Captain Marvel Goes to War
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spirits and keep the flame of patriotism alive during World War II? As a matter
of fact, it wasn’t uncommon at all during the War for different ranks and
branches of the military to adopt different characters that would inspire them
towards their cause. And Captain Marvel was a perfect example of one such
character. Really, who better to fight Nazis that the World’s Mightiest
Mortal?
We see an example of this on the cover of Captain Marvel
Adventures #27. Featuring an image of Captain Marvel hurling a
missile of some sort towards the enemy, he is set against a bold navy blue
circle with a proud white star in the center. The cover also announces to the
readership that the image was the insignia that had recently been adopted, and
would be worn, by a naval air squadron. And interestingly enough, the patch
featuring that insignia is now one of the most sought-after of the 1940s Captain
Marvel items. When worn on the chest or shoulder, this 5 ½” patch
just might’ve had the same effect on a weary soldier that shouting
“Shazam” had on Billy Batson.
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