The first of the twin boys, named Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn.
Vernon Presley placed the baby's tiny corpse in a shoebox and buried it
in an unmarked grave. A half hour later, the second twin was born.
Gladys Presley 
would
later tell the boy', When a twin dies, the one who lives gets the
strength of both'. The Presley twin who survived (pictured left with
his parents, Gladys and Vernon) was given Vernon's middle name: Elvis.
Just a month after Elvis Presley turned five years old, Fawcett
publications decided to try their luck in the comic book business.
Fawcett oversaw the creation of a new superhero whose name came from
his own actual rank during the war, Captain, 
plus
the source of the hero's magical super powers, Thunder. At the last
minute, Captain Thunder's name was changed to 'Captain Marvel' for
legal reasons. The new book was titled 'Whiz Comics', a nod to 'Captain
Billy's Whiz Bang'.
The first issue Whiz Comics
starring Captain Marvel was published in February 1940. The explosion
the book made when it hit the stands was not nearly as loud as that of
the 'whiz-bang' bombs it was named after -- but for the comic industry,
it would prove to be every bit as earth shaking.
In the issue, drawn in a cartoony style by Fawcett artist C.C. Beck, a
homeless young boy named Billy Batson followed a mysterious stranger
deep into the tunnels of an abandoned subway station. There, he
encountered an ancient wizard named Shazam, who ordered Billy to speak
his name. As Billy spoke the magic name ...
SHAZAM,
the magic name that transforms Billy Batson into Captain Marvel, is an
acronym. It stands for the wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules,
stamina of Atlas, 
power
of Zeus, invulnerability of Achilles, and speed of Mercury. The term
was popularized as a rustic expression of surprise by Jim Nabors on the
TV sitcom 'Gomer Pyle, USMC' (pictured left).
Captain Marvel wore a red military-inspired uniform with gold trim and
a yellow lightning bolt insignia on the chest. His costume also
included a 
white
collared cape trimmed with gold fleur-di-lis symbols, modeled after the
ceremonial cape once worn by British nobility.
MUSIC
TRIVIA: The World's Mightiest Mortal, as Cap was often called, is
mentioned in the 1968 Beatles song 'The Continuing Story Of Bungalow
Bill', written by John Lennon: 'Deep in the jungle where the mighty
tiger lies, Bill and his elephants were taken by surprise, So Captain Marvel zapped him right between the eyes ... Zap!'
With Whiz Comics selling like hotcakes, Fawcett decided to expand their
line by giving Cap his own title, Captain Marvel Adventures, and
introducing other superheroes such as Ibis the Invincible, the Golden
Arrow, and Spy Smasher.
With
Captain Marvel outselling even Superman, Fawcett next decided to expand
the so-called 'Marvel Family'. In the fall of 1941, Fawcett writer Ed
Herron came up with the idea of creating a junior version of Captain
Marvel. DC Comics wouldn't begin publishing Superboy until March 1949,
so this was the first time a 
superhero teenager was created not as a mere sidekick, but as a hero in his own right.
Would Herron's concept work?
Would
comic fans accept a teenage version of a wildly popular adult
superhero? Young Elvis Presley would soon get his first guitar as a
birthday present when he turned eleven years old (an event immortalized
with a statue, pictured right, located near the Presley's first home)
-- would a junior version of Captain Marvel appeal to boys like Elvis?
And
even if fans such as Elvis would be willing to accept the new
character, how could his origin be explained? After all, the wizard
Shazam had already given all his powers to Billy Batson -- how could
there be any left for a new teenage hero?
At The Rock of Eternity!
Eons ago, after a monumental struggle, the wizard Shazam defeated his
arch-enemy, 'Evil', and imprisoned him in a bottomless pit located in
'Eternity'. To keep Evil trapped in 
this
pit, Shazam placed a colossal rock atop it, and Shazam's spirit took up
residence in a Temple located near the top of this gigantic stone,
which is known as the Rock of Eternity. Here, time itself stands still.
At
the Rock of Eternity, it is possible to reach any time period, world or
dimension. And it is here, reader, at Rock of Eternity, where we shall
reveal the secret origin of 
Captain
Marvel Jr., discover when the first encounter between Elvis and Captain
Marvel Jr. actually took place, and see how Cap Jr. started to become a
dominant force in the life of young Elvis (pictured right).
As
we learned above, Captain Marvel (Sr.) first appeared in Whiz Comics,
published by Fawcett Publications. The Big Red Cheese, as Cap is often
called, was a huge hit, and in no time his comics were outselling even
Superman himself. Fawcett wanted to expand their line, so they created
a junior version of Cap. The name 'Captain Marvel Boy' was more than a
little awkward, so Fawcett decided to call their new teen character
(drum roll please)... Captain Marvel Jr.! With the creation of Superboy
still years away, Captain Marvel Jr. debuted as the first kid superhero
who was NOT just another hero's side-kick. Fawcett took another risk by
hiring artist Mac Raboy to draw the character. Raboy's fine, delicate
line work was far more realistic than that of cartoonists C.C. Beck and
Pete Costanza, but it was perfect for Cap Jr., a character whose
adventures Fawcett was aiming at slightly older readers.
When
Elvis was just six years old, in December 1941, Captain Marvel Jr.
appeared on the scene. His three-part origin story crossed over between
two different titles, a rarity in the Golden Age. Cap Jr'.s origin
started in Master Comics #21, continued in Whiz Comics #25, and
concluded in Master Comics #22.
The
story went like this: Freddy Freeman and his grandfather were out
fishing when they were attacked by a villain named Captain Nazi.
Freddy's grandfather was killed , and Freddy was crippled and left for
dead. Captain Marvel discovered the young boy, barely alive, and flew
him to a hospital, 
where
doctors told Cap that young Freddy Freeman would not live through the
night. Desperate to save the boy's life, Cap transformed back into
Billy Batson, snuck the unconscious Freddy out of the hospital, and
took him to the underground chamber where Billy had first met the
wizard Shazam.
There, Billy could
communicate with the wizard's spirit, which resided at the Rock of
Eternity. Billy begged the wizard for help. Shazam said he couldn't
repair Freddy's damaged body, but Captain Marvel could share a portion
of his mighty powers with Freddy to revive him. Billy agreed. Billy
said the ancient wizard's name, SHAZAM, and was transformed into
Captain Marvel. At that moment Freddy woke up, saw Cap, and exclaimed
'Captain Marvel!' As he did, the magic lightning struck again, and
Freddy Freeman was transformed into the World's Mightiest Boy, to be
known henceforth as Captain Marvel, Jr.
Unlike
Billy Batson, who transforms into Captain Marvel by saying the name of
the wizard SHAZAM, Freddy Freeman transforms into Captain Marvel Jr. by
saying the name of his hero, Captain Marvel. Fawcett thought this would
remind readers to buy Cap Sr'.s book -- which it may have -- but it
also had unintended comic consequences. Because of it, Captain Marvel
Jr. is the only superhero who is unable to say his own name, since he
transforms back into Freddy Freeman when he does.
Captain
Marvel Jr. began starring in Master Comics with issue #23, February
1942. Junior was given his very own title just nine months later, when
Elvis Presley was seven years old.
On
November 6, 1948, Vernon, Gladys and Elvis, now 13 years old (pictured
below left), moved from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. The
Presleys lived briefly in two Memphis boarding houses, then, in
September 1949, their application to 
reside at Lauderdale Courts, a public housing apartment, was approved.
The
Presley's modest two-bedroom unit consisted of a living room, bathroom
and walk-in kitchen that came with a working 1951 Frigidaire fridge,
and a tiny stove issued by the Memphis Housing Authority -- all for $35
a month rent. Compared to their previous residences, it was a huge
improvement, but they remained dirt poor. To be eligible for public
housing, a family's income could not exceed $3, 000 per year.
Lauderdale
Courts consisted of 66 buildings and 449 apartments. The Presleys soon
became part of this vibrant community, and it was here, in a basement
laundry room, that future superstar Elvis Presley practiced his singing
and guitar playing. Presley lived here between 1949 and 1953, when he
was attending Humes High School.
From his apartment at Lauderdale Courts, Elvis could fill his leisure time by walking to 
Beale
Street to hear black rhythm and blues music, attending gospel concerts
two blocks away at the Ellis Auditorium, and, quite possibly, reading
comic books. Elvis' Lauderdale Court apartment has been preserved as a
historic spot, and a copy of Captain Marvel Jr. #51, cover dated July
1947, has been placed on a desk in Elvis' old room (pictured right).
It's not likely that this particular issue ever made it to Lauderdale
Courts, though. Since the Presleys moved in 1949, Elvis would had to
have saved the book for over two years. But as a symbol of Elvis' love
for the character, it's perfect.
So what issues DID young Elvis read? From our timeless vantage point at the Rock of 
Eternity,
reader, it looks like September 1949 to January 1953 is the time period
when Elvis, from the ages of 14 to 18, is most likely to have first
encountered Captain Marvel Jr.
According
to Pamela Clarke Keogh's 'Elvis Presley: The Man. The Life. The
Legend', Elvis used comics as an escape'. Like a lot of kids with a
chaotic home life, Elvis created his own world inside his head. He read
comic books and was drawn to Superman, Batman, and, most of all,
Captain Marvel Jr. Around the age of 12, Elvis discovered Captain
Marvel Jr. and quickly became almost obsessed with him'.
Billy
Smith, a lifelong friend of Elvis' and member of the so-called Memphis
Mafia, concurs'.One of the comics Elvis read when he was a kid was
Captain Marvel Jr. He went after Captain Nazi during WWII. And he had
this dual image -- normal, everyday guy and super crime-fighter. Sounds
like Elvis, don't it?' Finally, Elvis himself once mentioned comic books in a speech'. When I was a child, I was a dreamer', Elvis said'. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book'.
| So, there can be no doubt that Elvis Presley did, indeed, read and love Captain Marvel Jr. comic books. |
Since
the Presleys were dirt poor, with a family income of just $3, 000 a
year, it's likely Elvis borrowed comics from friends, and didn't get to
actually BUY comics himself very often. Imagine the young king of rock
and roll in front of a newsstand, staring at racks full of comics --
each one calling out to him, each one bursting wit h amazing action and
dazzling color, each one promising a fantastic new adventure. He could
probably only have afforded to buy a single comic. Which book,
specifically, might have caught young Elvis' eye?
A historian might say we have no way of knowing -- but historians aren't usually comic book fans. We are.
We
don't have to imagine what it's like to stare at racks of comics and
choose -- we do it every week! And we know that when money is in short
supply, we comic fans are likely to buy team books, because they
features LOTS of superheroes. Or, if we have a favorite character,
we'll more than likely buy just that character's own title, because
that way we're guaranteed more stories featuring the hero we want to
see. So, although Captain Marvel Jr. appeared in a number of different
comics, it's almost certain that Elvis, if buying, would have gone for
Cap Jr'.s own title. Given the dates of Elvis' move to Memphis, the
issues of Cap Jr. he is most likely to have read are #77-119. Here are
some of the covers that might have attracted the future king of rock
'n' roll:
Late
in 1952, Fawcett Publications was faced with a lawsuit from DC comics
claiming Captain Marvel was a rip-off of Superman. Rather than continue
to fight it at a time when the comic book market was in rapid decline,
Fawcett discontinued the entire 'Marvel' line. For Captain Marvel Jr.,
this meant his own title ended with issue #119, Master Comics was
canceled with issue #133, and the Marvel Family's final issue was #89.
The times were changing.
And things were about to change for Elvis, too.
Lauderdale Courts was not meant to be a permanent residence. Tenants
could be forced to move if they were earning too much money, and this
is exactly what happened to the Presleys in 1953.
They
moved to 698 Saffarans in the Uptown neighborhood in January 1953, just
one day before Elvis turned 18. He had already begun to model his look
after Captain Marvel Jr., as a comparison of the Mac Raboy drawing of
Cap Jr. and the early publicity photo of Elvis pictured right shows.
'He
already had the greased hair, color and black satin pants -- with his
friends standing next to him in jeans and shirts. He already looked
different than every other boy. Everyone in the Courts knew who he
was', according to Elvis researcher Alex Mobley.
Six
months later after moving, on June 3, 1953, Elvis Presley graduated
from Hume High School in Memphis. What would he do now?
'You know', Elvis confided to his cousin Earl', I believe there's a superboy inside me, just waiting to bust out'.
Elvis
was right. He had the talent, the looks, the charm and the style. There
WAS a superboy inside him just waiting to bust out. The only thing
missing was the magic words. Freddy Freeman transformed by saying the
name of his hero, Captain Marvel. Now, Elvis was ready to transform too
-- by saying a name that belonged not to a Captain... but to a Colonel.
The Lightning Strikes!
The
debut of Captain Marvel and his protégé -- Elvis' hero, Captain Marvel
Jr. -- had struck the comic book world like a thunderbolt -- and now it
was Elvis' turn to do the same for the music business, and the world.
Leonard Bernstein called Elvis Presley 'the
greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. Elvis introduced the
beat to everything, music, language, clothes. It's a whole new social
revolution -- the 60's comes from it'.
Disc jockey John Peel describes the sense of shock Elvis brought: 'It might sound pretty safe 
now,
but in the context of what was happening in the 1950s, hearing
Heartbreak Hotel was as shocking as if someone was dancing naked in
your living room'. Even Presley himself agreed. Years later,
Elvis would comment', Man, I was tame compared to what they do now. Are
you kidding? I didn't do anything but just jiggle'.
Rolling
Stone magazine thought Elvis did a bit more than just jiggle: 'At Sun
Studio in Memphis (1954, label pictured left), Elvis Presley called to
life what would soon be known as rock and roll with a 
voice
that bore strains of the Grand Ole Opry and Beale Street, of country
and the blues. At that moment, he ensured -- instinctively, unknowingly
-- that pop music would never again be as simple as black and white'.
John Lennon: 'Before Elvis, there was nothing'.
Bob Dylan:
'When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to
work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for
the first time was like busting out of jail. I thank God for Elvis
Presley'.
Elton John: 'If it hadn't been for Elvis, I don't know where popular music would be. He was the one that started it all off'.
Mick Jagger: 'Elvis was a unique artist -- an original in an area of imitators'.
Keith Richards: 'Before Elvis, everything was in black and white. Then came Elvis. Zoom, glorious Technicolor'.
Bruce Springsteen:
'There have been a lot of tough guys. There have been pretenders. And
there have been contenders. But there is only one king. That Elvis,
man, he is all there is. There ain't no more. Everything starts and
ends with him. He wrote the book'.
Elvis' Manager: Colonel Tom Parker
It
was 1955. Elvis had been booked as a warm-up act for another singer,
Hank Snow. Snow's manager was a colorful West Virginian who had run
away from home at an early age to join the circus. He became a music 
promoter
in the late 1940s, managing musicians Minnie Pearl and Eddy Arnold, and
western film star Tom Mix. When Elvis was introduced to Snow's manager
for the first time, he must have been thunderstruck -- the man's name
was Colonel Tom Parker.
Elvis
knew well that Freddy Freeman transformed into his boyhood hero,
Captain Marvel Jr., by saying the name 'Captain Marvel'.
Now, here he was, being introduced to the man who would soon transform him into an immortal superstar -- not a Captain, but a Colonel! Holy Shazam.
It was destined to be!
Parker wasn't a real Colonel -- he received the honorary title in 1948 from Jimmie Davis, the governor of Louisiana.
But
then again, Captain Marvel wasn't actually a real 'Captain' either!
And, as fate would have it, the Navy rank of Captain is directly
equivalent to the Marine rank of Colonel!
Elvis must have felt fate was calling.
Parker
took over Presley's contract on August 18, 1955, and proceeded to
dominate every phase of his career for the rest of his life. The
Colonel was instrumental in virtually every business decision Presley
ever made. His influence over Elvis has been criticized as
Svengali-like, but without the Colonel, Presley might never have become
the superstar he became.
Elvis' relationship with the Colonel could not be damaged, even when the truth about Parker's past was finally revealed.
It
turned out Colonel Tom Parker, West Virginian, was actually a Dutch
citizen, and his name wasn't Tom Parker. He had been born Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk,
in Breda, Netherlands, in 1909. When he was 18, he fled to America and
joined the US Army, changing his name to Tom Parker.
Some
have speculated that the reason Elvis never performed abroad may have
been that Parker was worried that as a non-citizen, he would not be
readmitted to the United States. One book even claims he left the
Netherlands to escape a murder rap. But whatever the Colonel's past may
have been, it had no effect on his legendary management of the future
King of Rock ‘n' Roll.
Mirror, Mirror: Elvis and Cap Jr.
Now,
with his talents at their peak and the skills of a brilliant manager to
guide him, Elvis hit his stride. From January 1956 to November 1957,
Elvis Presley spent a phenomenal 51 weeks occupying the number one spot
on the Billboard pop chart. He would go on
to record 104 singles that hit the Top 40, with an astounding 38 Top 10
Billboard hits. This total is unchallenged even today. The closest
competitors are Madonna with 35, and The Beatles with 34. No artist before or since has ever dominated American popular music so completely.
And who was there, with Elvis, every step of the way? Who else? Captain Marvel Jr.!
 |
 |
Above: Master Comics #119, featuring Cap Jr. in a typical pose.
Right: Elvis belts out a
tune, striking a
similar typical pose.
|
 |
 |
Above: Master Comics #54, with C ap Jr'.s black hair, long sideburns and red cape.
Right: Elvis with dyed black hair (his
natural hair color was sandy brown),
long sideburns and red shirt.
|
Elvis and Cap Jr. in the Seventies
As he grew older, Elvis began to look and dress even more
like Captain Marvel Jr. Below, an unpublished sketch of Cap. Jr. by
artist Dave Cockrum -- who drew the World's Mightiest Boy in his DC
revival of the early Seventies -- and a 1971 portrait of Elvis. Note
the locks of tousled black hair on both foreheads, and Elvis'
ultra-high shirt collar and jacket, both blue, the main color in Cap
Jr'.s uniform.
Now
middle-aged, Elvis took to wearing jumpsuits during his numerous live
performances. Where did the designs for these outlandish, theatrical
outfits come from? According to Elvis' cousin Billy Smith,
'If you go back and look at a drawing of Captain Marvel Jr., it looks a
whole lot like the seventies Elvis -- one-piece jumpsuit, wide belt,
boots, cape, lightning bolt and all'.
 |
 |
Above: Captain Marvel Jr. #131, with Cap Jr. wearing a blue uniform with gold trim, wide belt, and short cape.
Right: Elvis in 1972, wearing
a blue jumpsuit with gold trim,
wide belt, and short cape. This outfit
has been dubbed 'The Blue Owl'.
|
Captain Marvel's alter ego, Freddy Freeman, also inspired several of Elvis' stage outfits. According to Elvis expert Elaine Dundy,
'Subconsciously, the grown Elvis copied his hero's glistening black
hair, his sideburns and his triumphant stance. Years later he wore his
version of the Marvel Jr. cape, and the white scarf Freddy Freeman
often wore turned up around Elvis' neck in performance'.
Below: Freddy Freeman, and a similiarly-clad Elvis on stage, in concert.
 |
 |
Above: Captain Marvel Jr'.s alter ego, Freddy Freeman, wore a blue coat with a long white scarf.
Right: Elvis wearing a
blue jumpsuit with a
long white scarf.
|
The TCB Thunderbolt Logo
Elvis' motto was 'Taking Care of Business in a Flash', represented in
his personal logo by the letters TCB and a lightning bolt. Elvis wore a
famous ring with the TCB logo on it (pictured left). Where did the
phrase and logo come from? It was designed in the Seventies by Elvis
and his new bride, Priscilla'.Taking Care of Business was a Black expression', recalls 'Memphis Mafia' member Marty Lacker,
and Elvis used to say it in a sort of ethnic way. It was just a hip
saying. Aretha Franklin sang 'Take care/TCB' on her version of Respect,
for example''.The lightning bolt has two meanings', Lacker
explains'.One is ‘in a flash'. In other words, ‘whatever you need to
do, do it quick'. But the lightning bolt was also the insignia for the
West Coast Mafia. In addition to doing things in a flash, [Elvis] liked
the idea that the West Coast Mafia used it'.
Billy Smith, another of Elvis' 'Memphis Mafia' pals, strongly disagrees with Lacker ...
'Nah. The lightning bolt came from his army days. It was the insignia of his battalion ...
Or maybe in the back of his mind, he 
identified it with Captain Marvel Jr ...
That's where he got the idea for the capes. From the comic books'.
Given
the fact that the 'C' is elevated far above the 'T' and 'B' in the
logo, I tend to agree with Billy Smith. Why would Elvis raise the
middle letter so high -- unless he wanted to pay homage to someone
whose name began with a 'C'. Someone such as ... Captain Marvel Jr.
Elvis
gave various diamond-encrusted gold jewelry pieces bearing the logo to
members of his inner circle as a gift. According to Lacker, the TCB
jewelry was created around 1970'.The lightning bolt emblem Captain
Marvel Jr. wore on his chest 
became
Elvis' logo, his signature', says Elaine Dundy'.The lightning bolt
turned up on Elvis' private plane, the Lisa Marie (pictured left), and
in the Graceland game room (pictured above). It turned up on the
jewelry he gave special friends: the gold neck chains and bracelets.
All of them were designed with Captain Marvel Jr'.s lightning bolt in
the center'.
There was also a 'TCB Oath', written by the King himself, which Elvis' pals were required to follow. It stated:
'More
self-respect, more respect for fellow man, respect for fellow students
and instructors. Respect for all styles and techniques. Body
conditioning, mental conditioning, meditation for calming and stilling
of the mind and body. Sharpen your skills to increase mental awareness,
for all those who might choose a new outlook and personal philosophy.
Freedom from constipation'.
That last sentence is not
an editorial insertion -- Elvis had a great sense of humor, and he
actually included the phrase 'Freedom from constipation' in his
otherwise-solemn 'TCB Oath'.
The
lightning had struck, and it seemed there were no new heights left for
Vernon and Gladys' little boy Elvis to scale. But there was one thing
Presley had still never done ... he'd never had a private, Oval Office
meeting with the President of the United States. That was way out of even Elvis' league. Or was it?
Elvis Meets Nixon! plus... the King on the Couch!
One day in December 1970, Elvis Presley disappeared. Through he had slept at Graceland the night before, he was suddenly nowhere to be found. His Memphis Mafia gang (pictured below, with Presley seated 
in center), was about to begin a frantic search, when the phone rang.
Elvis' bodyguard Sonny West
answered the phone. He listened briefly, then hung up the phone and
announced to the panicked room: 'You won't fuckin' believe this!' Sonny
told the Memphis Mafia', Elvis is in Washington D.C. -- he went there
to meet with President Nixon!'
Elvis
had gone to the Memphis airport all by himself, something he had never
done before. Elvis flew to Los Angeles and phoned his friend Jerry Schilling,
telling him to meet him there, and bring $500 in cash, because Presley
didn't have a penny in his pocket. Presley and Schilling flew from LAX
to Washington, and on the flight they met a veteran just back from
Vietnam. When Presley found out the vet had no money, Elvis told
Schilling to give him 
the $500'.But Elvis', Schilling protested', That's all the money we got!'
'Jerry', Elvis replied sternly', I said give the man the money'.
After this incident, Elvis wrote a letter to President Nixon
on American Airlines stationery, asking Nixon for a small favor. Here's
an excerpt from Elvis' letter to Nixon (the end section of the actual
letter is pictured below):
Dear Mr. President,
I
can and will do more good if I were made a Federal Agent at Large and I
will help out by doing it my way through my communications with people
of all ages. First and foremost, I am an entertainer, but all I need is
the Federal credentials. Sir, I am staying at the Washington Hotel ...
I will stay as long as it takes to get the credentials of a Federal
Agent. I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist
brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing
where I can do the most good ... I would love to meet you just to say
hello if you're not too busy.
Respectfully, Elvis Presley
On
December 21, 1970, Elvis and Schilling arrived in Washington, D.C.,
hoping to get a private meeting with President Nixon -- although he had
no appointment, and Nixon didn't even know he was coming. Elvis and
Schilling got off the plane, met Elvis' friend Jerry, and took a limo
to the White House, where Elvis gave the letter he'd written to a guard
at the gate, then left to wait for an answer in his hotel room.
At
the White House, Nixon's aides read Elvis' letter, and decided it might
not be such a bad idea to get photographs of the President meeting with
the legendary King of Rock and Roll'.The President will see Mr. Presley
for 20 minutes', Presley was told by phone.
Elvis,
Sonny and Jerry quickly went to the White House. The guns Presley had
brought as gifts for Nixon had to be left at the gate.
As
he was taken into the Oval Office, Elvis was wearing a black suede
suit, a white shirt with a high collar open to the chest, and a dark
purple cloak around his shoulders. He carried a cane, and wore
amber-tinted sunglasses to cover his eyes, which were covered in heavy
eye 
shadow and mascara'.He had on more mascara than the Avon Lady', recalls Marty Lacker.
The meeting was awkward at first. Elvis showed Nixon some pictures of
his wife, Priscilla, and his daughter, Lisa Marie'.I want to help get
people to respect the flag', Elvis told Nixon', because that's getting
lost'.
After some small talk, Elvis
got down to business'.Mr. President, can you get me a badge from the
Narcotics Bureau? I've been trying to get a badge from them for my
collection'. Nixon nodded and said', I'd like to do that. See that he
gets one'. Elvis was so overjoyed, he actually hugged Nixon!
Nixon patted Elvis on the shoulder and told him', Well, I appreciate your willingness to help us out, Mr. Presley'.
They
took a series of formal pictures, and then Nixon opened the left-hand
drawer of his desk, which was where he kept gifts for visitors. Elvis
could see the drawer held some Presidential tie clasps for men, and
Presidential pendants for women. Nixon presented his pals Sonny and
Jerry with some tie clasps, then Elvis boldly told Nixon', Remember Mr.
President, they've got wives'. So Nixon returned to the drawer and got
some pendants'.Now I know why they call you Tricky Dicky', Elvis said to the President jokingly.
Nixon, unshaken, shot back'.And now I know why they call you Elvis the Pelvis!' Regarding
Elvis' theatrical get-up, Nixon told Presley', You dress kind of
strange, don't you'. Laughing, Elvis gave a classic reply'.Well, Mr.
President, you got your show, and I got mine'.
Elvis,
Sonny and Jerry left the White House, and flew out of town without ever
checking out of their hotel. Elvis later got his badge (pictured
right), currently on display at Graceland. But what was the real point
of Elvis' bizarre 
encounter with Nixon?
There must have been more to it than just collecting a badge -- and there was.
Elvis had recently gotten several death threats, and become obsessed about carrying a gun everywhere with him. The Memphis Mafia
all carried guns, too. Excessive drug use had made Elvis irrational and
paranoid, and he kept saying he wouldn't go anywhere without a gun --
not even to the bathroom. Elvis usually kept a derringer in his boot,
and carried another gun in his 
pocket. Sometimes two! Elvis bought almost $20, 000 worth of hand guns in 1970 alone -- a small fortune at that time.
Presley
also began collecting police badges from every city he'd visit, and he
soon had hundreds of them. The badges allowed Elvis and his posse to
carry the guns legally -- at least in the localities the badges were
issued in. But Elvis, as always, wanted more.
This was the real
purpose of Presley's trip to see Nixon -- he wanted to be declared a
Federal Agent so he and his bodyguards could legally carry small arms
in every state in America. Nixon's badge allowed them to do just that.
Now, Elvis was legally empowered to protect himself, and carry on the
fight for justice and 'respecting the flag' -- just like his boyhood
hero, Captain Marvel Jr.!
The
King of Rock 'n' Roll met with President Nixon in 1970. Just seven
years later, on August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley passed away at the age
of 42. His body lies in Graceland's Meditation 
Garden, next to the graves of his parents, Gladys Love Presley and Vernon Elvis Presley.
Psychoanalyzing Elvis
One
haunting question remains: WHY did Elvis Presley idolize Captain Marvel
Jr.? Elvis' twin brother, Jesse Garon, had been stillborn. Several
books maintain that this trauma was the source of Presley's hero
worship.
In 'Elvis and Gladys',
Elaine Dundy was one of the first to draw attention to recurring themes
in Elvis' films that reflected aspects of his life, for example the
overreaching manager, missing parent, twin motif ('Double Trouble',
pictured) and Elvis' Indian ancestry'.Elvis was a twin whose brother
died at birth', Dundy wrote'.For the rest of his life, Elvis would feel
loss and guilt but he would also feel something more; something without
which we cannot begin 
to
fathom Elvis' character. He would feel triumphant; he was after all,
the one who survived. He would relate to friends and lovers with the
dependent intimacy of a twin looking for his other half, but always the
dominate one'.
'Behind Elvis there
was another great legend: the metaphysical world of double identity
comic book heroes. Elvis' favorite was Captain Marvel Jr., who looks,
in fact, exactly like Elvis made himself look. Captain Marvel Junior is
the most powerful boy in the world, the other identity being the
reality of poor Freddy Freeman, but both go about saving the world'.
Elvis himself believed there was a reason
why Jesse was born dead, and he lived. Billy Smith, Presley's cousin,
recalls Elvis once wondering out loud', If my twin brother 
had lived, do you reckon the world could have handled two?'
According
to 'The Inner Elvis: A Psychological Biography of Elvis Aaron Presley'
by clinical psychologist Peter Whitmer, every twinless twin displays
the same distinctive psychological pattern'.The twinless twin wants to
prove his uniqueness, to stand as an individual. Yet he is also
powerfully pulled toward being reunited with the dead twin. To win the
mother's love, he must grieve for the dead twin. Yet at the same time,
to establish self-love and his own security, he must compete with the
very person he is compelled to mourn'.
Being
a twinless twin can cause lasting psychological scars, says Dr. Thomas
Stuttaford'. Surviving twins can start life with an 
unbearable
sense of guilt. They blame themselves for their sibling's death. The
surviving twin also feels an immense obligation to make it up to his
parents, and believes he always has to do better, and be better.
Several research projects have demonstrated that surviving twins have
an increased chance of suffering from depression in adult life'.
These are interesting theories. But the are just that -- theories.
And they were created by people who, though they may be brilliant in
many other aspects, are NOT comic book fans. Therefore, in the opinion
of Robby Reed, the creator of this blog and author of this article,
they are missing a gigantic piece of the puzzle. After all, it's
impossible to successfully analyze why someone liked a particular comic
book character if the person doing the analysis thinks all comic books
are vile and insipid trash!
Let's try another approach.
Elvis Presley, Comic Book Fan
Who is YOUR favorite superhero?
Or, who is your favorite non-super hero? And WHY?
We
often idolize those who most closely resemble our current situation, as
well as those who embody the ideals and values we wish to achieve 
ourselves. In other words, we tend to like either who we ARE, or who we WANT TO BE. This
is part of the genius of Superman, from whom all other superhero
characters flow. The Superman mythos combines both aspects of hero
worship in a single character, through the use of the 'secret identity'. We ARE like Clark Kent, and we WANT TO BE like Superman.
In
my view, THIS is why Elvis idolized Cap Jr. -- because the Captain
Marvel Jr./Freddy Freeman character was a perfect mirror image of the
once and future Elvis. Freddy represented Elvis as he was, and Captain Marvel Jr. represented Elvis as he wished
to be. (Pictured right: Alex Ross sketch of 'King Marvel', a possible
future version of Captain Marvel Jr. from 'Kingdom Come'.) Freddy
Freeman was a poor, crippled young orphan; Elvis was poor, and
neglected by his father.
Freddy
said 'Captain Marvel!' and the lightning struck; Elvis said 'Colonel
Parker!' and the lightning struck. And what was 'the lightning'? The
lightning was inspiration -- the power to use the works of
others as sparks for one's own creativity, and to fashion from them
something entirely NEW. In blending strains of the Grand Ole Opry and
Beale Street with country and the blues, this is exactly what Elvis
did, revolutionizing music -- and the entire nation -- in the process.
Immortal
Elvis will always be remembered, and as long as Elvis endures, the
world will remember Captain Marvel Jr., too -- because there is a
Captain Marvel Jr. comic book stored in the Elvis archives!
This
precious piece of memorabilia serves to remind us that powers bestowed
at the Rock of Eternity will now rock FOR an eternity. The King is dead
-- LONG LIVE THE KING!
