# Fawcet Comics' Captain Marvel origin of his name, the "Captain" part **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga\ **Created:** [November 21, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694 "2021-11-21T00:03:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/21 "2021-11-21T01:51:47Z")
“Doctor Evil”, if you please. I didn’t spend 6 years at Evil Medical School to be called “Mister”. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/22 "2021-11-21T01:52:20Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > I’m a little confused as to what point you’re trying to make here. Maybe I wasn’t clear in my first reply? I was agreeing with @GIGObuster that the wizard gave Captain Marvel his name, but as far as I know, the wizard never _explains_ the name or its origins or _why_ the World’s Mightiest Mortal is known as “Captain Marvel” - he apparently just is. Thank you @gdave, like you and others said, wizards or scientists did it 🙂 regarding the naming of superheroes. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > The only one stronger than he is he. Hee hee hee! Captain Marbles! You lost your marbles! (These are references to Mad Magazine #4: Superduperman!) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/23 "2021-11-21T01:52:45Z")
And if we add in medical “Doctor” titles: “I’m Peter, by the way.” “Doctor Strange.” “Oh, we’re using our made-up names. Um…I’m Spider-Man then.” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/24 "2021-11-21T01:57:46Z")
Wait a tick… “the will to safeguard our shores”? So Captain America was supposed to be a captain for the Coast Guard? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/25 "2021-11-22T01:33:42Z")
Gratitude alone should have risen him to Admiral America. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@bmoak1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/26 "2021-11-22T13:04:09Z")
William Fawcett, founder of Fawcett Publishing, got his start after WW1 by basically self-publishing a humor magazine called Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang that was a huge success. Right there, you have the source for CAPTAIN Marvel, BILLY Batson, and WHIZ Comics. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/27 "2021-11-22T14:09:23Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > In fact, even the “Marvel” part isn’t explained. I don’t think it needed to be explained that a super-powered individual was a “marvel”. That said, a later story revealed that “MARVEL” is the acronym of the ancient Canaanite gods who gave the wizard Shazam his powers back in the day (though his magic word was actually “Vlarem”, I guess he anagrammed it into a real English word for the English-speaking Billy). ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/28 "2021-11-22T14:35:25Z")
Interesting. On a different, related comics question, was the name of Fawcett Publishing the inspiration of the name of the underground comics’ publisher “Kitchen Sink Press”? (faucet?) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/29 "2021-11-22T14:46:09Z")
I don’t know. Someone should ask [Denis Kitchen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Kitchen?wprov=sfti1). ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/30 "2021-11-22T16:00:01Z")
I wonder if the reason relates to this question, where “captain” is a likely answer: [What is the highest ranking officer in the US military likely to be in front-line combat?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-ranking-officer-in-the-us-military-likely-to-be-in-front-line-combat/954548) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/31 "2021-11-22T16:42:57Z")
I’m sure that’s why “Captain” has been frequently used as a title for heroes in fiction, going back at least to the pulp days, because it’s the title used by the front line leader. Once you are promoted past that rank you’re probably drawing plans and relaying orders off the field. Also I noticed TV Tropes has an entry on this phenomenon (because of course they do): > **[Captain Superhero - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CaptainSuperhero)** > > One of the most common types of superhero names. Simply stick "Captain" in front of this hero's name, and then whatever (usually) noun the writer wants. Perhaps it's to give the impression of leadership, as though this character actually is The … ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/32 "2021-11-22T17:00:52Z")
Captain Obvious isn’t a real captain either, or so he tells me. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/33 "2021-11-22T17:05:02Z")
In the animated series [The Super Hero Squad Show](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Super_Hero_Squad_Show), which was mostly aimed at kids, Captain America invites Wolverine to join the All-Captains Squad, provided that he change his name to Captain Canada. Other members of the Squad are Captain Britain, Captain Australia, Captain Brazil, and Captain Liechtenstein (“Like my country, I am small but financially stable!”). ---
**Author:** ![Mavis\_Topholese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@Mavis\_Topholese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavis_Topholese)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/34 "2021-11-22T18:09:41Z")
what, no mention of the Myron Fass “Split” Captain Marvel? He was a magic robot built by aliens! Looking forward to the inevitable movie version. [https://misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics247.html](https://misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics247.html) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/35 "2021-11-22T23:03:19Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > I don’t think it needed to be explained that a super-powered individual was a “marvel”. _Marvel Comics_ was launched in 1939. It became _Marvel Mystery Comics_ with issue two. Mystery Men and Marvels were generic terms for comics heroes then. There was also a Dell character named [Martan the Marvel Man](http://www.toonopedia.com/martan.htm) and Centaur’s [The Masked Marvel](http://www.toonopedia.com/maskmarv.htm) from 1939. Both preceded Captain Marvel by a year. The first Marvel Marvel was [The Black Marvel](http://www.toonopedia.com/blmarvel.htm) from 1941, when the company was still named Timely. You don’t have to dig too deep to understand Marvel as a name any more than you do Captain ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/36 "2021-11-22T23:13:40Z")
> [@Mavis\_Topholese](#): > > what, no mention of the Myron Fass “Split” Captain Marvel? He was a magic robot built by aliens! Looking forward to the inevitable movie version. I think that’s what the people need… A superhero who shows a little boy his ability to make his clothes invisible. [https://misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/split2.jpg](https://misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/split2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/37 "2021-11-22T23:25:09Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Also, the “Captain” part of the name was in homage to Captain Billy, the nickname of Wilford H. Fawcett, the founder of Fawcett Publications. Of CAPTAIN BILLY’S WHIZ BANG fame, famously referred to in T_he Music Man._ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/38 "2021-11-22T23:27:50Z")
I concur heartily! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694/39 "2021-11-22T23:28:59Z")
There were several brigadiers landed at D-Day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fawcet-comics-captain-marvel-origin-of-his-name-the-captain-part/954694.md?page=1)