View source for Captain Future

{{Short description|Pulp science fiction character}}
{{about|the pulp magazine character|the American science fiction magazine featuring the character|Captain Future (magazine)|the comic superhero|Captain Future (Nedor Comics)}}
{{redirect|Curtis Newton|the sportsperson|Curtis Newton (Canadian football)}}
{{Infobox comics character
| character_name = 
| image          = Captain Future 1941 Winter.jpg
| caption        = Close-up portrait cover by Earle K. Bergey, Winter 1941
| alt            = 
| publisher      = [[Thrilling Publications]]
| debut          = ''[[Captain Future (magazine)|Captain Future]]'' (1940)
| first_series   = 
| first_episode  = 
| first_comic    = 
| creators       = [[Mort Weisinger]]<br>[[Leo Margulies]]
| voiced_by      = 
| alter_ego      = 
| full_name      =
| real_name      = Curtis Newton
| supports       = {{Plainlist|
*Simon Wright
*Grag
*Otho
*Prof. Simon Wright
*Joan Randall
*Marshall Ezra Gurney
*Ul Quorn
}}
| powers         = 
}}
'''Captain Future''' is a [[Pulp magazine|pulp]] [[science fiction]] hero – a space-traveling scientist and adventurer – originally published in the United States in [[Captain Future (magazine)|his namesake pulp magazine]] from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors [[Mort Weisinger]] and [[Leo Margulies]]. The majority of the stories were authored by [[Edmond Hamilton]]. A number of [[#Adaptations and other derivative works|adaptations and derivative works]] followed.

A 1978–79 Japanese [[#Anime|anime]] (キャプテン・フューチャー) was dubbed into several languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic. His [[francophone]] name is {{lang|fr|Capitaine Futur}},<ref>{{URL|https://www.belial.fr/cycle/capitaine-futur}}</ref> although he is better known in francophone countries under the name {{lang|fr|Capitaine Flam}}.

==Origins==
Although sometimes mistakenly attributed to [[science fiction]] writer [[Edmond Hamilton]], who indeed authored most of the Captain Future stories, the character was created by Better Publications editors [[Mort Weisinger]] and [[Leo Margulies]] before<ref>{{cite web| language= en| url= http://www.robertweinberg.net/captainfuture.htm| title= CF expert Robert Weinberg's site| website= robertweinberg.net| date= 2023-05-18}}</ref><ref>Will Murray, "The Once and Future Captain", Starlog 115, Feb. 1987</ref> the [[1st World Science Fiction Convention]] in 1939 and then announced there.<ref name=steele>Allan Steele, ''The Death of Captain Future'' (with introduction and author's note) in ''The Space Opera Renaissance'', ed. David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, 2006, p. 556-586.</ref><ref>Sam Moskowitz, ''The Immortal Storm'', 1958, p. 219.</ref>

The original character was published by [[Ned Pines]]' [[Thrilling Publications|Thrilling/Standard/Better]] publications company. A different [[Captain Future (Nedor Comics)|Captain Future]] was published in Pine's [[Nedor Comics]] line.

==Stories and art==
[[File:Captain Future 1940 Summer.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Third issue featuring [[Earle K. Bergey]]'s debut art for the title.]]The stories were published in American [[pulp magazines]] from 1940 to 1951, featuring bright-colored cover illustrations by [[Earle K. Bergey]] and two fellow pulp artists. Captain Future's originating adventures appeared in [[Captain Future (magazine)|his namesake magazine]], which ran from 1940 to 1944, coinciding with World War II. Bergey painted twelve of the seventeen ''Captain Future'' covers, and all ten subsequent ''Startling Stories'' covers under which additional Captain Future novels and novelettes were published. Of note, Bergey's art for ''Captain Future'', beginning with the third issue, marks the start of his groundbreaking work in the fields of science fiction and fantasy illustration.

While the first four issues of the ''Captain Future'' pulp are subtitled "Wizard of Science", the remaining thirteen issues bear the header, "Man of Tomorrow", shifting focus to the humanity of the titular hero, whose given name is '''Curtis Newton'''. A brilliant scientist and adventurer, Newton roams the solar system as Captain Future—solving problems, righting wrongs, and vanquishing futuristic [[supervillain]]s. Published by Better Publications, an imprint of the expansive Thrilling Group of pulps, ''Captain Future'' gave readers the only explicitly science fiction and fantasy pulp hero in the history of American pulps.

The series makes assumptions about the [[Solar System]] which are outlandish by modern standards but which still seemed plausible, at least to most readers, when the stories were written. Every one of the planets of the Solar System, and many of the moons and asteroids, are suitable for life; most are occupied by [[humanoid]] [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture|extraterrestrial]]s. The initial adventures take place in the planets of the Solar System. Later installments (after Captain Future invents the "vibration drive") take the hero to other stars, other dimensions and even the distant past and almost to the end of the Universe. As an example, they visit the planet Aar in the Deneb system, which is the origin planet for Earth humans, as well as many other humanoids across the Solar System and beyond.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]] |last1=Clute |first1=John |authorlink1=John Clute |last2=Nicholls |first2=Peter |authorlink2=Peter Nicholls (writer) |year=1993 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press|St Martin’s Griffin]] |location=New York |page=538 |isbn=0-312-13486-X |title=Hamilton, Edmond M }} Hamilton spent much of the early 1940s creating the juvenile ''Captain Future'' series complete with a future history of various human species originating in the Deneb system, a collection at the same time better written and less lively than his groundbreaking trademark space operas.</ref>
==Story overview==
[[File:Aar, world of Deneb (Captain Future) (map).jpg|thumb|left|180px|Map of the Denebian Aar, from the 1943 ''Captain Future'' story "Star of Dread".]]Initially, the story was set in 1990. Hamilton quickly avoided exact dates except for past events, such as the voyages of the astronauts who first landed on most of the other planets of the Solar System. In later stories, if the date was asked or revealed, it was done so discreetly.

The series begins when genius scientist Roger Newton, his wife Elaine, and his fellow scientist Simon Wright leave planet Earth to do research in an isolated laboratory on the [[Moon]], and to escape the predations of Victor Corvo (originally: Victor Kaslan<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hamilton|first1=Edmond|title=An Inside Look at Captain Future|url=http://www.pulpgen.com/pulp/captain_future/inside_cf.html|website=pulpgen.com|publisher=Estep, Larry|access-date=2014-07-28|archive-date=2020-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125010303/https://pulpgen.com/pulp/captain_future/inside_cf.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>), a criminal politician who wished to use Newton's inventions for his own gain. Simon's body is old and diseased and Roger enables him to continue doing research by transplanting his healthy brain into an artificial case (originally immobile—carried around by Grag—later equipped with lifter units). Working together, the two scientists create an intelligent [[robot]] called Grag, and an [[Android (robot)|android]] with shape-shifting abilities called Otho. One day, Corvo arrives on the Moon and murders the Newtons; but before he can reap the fruits of his atrocity, Corvo and his killers are in turn slain by Grag and Otho.

[[File:Startling Stories 1950 Jan cover.jpg|thumb|180px|right|A Captain Future cover from ''Startling Stories'' January 1950, painted by [[Earle K. Bergey]].]]The deaths of the Newtons leave their son, Curtis, to be raised by the unlikely trio of Otho, Grag, and Simon Wright. Under their tutelage, Curtis grows up to be a brilliant scientist and as strong and fast as any champion athlete. He also grows up with a strong sense of responsibility and hopes to use his scientific skills to help people. With that goal in his mind, he calls himself ''Captain Future''; Simon, Otho and Grag are referred to as the ''Futuremen'' in subsequent stories. Other recurring characters in the series are the old space marshal Ezra Gurney, the beautiful Planet Patrol agent Joan Randall (who provides a [[love interest]] for Curtis), and James Carthew, President of the Solar System whose office is in [[New York City]] and who calls upon Future in extreme need.

Captain Future faces many enemies in his career but his [[archenemy]] is Ul Quorn, who is the only recurring [[villain]] in the series and appears in two different stories. He is part [[Martian]] - therefore called the ''Magician of Mars'' - but also the son of Victor Corvo, who murdered the Newtons. Quorn is a scientist whose abilities rival those of Captain Future.

==Stories==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! Issue
! Story Title
! Author
! Publication Title
! Publication Date
! Notes
|-
| 1 || "Captain Future and the Space Emperor" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future'' || Winter 1940 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 2 || "Calling Captain Future" || Edmond Hamilton|| ''Captain Future'' || Spring 1940  || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 3 || "Captain Future's Challenge" || Edmond Hamilton|| ''Captain Future'' || Summer 1940 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 4 || "The Triumph of Captain Future" || Edmond Hamilton|| ''Captain Future'' || Fall 1940 || Reprinted as "Galaxy Mission"
|-
| 5 || "Captain Future and the Seven Space-Stones" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Winter 1941 ||  
|-
| 6 || "Star Trail to Glory" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Spring 1941 || 
|-
| 7 || "The Magician of Mars" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Summer 1941 ||  Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 8 || "The Lost World of Time" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Fall 1941 ||  
|-
| 9 || "Quest Beyond the Stars" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Winter 1942 ||  Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 10 || "Outlaws of the Moon" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Spring 1942 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 11 || "The Comet Kings" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Summer 1942 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 12 || "Planets in Peril" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Fall 1942 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 13 || "The Face of the Deep" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Winter 1943 ||  
|-
| 14 || "Worlds to Come" || [[Joseph Samachson]] (as William Morrison) || ''Captain Future''|| Spring 1943 ||  
|-
| 15 || "Star of Dread" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Summer 1943 ||  
|-
| 16 || "Magic Moon" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Captain Future''|| Winter 1944 ||  
|-
| 17 || "Days of Creation" || [[Joseph Samachson]] (as William Morrison)|| ''Captain Future''|| Spring 1944 || Reprinted as "The Tenth Planet"
|-
| 18 || "Red Sun of Danger" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || Spring 1945 || Reprinted as "Danger Planet"
|-
| 19 || "Outlaw World" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || Winter 1946 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| 20 || "The Solar Invasion" || [[Manly Wade Wellman]]|| ''Startling Stories'' || Fall 1946 || Reprinted under the same title
|-
| SS01 || "The Return of Captain Future" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || January 1950 ||
|-
| SS02 || "Children of the Sun" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || May 1950 ||
|-
| SS03 || "The Harpers of Titan" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || September 1950 || Reprinted as part of ''Doctor Cyclops''
|-
| SS04 || "Pardon My Iron Nerves" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || November 1950 ||
|-
| SS05 || "Moon of the Unforgotten" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || January 1951 ||
|-
| SS06 || "Earthmen No More" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || March 1951 ||
|-
| SS07 || "Birthplace of Creation" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Startling Stories'' || May 1951 ||
|-
| Side Story || "Treasure on Thunder Moon" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Amazing Stories'' || April 1942 || See explanation in notes below.
|-
| Side Story || "Forgotten World" || Edmond Hamilton || ''Thrilling Wonder Stories'' || Winter 1946 || See explanation in notes below
|}
{{smalldiv|1=
'''Notes'''
* Stories #14–17 were credited to the newly-created house name "Brett Sterling"
* Stories SS1–7 were short stories taking place a few years later in 'continuity'.
* Not a ''Captain Future'' story ''per se'', the short story "Treasure on Thunder Moon" features the 'final' adventure of the survivors of the crews of several early explorers prominently listed in the Future novels (Gorham Johnson, Mark Carew, Jan Wenzi and others) marking as a side story to the Future series. The Futuremen themselves visit the Thunder Moon during ''Captain Future's Challenge''.
* Not ''Captain Future'' story ''per se'', the short novel ''Forgotten World'' takes place circa 2,000 years in the future of the Futurian universe. Mentions are made of the original explorers of solarian space (Carew, Wenzi and others) named in the ''Worlds of Tomorrow'' back feature in issues of CF.
* A number of issues were reprinted in paperback in the 1960s, as noted above. One had a [[Frank Frazetta]] cover, several had [[Jeffrey Catherine Jones|Jeff Jones]] art. Several, including one which also reprinted the text of [[Henry Kuttner]]'s short novelization of the film ''[[Doctor Cyclops]]'', used covers from ''[[Perry Rhodan]]'' (a long-lived serialized [[space opera]]).
*With Popular pulps, ''Winter'' was the first season/quarter of the year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). 
*All stories (excepting ''Treasure on Thunder Moon'' and ''Forgotten World'') have been reprinted as ebooks in a number of formats.}}

== Characters ==
; Captain Future: Tall, athletic and handsome, with red hair, Captain Future was born on the Moon as Curtis Newton. After the death of his parents, he was trained by Professor Simon, Otho and Grag in all scientific and athletic pursuits necessary to fight crime and injustice across the Solar System.
; Prof. Simon Wright: A human brain [[Isolated brain#In fiction|living in a transparent, nuclear-powered life support case]], with tentacle-mounted optics. He is Captain Future's mentor and chief consultant in scientific matters.
; Grag and Otho: Grag is a seven-foot-tall metallic robot. Otho is a white-skinned android. Both were created by Roger Newton with [[artificial intelligence]] and human emotions to be friends and helpers to mankind. Grag and Otho have a friendly rivalry. Grag is big and strong, but not very bright, while Otho is quick-witted, agile, and (with the aid of a special chemical) able to alter his physical appearance.
; Eek and Oog: Grag and Otho's pets, respectively. Eek is a "moonpup", a canine creature which does not need air to survive and consumes soft metals for food. Oog is an amorphous being called a mimic, an artificially created pet that can change its shape as Otho does. Both are telepathic, and are attached to their respective master.
; Joan Randall: A beautiful female agent of the Planetary Police on Earth. She has brunette hair (blonde in the anime adaptation). She shares a mutual romantic attraction with Curtis, but their respective duties prevent them from taking their relationship further.
; Marshall Ezra Gurney: A high-ranking veteran officer in the Planetary Police.
; Ul Quorn: Son of Victor Corvo, the man who murdered Captain Future's parents. A scientific genius, he has chosen to use his intellect for evil purposes.
; Johnny Kirk: An orphan boy and a dedicated fan of the Futuremen. During his debut appearance in "The Magician of Mars", he impresses Captain Future with his determination to become one of his crew, and is later entrusted to Joan and the Planetary Police to be trained as a future crew-member. He has an expanded role and different name ('''Ken Scott''') in the anime.

== Technology ==
Captain Future's spaceship, named the ''Comet,'' has been designed by himself and is superior to all other spaceships in the Solar System. A research ship, the ''Comet'' has a compact on-board laboratory. It is also equipped with a camouflage device giving it the appearance of an actual comet, and armed with "proton cannons". She only receives faster-than-light propulsion late in the series of novels. In the animated series, she has a ''hyperspace drive'' (in the Japanese version referred to as ''Warp Engine''<ref>{{cite web| language= de| url= https://www.futuremania.de/comet.html| title= Die COMET, Technik (Animé-COMET)| website= futuremania.de| date= 2023-04-23}}</ref>) and also a small auxiliary shuttlecraft called the ''Cosmoliner.''

==Adaptations and other derivative works==

===Anime===
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name            = Captain Future
| image           = Captain Future anime screenshot.jpg
| caption         = Screenshot from the anime series
| ja_kanji        = キャプテン・フューチャー
| ja_romaji       = Kyaputen Fyūchā
| genre           = [[Adventure]], [[science fiction]]
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type            = tv series
| director        = [[Tomoharu Katsumata]]
| producer        = 
| writer          = [[Masaki Tsuji]]
| music           = [[Yuji Ohno]]
| studio          = [[Toei Animation]]
| licensee        = {{english anime licensee|US=[[ZIV International]], [[Harmony Gold USA|Harmony Gold]]}}
| network         = [[NHK General TV]]
| first           = November 7, 1978
| last            = December 18, 1979
| episodes        = 53
| episode_list    = 
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

In 1978, one year after Hamilton's death, Japanese company [[Toei Animation]] produced a {{nihongo|''Captain Future''|キャプテン・フューチャー|Kyaputen Fyūchā}} [[anime]] television series of 53 episodes, based on 13 of the stories. Despite the differences in cultural references and medium, the animated series was true to the original in many ways,<ref>{{cite web| language= de| url= https://www.futuremania.de/vergleich.html| title= Futuremania: Der Animé im Vergleich zur Romanvorlage| website= futuremania.de|access-date=2023-12-16}} Although being revised and edited by Toei, all storylines are easily to be recognized and the elements necessary for their resp. course of action are present. Toei even paid attention to minute details. In-depth comparison & analysis of the animé episodes with their corresponding pulp stories by Futuremania, Oct. 2023.</ref><ref>See also Clements, Jonathan & McCarthy, Helen, „The Animé Encyclopedia, Revised & Expanded Edition“ (2010), page 86, ISBN 978-1-933330-10-5</ref> from the didactic scientific explanations to the emphasis on the usefulness of brains as opposed to brawn.

The series was translated in several languages and distributed globally. The four episodes comprising the series' second story arc were dubbed into English and released on video by [[ZIV International]] in the early 1980s as ''The Adventures of Captain Future''. In the late 1980s, [[Harmony Gold USA|Harmony Gold]] dubbed the series' initial four-part story as an edited "TV movie" simply entitled ''Captain Future'', but with alterations regarding some character names<ref>Harmony Gold, "Captain Future - Special Agents and Alien Cut-Throats", VHS cassette, runtime approx. 94 min.</ref> (different from those in Hamilton's stories - whether for licensing law or other reasons, remains a broad field for speculation). A Blu-ray Box in Japanese only was released in September, 2016 (Box 1) and November, 2016 (Box 2).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fandompost.com/oldforums/showthread.php?54234-Captain-Future-BD-Boxes&highlight=captain+future|title=CF BluRay Box Release Dates|publisher=The Fandom Post |access-date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> A German "Limited Collectors Edition" Blu-ray Box was released in December 2016, featuring not only the remastered Japanese uncut version (with German subtitles) but also the heavily cut German version.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.universumfilm.de/filme/142614/captain-future-komplettbox-bd-limited-collectors-edition-exkl-amazon.html|title=Captain Future Komplettbox BD|publisher=Universum Film. Retrieved February, 2017|access-date=2017-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810210141/https://www.universumfilm.de/filme/142614/captain-future-komplettbox-bd-limited-collectors-edition-exkl-amazon.html|archive-date=2017-08-10|url-status=dead}}</ref>

While only eight episodes in total were dubbed into English, the series met huge success particularly in [[Japan]], [[France]], where the title and lead character's name were changed to "Capitaine Flam", in Italy with the translated title of "Capitan Futuro", in [[Latin America]] and [[Spain]] with the title "Capitán Futuro", in [[Taiwan]] with the title "太空突擊隊" ("Space Commando").  The Arabic-language version has the title of فارس الفضاء (Faris al-Fadha'a, or "The Knight of Space") and was broadcast many times during the 1980s.

The series was also broadcast in [[Germany]], where it appeared under its original title. However, this version was cut by about a quarter of the original length, which mainly affected violent scenes or those considered "expendable" for the storylines.

==== Score ====
The original incidental music was composed by [[Yuji Ohno]], while the English-dubbed version had a new [[soundtrack]] composed by [[Mark Mercury]]. Mercury's work survived on the Latin American version, but a new opening was added for it, composed by [[Shuki Levy]] and sung by Chilean performer [[Memo Aguirre|Juan Guillermo Aguirre]] (a.k.a. "Capitán Memo").<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.capitaineflam.free.fr/captainfuture.htm |title=Le Site du Capitaine Flam - Captain Future |website= Capitaineflam.free.fr |access-date=2010-11-05}}</ref>

For the [[German language|German]] version, a completely new soundtrack was created by German composer [[:de:Christian Bruhn|Christian Bruhn]]. To this day, the futuristic synth disco funk soundtrack is considered cult for giving the series the right feeling. A soundtrack CD was released in 1995. A remix of the theme ''Feinde greifen an'' ("enemies attack") by German DJ [[Phil Fuldner]], called "The Final", entered the top ten of the [[Germany|German]] and [[Austria]]n single charts in 1998.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.swisscharts.com/song/Phil-Fuldner/The-Final-3650 |title= The Final| website= swisscharts.com}}</ref>

====Episodes====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! #
! Chapters
! Episodes
! Directed by
! Written by
|-
| 1
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|恐怖の宇宙帝王}}<br /> (Captain Future and the Space Emperor) 
| {{lang|ja|宇宙帝王現わる}}
| [[Tomoharu Katsumata]]
| [[Masaki Tsuji]]
|-
| 2
| {{lang|ja|炎の海の牢獄}}
| Tomoharu Katsumata 
| Masaki Tsuji
|-
| 3
| {{lang|ja|天翔ける砦の奇蹟}}
| Masahiro Sasaki
| Masaki Tsuji
|-
| 4
| {{lang|ja|衛星ヌーンの決戦}}
| Masahiro Sasaki
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| 5
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|時のロスト}}‧{{lang|ja|ワールド}}<br /> (The Lost World of Time)
| {{lang|ja|SOS1億年前}}
| Kozo Morishita 
| Masaki Tsuji
|-
|6
| {{lang|ja|聖なる星クウムの謎}}
| Tomoharu Katsumata 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
|7
| {{lang|ja|太陽系創世記}}
| Hideki Takayama 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
|8
| {{lang|ja|遥かなり50億年の旅}}
| Hideki Takayama 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| Special<br />episode
|  {{lang|ja|謎の宇宙船強奪団}}<br /> (Star Trail to Glory)
| {{lang|ja|華麗なる太陽系レース}}<br /> (The Super Solar System Race)
| Tomoharu Katsumata 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
|9
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|挑戦！嵐の海底都市}}<br /> (Captain Future's Challenge)
| {{lang|ja|破壊王の陰謀}}
| Kozo Morishita 
| Takeo Kaneko
|-
|10
| {{lang|ja|海底の罠}}
| Kozo Morishita 
| Takeo Kaneko
|-
|11
| {{lang|ja|戦慄の海悪魔}}
| Tomoharu Katsumata 
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
|12
| {{lang|ja|破壊王の謎}}
| Kozo Morishita 
| Takeo Kaneko
|-
| 13
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|輝く星々の彼方へ！}}<br /> (The Quest beyond the Stars)
| {{lang|ja|惑星に空気がなくなるとき}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Tomoharu Katsumata|sb=Shigeho Hirota}}
| Fumio Ishimori 
|-
| 14
| {{lang|ja|悲劇の暗黒星}}
| Hideki Takayama 
| Fumio Ishimori
|-
| 15
| {{lang|ja|見張りのおきて}}
| Masahiro Sasaki
| Fumio Ishimori 
|-
| 16
| {{lang|ja|甦える惑星}}
| Johei Matsura
| Fumio Ishimori 
|-
| 17
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|透明惑星危機一髪！}}<br /> (The Magician of Mars)
| {{lang|ja|ウル・クォルンの挑戦}}
| Kozo Morishita 
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
|-
| 18
| {{lang|ja|暗闇族のすむ地底}}
| Johei Matsura 
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
|-
| 19
| {{lang|ja|惑星ただ一人}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Shigeyasu Yamauchi|sb=Yoshihiro Tomita}}
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
|-
| 20
| {{lang|ja|透明惑星の幻人間}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Hideki Takayama|sb=[[Noboru Ishiguro]]}}
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
|-
| 21
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|太陽系七つの秘宝}}<br /> (Captain Future and the Seven Space Stones)
| {{lang|ja|銀河に眠る神秘の石}}
| Akira Yokoi
| Takeo Kaneko
|-
| 22
| {{lang|ja|銀河サーカスの死闘}}
| Akira Yokoi
| Takeo Kaneko
|-
| 23
|{{lang|ja|キャプテンフューチャー死す！}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Hideki Takayama|sb=Akira Yokoi}}
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 24
|{{lang|ja|未知のミクロ宇宙}}
| Johei Matsura 
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 25
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|暗黒星大接近！}}<br /> (Calling Captain Future)
| {{lang|ja|渦巻く墓標}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Tomoharu Katsumata|sb=Isao Nakatsugawa}}
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| 26
| {{lang|ja|吠える大氷流}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Shigeyasu Yamauchi|sb=Isao Nakatsugawa}}
| Masaki Tsuji
|-
| 27
|{{lang|ja|怪獣狩人は語る}}
| Masahiro Sasaki
| Masaki Tsuji
|-
| 28
|{{lang|ja|幻の星、幻の文明}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Hideki Takayama|sb=Noboru Ishiguro}}
| Masaki Tsuji
|-
| 29
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|宇宙囚人船の反乱}}<br /> (The Face of the Deep)
| {{lang|ja|囚人船ハイジャックさる！}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Yasuo Hasegawa|sb=Kozo Morishita}}
| Ryunosuke Ono
|-
| 30
| {{lang|ja|銀河からの大脱走}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Shigeyasu Yamauchi|sb=Yoshihiro Tomita}}
| Ryunosuke Ono
|-
| 31
|{{lang|ja|ゼロからの出発}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Hideki Takayama|sb=Noboru Ishiguro}}
| Ryunosuke Ono
|-
| 32
|{{lang|ja|星くずのスペースマン}}
| Johei Matsura 
| Ryunosuke Ono
|-
| 33
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|魔法の月の決闘}}<br /> (The Magic Moon)
| {{lang|ja|キャプテンフューチャー募集！}}
| Kozo Morishita 
| Takeo Kaneko
|-
| 34
| {{lang|ja|恐怖のスペース・ロケーション}}
| Keisuke Koide
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 35
|{{lang|ja|幻影の惑星}}
| Hideki Takayama 
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 36
|{{lang|ja|放たれた最終兵器}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Yasuo Hasegawa|sb=Kozo Morishita}}
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 37
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|彗星王の陰謀}}<br /> (The Comet King)
| {{lang|ja|消えた宇宙船}}
| Yoshikatsu Kasai
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
|-
| 38
| {{lang|ja|彗星の支配者}}
| Johei Matsura
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama 
|-
|  39
|{{lang|ja|アルルスの正体}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Shigeyasu Yamauchi|sb=Noboru Ishiguro}} 
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama 
|-
| 40
|{{lang|ja|悪夢の世界・四次元}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Yasuo Hasegawa|sb=Kozo Morishita}} 
| Hiroyuki Hoshiyama 
|-
| 41
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|脅威！不死密売団}}<br /> (The Triumph of Captain Future)
| {{lang|ja|不死密売シンジケート}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Hideki Takayama|sb=Yoshihiro Tomita}}
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 42
| {{lang|ja|不死帝王の挑戦}}
| Keisuke Koide 
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 43
|{{lang|ja|生と死の幻影}}
| Yoshikatsu Kasai
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 44
|{{lang|ja|永遠の都の決斗}}
| Johei Matsura 
| Takeo Kaneko 
|-
| 45
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|惑星タラスト救出せよ！}}<br /> (Planets in Peril)
| {{lang|ja|よみがえれ伝説の英雄}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Shigeyasu Yamauchi|sb=Kozo Morishita}}
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| 46
| {{lang|ja|グラッグ奪回作戦}}
| Hideki Takayama 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| 47
|{{lang|ja|ひとりぼっちの地獄刑}}
| Shigeyasu Yamauchi 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| 48
|{{lang|ja|英雄カフールの謎}}
| Yoshikatsu Kasai 
| Masaki Tsuji 
|-
| 49
| rowspan="4" | {{lang|ja|人工進化の秘密！}}<br /> (The Star of Dread)
| {{lang|ja|宇宙遺跡の謎}}
| {{StoryTeleplay|tlabel=Directed by|t=Shigeyasu Yamauchi|sb=Noboru Ishiguro}}
| Toyohiro Ando
|-
| 50
| {{lang|ja|半獣人の謎}}
| Masahiro Sasaki
| Toyohiro Ando 
|-
| 51
|{{lang|ja|死都の対決}}
| Johei Matsura 
| Toyohiro Ando 
|-
| 52
|{{lang|ja|光と闇の彼方へ}}
| Yoshikatsu Kasai 
| Toyohiro Ando 
|-
|}

===Related works by Allen Steele===
"The Death of Captain Future" (''Asimov's Science Fiction'', October 1995) is a [[novella]] by American writer [[Allen Steele]] set in Steele's "Near Space" realistic near future setting of expansion into the Solar System. Here, Steele contrasts the more gritty setting with the naïvety of the titular character. In story, a man named Bo McKinnon collects "ancient pulp magazines" and acts out a fantasy life based on the Captain Future stories. The novella won the 1996 [[Hugo Award for Best Novella]]. An [[audio drama]] version of the story appeared as a play produced by [[Seeing Ear Theater]]. "The Exile of Evening Star" (''Asimov's Science Fiction'', January 1999) continues and concludes the story. It includes many quotes from the original magazines.

Steele's ''Avengers of the Moon: A Captain Future Novel'' ([[Tor Books]] 2017) is a [[continuity reboot]] which gently updates the narrative (including the science) to fit with a more modern sensibility. It was authorized by Hamilton's estate. The novel features the main characters from the original stories and presents a new [[origin story]] for its [[protagonist]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Steele|first1=Allen|title=Avengers of the Moon: A Captain Future Novel|date=2017|publisher=Tor|location=NY|isbn=9780765382184}}</ref> ''The Return of Ul Quorn'', a quartet novella series published by the revived ''[[Amazing Stories]]'' magazine, followed as the sequel of ''Avengers of the Moon''; the first entitled ''Captain Future in Love'' (2019), the second entitled ''The Guns of Pluto'' (2020), the third entitled ''1,500 Light Years from Home'' (2021), and the fourth entitled ''The Horror at Jupiter'' (2021). ''The Guns of Pluto'' included a reprint of Hamilton's story "The Harpers of Titan" and ''1,500 Light Years from Home'' included a long-lost musical parody.

===Comics===
In the 1980s, German publisher [[:de:Bastei-Verlag|Bastei-Verlag]] released a ''Captain Future'' comic series based on the anime series, with original adventures.

In February 2025, French comic artist Alexis Tallone and author Sylvian Runberg obtained permission from Toei Animation to release a Captain Future comic based on the first story, ''Captain Future and the Space Emperor''. While the anime design of the characters is largely retained, several changes were made to reflect their pulp fiction origins and actual technological advances since the stories were first penned.<ref>[https://rp-online.de/kultur/buch/captain-future-comic-zur-tv-serie-aus-den-80ern_aid-124502441 ''Hero of the 80s - Captain Future is Flying Again''] (German). [[Rheinische Post]], February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.]</ref> Also, several plot elements were altered, including the main villain's true identity, the personal dynamic between Future and Joan, and the addressing of social injustice against minorities.<ref>[https://rp-online.de/kultur/buch/captain-future-comic-zur-tv-serie-aus-den-80ern_aid-124502441 ''Captain Future: The Eternal Ruler - Back from the Future (Review)''] (German). Teilzeithelden, May 6, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.]</ref>

=== Feature film ===
In March 2010, German Director [[Christian Alvart]] (''[[Pandorum]]'', ''[[Case 39]]'') secured the film rights for Captain Future and is working on a live-action adaptation in 3D.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/03/16/Excl-Pandorums-Christian-Alvart-talks-CAPTAIN-FUTURE-adaptation| title=Exclusive: Pandorum's Christian Alvart talks Captain Future adaptation| website=quietearth.us| publisher=Quiet Earth| access-date=2011-03-10| archive-date=2021-01-26| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126144859/http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/03/16/Excl-Pandorums-Christian-Alvart-talks-CAPTAIN-FUTURE-adaptation| url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2015, a short [[movie trailer|trailer]] of a CGI version of ''Captain Future'' by [[Prophecy FX]] was leaked.<ref>{{cite web| language= de| url= http://www.mobilegeeks.de/video/captain-future-erwacht-in-gelungenem-hd-trailer-zu-neuem-leben/| title= Project FX feature trailer| website= mobilegeeks.de| date= 2015-07-27| access-date= 2015-07-31| archive-date= 2015-07-30| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150730231809/http://www.mobilegeeks.de/video/captain-future-erwacht-in-gelungenem-hd-trailer-zu-neuem-leben/| url-status= dead}}</ref> The trailer was said to be a study for a yet-undisclosed project. In March 2016, Chris Alvart confirmed in an interview on a RocketBeansTV podcast to have acquired the design rights from TOEI Animation so that the movie will have the look and feel of the animated series.<ref>{{cite interview| first= Christian | last= Alvart| url= https://www.rocketbeans.tv/mediathek/kino-104-mit-christian-alvart/ | publisher= RocketBeansTV |language= de| work= Kino+ |title= #104 Christian Alvart| date= March 17, 2016 | at= rocketbeans.tv| access-date= April 29, 2016}}</ref>

===Other appearances===
*The Japanese TV series ''[[Captain Ultra (TV series)|Captain Ultra]]'', a placeholder series between two actual [[Ultraman]] series, was more or less a live-action adaptation of the ''Captain Future'' series (which has remained popular in Japan as well). The characters were all present, even if the names were changed.
*In the German [[List of Netflix original programming|Netflix series]] ''[[Dark (TV series)|Dark]],'' [[List of characters in Dark|Mikkel Nielsen]] is given a ''Captain Future'' magazine to occupy himself while he recuperates in hospital from injuries while cave exploring. When he tells the nurse looking after him he is from the future, his claims are simply dismissed as having an [[Fantasy-prone personality|overactive imagination]] inspired by the magazine.
*In the TV series ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', a Captain Future magazine cover is featured as a wall poster beside the entrance door in [[Leonard Hofstadter|Leonard]]'s and [[Sheldon Cooper|Sheldon]]'s apartment.
*In ''[[Cat Planet Cuties]]'', Episode 9 features a well known song from the anime television series of Captain Future.<ref>{{cite web | title = Manga Entertainment Announcements at London MCM Expo Including Wolf Children (Updated) | publisher = [[Anime News Network]] | date = 27 October 2012 | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-10-27/manga-entertainment-announcements-at-london-mcm-expo-including-wolf-children  | access-date = 22 February 2015}}</ref>
*In the [[Crisis on Infinite Earths|Pre-Crisis]] [[DC Comics]], a character named Edmond Hamilton was featured as a [[List of Superman enemies#Foes of lesser renown|minor adversary]] of [[Superman]]. This character, as a result of his homonymy with the [[Edmond Hamilton|science fiction author]] and his most famous work, took up the identity of Colonel Future and ended up battling Superman despite having heroic intentions.<ref>''Superman'' #378 (December 1982) and #399 (September 1984)</ref> This character is a homage to the real Edmond Hamilton and his work in DC Comics.
*''The Listeners'' by [[Maggie Stiefvater]] includes ''The Triumph of Captain Future'' in a list of reading material banned from the hotel.

==Moons of Pluto==
In the story "Calling Captain Future", three (then undiscovered) moons of Pluto are named Charon, Styx, and Cerberus after mythological characters associated with the Greek god Pluto. Three of [[Moons of Pluto|Pluto's five moons]] were ultimately given the names [[Charon (moon)|Charon]], [[Styx (moon)|Styx]], and [[Kerberos (moon)|Kerberos]] (the Greek spelling of Cerberus).

==See also==
*[[Captain Comet]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.capitaineflam.free.fr The Site of Captain Future] (in French)
*[http://www.haffnerpress.com Haffner Press], publisher of ''The Collected Captain Future'' hardcover books
*[http://pulpgen.com/pulp/captain_future/inside_cf.html Edmond Hamilton on Captain Future] [https://web.archive.org/web/20010218225102/http://www.pulpgen.com/pulp/captain_future/inside_cf.html (Archived)]
*[http://www.robertweinberg.net/captainfuture.htm Robert Weinberg's Captain Future page] 
*[https://www.futuremania.de Futuremania], The Captain Future Fan Site (in German)
*[http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?1709 Captain Future bibliography] at the [[Internet Speculative Fiction Database]]
*{{anime News Network|anime|1237}}
*[https://captainfuturejapan.blogspot.com/ Captain Future Convention 2010 (20th Birthday event of Curtis Newton Captain Future)]
* {{librivox book | title=Danger Planet |  author=Edmond_Hamilton}}

{{Tomoharu Katsumata}}
{{Toei Animation}}

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