American Update: Marvel 1968: Captains Courageous! Marvel Super-Heroes #12 and #13, with first Mar-Vell and first Carol Danvers
*Marvel: Continuing Marvel’s expansion in the year 1968, Marvel Super-Heroes #12 saw the debut of Captain Marvel, a warrior of the spacefaring Kree Empire who masqueraded as a human on Earth. Actually conceived as a copyright-protecting exercise (Marvel’s lawyers had recently seen off a short-lived ‘Captain Marvel’ from another publisher), Mar-Vell’s genesis may have been a bit less than sincere, but his impact remains enduring in the Marvel Universe , especially his participation in the cosmic events initiated by Jim Starlin later in Cap’s own series. These two issues present not one, but two Captains’ debuts: not only Mar-Vell in #12, but Carol Danvers – later Ms. Marvel, occasionally Warbird, and fifth and current holder of the Captain Marvel title – made her first appearance in #13 as part of Mar-Vell’s supporting cast. Given the imminence of the ‘Captain Carol’ movie – as those of you paying attention at the end of Avengers: Infinity War will have noted – #13 is currently commanding higher prices than #12, but we are delighted to have both to offer: issue #12 is a VG+ p copy, clean and bright with excellent spine, on sale at £50; #13 is GD/VG p, with a slight spine curvature caused by uneven glue drying, but nevertheless sound with considerable eye appeal, on sale at £70.