All language subtitles for Slugfest.S01E01.WEBRip.x264-ION10

- NARRATOR: In a
world of superheroes,

two companies have dominated
the space for almost a
century.

Marvel and DC are nothing
short of a worldwide
phenomenon.

With films resulting in
billions at the box office,
countless TV shows,

and a fan base
around the world

who defend their favorite
characters with unrivaled
passion.

And this passion goes
beyond core comic readers

and into the hearts of
millions all over the world

to redefine pop culture,
break down barriers

and change the way
we see the world.

These are the stories
of an 80-year battle that forms
the modern-day mythology.

♪

In late 1930s, a hero
named Superman, created by Jery
Siegel and Joe Shuster

burst onto the scene and
became a blockbuster hit.

He was the first superhero to
break out of the pages of a
comic book

and into almost every
house in America.

- This was the moment in time
that modern superheroes were
born.

- NARRATOR: Siegel and
Shuster created the
archetype

upon which new mythology
would be built.

The hero from the
planet Krypton

had a repertoire of powers
that made him larger than
life.

But he also stood
for American values--

Truth, justice, and hope for
becoming the best in all of
us.

Superman also helped turn DC
Comics into an industry
juggernaut.

And Superman gave
Americans a hopeful escape

from the uncertainty
of the time.

- TUCKER: At the time,
World War 2 was brewing

and the American public
was desperate for a patriotic
hero.

In early 1940,
Look magazine...

which was the second banana
to Life magazine,

they went to Jerry Siegel and
Joe Shuster, two Jewish
kids,

and they were asked
to create a story which was

"How Would Superman
Win World War 2?"

- GRAND: Superman
flies over to Europe

and he pummels his way
through the Reichstag...

basically beating the German
Army in like a half hour.

There's an interesting
panel from that story

where Superman
holds up Adolf Hitler and says,

"I oughta give you a
non-Aryan punch in the jaw."

- NARRATOR: No less
than a year after the Look
magazine panel,

before America
entered World War 2...

a small publisher named
Timely Comics, which would latr
become Marvel Comics,

was trying to keep up
with the competition.

Timely Comics had already
scored success with their
superheroes,

the Human Torch
and Sub-Mariner.

But they were always looking
for their own answer to
Superman.

They turned to two of
their creators, Jack Kirby and
Joe Simon,

to find a new hero
for the troubling times.

♪

- USLAN: You really
need to understand

what was happening in New
York City at the time.

It wasn't "Go, America!

Let's get into this war and
let's put an end to Nazism."

- There was a very strong
pro-Nazi sentiment in the US at
that point.

The Nazi Bund in New York was
an active and fairly large
group.

They had a huge get together
in Madison Square Garden

that created
quite a stir.

- JEREMY: Anyone
who's good at heart

saw this thing growing and
they saw this evil getting
worse.

- MEGAN: Jack Kirby and my
grandfather, they were both
Jewish,

they both had family
over in Europe.

I mean, this was hitting
really close to home for them.

- JEREMY: And what
else can you do?

You create a way
to do battle with that evil.

[reel whirring]

- ANNOUNCER: Poland,
September 1939.

The German foe begins its
ruthless march of conquest.

- Looks like we
found our villain.

- Hitler?

- We talked about coming up
with our bad guy first,

the foil to our hero.

Seems like Hitler's shaping
up to be the ultimate bad guy.

So... all we need is the
perfect hero to face him.

- How about "Super American?"

- I like the American idea.
"Super" I think is probably
overdone now.

Everyone wants to be Superman
now. - Yeah.

I got it. "The
American Captain."

- American Captain.

- It's almost there.
- Almost there.

♪

- USLAN: Daring
at the time...

the cover of
Captain America #1

showed Captain America
walloping Adolf Hitler.

- JEREMY: Back then,
Hitler was seen as
invincible. He was on a
roll.

Poland, falls. Czechoslovakia,
gone. France, starting to fall.

- MORROW: Joe and Jack
came right out and said,

"Nazis are bad and
we're going after them."

- For these men to
decide that they wanted to speak
up and speak out against it...

at that time
is super brave.

- MORROW: This was two
guys making a very bold public
statement

in splashy red,
white and blue colors

of what we should and
shouldn't be supporting in this
country.

- USLAN: Captain
America was a huge hit right
out of the gate.

This magazine flew off
the stands. Kids loved it.

- Superman's awesome,
that's someone to look up to.

"Truth, and justice,
and the American way.

And he's fighting all
these crime and doing good.

But I'm never gonna be Superman.

Whereas with Captain America,
well, he started out as a
scrawny kid...

Just like I am when I'm reading
a comic book as well."

So it's very relatable.

- Captain America was my
first perception of what
patriotism is.

When I would buy those comics,
I would read them--

And I would become in a way,

in a very small way, but in a
real way... socially conscious.

And that's a big
deal for a child.

- It was our way of saying
"Anybody can be a patriot.

Anybody can be a hero."

- MORROW: Not everyone was
happy with that Captain
America #1.

The Nazi Bund in New York

were not happy with Joe
Simon and Jack Kirby.

-[telephone ringing]
-[woman gasps]

- MEGAN: The Timely Comic
office would get a lot of
threatening phone calls

saying that they would
pay for what they did.

- JEREMY: People were calling
and claiming that they were
gonna come and kill them.

- MEGAN: There
were many declarations of "Deah
to Jews."

It got to the point where
guys were scared to leave the
office for lunch.

[telephone ringing

- Timely Comics.

I'll see if they're in--
And who may I ask is calling?

♪

Mr. Kirby? Mr. Simon?

The Mayor of New York City is on
the phone and he would like to
speak with you.

- Thank you, Stanley.

- [clears throat] Hello, sir,
Joe here. - And Jack.

- LA GUARDIA: Hey,
boys, it's Mayor La Guardia
here.

Word is you're getting
threats from Nazi
sympathizers.

Well, I just
want you to know

that the city of New York
supports all that you're
doing.

- Uh... Thank you,
we're just doing our part.

- The Mayor told them that he
would send some policemen down
to guard

the front of the office building

and do whatever he had to do
to keep them safe.

- MISSICK: Comics have
taken a unique stance

when it comes to a genre that
some people think is only for
kids.

And yet they are educating
adults and children

on certain things that I think
we as human beings should agree
on.

- MEGAN: I feel like it
was their patriotic
duty.

And if they had to receive these
threats, I think it was worth it
for them.

♪

- MORROW: Nothing
derailed Simon or Kirby

from continuing to
publish Captain America.

So by the time
Pearl Harbor hit,

Captain America
was more relevant

than any other comic book
that was out in its day.

Once the US actually
entered the war,

the whole country
was on the side of patriotism...

and America
fighting the Nazis.

♪

I think it was important
because there was a lot of
people,

1940s America that
didn't have voices.

- Thanks, Stanley.

- MORROW: Captain
America spoke for everyone.

Everyone can see a little bit
of themselves in that
character.

- NARRATOR: Captain
America's real superpowers

weren't in the
super serum,

they were the normal human
qualities people strive for.

- Jack, come her!
You gotta see this.

- NARRATOR:
Qualities the US soldiers
strive for.

Loyalty, selflessness,
integrity,

and the courage to never back
down when faced with a
bully.

- I guess we're onto something.

♪

- NARRATOR: Marvel finally
had something that was as big s
DC's Superman.

And it put them on the map
big time. - I can do this
all day.

- NARRATOR: It would
take Marvel another 20
years

to become a true
threat to DC Comics.

But these early
days of competition

laid the foundation for their
decades long pop culture
redefining rivalry.

But even though loyalties
ran deep in this world...

One man suited up to unite
the titans in the most unlikely
of ways.

- Let the festivities begin.