Captain Future is a pulp science fiction hero – a space-traveling scientist and adventurer – originally published in the United States in his namesake pulp magazine from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies. The majority of the stories were authored by Edmond Hamilton. A number of adaptations and derivative works followed.
A 1978–79 Japanese anime (キャプテン・フューチャー) was dubbed into several languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic. His francophone name is , although he is better known in Francophone countries under the name .
Origins Although sometimes mistakenly attributed to science fiction writer Edmond Hamilton, who indeed authored most of the Captain Future stories, the character was created by Better Publications editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies beforeWill Murray, "The Once and Future Captain", Starlog 115, Feb. 1987 the 1st World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 and then announced there.Allan Steele, The Death of Captain Future (with introduction and author's note) in The Space Opera Renaissance, ed. David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, 2006, p. 556-586.Sam Moskowitz, The Immortal Storm, 1958, p. 219.
The original character was published by Ned Pines' Thrilling/Standard/Better publications company. A different Captain Future was published in Pine's Nedor Comics line.
Stories and art The stories were published in American pulp magazines from 1940 to 1951, featuring bright-colored cover illustrations by Earle K. Bergey and two fellow pulp artists. Captain Future's originating adventures appeared in his namesake magazine, which ran from 1940 to 1944, coinciding with World War II. Bergey painted twelve of the seventeen Captain Future covers, and all ten subsequent Startling Stories covers under which additional Captain Future novels and novelettes were published. Of note, Bergey's art for Captain Future, beginning with the third issue, marks the start of his groundbreaking work in the fields of science fiction and fantasy illustration.
While the first four issues of the Captain Future pulp are subtitled "Wizard of Science", the remaining thirteen issues bear the header, "Man of Tomorrow", shifting focus to the humanity of the titular hero, whose given name is Curtis Newton. A brilliant scientist and adventurer, Newton roams the solar system as Captain Future—solving problems, righting wrongs, and vanquishing futuristic supervillains. Published by Better Publications, an imprint of the expansive Thrilling Group of pulps, Captain Future gave readers the only explicitly science fiction and fantasy pulp hero in the history of American pulps.
The series makes assumptions about the Solar System which are outlandish by modern standards but which still seemed plausible, at least to most readers, when the stories were written. Every one of the planets of the Solar System, and many of the moons and asteroids, are suitable for life; most are occupied by humanoid extraterrestrials. The initial adventures take place in the planets of the Solar System. Later installments (after Captain Future invents the "vibration drive") take the hero to other stars, other dimensions and even the distant past and almost to the end of the Universe. As an example, they visit the planet Aar in the Deneb system, which is the origin planet for Earth humans, as well as many other humanoids across the Solar System and beyond. Hamilton spent much of the early 1940s creating the juvenile Captain Future series complete with a future history of various human species originating in the Deneb system, a collection at the same time better written and less lively than his groundbreaking trademark space operas.
Story overview Initially, the story was set in 1990. Hamilton quickly avoided exact dates except for past events, such as the voyages of the astronauts who first landed on most of the other planets of the Solar System. In later stories, if the date was asked or revealed, it was done so discreetly.
The series begins when genius scientist Roger Newton, his wife Elaine, and his fellow scientist Simon Wright leave planet Earth to do research in an isolated laboratory on the Moon, and to escape the predations of Victor Corvo (originally: Victor Kaslan), a criminal politician who wished to use Newton's inventions for his own gain. Simon's body is old and diseased and Roger enables him to continue doing research by transplanting his healthy brain into an artificial case (originally immobile—carried around by Grag—later equipped with lifter units). Working together, the two scientists create an intelligent robot called Grag, and an android with shape-shifting abilities called Otho. One day, Corvo arrives on the Moon and murders the Newtons; but before he can reap the fruits of his atrocity, Corvo and his killers are in turn slain by Grag and Otho.
The deaths of the Newtons leave their son, Curtis, to be raised by the unlikely trio of Otho, Grag, and Simon Wright. Under their tutelage, Curtis grows up to be a brilliant scientist and as strong and fast as any champion athlete. He also grows up with a strong sense of responsibility and hopes to use his scientific skills to help people. With that goal in his mind, he calls himself Captain Future; Simon, Otho and Grag are referred to as the Futuremen in subsequent stories. Other recurring characters in the series are the old space marshal Ezra Gurney, the beautiful Planet Patrol agent Joan Randall (who provides a love interest for Curtis), and James Carthew, President of the Solar System whose office is in New York City and who calls upon Future in extreme need.
Captain Future faces many enemies in his career but his archenemy is Ul Quorn, who is the only recurring villain in the series and appears in two different stories. He is part Martian – therefore called the Magician of Mars – but also the son of Victor Corvo, who murdered the Newtons. Quorn is a scientist whose abilities rival those of Captain Future.
Stories Issue Story Title Author Publication Title Publication Date Notes 1 "Captain Future and the Space Emperor" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Winter 1940 Reprinted under the same title 2 "Calling Captain Future" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Spring 1940 Reprinted under the same title 3 "Captain Future's Challenge" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Summer 1940 Reprinted under the same title 4 "The Triumph of Captain Future" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Fall 1940 Reprinted as "Galaxy Mission" 5 "Captain Future and the Seven Space-Stones" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Winter 1941 6 "Star Trail to Glory" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Spring 1941 7 "The Magician of Mars" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Summer 1941 Reprinted under the same title 8 "The Lost World of Time" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Fall 1941 9 "Quest Beyond the Stars" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Winter 1942 Reprinted under the same title 10 "Outlaws of the Moon" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Spring 1942 Reprinted under the same title 11 "The Comet Kings" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Summer 1942 Reprinted under the same title 12 "Planets in Peril" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Fall 1942 Reprinted under the same title 13 "The Face of the Deep" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Winter 1943 14 "Worlds to Come" Joseph Samachson (as William Morrison) Captain Future Spring 1943 15 "Star of Dread" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Summer 1943 16 "Magic Moon" Edmond Hamilton Captain Future Winter 1944 17 "Days of Creation" Joseph Samachson (as William Morrison) Captain Future Spring 1944 Reprinted as "The Tenth Planet" 18 "Red Sun of Danger" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories Spring 1945 Reprinted as "Danger Planet" 19 "Outlaw World" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories Winter 1946 Reprinted under the same title 20 "The Solar Invasion" Manly Wade Wellman Startling Stories Fall 1946 Reprinted under the same title SS01 "The Return of Captain Future" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories January 1950 SS02 "Children of the Sun" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories May 1950 SS03 "The Harpers of Titan" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories September 1950 Reprinted as part of Doctor Cyclops SS04 "Pardon My Iron Nerves" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories November 1950 SS05 "Moon of the Unforgotten" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories January 1951 SS06 "Earthmen No More" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories March 1951 SS07 "Birthplace of Creation" Edmond Hamilton Startling Stories May 1951 Side Story "Treasure on Thunder Moon" Edmond Hamilton Amazing Stories April 1942 See explanation in notes below. Side Story "Forgotten World" Edmond Hamilton Thrilling Wonder Stories Winter 1946 See explanation in notes below
Characters Captain Future Tall, athletic and handsome, with red hair, Captain Future was born on the Moon as Curtis Newton. After the death of his parents, he was trained by Professor Simon, Otho and Grag in all scientific and athletic pursuits necessary to fight crime and injustice across the Solar System. Prof. Simon Wright A human brain living in a transparent, nuclear-powered life support case, with tentacle-mounted optics. He is Captain Future's mentor and chief consultant in scientific matters. Grag and Otho Grag is a seven-foot-tall metallic robot. Otho is a white-skinned android. Both were created by Roger Newton with artificial intelligence and human emotions to be friends and helpers to mankind. Grag and Otho have a friendly rivalry. Grag is big and strong, but not very bright, while Otho is quick-witted, agile, and (with the aid of a special chemical) able to alter his physical appearance. Eek and Oog Grag and Otho's pets, respectively. Eek is a "moonpup", a canine creature which does not need air to survive and consumes soft metals for food. Oog is an amorphous being called a mimic, an artificially created pet that can change its shape as Otho does. Both are telepathic, and are attached to their respective master. Joan Randall A beautiful female agent of the Planetary Police on Earth. She has brunette hair (blonde in the anime adaptation). She shares a mutual romantic attraction with Curtis, but their respective duties prevent them from taking their relationship further. Marshall Ezra Gurney A high-ranking veteran officer in the Planetary Police. Ul Quorn Son of Victor Corvo, the man who murdered Captain Future's parents. A scientific genius, he has chosen to use his intellect for evil purposes. Johnny Kirk An orphan boy and a dedicated fan of the Futuremen. During his debut appearance in "The Magician of Mars", he impresses Captain Future with his determination to become one of his crew, and is later entrusted to Joan and the Planetary Police to be trained as a future crew-member. He has an expanded role and different name (Ken Scott) in the anime.
Technology Captain Future's spaceship, named the Comet, has been designed by himself and is superior to all other spaceships in the Solar System. A research ship, the Comet has a compact on-board laboratory. It is also equipped with a camouflage device giving it the appearance of an actual comet, and armed with "proton cannons". She only receives faster-than-light propulsion late in the series of novels. In the animated series, she has a hyperspace drive (in the Japanese version referred to as Warp Engine) and also a small auxiliary shuttlecraft called the Cosmoliner.
Adaptations and other derivative works
Anime