US President Donald Trump’s continuing tariffs on countries around the world have marked the return of a superhero from the 1970s in Canada. Captain Canuck, a government agent-turned-superhero who defends Canada's sovereignty, is now fighting Trump and his aide Elon Musk in a new edition of a comic book.
Trump, who is portrayed in the comic book as a ‘supervillain’ along with Musk as his sidekick, had offered to "buy" Canada after his election and started calling the country the 51st state of the US.
For the cover of Captain Canuck’s 50th anniversary issue, the superhero is seen wagging his finger at Trump. In one frame, both Musk and Trump are shown being manhandled and thrown out by the superhero, while another frame shows the two being dragged by the collar.
Richard Comely, 74, the artist who co-created the comic book character, told news agency Reuters that Canadians were now looking at Captain Canuck as a symbol of independence.
Captain Canuck has become an instant hit across Canada with stores and libraries stacking up shelves with the comic and Canadians lining up to get a copy for themselves.
Recently, Comely said he has been getting calls from Canadian companies showing interest in the fictional character due to rising political tensions between Canada and the US.
{{/usCountry}}Recently, Comely said he has been getting calls from Canadian companies showing interest in the fictional character due to rising political tensions between Canada and the US.
{{/usCountry}}"So in a sense, we have Mr. Trump to thank for a bit of resurgence," he said.
Who is Captain Canuck?
Dressed in a red and white outfit with maple leaves, Captain Canuck, aka Tom Evans, is a Mountie (part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) who gained special powers after an alien encounter. The superhero was created as Canada's version of Captain America.
Since the first publication in 1975, over 4 million Captain Canuck-themed comic books, books and graphic novels have been printed, Comely said.
He added that his original storyline showed Canada as a world power that faces challenges from groups seeking to infiltrate, destabilize and take over the country. “Of course, never, never in any of those stories was it America that was going to be taking over Canada,” he said.