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This page may contain some of the same content as the Marvel Database article. A more complete and current article is at the Marvel Comics Database Jeff Jordan (Earth-616). |
HistoryEdit
World War II
Captain Wonder During World War II
Jeff Jordan was a chemistry teacher by trade. He married his wife Caroline and they had two children, William in 1940 and David in 1942[1]. Outside of teaching, he experimented with chemicals trying to find a way to increase human strength, a formula he dubbed the "Wonder Fluid" but had difficulties creating it. During one of his chemistry classes, his prize student Tim Mulrooney in an attempt to win the favour of his fellow students, tossed a rubbed ball at the back of Jordan's head. Jordan gave the boy a detention and had him help with his latest attempts at creating the Wonder Fluid. Tim accidentally knocked over a test tube of chemicals which filled the room with gas. Inhaling the gas, Jeff passed out and before Tim could succumb to the chemicals effects, he opened a window potentially saving themselves. The exposure to the gas found the pair were endowed with super-human strength, and Jeff the ability to fly. The two took up super-hero identities, Jeff calling himself Captain Wonder, and Timothy merely calling himself Tim, as he could not come up with a name of his own[2]. The pair briefly fought crime as well as Axis spies together for a brief period before the United States officially entered World War II[3][4].
By 1945, Jeff decided to join the American forces and battle the Nazis during the final days of the war. His wife Caroline was worried about him leaving his family behind to fight in the war, however Jeff convinced her that it was his duty to do so for the sake of his children and promised her that he would come back[1]. For reasons of his own, he also decided to leave Tim behind[5]. He served with the military seeing combat and helping an American bomber land after one of its engines caught fire[6].
On April 25, 1945, Captain Wonder and other heroes participated in an attack on Berlin, Germany. He joined Phantom Reporter, Blue Blade, Witness, Fiery Mask, Laughing Mask, Mister E, Rockman, Mastermind Exello, Black Widow, Dynamic Man and the Electro in storming the headquarters of the S.S. to search for snipers. They walked into a trap set by Nazi agents and were gassed and placed into suspended animation to be experimented on later. However, the Soviets soon help beat back the Nazis and all those involved in the heroes' captures were killed in action. Captain Wonder and the other heroes were then forgotten for many years.
Modern Day
More than sixty years later, Captain Wonder and the others were uncovered during a construction project in the 21st Century. Their bodies were recovered by the United States government who decided to revive the heroes in the hopes that they would represent the government. At first Jeff and the others were confined to a hospital that was made to resemble the 1940s. However the Phantom Reporter became suspicious and sent Jeff to fly to the roof of the building, and he soon learned the truth. During the military debriefing, Jeff was told that his wife died of a heart attack in 1975 and his two sons enlisted in the military and were killed in action during the Vietnam War; this revelation devastated Jeff. When asked if they would work as government super-heroes the entire group agreed[7]. The group of displaced heroes, loosely dubbed the Twelve were soon set up in a government owned mansion. Jeff had the military find the location where his family was buried and visited their grave site where he broke down reading his wife's headstone which read "Come the Darkness, I Still Believe", filled him with guilt that he was not back in time to see his family still alive[1][8].
Later, Jeff attended a going away party for Mastermind Excello. During the party Jeff confided his feeling of loss to Fiery Mask, and his fellow hero suggested that perhaps he honour his family by continuing to be a hero. When the Dynamic Man arrived at the party he mocked the heroes and almost started a fight with the intoxicated Phantom Reporter, but Jeff quickly put a stop to it and Dynamic Man fled, telling the heroes that they were obsolete in this future world[9]. Jeff soon took up a job to be a motivational speaker at public schools. When Dynamic Man learned of this he once more began mocking Jeff and finally leading to a fight between the two. However, Fiery Mask cut it short and Dynamic Man once more left in disgust over Jeff's constant self pity. Jeff's first and last job as a motivational speaker happened at an inner city school where he learned to his shock that the kids of the 21st century live in a vastly different world he grew up in. One of gangs, violence, and mean-street attitude of kill or be killed. Disillusioned, Jeff was once more confronted by the Dynamic Man. Dynamic Man explained to him that the world they lived in is dead and in this world where even more depraved and evil happenings one has to fight the evil filth all around them. Jeff simply tells Dynamic Man to fly away, but later that night resolved to once more put on his costume and flew off into the night tears streaming from his eyes[10].
Back to costumed heroics, Captain Wonder helped save the NASA shuttle Olympus, saved fire fighters from a blazing inferno, rescued a missing child and prevented a terrorist attack on a U.S. Senator. Although the media was covering all of this Jeff refused to give a single interview, still coming to terms with his guilt[11]. Soon, Jeff was visited by his old sidekick Tim Mulrooney, now an old man. After a happy reunion and explaining to Fiery Mask their origins the two were left alone to talk. Tim explained that when Jeff disappeared Tim carried on his legacy calling himself Captain Tim. However, Tim's powers soon faded and eventually he grew old and became a lowly employee at an electronics store. He explains to Jeff that he now has lymphatic cancer and begs Jeff to give him the Wonder Fluid to hopefully cure himself and regain some of his former glory. Jeff turned him down, telling him that he still had not found a way to recreate the formula that originally gave them their powers. Tim then stormed off angrily, telling Jeff to go to hell, a rejection that hit the already hurting Jeff even harder[2].
Jeff and the other members of the Twelve were soon gathered by Mastermind Exello who believed that some important event was coming and that one of them was going to die. That person turned out to be the Blue Blade[12]. The Phantom Reporter investigated the crime scene and then called all the members together and revealed that the Dynamic Man was controlling Electro and used it to kill Blue Blade and others that he believed to be living in sin. Captain Wonder kept Dynamic Man restrained until Phantom Reporter and Fiery Mask revealed Dynamic Man as a synthetic being by burning off all his clothing[13]. Captain Wonder briefly battled Dynamic Man, but the insane android caused the mansion to collapse and fled, Captain Wonder losing him. Taking Mastermind Excello, Phantom Reporter, and Fiery Mask, Captain Wonder flew them to the estate of Dynamic Man's creator, Professor Goettler. There they attacked Dynamic Man again, who incapacitated Jeff with the device that gave Dynamic Man his powers. However, the device was destroyed but Fiery Mask was killed in the process, but not before passing his powers along to Phantom Reporter. Free from the device, Jeff held Dynamic Man while Phantom Reporter destroyed Dynamic Man with his new found powers, horribly burning half of Captain Wonder's body in the process. Refusing medical attention, Jeff flew them all back. Later at the funeral of Fiery Mask, Jeff confided in the Phantom Reporter that doctors could not heal his burns due to the fact his skin was too strong to do grafts with[14].
After time in an out of the hospital to heal, Jeff decided to resume heroics. He used Laughing Mask's discarded mask to fashion one to cover the burnt portion of his face and was last seen rescuing a class field trip from a cave in[15].
Character Powers and Equipment
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Powers and AbilitiesEditPowersSuperhuman Strength: Captain Wonder had, at one time, been described as having "the strength of twelve men." This power level has clearly been revised in modern times, since Captain Wonder has recently demonstrated sufficient strength and flying power to carry the damaged space shuttle Olympus, an object with thousands of tons of mass. Superhuman Speed: Captain Wonder can run and move at speeds that are beyond the physical limits of the finest human athlete. Superhuman Stamina: Captain Wonder body grants him great stamina. Superhuman Durability: Captain Wonder’s bodily tissues are much harder and far more resistant to physical injury than the bodily tissues of a normal human. Captain Wonder is highly resistant to penetration wounds, even from high caliber machine gun shells. He can also withstand tremendous impact forces, such as falling from great heights or being repeatedly struck by superhumanly strong opponents, without being hurt. Superhuman Agility: Captain Wonder’s agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. Superhuman Reflexes: Captain Wonder’s reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete. Superhuman Hearing: Captain Wonder’s hearing has been enhanced to a superhuman degree. Superhuman Vision: Captain Wonder can see beyond the usual spectrum visible to the human eye. Flight: Captain Wonder able to fly through the air at great speeds, the exact limit of which isn't known. AbilitiesGifted Intellect: Captain Wonder has a gifted intellect. Strength levelCaptain Wonder had, at one time, been described as having "the strength of twelve men." This power level has clearly been revised in modern times, since Captain Wonder has recently demonstrated sufficient strength and flying power to carry the damaged space shuttle Olympus, an object with thousands of tons of mass.[16] ParaphernaliaEdit
WeaponsCaptain Wonder often carried a Tommy gun when fighting the Axis forces during WWII. |
Appearances, Images, and QuotesEdit
- Quotations by or about Jeff Jordan (Earth-616)
NotesEdit
- Captain Wonder appeared only twice during the Golden Age of Comic Books, in Kid Komics #1 and #2. His character was revived in Twelve #1.
TriviaEdit
- Captain Wonder's origin and powers are quite similar to other heroes of the time, especially The Black Terror, whose sidekick's name is also Tim!
LinksEdit
- Captain Wonder at Wikipedia
- Captain Wonder at International Hero
- Captain Wonder at The Heroes of Timely Comics
- 12 DAYS OF THE TWELVE: CAPTAIN WONDER at Newsarama
- http://www.reocities.com/jjnevins/wonder.html
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Twelve #2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Twelve #7
- ↑ Kid Komics #1
- ↑ Kid Komics #2
- ↑ Twelve #8
- ↑ Twelve: Spearhead #1
- ↑ Twelve #1
- ↑ Twelve #3
- ↑ Twelve #4
- ↑ Twelve #5
- ↑ Twelve #6
- ↑ Twelve #9
- ↑ Twelve #10
- ↑ Twelve #11
- ↑ Twelve #12
- ↑ According to Wikipedia, a typical space shuttle weighs on the order of 2000 tons, not including payload.