tries to get Horace to knock Billy out, but instead Horace knocks out his own boss.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel and Sivana's Understudy"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Doctor Sivana
- Horace
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- The Three Vocalizers (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "The Phantom Plague"
A medicine manufacturer's in danger of losing his business because fewer people are getting sick these days. He discovers a formula to induce hypochondria and pours it into the city reservoir. This works so well, not only do people buy his drugs in droves, they're so afraid of illness that society starts to collapse!
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "The Phantom Plague"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Josiah Diffle
Antagonists:
- J Makum Guzzlem
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Capt. Kid: "Money to Burn"
A criminal finds what seems to be $500 just sitting on the ground in a house in Podunk, gathering it off the table and leaving through the window… only to stop onto a cop! The Burglar manages to land on top of him and manages to scramble off. Minutes later, the Burglar spots Captain Kid admiring a bike in a window of a shop and hands it off to Captain Kid. Captain Kid protests that he shouldn't take money from strangers, only for the Burglar to punch him in the face and say that he's a “Philanthropist” that likes giving away money. Captain Kid accepts this for now and goes to buy a new bike as the “Philanthropist” hops a fence and finds Captain Kid riding the bike he bought. The Philanthropist demands his money back, trying to strangle Captain Kid and then punching him in the back of the head wen he says he doesn't have it anymore. Captain Kid mildly offers that he could just return the bike. The Philanthropist gives him fives minutes and four minutes later, Captain Kid gets the bicycle shop owner to return his money, though the clerk makes a quick phone call first. He hands it over and a minute later, he turns it over to the Philanthropist, only for the cop to reappear after him! He tries to give it back to Captain Kid again, but Captain Kid refuses, since he knows he'll take it back. Captain Kid, getting punched in the face, takes it back in a frenzy, but the second that the cop runs past Captain Kid, the Philanthropist realizes that he wasn't coming for him at all and snatches it back. Suddenly, the Bicycle Shop Owner leans out and says that Captain Kid is the one who was buying a bicycle with counterfeit money! The Cop arrests the “Philanthropist” foolish enough to rob a counterfeiter's house. The Cop offers Captain Kid that there is a $100 reward for the Philanthropist, but Captain Kid is already too terrified of money now!
Appearing in Capt. Kid: "Money to Burn"
Featured Characters:
- Captain Kid
Supporting Characters:
- An Unnamed Cop
Antagonists:
- The Philanthropist
Other Characters:
- A Bicycle Shop Owner
Locations:
- Earth-S
- Podunk
- A Bicycle Shop
- A Counterfeiter's House
- Podunk
Items:
- $500 "worth" of Counterfeit Bills
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel Battles the God of Crime"
The obscure evil god Kull tries to start a crime wave on Earth to light up his giant Crime Thermometer. When Captain Marvel gets in his way, Kull challenges him to a fight in the evil god's underworld home. Although tricked into changing into Billy and making himself vulnerable, Marvel manages to change back by hooking his gag on a decorative bone of Kull's throne. Then he smashes the evil god's Crime Thermometer by punching him through it.
Appearing in Captain Marvel: "Captain Marvel Battles the God of Crime"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Kull, God of Crime
Other Characters:
- The President of a Bank
Locations:
Items:
- The Crime Thermometer (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
Notes
- Kull (God of Crime) is no relation to Captain Marvel's more prominent enemy King Kull, the Former King of Mars, King Kull, or The Head (also known as "Killer" Kull)
See Also