Captain Action #5

Captain Action #5 (On Sale: April 29, 1969) has another wonderful Gil Kane cover.

The full-length Captain Action story "A Mind Divided" is written and drawn by Gil Kane and inked by Wally Wood. After a steel mill is sabotaged, Captain Action aids the relief efforts  He blames charismatic leader Matthew Blackwell for the sabotage because Blackwell has openly incited his followers to violence. Captain Action's son Carl, AKA Action Boy, attends a peaceful demonstration against Blackwell with Johnny the son of magazine publisher Eugene Johnson. No one knows that Eugene Johnson actually is Matthew Blackwell.

When Blackwell next speaks, his followers attack the protestors. Action Boy stops the attack on the protesters. Meanwhile, Captain Action arrives at a factory being targeted by Blackwell.  CA saves a young girl caught in an explosion at the factory.

The riot over, Johnny Johnson heads to his dad's place to talk. He can't find him at first, but accidently discovers a secret door in his father's office. The door leads to the laboratory of Blackwell. Johnny realizes that his father is Matthew Blackwell. Enraged he set out to destroy his dad's lab, but in doing so causes an explosion, which kills him. Blackwell returns to his laboratory, discovering his dead son's body.

Maddened by his own part in his son's death, he goes completely insane. After Captain Action stops Blackwell's followers, he sees the broken man committed to a mental institution. This tale of charismatic leaders and rebellion in the streets was the swan song for Captain Action and Action Boy. I don't know if the issue was sales or the end of the toy line or what, but I enjoyed every issue of this book and was saddened to see it go. Of course I owned the toys so this book was just made for me.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Captain Action #4

Captain Action #4 (On Sale: February 27, 1969) has a cover by Gil Kane.

"Evil at Dead World's End" is written and drawn by Gil Kane.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Captain Action #3

Captain Action #3 (On Sale: December 31, 1968) has a very nice cover penciled by Gil Kane and inked by Dick Giordano.

"...and Evil This Way Comes" was written and penciled by Gil Kane and inked by Wally Wood. This issue introduced Dr. Evil. This was Gil Kane's first writing credit at DC; over the years he would write a dozen or so stories at DC, half of them within this next six months.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Captain Action #2

Captain Action #2 (On Sale: October 29, 1968) has a cover by Gil Kane.

"The Battle Begins" is by Jim Shooter, Gil Kane and Wally Wood. In the name of full disclosure I must confess to owning a Captain Action doll as a kid. In fact, they were so well made he is sitting on my drawing board even as we speak. I also owned the Captain Action Superman costume and the Silver Streak, the amphibious car depicted on the cover of above.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Captain Action #1

Captain Action #1 (On Sale: August 29, 1968) has a cover by Irv Novick. OK, I have to admit as a kid and the proud owner of a Captain Action doll, I was jazzed when this hit the stands and grabbed me a copy immediately.

"Origin of Captain Action" is by Jim Shooter and Wally Wood. This was my first exposure to the legendary Wally Wood and I loved what I saw. While on an archaeological dig in Spain Professor Clive Arno uncovers evidence that shows the Gods of many ancient cultures were actually the same alien beings. He also finds a box of coins that grant him the powers of the gods. His assistant Krellik tries to steal the coins, but is prevented from doing so. Arno then returns to America with the coins with the intention of becoming a super-hero named Captain Action.

When Arno reveals his plans to his son Carl, the boy shows him a newspaper in which Captain Action is shown as a criminal. Arno realizes that Krellik has taken his idea and corrupted it using the powers granted to him by evil gods.

When Krellik strikes again dressed as Captain Action in an attempt to frame Arno for his crime, Superman is there to stop him. However, the real Captain Action accompanied by Carl, now the costumed Action Boy push Superman out of the way to battle Krellik. While the crook escapes from the first battle, Captain Action tracks down his foe again, but is nearly killed when Krellik finds a cache of weapons left on Earth by the aliens.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.