Whiz Comics 4 - Sivana's Presidential Propaganda Campaign

Whiz Comics #4 was published during a tense time in both American and world history, to put it mildly.  This May 1940 cover-dated issue hit American newsstands around March 27, 1940 according to Library of Congress copyright data, with the planet marching steadily towards World War II and the United States presidential election in full swing.  The story here by Bill Parker with art by C.C. Beck makes Whiz Comics #4's Captain Marvel tale a fascinating reflection of this particular moment in history. 

Often thought of as a kinder, gentler sort of superhero saga, Golden Age Captain Marvel comics are not quite that — think of them as sophisticated stories shown through a child's (Billy Batson's) eyes instead.  For example, this issue lays out how mad scientist Sivana and his daughter Beautia would take over the United States not by brute force, but by subverting the presidential election.  The issue shows a comprehensive propaganda campaign of dropped leaflets, handbills, radio, newspaper, and film coverage which convinces the nation to vote for Beautia.  Once she's in, Sivana will be the true power behind the presidency and proceed to subvert the country's institutions from the inside out, and "If elected, Beatuia will rule the United States — but in name only. The real ruler will be Sivana, under whose oppressive dictatorship liberty, justice and happiness will vanish from America."

There's often underappreciated history in early Fawcett Golden Age comic books, and this issue is no exception. 

Whiz Comics #4 (Fawcett Publications, 1940) Condition: VG/FN. Gerber rates this issue a "7" ("scarce") in its Scarcity Index. Cover features a scantily clad woman, not a common sight on a Fawcett comic. Contents include a brief retelling of the origin of Captain Marvel. Cover and art by C. C. Beck. Overstreet 2021 VG 4.0 value = $810; FN 6.0 value = $1,215.