Publication History
The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe and originally appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, an anthology comic published excluvely in the United Kingdom by the Marvel Comics imprint known as Marvel UK. (Captain Britain Weekly also included reprinted material featuring other Marvel Comics characters such as Nick Fury and the Fantastic Four). The first few issues of the comic were also promoted with free gifts, including a cardboard Captain Britain mask and a Captain Britain boomerang.
Chris Claremont left the series after just ten issues, midway through the "Doctor Synne" storyline, and has since stated that this was because his view of the character and series was very different from that of the editor. In 1978, though, Chris Claremont revisited the character and introduced him to an international audience, fully integrating him into the Marvel Universe via a story that starred Captain Britain and Spider-Man in Marvel's long-running Marvel Team-Up series.
The Marvel Team-Up story was reprinted in the UK in Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain which is where the Captain's adventures continued after Captain Britain Weekly folded in July 1977, after running for 39 issues. The serialization of the Spider-Man team-up marked the end of Captain Britain's exploits until March 1979 when Captain Britain appeared with the Black Knight in the "Otherworld Saga" which ran in Hulk Comic.
Captain Britain appeared as one of the characters in Marvel US's 1982 Contest of Champions limited series, which featured a collection of international heroes. Up to this point, the character had appeared exclusively in Marvel's UK comics - although some established Marvel characters such as Captain America and the Black Knight appeared. Prior to Contest of Champions, which was set during the period of the "Otherworld Saga", Marvel's American comics had not referenced these stories or acknowledged that they were part of the same shared Marvel Universe.
Following the "Otherworld Saga" the character was relaunched, in a redesigned costume, in the Marvel Superheroes anthology title. The relaunch was initially written by Dave Thorpe and illustrated by Alan Davis, but after a few issues Dave Thorpe left the series and was replaced by British writer Alan Moore, who used Thorpe's stories as a springboard for the "Jaspers' Warp" storyline.
On redesigning the costume of the character, Davis noted that his depiction of Brian Braddock was visually based on Garth, "an exaggerated Greek god, perfect in every way" and that:
| “ | I decided to base his costume on military uniforms. If you've ever seen the mounted guards outside Buckingham Place, you'll recognize the components. The white leggings and the tall boots with the flaps over the knees were easy. The headgear took a bit more time because I wanted it to look like a helmet rather than a mask. The stripes across his chest started as two crossed sashes and underwent numerous changes. | ” |
During this run, the series moved from Marvel Superheroes into a new monthly comic, The Daredevils. When The Daredevils was canceled after eleven issues Captain Britain was continued in The Mighty World of Marvel - and then, after the end of the run of Alan Moore, who left because of a dispute over unpaid invoices, it continued for a few more issues with different writers (Steve Craddock, Alan Davis, and Mike Collins) until the comics ended and the story moved to a new monthly Captain Britain title with Jamie Delano taking over writing duties on the recommendation of Moore and with the agreement of Davis.
Following the cancellation of Captain Britain's solo series, Claremont and Davis launched the American monthly Excalibur in 1988, featuring an eponymous team which included Captain Britain, with Braddock as a core member.
New Excalibur was introduced in 2005, with Captain Britain as team leader. This series ran until issue #24 and the team was disbanded in the X-Men: Die by the Sword limited series.
A new series was then started in 2008, using the Secret Invasion crossover storyline as a launchpad. Captain Britain headlines this series, Captain Britain and MI: 13, written by Paul Cornell, which included some characters from New Excalibur, as well as members of MI: 13 who appeared in Cornell's Wisdom limited series.
Panini Comics bought Marvel UK and in 2006 renewed and broadened their license with Marvel which allows them to produce original comic stories for the British and European markets. This has included Captain Britain's first original appearance in UK comics in thirteen years, with a story that ran in Spectacular Spider-Man Adventures and Panini plan to have more in their new all-ages title Marvel Heroes.
Captain Britain made several cameo appearances in Marvel Comics publications then would feature in a Heroic Age tie in anthology limited series and a Deadpool Team Up issue.
Read more about this topic: Captain Britain
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