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Captain (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Captain is a fictional character
, a satiric Marvel Comics
superhero appearing in the book Nextwave
. He was created by Warren Ellis
and Stuart Immonen
and first appeared in Nextwave #1 (January 2006).
In 2006 Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
stated that Nextwave's setting was in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity. However, recent issues of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
, as well as Civil War: Battle Damage Report, consistently place Nextwave's activities in mainstream continuity.
According to Warren Ellis' series proposal (within Volume 1's collection of stories), he stated that the Captain was pretty much every pointless character who utilized "Captain" in his codename.
, the organization which assembled Nextwave. One flashback shows that when he was a child, his mother hanged
his favorite teddy bear, Special Bear; due to this, he dislikes teddy bears even in adulthood. (As with all of the flashbacks shown in the series, the accuracy of this memory is suspect, as Civil War: Battle Damage Report states that members of Nextwave may have had memories altered by the Beyond Corporation©
) He claims to be "from ☠☠☠☠ Brooklyn".
The Captain gained his powers from "the Heartstar of the space between the galaxies", also referred to as the "Messianic Siddhe-complex," which was bestowed upon him by a pair of small, green, altruistic extraterrestrials named Spa-Fon and Squa-Tront (both named from interjections frequently uttered by BEM
s in EC
sci-fi comics) in order to make Brooklyn
a better place. As the Captain was incredibly drunk at the time, it is unknown if he remembers this event exactly, as he immediately attacked both aliens, believing them to be gold-bearing leprechaun
s.
By his own admission, he used to go by Captain ☠☠☠☠, a moniker so offensive that when he met Captain America
, the Avenger beat him severely and left him in a dumpster with a bar of soap
in his mouth. The Captain used a lot of codenames as well, all of them starting with 'Captain', and had to abandon them all because someone else was already using them. In Nextwave #7 he mentions that he had to pay a "marine-looking melon farmer" to even use his current codename.
The Captain continues to use his codename in the Nextwave group while the other members have dropped them; according to Aaron Stack
, this is due to an inability to remember his real name. According to the official theme song of the comic, in tone with the satirical quality of the stories, he doesn't have a name anymore at all, with "The Captain" serving both as a moniker, and as an impromptu first name.
Similar to the rest of Nextwave, the Captain dresses in civilian clothes — sneakers, camouflage
pants, a trenchcoat, and a white T-shirt with a black star which resembles the Heartstar — despite becoming a superhero "for the mask," as he stated in issue #1.
The Captain is extremely cynical, foul-mouthed, and hard-drinking. His age is as yet undetermined, but he has said his mother conceived him while listening to Roxy Music
's 1982 album Avalon which would make him at most 26 years old, although years of hard living and general unkemptness arguably make him look older.
A text box in one issue states that despite his name, he is not actually the captain of anything.
.
, and survived being at the epicenter of an explosion that did considerable damage to an entire city block. However, during his quest for a superhero name, he mentions he had been beaten up or easily intimidated by a number of individuals. The Captain's powers apparently are not hindered by alcohol, as he once drunkenly drove a man's spine through his chest merely by patting him on the back.
According to dialogue by the aliens, his powers are magical in origin.
He has referred to his powers as "My generic set of super-hero abilities", alluding to both the satiric nature of his design and his own cynical personality.
makes the entire team experience life through 'Forbush Vision', showing each team member's life as if they had had a depressing, mundane, or cliched existence. The Captain's personal nightmare turned out to be an existence in which he had accepted the burden of 'Captain Universe
' and thereby ruined his life. The Captain is freed from his nightmare, and it is unrevealed whether it had any element of truth in it.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a satiric Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superhero appearing in the book Nextwave
Nextwave
Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression...
. He was created by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and Stuart Immonen
Stuart Immonen
Stuart Immonen is a Canadian comic book artist. He is best known for his work on Nextwave, Ultimate X-Men, The New Avengers and Ultimate Spider-Man...
and first appeared in Nextwave #1 (January 2006).
In 2006 Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
stated that Nextwave's setting was in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity. However, recent issues of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
, as well as Civil War: Battle Damage Report, consistently place Nextwave's activities in mainstream continuity.
According to Warren Ellis' series proposal (within Volume 1's collection of stories), he stated that the Captain was pretty much every pointless character who utilized "Captain" in his codename.
Nextwave
Little is known about the Captain's past before he joined H.A.T.E.H.A.T.E.
The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, better known by its acronym H.A.T.E., is one of two antagonistic organizations in Marvel Comics' Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., a series created by Warren Ellis....
, the organization which assembled Nextwave. One flashback shows that when he was a child, his mother hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
his favorite teddy bear, Special Bear; due to this, he dislikes teddy bears even in adulthood. (As with all of the flashbacks shown in the series, the accuracy of this memory is suspect, as Civil War: Battle Damage Report states that members of Nextwave may have had memories altered by the Beyond Corporation©
Beyond Corporation©
The Beyond Corporation© is a fictional multinational corporation that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The corporation acts as a recurring antagonist in the Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. series, appearing in every story arc....
) He claims to be "from ☠☠☠☠ Brooklyn".
The Captain gained his powers from "the Heartstar of the space between the galaxies", also referred to as the "Messianic Siddhe-complex," which was bestowed upon him by a pair of small, green, altruistic extraterrestrials named Spa-Fon and Squa-Tront (both named from interjections frequently uttered by BEM
Bug-eyed monster
Bug-eyed monster is an early convention of the science fiction genre. Extraterrestrials in science fiction of the 1930s were often described as grotesque creatures with huge, oversized...
s in EC
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
sci-fi comics) in order to make Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
a better place. As the Captain was incredibly drunk at the time, it is unknown if he remembers this event exactly, as he immediately attacked both aliens, believing them to be gold-bearing leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
s.
By his own admission, he used to go by Captain ☠☠☠☠, a moniker so offensive that when he met Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, the Avenger beat him severely and left him in a dumpster with a bar of soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
in his mouth. The Captain used a lot of codenames as well, all of them starting with 'Captain', and had to abandon them all because someone else was already using them. In Nextwave #7 he mentions that he had to pay a "marine-looking melon farmer" to even use his current codename.
The Captain continues to use his codename in the Nextwave group while the other members have dropped them; according to Aaron Stack
Machine Man
Machine Man is a fictional character, an android superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Jack Kirby for 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 , a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick film and Arthur C. Clarke novel...
, this is due to an inability to remember his real name. According to the official theme song of the comic, in tone with the satirical quality of the stories, he doesn't have a name anymore at all, with "The Captain" serving both as a moniker, and as an impromptu first name.
Similar to the rest of Nextwave, the Captain dresses in civilian clothes — sneakers, camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
pants, a trenchcoat, and a white T-shirt with a black star which resembles the Heartstar — despite becoming a superhero "for the mask," as he stated in issue #1.
The Captain is extremely cynical, foul-mouthed, and hard-drinking. His age is as yet undetermined, but he has said his mother conceived him while listening to Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
's 1982 album Avalon which would make him at most 26 years old, although years of hard living and general unkemptness arguably make him look older.
A text box in one issue states that despite his name, he is not actually the captain of anything.
Initiative
The Captain and other Nextwave members appear on the solicited cover to Avengers: The InitiativeAvengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
.
Powers and abilities
The Captain has, as of issue five, displayed superhuman strength, durability, the ability to fly unaided, and enhanced vision. He is strong enough to break one of the digits of a clone of the giant dragon Fin Fang FoomFin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
, and survived being at the epicenter of an explosion that did considerable damage to an entire city block. However, during his quest for a superhero name, he mentions he had been beaten up or easily intimidated by a number of individuals. The Captain's powers apparently are not hindered by alcohol, as he once drunkenly drove a man's spine through his chest merely by patting him on the back.
According to dialogue by the aliens, his powers are magical in origin.
He has referred to his powers as "My generic set of super-hero abilities", alluding to both the satiric nature of his design and his own cynical personality.
Uni-Power?
In Nextwave #10, Forbush ManForbush Man
Forbush Man , is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. Originally the mascot of Marvel Comics' Not Brand Echh, he is the alter-ego of Irving Forbush, a fictional employee of Marvel Comics...
makes the entire team experience life through 'Forbush Vision', showing each team member's life as if they had had a depressing, mundane, or cliched existence. The Captain's personal nightmare turned out to be an existence in which he had accepted the burden of 'Captain Universe
Captain Universe
Captain Universe is a disembodied superhero in Marvel Comics' universe who was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, and first appeared in Micronauts vol. 1 #8. It is the guardian and protector of Eternity...
' and thereby ruined his life. The Captain is freed from his nightmare, and it is unrevealed whether it had any element of truth in it.