Review of The Return of Captain Invincible (1983) by Paul M — 16 Jul 2013

Maybe it takes a former alcoholic, or ex-drug addict, to truly appreciate the genius of this film. Captain Invincible was born with superhuman abilities, courtesy of an alien race, and for the first 3 decades of his life was the usual, self-confident superhero, who knows that he's fighting the good fight. Then, shortly after World War 2, a criminal genius who takes the long view began a campaign to turn the Public against the Captain. Feeling isolated and alienated Captain Invincible becomes an alcoholic, and spends the next 2 decades as a drunken bum. It is only when a global crisis forces the then President of the United States to seek him out that the story really gets cracking.

Since the late 1980s we have seen comic book superheroes lose their sense of identity and moral compass, but I think that the return of Captain Invincible was the first mass market attempt to tell the story of a super-man in a mortal world in a realistic manner.

Parts of it are corny, and a bit is inconsistent with other parts, but overall, it is my personal opinion that the film is a masterpiece.