Hehhh! These gases wipe out instincts! By selecting the proper one, I can take any instinct I want away from my victim! 
The Marvel Family #38 is an issue of the series The Marvel Family (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1949.
Synopsis for "The Marvel Family and the Extinct Instincts!"
A rabbit kicks a dog in the face, spitting in the face of what we know as the natural order of life itself. This is due to the villainous Dr. Sivana having created an amazing ray gun with settings for Eating, Sleeping, Ambition, Hunting, Homing and Fear of Danger, the Instinct Exterminator, which can just cancel out natural instincts of self-preservation! Thus, his bloodhound now has no hunting instinct and the rabbit is more than willing to bat it away with sharp rear-legged kicks. Sivana tests it again by shooting a homing pigeon with it, reducing its ability to fly in any recognizable pattern. Another day, he tests out that he can remove people’s inclination to eat, making two construction workers and a fancy woman uinterested whatsoever in food. That night at home, a man named George is openly telling his wife that he doesn’t see the appeal of food anymore. The next day, a man collapses in the street from malnutrition, something that’s been happening with disturbing frequency as Sivana watches from the crowd ominously.
Back at Station WHIZ, Freddy and Mary bring Billy a copy of the Daily Star illustrating that these hunger spells are happening in the city of “Rushville.” They each call SHAZAM and CAPTAIN MARVEL to take off as the Marvel Family. They figure out they’ll essentially have to just forcing people to eat food against their will, which ends up saving these malnourished peoples. Over the course of looking through the small city of Rushville, they quickly find Sivana standing outside an apartment building, saying he lit the place on fire and that he also removed their instinct to avoid danger. Thus, within a man is boringly having his secretary read back a letter he’s dictating as Captain Marvel Junior flies in to save them, the others each carrying the rest of the confused people out of the building. As the fire department arrives to put it out, the Marvel Family go off to find Sivana, who is at the Acme Manufacturing Company, having removed Ambition from any of the workers, who now are only interested in laying around, enjoying the sunshine and grass. The Marvel Family are aghast to find they’ve not shut any machines down, meaning that they will quickly run out of control and destroy the factory itself, managing to use the Speed of Mercury to shut it all down in the nick of time. They decide they’ll have to just catch Sivana and break the machine, but when they split up to find him, Captain Marvel does so first, only to be shot by the Instinct Exterminator, removing both his fear of danger (and a second one,) but Captain Marvel points out he doesn’t need such ideals as “Fear of Danger” since he’s invulnerable and punches him out, saying his only instinct is fighting crime!
However, in doing so, the Instinct Exteriminator flies off and sprays a truck driver in the face, leaving him to abandon his truck (while in motion) and Captain Marvel is forced to fly in to stop the truck for him. Now with the Instinct Exterminator in hand, Captain Marvel decides he can make an “antidote” for it, which the Marvel Family easily does before crop-dusting it over Rushville. Later that day, Billy, Mary & Freddy relate the story how the Marvel Family stopped Sivana, but he did escape. They figure out that broadcasting over TV & Radio will bait him into kidnapping them, so they can turn into the Marvel Family and catch him, but Sivana sprays them with a second Instinct Exterminator he’s created, removing their instinct to say the word SHAZAM! He (for once) decides not to gag the children and generally just shoves them into his lab, dejected and docile, as he plans to just crush them with a large block of stone. Luckily, Freddy Freeman calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to become Captain Marvel, Junior, pointing out that he doesn’t need to say SHAZAM (or therefore, never had a SHAZAM Instict to start with.) Sivana openly points out he forgot this salient fact before Capt. Marvel, Jr. pastes him in the face and they destroy his secret lab so he can never use this machine again. Flying home, Captain Marvel tells the others that Sivana now has the Marvel Family Instinct — a Fear of Marvels!
Appearing in "The Marvel Family and the Extinct Instincts!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- A Dog
- A Rabbit
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Rushville
Items:
- Sivana's Instinct Exterminator
- A Second Instinct Extermintor
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Mad Muscle Man!"
Freddy writes in his diary that everyone has their own special gift that makes them unique and when one man became incredibly jealous of the fame of all others, terrible things occur! In his cheap apartment, known muscleman Waite Lifta admires himself in the mirror and decides to wow his adoring fans by walking around outside. He believes a crowd of girls is rushing to him, but finds that they’re all actually interested in famed singer Moon Kroon who was standing nearby. Waite bursts into his theatrical agent’s office and demands more attention than Moon Kroon, but is furious to find that the public isn’t interested in burly, ripped men like him and he’s more or less out of a job. Waite responds poorly by punching him in the jaw and then through his back wall.
Meanwhile, Freddy is peddling papers and having pleasant conversation with his friend, Officer Bellows when the agent, Mr. Bookem, falls through the wall over the Citizens Bank and Freddy responds quick by calling CAPTAIN MARVEL! As Captain Marvel, Jr. appears, Bellows takes Bookem to the hospital, thinking there must have been some kind of explosion to make a hole that big. However, when Junior investigates, he finds that there was no blast, but that Waite left a while ago. He is suspicious that there’s also no smell of gas, no sign of a bomb or anything else that would make it sound like an explosion. Later, he calls up Officer Bellows to find if Bookem said anything, but the cop says that he’s still out cold. Thus, Junior returns to being Freddy for the time being.
Meanwhile, Waite is angrily moping on his bed that people prefer Moon Kroon over him and punches his radio when he hears one of his songs come on and decides he’ll do something about this… Later, Moon leaves the radio station he was performing at with some bodyguards, having taken some time for the autograph hounds to leave, meaning it’s late in the night, only to be attacked and kidnapped by Waite Lifta, who leaves his bodyguards knocked out on the street and Moon bound and gagged in his basement. However, when he emerges he finds that the girls are now only obsessed with famed jockey Siddon Saddle. Waite immediately grabs him by the collar to remove him from society as well. Later still, he finds several people think that Freddy Freeman is “famous” and notice him, only for Waite to have another popularity-based panic attack and gives Freddy the Polish Hammer to the back of the head to knock him out while nobody is looking. Waite gives Freddy a notepad to write his final words on before he kills the three of them. Freddy writes “You’re not so strong, you faker!” and Waite angrily tears off his gag to now who’s stronger than him. Freddy responds by calling CAPTAIN MARVEL and Captain Marvel, Jr. soon shows up to show Waite the Strength of Hercules. Junior rescues Moon Kroon and Siddon Saddle, assuring them that though he hit Waite pretty hard, he’s only knocked out, since he is incredibly strong enough to take a hit too. They thank the World’s Mightiest Boy for his help and he tells them living a life entertaining others is reward enough. Some days later, Junior meets Bookem at the hospital, who says that Waite has reformed in prison and won’t be a strongman when he gets out… but a crooning jockey, showing off a picture of Waite dressed in prison stripes, holding a mandolin and riding a donkey.
Appearing in "Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Mad Muscle Man!"
Supporting Characters:
- Mr. Bookem
- Officer Jim Bellows
Antagonists:
- Waite Lifta
'Other Characters:
- Moon Kroon
- Siddon Saddle
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- The Citizens Bank
- Bookem's Office
- Waite Lifta's Apartment
- New York City
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Mary Marvel and the Science Wonderland"
A car driven by known gangsters “Gunner” Gus and “Sneaker” Sam is on the run from the cops. They find a large privatized gate in front of them and decide to hop it to get away faster, so they do. Mary Marvel is nearby, on the way to find them and flies over, finding the trees are too thick to find them from the sky. Nearby, the two goons find an enormous rabbit twice their size that kicks them out of the trees with ease and right into Mary Marvel’s view. However, they are shocked to soon find a horned and hooved tiger, but is shocked to find that it only eats grass! While she’s distracted by a cow with tiger-stripes, the two goons leg it and escape.
Later, Mary Marvel finds that the closed-off area is property of one “Professor Whimm” and known as “Whimm’s Wonderland,” wherein he presumably creates strange animals. She’s soon shocked by finding four mice-sized elephants and then finds Whimm, himself at the main building, the Science Wonderland (which says it’s welcome to all children.) She is too stunned to find that there are an eagle-sized robin and canary and asks why he creates “freaks” like this, but Whimm says he does it for fun using a “special secret process” and ostesinbly to create a fairyland for children like writers once did before him and that a busload of children have just arrived! One of them climbs on to a turtle that moves as faster as a deer while he insists the animals aren’t dangeorus at all. The boy riding the Speedy Turtle finds that it cannot easily jump a gap and keep a rider on, forcing Mary Marvel to fly over and save him. She openly tells him this place is dangerous and the children are going to get hurt, but he insists that she not “spoil their fun.” She is soon forced to fly off to calls of HELP to save a girl from a giant squirrel that is trying to shove her into its hollow like a nut and a stampede of knee-high bison that are still moderately dangerous. In a fury, Mary Marvel delivers all the rest of the children to the bus immediately and then drags Prof. Whimm to his giant rabbit and his stampeding Tiny Bison, which convinces him that there might be some flaws. Whimm decides he can always just turn them over to a zoo and Mary Marvel remembers she was chasing two goons! She finds Gunner Gus & Sneaker Sam trying to steal two Giant Pigeons to sell to a zoo for big money so she slaps the Speedy Turtle on the shell, making it lunge at them and knock them both over. Later, the two goons are arrested and finds that all the strange animals just suddenly died for no discernable reason and Whimm sorrowfully tells her they merely “couldn’t survive,” but that he supposes things are almost better that way. Later, Mary Marvel finds that Whimm has regained some happiness by writing a book about his strange animals: Whimm’s Fairy Tales: Stories of Animals Who Were Different, creating a new Wonderland of imagination!
Appearing in "Mary Marvel and the Science Wonderland"
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Professor Whimm
- "Gunner" Gus
- "Sneaker" Sam
Other Characters:
- A Giant Rabbit (Deceased)
- A Tiger-Cow (Deceased)
- Mice-Sized Elephants (Deceased)
- Deer-Speed Turtle (Deceased)
- Eagle-Sized Robin (Deceased)
- Eagle-Sized Canary (Deceased)
- A Giant Squirrel (Deceased)
- Stampede of Small Bison (Deceased)
- Two Giant Pigeons (Deceased)
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Whimm's Science Wonderland
- New York City
Items:
- Whimm's Fairy Tales: Stories of Animals Who Were Different
Vehicles:
- A Chartered Bus
- Gus and Sam's Sedan
Synopsis for "Captain Marvel Battles the Tycoon of Darkness"
A businessman finds a new office has opened in the Financial District of a colleague of his, Cyrus, who is now calling himself a “Tycoon of Darkness.” Heading in, he asks about it while openly laughing at him and President J Cyrus of Darkness, Incorporated says that he’s cornered the market entirely on darkness! When he’s told that darkness is merely the absence of light, Cyrus says he’ll see, they’ll all see soon and that he’ll soon be able to sell darkness itself to America! With the sunset due to arrive in 15 minutes, he contacts his partner, Lem Dumble. Cyrus goes out of his way to tell him that he’s an evil financier and he’s a mad scientist (or “frustrated inventor”) and they begin activating a machine…
Meanwhile, Billy has arrived at home, tired after a long day’s work so he can fall asleep at sunset. However, he soon finds he can’t sleep since it’s daylight outside! Despite the Sun not being out, the sky is lit up as if it weren’t. In his secret mountain laboratory, Dumble has activated his Daylight Machine, a powerful light bulb that eliminates the darkness of night entirely! To investigate further, Billy calls SHAZAM to summon Captain Marvel as Dumble explains to nobody that the system is powered by an atomic pile and a system of intricate mirrors that are untraceable. New York City soon becomes unlivable due to lack of sleep and people confused and upset at the it. Captain Marvel ends up having to save a few people from being struck by cars while listlessly wandering into the street and a short circuit at Station WHIZ that threatens to burn down the building later. The man in charge splashes a glass of water on his face to stay awake better. Billy reports on the lack of darkness in the city as Cyrus laughs that they’ll be paying through their teeth to get darkness back. After three days, Captain Marvel finds that crops are dying en masse without time to absorb CO2 in the nighttime and that the Power Plant Electric Co. is shutting down, since no one needs electric light in eternal daytime and further, the observatories have shut down, since no stellar watching can be achieved. Captain Marvel is confused how he cannot find whoever it is responsible for this national crisis. Cyrus openly mocks people who are buying “Darkness Bonds” from him. Captain Marvel much faster figures out that he’s responsible (if he can turn it back on for a nominal fee,) but Cyrus says he won’t cave to intimidation, since he knows Captain Marvel beating the tar out of him won’t stop him any. Captain Marvel finds this reasonable enough, since he also doesn’t have enough evidence to arrest him… yet. However, later that “night,” Captain Marvel watches him leave in a helicopter with a giant basket of money, flying into a cloud to escape him. Finding he’s still being followed, he radios up Dumble to turn on the darkness and Captain Marvel is just as well thrown off, allowing him to escape. Once he’s at the secret mountain lab, he orders Dumble to turn the lights back on and demands $1,000,000,000 delivered to Thunder Mountain by Captain Marvel.
He soon finds that there’s a giant light bulb there and catches Cyrus standing just outside the doorway. Cyrus threatens he’ll hit a dead man’s switch that will detonate the atomic pile and destroy half of the nation, demanding a real billion dollars now, ransoming the nation itself. However, Captain Marvel decides he’ll stay there and calls his bluff, pointing out he’d kill himself too if he did and that he’s also not slept in three days. Between being a coward afraid to die and then immediately falling asleep, Captain Marvel snaps the wire to his explosive trap and shatters the giant light bulb with a single strike. Later, Billy signs off in total darkness, just happy to know it’s back and offers everyone sleep well.
Appearing in "Captain Marvel Battles the Tycoon of Darkness"
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Pres. J. Cyrus
- Dr. Lem Dumble
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- WHIZ Radio
- Darkness, Incorporated
- Thunder Mountain
- Power Plant Electric Co.
- New York City
Items:
- Daylight Machine
Vehicles:
- Cyrus's helicopter
Notes
- Despite the cover, the Marvel Family do not deal with people who find their imminent demise hilarious. Instead, the people are mildly confused due to having lost any sense of urgency in the face of danger and are instead boring and placid, continuing their lives as normal.
See Also