Fawcett 1941 Week--Captain Marvel Adventures #2 (Part 2)

And, we're back with the second half of Captain Marvel Adventures #2, as we look at comics from July 1941, and more specifically, look at how Fawcett dealt with on of the first instances of having to fill a whole 64 page book with stories about just one character.

Answer? Padding!! These stories were 4-6 pages longer than Captain Marvel's usual lead stories in Whiz. And they hadn't quite got the hang of it, so they tended to feel these stories with repetitive fights and noodling around.

In this, the third story of the issue, we begin as an unknown sailor is murdered for his treasure map:

Look, kids, comics!!

Billy Batson goes down to the wharf to investigate, but...

"Evilish One"?? Evilish???

So Billy is shanghaied, and gets to go on a great adventure:

Billy decides to play along to get the story...but he's under the command of the next great character find of 2011: Mozo!!!

Did Mozo just call Billy a lazy crack head?

Well, enough is enough, so Billy says the magic word when Mozo isn't looking, and...

Man, I love Mozo!! I've got big plans for him.

Anyway, after undergoing the same routine once more with Mozo (he's mean, Billy changes and beat him up, Mozo repents...like I said, padding), Captain Marvel has to spend several pages saving the ship from a typhoon. Padding.

They finally reach the island, where the evil pirate tries to force natives to dive in shark-infested waters to retrieve the treasure for him. Marvel objects:

That native girl looks familiar...anyway, Marvel goes down (in a diving helmet!!) and battles a shark!!

Hey, wait a minute!!

OK, I see what happened now!! Earlier this week, I was pretty mean to Whiz Comics #19 for using a cover that I called a complete lie, depicting a scene that wasn't close to anything in the comic:

Now it's obvious what happened: either this story was supposed to run in Whiz #19, or that cover was supposed to run here...something got switched. So, not a lying cover, but a misplaced one. That will teach me to be so judgmental. Apologies, Whiz Comics #19!!

While Marvel is underwater, another pirate ship shows up, and suddenly we're at world's end:

Using the distraction, Cap finds a good home for the treasure:

Socialism!!!

Then the good Captain decides to end the pirate battle--by sinking both ships:

Nooooo!!! Not Mozo!!!!!!!!!!! Please, DC, revive him in the New 52!!!!!!

Oh, and one final note on this story:

Listening to WHIZ Radio must have been one hell of a trip, back in the day...

Our final story features an honest to gosh super-villain of sorts:

The Arson Fiend!!! OK, so they weren't very good at naming super-villains yet...

We start with a failed sales attempt:

Given the splash page, I think you know the result:

This makes Heat Wave look like Mr. Sane. So Billy says the magic word:

Really? The very core of the Earth is shaken each time Billy changes?

So, Captain Marvel rescues the residents of the hotel, and gets the thanks of the ladies:

"Just as I was getting places"?? Oh, Billy, you could have scored!!

And leaving the scene of the crime?

Can you guess his secret? Can you?!?!?!

Tweedle and the Arson Fiend (oops--SPOILER) pulls this routine twice more....as I said, these stories were padded. We have a nice little fight finally:

But he gets away! And apparently, Arson Fiend travels the entire Eastern Seaboard:

Billy tracks down Tweedle, gets hit on the head and gagged (of course), and Tweedle shows Billy how he does it:

Well, Billy manages to escape, and we're set up for an epic battle at an oil storage facility:

You know what I love about this era's Captain Marvel? The way he walks away from near death so casually. "Pretty good fight." Not even an exclamation point!!

Well, that's it for this comic...and I'm pretty sure I've got the Wayback Machine repaired, so tune in tomorrow, as we finally get to Marvel 1981!! Cross your fingers, and be here!!