Richard Comely, Captain Canuck button, 1979 Copyright/Source

CAPTAIN CANUCK

SECOND SERIES, 1993-1996

Captain Canuck: Reborn/Captain Canuck: Le Retour Nos. 0–3 (Semple Comics, Sept. 1993–1996); new "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip (various papers, 1 July 1995–1996).

Richard Comely – Reborn/Le Retour Nos. 0–3; "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip. Mark Shainblum – "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip. Louisette Bélanger – Reborn/Le Retour Nos. 0–3 (translator). Don Wright – Reborn/Le Retour Nos. 0–3 (editor).

Richard Comely – Reborn/Le Retour Nos. 0–3; "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip. Corey Comely – No. 0 (colours). Leonard Kirk – Reborn/Le Retour Nos. 1–2 (pencils). Éric Thériault – Reborn/Le Retour No. 2 (inks). Visographics Art Studio – Reborn/Le Retour Nos. 1–2 (colours). Sandy Carruthers – "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip; Reborn/Le Retour No. 3. Peter Murphy – "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip.

Darren Oak, the leader of the community, Ourtown, uncovers an international conspiracy that threatens Canada. One of the main conspirators is Darren's brother, Nathan Oak. In order to warn Canada about its impending doom and to preserve his own anonymity, Darren assumes the identity of the comic book hero Captain Canuck.

Darren Oak

Richard Comely, Captain Canuck Club button, 1979 Copyright/Source

Same as First Series

Super-athletic

Canada

Daniel Blackbird and the Cat/Splatter (Manny Ferrara)

[The summary does not cover adventures that only appeared in the "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip.]

NATHAN OAK & THE INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY (Captain Canuck: Reborn/Captain Canuck: Le Retour Nos. 0-3) Darren Oak, the leader of a Northern Ontario community called Ourtown, together with his Native friend Daniel Blackbird, uncovers an international conspiracy, involving the Council on Foreign Relations and the Tri-Lateral Commission! The conspiracy is spearheaded by Darren's brother, Nathan Oak. Nathan and his co-conspirators plan to turn Canada into the headquarters for a dictatorial New World Order. This would come about through the operations of two task forces intent on fomenting conflict between the French and English communities in Quebec and thereby sparking a Canadian civil war. In order to warn Canada about its impending doom and to preserve his own anonymity, Darren assumes the identity of the comic book hero Captain Canuck.

Meanwhile, Manuel (Manny) Ferrara, a comic book fan and aspiring policeman, prepares to adopt the identity of another comic book superhero, the Cat (a.k.a. Splatter), under the tutelage of the high-tech wizard David Waller, another sworn enemy of the New World Order. Armed with a paint-splattering gun and financed by Waller, the Cat begins to target criminals. He and Waller quickly recognize that Canuck is a kindred spirit.

George Freeman, Captain Canuck sticker, ca. 1980 Copyright/Source

When Canuck calls a press conference on Parliament Hill to expose the conspiracy, Nathan Oak and his co-conspirators dispatch their own super-villain (actually one of two criminals who form the team Double Whammy) to disrupt the proceedings and give the impression that Canuck's intervention has been staged for the filming of a superhero movie. As the press conference becomes increasingly chaotic, Canuck finally escapes with his friend Daniel, who has disguised himself as a nun and hidden a motorcycle on the Hill. The two are then rescued by the Cat, who has decided to team up with Canuck.

Canuck and Daniel monitor the Cat. Canuck realizes that the Cat is working for the mysterious David Waller and decides to break into Waller's mansion to find out more about the high-tech mogul's intentions. Waller welcomes Canuck and tells him that he too is aware of the conspiracy. Waller then uses his media contacts in the United States to counteract the false impression that Canuck was merely acting in a movie when he tried to warn Canadians about the conspiracy. Waller's prowess impresses Canuck.

Meanwhile, Canuck's brother Nathan Oak tries to recruit him to work for his corporation, which is in the process of building a World Communications Centre in Toronto. Nathan also runs a medical centre, in which Canuck's wife, Monica, who has suffered a nervous breakdown, is hospitalised. While Canuck is considering his brother's offer, he inquires about Monica's health.

Canuck decides to once again try and expose the conspiracy at a press conference, this time at the site of his brother's future Communications Centre. As before, the conspirators dispatch Double Whammy to disrupt the proceedings by creating a fake movie shoot. This time the villains are better organized and are able to drug Canuck and whisk him away in a van. Daniel and Manny nevertheless intervene and rescue Canuck. Unfortunately, Canuck is wounded in the process, so Daniel decides to take Canuck to Ourtown where he can receive medical attention without revealing his secret identity to the world.

As Canuck's condition deteriorates, he becomes frantic about Monica, whom he wants released from Nathan's custody. It soon becomes apparent that Canuck might die. Daniel goes for a walk in the snow and encounters a mysterious stranger, who can communicate telepathically and who cures Canuck simply by touching him. (Unbeknownst to Canuck and his associates, the stranger is part of an alien group marooned on Earth!)

George Freeman, Captain Canuck crest, 1980 Copyright/Source

Following his recovery, Canuck's first priority is to rescue his wife and get her off the drugs that have been prescribed for her. Meanwhile, Nathan works behind the scenes to keep Monica drugged and in his medical facility. As Canuck presses for the release of his wife, he learns that his brother is trying to keep her sedated. However, once Nathan receives confirmation that Monica has no memory of the few months that preceded her breakdown, he finally relents, and allows her to be withdrawn from the drug "therapy." (Obviously, her memories have the potential of undermining the conspiracy in some way.)

Canuck then learns that David Waller has travelled to Alberta in an effort to rescue his nephew, Jordan Zehr, who has joined a dangerous white-supremacist group, the New Aryan Order. The group has built a compound in Lucyville, Alberta, and seems to be connected with the nefarious Nathan Oak. Canuck, who has business in Alberta, decides to keep an eye on Waller. As Waller tries to infiltrate the Order by pretending to be sympathetic to the cause and by offering financial support, Canuck sneaks onto the compound and captures a sentry. Waller and Canuck learn that the Order is planning to murder new immigrants to Canada and that Jordan Zehr has become disillusioned and wants to leave the Order.

As a confrontation brews, Canuck is joined by Manny Ferrara and Daniel Blackbird. In coordination with Waller, the three heroes launch a full-scale attack on the New Order compound. In order to minimize the harm to the Order's members, many of whom are young dupes like Jordan Zehr, Canuck utilizes a sleeping gas. However, just as Canuck is about to capture the Order's two top leaders, they escape by way of an emergency hatch... [So ends the final issue of the Captain Canuck comic book.]

In 1999, Mark Shainblum, the co-creator of Northguard and a contributor to the "Captain Canuck" newspaper strip, joined with the comic artist Sandy Carruthers (who had also worked on the Canuck strip) in an effort to resurrect and revamp the original Captain Canuck (Tom Evans). In fact, Shainblum and Carruthers completed a full-length comic book story featuring their "New Original Captain Canuck." Although a portion of the story appeared in a small, promotional mock-up comic (a so-called "ashcan") with very limited distribution (100 copies), the full story remains unpublished.