Captain America: Episode 1

 The Purple Death

 "You'll never get away with this!"

This is easily the first Marvel screen action of any sort, from a time long before Marvel as we know it in 1961. But Marvel was an offshoot of Martin Goodman's Timely Comics, and creators such as Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon had already created the Sub-Mariner, the first Human Torch, Captain America and more. This serial is the only screen relic of that strange proto-Marvel time which, perhaps, we never quite see in its own terms as opposed to what came later.

Yet neither, on the evidence of this episode, does this serial. Captain America wears the costume and is a hero, but there the similarities end. Here he is not Steve Rogers but Grant Gardner, district attorney in an unnamed city and conveniently close to the mayor and commissioner. There is no shield to be seen, but Cap is always toting a pistol, which is the most jarring thing.

However, even if this is Captain America in name and costume only, it's an impressive start. The Scarab, a scientifically hungry criminal, who mind controls people via poison to suicide(!), is a worthy foe, ably played by a monocled Lionel Atwill- and, in a brave departure from conention, we learn the villain's identity in the first episode. 

This is a strong opening episode wgich looks to be a superior example of the genre. So far, so good.