History:
CAPTAIN TERROR
Real Name: Dan Kane
Identity/Class: Human (World
War II Era to contemporary times)
Occupation: Farmer, former playboy
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Angel (Thomas Halloway), Black Marvel (Dan Lyons), Black Widow, Blue Blade, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Captain Wonder, Defender, the Destroyer, Dynamic Man, Electro, Fiery Mask, General Garvey, Norma Garvey, Lt. Green, Howling Commandos, Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Jack Frost, Eugene Judd, Laughing Mask, Admiral Leeds, Dolores Madrigo, Major Liberty, Master Mind Excello, Miss America, Miss Fury, Mister E, Night Raven, the Phantom Reporter, Red Raven, Rockman, Rusty, Smasher (Izzy Kane), Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie), Thunderer (Jerry Carstairs), Union Jack (Brian Falsworth), the Vagabond, the Whizzer, the Witness, John Wolf, Lt. Bill Young
Enemies: el Aguila, Black Carlo, Black Claw, Everyman, General Francisco Franco, Dr. Gustave Leech, Maria, Red Skull (Johann Shmidt), Hans Schiller
Known Relatives: unidentified wife (presumed deceased), unidentified son, undentified daughter-in-law (deceased), Isabel "Izzy" Kane (granddaughter), Sam Guthrie (grandson-in-law), Josiah Guthrie (great-grandson)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A farm in Iowa, USA
Georgia, USA (during 1940s)
First Appearance: USA Comics I#2 (November, 1941)
Powers/Abilities: In his prime, Captain Terror was a skilled fighter, capable of battling multiple men with little more than his bare fists. Kane was capable of piloting a speedboat and a seaplane. Captain Terror sometimes used tear gas bombs; his bandana's practical purpose was to cover his face after throwing a bomb. He sometimes carried a pistol. He once carried an electro-magnetic searchlight which created interference to halt a torpedo.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 176 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
History:
(USA Comics I#2 (fb) - BTS) - During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) Dan Kane created the masked identity of Captain Terror and fought during the conflict. One of his enemies was the Black Claw.
(Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files) - During the Spanish Civil War, Captain Terror clashed repeatedly with the hero el Aguila, who was a supporter of General Francisco Franco's Loyalist army. Eugene Judd was one of Captain Terror's allies during the struggle. (El Aguila may also have been the person who "slew" Captain Terror.)
(USA Comics I#2 (fb) - BTS) - By the end of the war Dan decided to terminate his costumed identity and faked Captain Terror's death before returning to the United States.
(USA Comics I#2) - Now a wealthy playboy, Dan Kane wanted to enlist in the US Navy but was refused because of his heart condition. After his friend Lt. Bill Young mused that if Captain Terror were still around he would stop the Nazis who were destroying American ships, Dan decided to revive his Captain Terror identity. Donning his Captain Terror costume he set out to sea aboard a speedboat and soon found the German destroyer which had been sinking the US vessels. Sneaking aboard he activated the ship's spotlights to send a signal to Admiral Leeds, who was nearby and searching for the destroyer. To give Leeds' ship a chance against the destroyer he threw a tear gas bomb to disrupt the gunners but drew the attention of the destroyer's commander, the Black Claw. The two of them fought until Leeds' ship fired on the destroyer. The Black Claw and Captain Terror fought each other in an escape boat but the Black Claw finally won and threw Captain Terror into the ocean. Reviving, Captain Terror returned to his speedboat and piloted back to shore.
As Dan Kane he greeted Admiral Leeds as he returned from the successful operation against the destroyer. Later he went searching for the Black Claw at night while wearing his costume until he came across two of the Black Claw's henchmen. The duo claimed to be enemies of the Black Claw and offered to show him the Claw's lair; although Captain Terror saw through the trap and was prepared for an ambush he was overwhelmed by the Black Claw's men and brought to the cellar of the hideout to be chained up. To gloat, the Black Claw led Captain Terror from the cellar to show him a boat full of magnetic mines for sinking more US ships, then put him into the boat's brig. From the brig he watched helplessly as the Black Claw's mines destroyed an American ship. To escape the brig he told a sailor there was a bomb inside his cell, then punched the sailor once the cell was open. He set a timed charge near the magnetic mines. Heading to the engine room he fought the other sailors and the Black Claw. Grabbing the Black Claw he jumped overboard and drowned the Black Claw underwater. By the time he surfaced the mines had exploded, destroying the Black Claw's boat.
(U.S.A. Comics I#2/text) - Dan Kane used his home as a gathering place for his fellow costumed crimefighters Rockman, the Whizzer, Major Liberty, Jack Frost, the Vagabond, the Defender and Rusty. The heroes decided they would meet together regularly and swap stories about their adventures.
(USA Comics I#3) - Dan went to visit his scientist friend John Wolf, who had invented a paint that would render airplanes invisible. Dan offered to share the good news with Admiral Leeds so that he could arrange a test. Leaving the house, Dan saw suspicious-looking men head to Wolf's home. Donning his Captain Terror costume he returned to the house in time to save Wolf from being tortured by Nazi spy Hans Schiller and his men. Schiller's henchmen managed to hold Captain Terror at bay but they fled when they heard the police approaching. Captain Terror warned Wolf to beware Schiller.
Dan joined the test of Wolf's paint at Fort Gregory where General Garvey and Admiral Leeds saw it served as a perfect camouflage. Afterward, Dan went on a drive with the general's daughter Norma. Discovering a Gypsy camp they stopped and a Gypsy woman offered to tell Dan his fortune: she foretold great danger, violence and murder. Dan laughed it off. That evening, Dan gave Professor Wolf a lift in his car back to his house but Hans' agent Black Carlo had prepared a trap, using a mirror to make Dan think there was another car coming head-on. Dan swerved to avoid the mirror and crashed into a tree. Black Carlo kidnapped Professor Wolf while Dan was unconscious. When Dan awoke he met the same Gypsy woman who told his fortune. She explained Black Carlo was working for the Nazis and deposed her as queen of the Gypsies. Dan asked her to share what she knew with General Garvey then set out as Captain Terror to invade the Gypsy camp. Unfortunately he was immediately spotted and captured by Carlo's Gypsies.
As Black Carlo hypnotized Professor Wolf to
obtain the formula the Gypsy queen untied Captain Terror's bonds and
he fought Carlo while the arriving Admiral Leeds and Garvey helped
rescue Wolf and arrest Carlo's gang. Captain Terror struck Carlo until
he surrendered. Returning to his crashed car, Dan resumed his civilian
guise and pretended to be still stunned from the crash when Leeds and
Garvey came to retrieve him. Hans came after Wolf again while he was
recovering from Carlo's attack but Captain Terror was ready for him
and drove him away from Wolf's hospital room. With the help of Lt.
Green, Captain Terror pursued the fleeing Schiller from an airplane
and jumped from the plane into Schiller's car. Captain Terror defeated
Schiller and his men then let the army arrest them. 
(USA Comics I#4/5) - When Admiral Leeds left to Arbolivia to defend boats bringing food to England from Nazi attack, Captain Terror flew down in his seaplane to investigate the attacks on the shipping lanes. Captain Terror defended the next ship being sunk by Gustave Leech's submarine. Heading to land, Captain Terror recognized a spy and followed him to a meeting with Leech. Spotting Dolores Madrigo leaving the meeting, Captain Terror confronted her and convinced her that what she was doing was wrong because the food for England was meant for children. Dolores promised to help Captain Terror but just after their meeting she was captured by another spy and brought to Leech for punishment. Leech placed her inside a torpedo and fired it at the next ship but Captain Terror halted the torpedo with an electro-magnetic searchlight. When Leech boasted that Dolores was inside the torpedo Captain Terror opened it and rescued her then returned the torpedo at Leech's submarine, destroying it. Dolores thanked Captain Terror for his help and he returned to the USA. Once again as Dan Kane he heard Admiral Leeds talk about Captain Terror's victory over the spies.
(Avengers/Invaders I#10 (fb) - BTS) - After obtaining the Cosmic Cube through a time travel mishap in 1943, the Red Skull used its power to slaughter many super heroes, including Captain Terror.
(Avengers/Invaders I#9-12 - BTS) - A time-traveling Wolverine adopted Captain Terror's identity to disguise his true identity.
(Avengers/Invaders I#10) - Hearing that Captain Terror and other heroes he had killed were seemingly still active, the Red Skull checked his trophy room, where Captain Terror's body was pinned to the wall.
(Avengers/Invaders I#12) - Paul Anslem obtained the Cosmic Cube from the Red Skull and used it to restore all of the deceased heroes back to life, including Captain Terror. Paul went on to further undo all of the Red Skull's actions with the Cosmic Cube.
(The Twelve I#1) - Captain Terror accompanied a multitude of other costumed heroes and US armed forces as they occupied Berlin shortly before Germany surrendered.
(Sub-Mariner: Marvels Snapshots I#1 - BTS)
- The April 25, 1946 edition of the Daily Globe featured a front page
photograph of Captain Terror and the other heroes occupying Berlin.
(Captain America I#442) - Following the death of the Angel's brother at the hands of the Everyman, Captain Terror was one of many super heroes from the 1940s who gathered at the Angel's mansion. Captain Terror was pleased to see Captain America present and hastened to introduce himself. However, the Everyman had killed the Angel's brother to lure the retired heroes into a trap so that he could kill them all. The various elderly heroes claimed they would help Captain America against the assassin, but ultimately it was the German super-hero Vormund who stopped the killer.
(Avengers V#5 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Steve gave Dan an Avengers card with a note reading "Dan - if you ever need avenging call me."
(Avengers V#5 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in time, Dan retired to a farm in Iowa where he lived with his son and daughter-in-law and his granddaughter Isabel.
(Avengers World I#2 (fb)) - One night,
Isabel went exploring the hole where Dan had buried his Captain Terror
gear. Dan helped her out of the hole then showed the costume to her,
explaining how he had been a super hero during World War II. Dan
claimed that he once fought the Red Skull alongside Captain America,
"least I think they did." Dan told Isabel that as Captain Terror he
had sought to teach people to not be afraid and to recognize the good
things which existed around them. 
(Avengers V#5 (fb)) - Isabel had left the farm to study astronomy in Colorado, but when her mother suddenly died she returned home. She found Dan was now in very poor health. Dan tried to encourage Isabel to leave the farm and return to school in Colorado, advising her that he didn't like "things in cages." Isabel noted that Dan was suffering from emphyzema and alzheimer's and had been quarrelling for some time with her father..
(Avengers V#5 (fb)/Avengers World I#2 (fb)) - After discovering the goggles which belonged to the Shi'ar Imperial Guard member Smasher, Isabel was able to link into Smasher's power and adopted the identity herself, journeying into outer space. Dan was overjoyed that his granddaughter had become a superhuman, but his health continued to decline. By the time Isabel returned, Dan was lying on his deathbed. Dan gave the Avengers card to Isabel. Using this card as her introduction, Isabel joined the Avengers as Smasher shortly after Dan's death.
(Avengers V#36 - BTS) - Some time later, Isabel and her husband Cannonball (Sam Guthrie) came back to the Kane farm with their infant son Josiah. Isabel brought Josiah to a memorial statue which had been raised of her grandfather as Captain Terror which declared: "Dan Kane - Captain Terror - 'Give 'em Hell'." Isabel said to the statue, "Hey, Grandpa. I miss you so much. This is Josiah. He's one of us."
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Mike Suchorsky.
In USA Comics I#4/5 he suddenly had stars on his chest and forehead plus stripes on his shorts.
Smasher's grandfather was originally supposed to be Dan Dare, the famous UK science fiction hero... who is not a Marvel property! When Hickman's Avengers were collected in trade paperback, Izzy's surname was changed from Dare to Kane and Avengers World I#2 firmly established her grandfather as Captain Terror.
In his first appearance, Dan really did seem to have been diagnosed with a heart condition, presumably by the Navy when he tried to enlist. But in subsequent stories he behaved as though his heart condition was a cover for his double identity. One wonders just how serious his heart condition was if he could successfully punch Nazis in the face, jump from airplanes and get hit over the head every other day.
This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Captain Terror should not be confused with:
Black Carlo was a Gypsy who allied himself with the Nazis, believing they would grant him great riches. Carlo drove his tribe's queen out of power and used his craftiness to help Hans Schiller capture Professor John Wolf. Captain Terror intervened and defeated Carlo.
Carlo had a crystal ball which allowed him to spy on people from a disance; it also flashed warnings to him when intruders invaded his camp. He also had the skill of hypnosis. For more sundry purposes he wielded a knife.
--USA Comics I#3
In real life the Nazis were not fond of 'Gypsies' to put it mildly.
Captain Terror's speedboat appeared to be a typical two-seater speedboat, but evidently had enough fuel to endure a deep sea voyage. It was decorated with a red, white and blue rudder.
--USA Comics I#2
General Garvey was an officer in the US Air Force stationed at Fort Gregory in Georgia. His daughter was Norma. General Garvey attended the successful test of Professor John Wolf's paint which could turn airplanes invisible. He later helped Admiral Leeds rescue Professor John Wolf from Black Carlo.
--USA Comics I#3
Norma Garvey was the daughter of General Garvey. She went on a car drive with Dan Kane to a Gypsy camp where he met the Gypsy queen.
--USA Comics I#3
Lt. Green was a US Air Force pilot under the command of General Garvey. Garvey called Green his best pilot. When Hans Schiller tried to flee from Captain Terror in a car, Lt. Green flew Captain Terror aboard his plane so the hero could drop from the plane into Schiller's car and defeat the gang.
--USA Comics I#3
Dan's son ("Mr. Kane") is a farmer in Iowa. He and Dan had been quarrelling with each other for evidently several decades leading up to Dan's death; Mr. Kane was skeptical of the stories his father told him about his adventures as Captain Terror. Despite their arguments, Dan was living with his son during his final years. Mr. Kane is the father of Isabel Kane, who became Smasher of the Avengers and Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Mr. Kane's wife died shortly before Isabel became Smasher.
Isabel's transformation into the super-hero Smasher helped mend the rift between Mr. Kane and his father. Tragically, Dan passed away shortly after Isabel became Smasher.
Before too long Smasher was married to her teammate Cannonball and they had a son, Josiah. With the aid of their teammate Manifold, Smasher and Cannonball visited Mr. Kane at the farm so that he could meet his grandson. Afterward, Isabel and Sam brought Josiah to see the statue of Captain Terror which now stood on the Kane farm.
--Avengers V#5 (36
Gustave Leech was a Nazi scientist during World War II. Leech commanded a German submarine that sunk ships leaving Arbolivia with food supplies for England, using intelligence provided to him by Dolores Madrigo. When Dolores learned from Captain Terror that the ship were bringing food for children she switched sides but another spy brought Dolores to Leech for punishment. Leech had Dolores placed inside a torpedo then fired her at the next ship he targeted. Captain Terror intercepted the torpedo and halted it with an electro-magnetic searchlight. When he learned Dolores was inside he set her free then turned the torpedo back at Leech's submarine. The torpedo hit the submarine and slew Leech and his crew.
--USA Comics I#4/5
Admiral Leeds was an officer in the US Navy during World War II. Dan Kane sought him out in person to make an appeal to let him join the Navy but Admiral Leeds refused because of his heart condition. When the Nazis began sinking American ships, Leeds took command of a vessel to pursue the Nazis. With Captain Terror's help he was able to find the Black Claw's destroyer and sink it. Later he and General Garvey observed a test of Professor John Wolf's paint which rendered planes invisible. When Wolf was kidnapped by Black Carlo, Leeds and Garvey helped rescue him. Leeds also helped defend ships bringing food supplies from Arbolivia to England. Leeds remained ignorant of Dan Kane's double life as Captain Terror.
--USA Comics I#2 (3, 4/5
Dolores Madrigo was a resident of Arbolivia who kept an eye on the ships sending food supplies to England then alerted Gustave Leech where they were so he could sink them. Dolores believed the food was going to soldiers but after Captain Terror confronted her and told her the food was actually going to children she repented. Dolores promised to help Captain Terror but another spy overheard them and brought her to Leech as a prisoner. Leech placed her inside a torpedo tube to launcher at the next ship but she defiantly called out "Viva Arbolivia!" as the tube was sealed. Captain Terror stopped the torpedo and when he learned Dolores was inside he set her free then used the torpedo to destroy Leech's submarine. As Captain Terror left Arbolivia for the USA Dolores said she would miss him.
--USA Comics I#4/5
Maria was a Nazi spy who posed as a housekeeper to Professor John Wolf. When Wolf perfected his paint to render planes invisible she informed Hans Schiller. As Hans prepared to toture Wolf Captain Terror arrived with the police sooon after him. Maria fled to avoid capture.
--USA Comics I#3
Hans Schiller was a notorious Nazi spy. Hans had Maria infiltrate Professor John Wolf's home as a housekeeper to learn when he completed his paint to render planes invisible. Once the formula was ready Maria summoned Hans and he prepared to torture Wolf to obtain the formula but Captain Terror intervened and when the police followed, Hans fled. Hans turned to the Gypsy Black Carlo to continue the assignment. When Carlo failed Hans tried again to obtain the formula by threatening Wolf in the hospital but Captain Terror was ready for him and pursued Hans in an airplane then defeated Hans and his men in a fistfight. The army arrested Hans and his gang.
--USA Comics I#3
Professor John Wolf was a scientist who invented a paint which could render airplanes invisible at 200 feet. He was a friend of Dan Kane, who arranged for him to demonstrate what his paint could do for General Garvey and Admiral Leeds. Unfortunately Nazi spy Hans Schiller had sent his agent Maria to pose as Wolf's housekeeper and when she learned his formula was ready she alerted Schiller, who attempted to torture the information from Wolf. Captain Terror defended Wolf and Schiller fled but then sent his agent Black Carlo to obtain the information through hypnosis. Captain Terror saved Wolf again so Schiller attempted to get at Wolf while he was recovering in the hospital but Captain Terror once more defended Wolf and this time had Wolf arrested by the army.
--USA Comics I#3
Lt. Bill Young was an officer in the US Navy and personal friend to Dan Kane. When the Nazis were suspected of sinking American ships, Young met with Dan an opined that if the Spanish Civil War hero Captain Terror were alive he'd handle the Nazis. This inspired Dan to resume his double identity as Captain Terror.
--USA Comics I#2
images: (without ads)
USA Comics I#2, cover (main)
USA Comics I#2, page 11, panel 2 (face, young)
USA Comics I#4/5, page 2, panel 6 (2nd costume)
Captain America I#442, page 13 (older)
Avengers V#5, page 4, panel 7 (oldest)
Avengers V#36, page 3, panel 1 (statue)
USA Comics I#3, page 5, panel 3 (Black Carlo)
USA Comics I#2, page 8, panel 1 (speedboat)
USA Comics I#3, page 5, panel 5 (Gen. Garvey)
USA Comics I#3, page 5, panel 5 (Norma)
USA Comics I#3, page 15, panel 7 (Green)
Avengers V#5, page 14, panel 7 (son)
USA Comics I#4/5, page 2, panel 1 (Leech)
USA Comics I#2, page 2, panel 8 (Leeds)
USA Comics I#4/5, page 6, panel 2 (Dolores)
USA Comics I#3, page 2, panel 5 (Maria)
USA Comics I#3, page 4, panel 7 (Schiller)
USA Comics I#3, page 2, panel 1 (Wolf)
USA Comics I#2, page 3, panel 4 (Young)
Appearances:
USA Comics I#2-3 (November, 1941-January, 1942) - unidentified writer,
Mike Suchorsky (artist), Joe Simon (editor)
U.S.A. Comics I#2/text (November, 1941) - Stan Lee (writer),
unidentified artist, Joe Simon (editor)
USA Comics I#4/5 (May, 1942) - unidentified writer, Mike Suchorsky
(artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Captain America I#442 (August, 1995) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave
Hoover (penciler), Sandu Florea (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker),
Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files (2006) - Michael Hoskin (head writer),
Jeff Youngquist (editor)
The Twelve I#1 (March, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris
Weston (penciler), Garry Leach (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers/Invaders I#9-12 (May-August, 2009) - Alex Ross (plot,
artist), Jim Krueger (plot, script), Steve Sadowski (artist), Patrick
Berkenkotter (artist, #9-11), Jack Herbert (artist, #12), Stephen
Wacker (editor)
Avengers V#5 (April, 2013) - Jonathan Hickman (writer), Adam Kubert
(artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers World I#2 (March, 2014) - Jonathan Hickman (writer), Nick
Spencer (writer), Stefano Caselli (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers V#36 (December, 2014) - Jonathan Hickman (writer), Stefano
Caselli (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor), Wil Moss (editor)
Sub-Mariner: Marvels Snapshots I#1 (May, 2020) - Alan Brennert
(writer), Jerry Ordway (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First posted: 09/05/2026
Last updated: 02/20/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff,
you should check out the real thing!
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