Captain Compass

Captain Compass is a character in the DC Comics universe first appearing in 1948 in an issue of Star Spangled Comics,[1] as a replacement for the original Robotman strip.[2]

Captain Compass
Publication information
First appearanceStar Spangled Comics #83 (August 1948)
In-story information
Alter egoMark Compass
Team affiliationsUnited States Navy

As a "naval detective", Captain Compass's early stories were primarily genre tales of detection, but in later stories an element of the supernatural came to be included. His design was created by artist Jimmy Thompson,[3] though the writer who originally created him is unknown.[2]

Fictional biography

A former private detective, Mark Compass is hired by the "Penny Steamship lines" shipping company as a troubleshooter. In his early appearances his adventures take places aboard the fictional "SS Nautilus", but later stories have Compass venturing to other settings.[4] At various points in his career, he's depicted as being employed in different (generally naval) contexts; for example, in one strip he's demoted to steamship captain.[3] He fights criminals, pirates and people who live on lost islands.[5]

Publication history
  • Star Spangled Comics #83-130 (August 1948 - July 1952)
  • World's Finest Comics #63 (March/April 1953)
  • Detective Comics #203-224 (January 1954 - October 1955)
  • Detective Comics #500 (March 1981)

Early stories in Star Spangled Comics are almost exclusively standard genre tales of detection on the high seas. In later issues of that series, an element of the supernatural is introduced. This first occurs in Star Spangled Comics #96, Captain Compass and his ship sail through a whirlpool to another dimension (or possibly time-travel). Other adventures include conflicts with mechanical whales and prehistoric dinosaurs.[3] Though created by Jimmy Thompson, the regular penciller on these Compass strips was Paul Norris.[6]

When Star Spangled Comics switched formats, the Captain Compass strip was replaced by a Doctor Thirteen strip,[2] though Compass reappears in World's Finest Comics the next year. After this, his strip switches to Detective Comics, where it remains until the end of Captain Compass's history as a distinct strip. The last Captain Compass strip is in Detective Comics #224 (October 1955).[7] After this, Compass's slot in the magazine was taken by the introduction of new character Martian Manhunter.[8]

Modern appearances

Compass appeared alongside the Martian Manhunter when J'onn J'onnz signed onto his ship to investigate the murder of a sea captain's daughter. Compass also aided the Justice League after Green Arrow decided to depart to battle his personal demons.

Captain Compass appeared (rarely) in several subsequent issues of Detective Comics, including #500 (March 1981) where he joined forces with other detective characters such as Slam Bradley and the Human Target to solve one last case.[7] After this issue, he appears in a DC Comics reprint set Best of DC Digest in 1982, and then possibly in an unverified cameo in Swamp Thing #46 (March 1986).[9] He has not been depicted in any published comic since that time.

References
  1. Andrews, Henry (2010). "Star Spangled Comics". In Booker, M. Keith (ed.). Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels. 2. ABC-CLIO. p. 595. ISBN 9780313357473. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  2. Markstein, Don. "Captain Compass". toonopedia.com. Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  3. Dayton, Deejay (2016-03-14). "DC Comics History: Captain Compass". ComicBookBin.com. ComicBookBin. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  4. Markstein, Don. "Captain Compass". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
  6. "Underappreciated Artist Spotlight - Paul Norris". cbr.com. Comic Book Resources. 2010-11-02. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  7. Dayton, Deejay (2016-09-04). "DC Comics History: Captain Compass (1952 - 1955: We Don't Need Another Hero)". ComicBookBin.com. ComicBookBin. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  8. "Detective Comics Stars Besides Batman Golden Age". davescomicheroes.blogspot.com. Dave's Comic Heroes Blog. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  9. "Who's Captain Compass?". siskoid.blogspot.com/. Siskoid's Blog of Geekery. 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
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