Question: Not that I expect these 1950's comics to make sense but did the writers ever explain...

Vertighost

I found it interesting that in one of the issues from the 50's it's revealed that all 3 Marvel family members discover that becoming Marvels heals them from whatever wounds they've experienced. Immediately I thought "But what about Freddy?" I was surprised that neither Adam or Chris commented on this. Was it ever explained (perhaps in an earlier issue) why Freddy was consigned to using a crutch despite turning into a Marvel innumerable times? How did that even make sense to even the youngest readers in that particular issue with everyone healed but Freddy presumably still using a crutch?

Mr. Murdough, thanks for condensing these stories down into bite-sized nuggets since I'm pretty sure it's the only way I could take them all in. While they're certainly imaginative, their overall simplicity and general sameness would wear me down. I can't imagine actually reading them all with all the 1-dimensional characters and reams of unnecessary exposition that was common for comics of the time. Even with your summaries I could only listen to about an hour of these at a time. It's like eating too many cookies (with no milk even!)

nweathington

Vertighost said:

Was it ever explained (perhaps in an earlier issue) why Freddy was consigned to using a crutch despite turning into a Marvel innumerable times? How did that even make sense to even the youngest readers in that particular issue with everyone healed but Freddy presumably still using a crutch?

If you’ve never read the origin of Captain Marvel Jr. (Whiz Comics #25), when Captain Nazi kills Freddy’s grandfather and knocks Freddy for a loop, CM rescues Freddy and takes him to a hospital, where we learn Freddy’s back has been broken and he is “not expected to make it through the night”. Long story short, CM gives Freddy some of his power, saving his life. CM then tells Freddy that he can turn back to human form, but that he will “have to go through life in your own form”, meaning crippled.

In this Marvel Family #44 story, Billy is bruised but relatively unharmed. Freddy and Mary are pretty beat up, though the doctor says they “have a chance to pull through”.

So if you really have to apply continuity, you can look at it like this: the magic has limits. It kept Freddy alive in Whiz #25, but couldn’t completely repair his shattered spine. The injuries in Marvel Family #44 were also life-threatening, but not necessarily fatal, hence the full recovery.

Vertighost

Thank you for the explanation, sir! I know it's the best I will get for a 1950's comic. It's one of the joys writers must experience when using magic - you can explain away almost anything. The magic covers life-threatening but not presumably fatal injuries? ("Not expected to make it" vs. "have a chance to pull through")? But thanks again. You are a veritable encyclopedia of info and CGS should have you on!

nweathington

Vertighost said:

Thank you for the explanation, sir! I know it's the best I will get for a 1950's comic. It's one of the joys writers must experience when using magic - you can explain away almost anything. The magic covers life-threatening but not presumably fatal injuries? ("Not expected to make it" vs. "have a chance to pull through")? But thanks again. You are a veritable encyclopedia of info and CGS should have you on!

Happy to help. And thank you!

Yeah, magic is a tricky beast. With something like Captain Marvel, where it’s intended for a young audience, and is more fanciful in nature, I think the writer gets a little more leeway in how they use (or abuse) it. Try a stunt like that with an older, more critical audience though, and you’ll likely lose readers.