Flashback Friday: Whitey Murphy

Each Friday, I take one of the entries from my old Super Posts and expand it into its own featured article.

This week: “Whitey” Murphy!

It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time when Captain Marvel was the most popular superhero in the world. Even more popular than Superman. But it’s true! And all you need to look at to realize that is a list of comic book film adaptations, because you’ll see that first in the list is The Adventures of Captain Marvel. (Though, to be fair, Superman was already on the radio by this time.)

The Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 12-part Republic serial released in March 1941. Like many adaptations of the time - and still today, who are we kidding - it played fast and loose with the established mythology. Billy Batson is still a young reporter (though not a kid; more like a teen or young adult) and he still gets the power to turn into Captain Marvel from the wizard Shazam, but everything else is original.

One of those original elements is “Whitey” Murphy, a companion of Billy’s and fellow member of the Malcolm Expedition.

Whitey made his first comics appearance in Whiz Comics #22 (July 1941) in the story “Captain Marvel and the Temple of Itsalotahui”, a sequel to The Adventures of Captain Marvel. Strangely, it seems as though the expedition was real, but they also made a movie during it. So how much of the movie actually happened in this world? I’m not entirely sure.

Whitey became a recurring character in the comics, such as this bit in Captain Marvel Adventures #12 (March 1942) when he gets a promotion in the Army.

Eventually, Fawcett Comics folded and their superhero characters were licensed and then bought outright by DC Comics.So in Shazam! #15 (October 1974), he makes his DC debut...or so the DC Wiki claims. The only character I could find who might be Whitey is this guy...

...and not only is he never named, he doesn't even have white hair. Shazam! #26 (October 1976) is a more concrete first appearance.

He continued to make a few more sporadic appearances, with his last being in 1981. But is this really the last we've seen of him? With the new Shazam! movie coming out later this year, there's no telling what kind of bump Shazam will get, nor can we know which of his supporting characters will come along for the ride. We may see Whitey again sooner than you think!