| Chapter 4: | Sicilian Folklore and American Comics |
mighty Captain Marvel by saying the magic word “Shazam.” The magic word “Shazam” stands for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury, whose powers are transferred to Billy from a 3,000 year old wizard before he dies. His opponent is the Scorpion, the leader of a gang that wants to capture the five lenses that when placed in an instrument called the Golden Scorpion will give its possessor superhuman powers. Every week a chapter in this cliff hanging serial was played. In the final episode Professor Bentley turns out to be the Scorpion. Bentley had put all five lenses together in the Golden Scorpion and was disintegrated when a ray from the instrument hit him.
Popular comic book and comic strip superheroes appearing in chapter serials at the Rex included Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, Jungle Girl, Superman, Batman, Spy Smasher, Red Ryder, Zorro and the Green Hornet. One of the greatest pulp magazine villains appeared in “Drums of Fu Manchu,” a Republic chapter serial released in 1940.
I traded with Mondo my “All Star Comics” no. 3 for his “Whiz Comics” no. 2, the first appearance of Captain Marvel. Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana, an evil scientist, appeared in this important issue. Captain Marvel eventually had a family of superheroes including Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. It was thrilling for me as a boy that a simple utterance of a magic word made a superhero out of an ordinary kid. I continued to follow the Captain Marvel stories as an adult and over time one of my favorite Captain Marvel enemies was Mr. Mind, a green worm from another planet. In “Shazam!” no. 9 for January 1974 Mr. Mind captures