Hoppy aka Captain Marvel Bunny

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Created by Chad Grothkopf, Hoppy had debuted in Fawcett's Funny Animals #1 (Dec. 1942). Like the real-world kids who followed Captain Marvel's adventures, Animalville resident Hoppy couldnt resist trying Shazam's magic word for himself, after a bully set his sights on his girlfriend Millie. Sure enough, it worked! Captain Marvel Bunny enjoyed an eleven-year run and his adventures ceased when Fawcett stopped publishing comics. In addition to Funny Animals #1-83 (missing only #49-54), Hoppy also starred in 15 issues of his own title, from 1945–1947, and in Master Comics #91 (1948).

Hoppy only crossed paths with his inspirations on one occasion, in 1948's Marvel Family #28. As recounted in The Steranko History of Comics #2 (1972) Mary Marvel had gone to the planetoid Vesta to break up a war between the Cat People and the Dog People. Billy Batson was watching the events through a telescope, and deciding his sister needed help, he went to Animalville to ask Hoppy to change into Captain Marvel Bunny and go to her aid. The World's Mightiest Bunny was glad to oblige. Marvel Bunny knocked some sense back into the animal people of Vesta and returned to Animalville.

The now-legendary character of Black Adam first appeared in a Hoppy story, too! Sort of. Just a month before Black Adam's first appearance, a similar character appeared in Fawcett's Funny Animals #32 (Oct./Nov. 1945). Captain Black Bunny wore a black version of Hoppy's costume, but instead of a lightning bolt, his chest bears a yellow flame.

Charlton Comics

As noted by Roy Thomas in Alter Ego #7 (1964), Charlton Comics bought the rights to a number of Fawcett properties and they used Hoppy as a secondary feature in its Funny Animals and Atomic Mouse from 1954. Charlton changed his magic word to "Alizam," his costume to blue (without the lightning-bolt insignia), and his name to Hoppy the Magic Bunny. Nobody sued them.

DC Comics Appearances

In 1981, Roy Thomas penned Hoppy's first DC Comcis appearance in DC Comics Presents #34. Mr. Mxyzptlk joined forces with Mister Mind to thrust Superman and Captain Marvel into a dimension of funny animals. Two of that dimension's inhabitants, Hoppy and Millie, found themselves magically transported to Earth-S (the home of the Marvel Family in the pre-Crisis DC Universe).

The two bunnies were hauled off by the police for disturbing the peace and Hoppy flew into action as Marvel Bunny. He then aided the Marvel Family and Superman against the villains and King Kull. In this story both Hoppy and Millie were depicted as white bunnies, instead of their usual pink.

Hoppy also made an appearance in The Oz-Wonderland War #2 (Feb. 1986, again by Roy Thomas). Attempting to locate his foe Captain Carrot (of Earth-26), the Nome King Roquat magically summoned an assortment of fictional rabbits to an underground lair — including Millie and Hoppy. Hoppy slipped behind a stalagmite and returned in costume, proclaiming that he possessed the powers of Salamander, Hogules, Antlers, Zebreus, Abalone and Monkury! An initial rivalry between Marvel Bunny and Captain Carrot soon faded during battle. Roquat moaned that bringing these bunnies together was the most "hare-brained" idea he'd ever come up with and returned them all to their places of origin.

Marvel Bunny learned that King Kull was attacking the Marvels at the United Nations and, recalling the events of Marvel Family #28 (Oct. 1948), redoubled his vigor to protect his friend, Mary Marvel. After the departure of Mxyzptlk, the magical spell that had enabled Kull to triumph was gone and Captain Marvel Bunny succeeded where Mary and Captain Marvel Junior had failed. He shook hands with Superman, and Hoppy flew back to his home dimension with Millie in tow.

With the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Hoppy was destined for comic book limbo when Earth-S was destroyed and the Marvel Family were totally rebooted. He was glimpsed in 1990's Animal Man #25 and within an alternate reality in 1997's Power of Shazam! #27.

The Marvel Bunny made a full-fledged return in Power of Shazam! #29 (by Jerry Ordway, Pete Krause and Dick Giordano). At a birthday party for himself and his sister Mary, Billy Batson was trying to figure out how the Great Carlini had pulled a cartoon rabbit out of his hat. During the attempt, Billy called out "Shazam!" and awoke with his hands around the ears of a rabbit who was dressed like a Captain Marvel! Billy was transported to a world of cartoon animals.

Hoppy, who discovered that the Marvel Family magic prevented his girlfriend Millie from recognizing him, explained that an evil trio of animals abducted the citizens of Animalville for Sorcero, then take them up to this hole in the sky ... where a hand pulls them through, so that a bunch of monsters — like YOU — can terrorize them. And then when its over, the citizens — predominantly bunnies, wander around in shock for days after.

The two Marvels tracked the mystery back to a human magician named Sorcero, who had gained access to an other-dimensional portal that could be accessed through his top hat. The magicians assistant, Hans Carlini, had forced his mentor through the portal and exiled him to the world of funny animals. "He taps that wand — my old wand, on the hat as a signal to send a bunny through the interdimensional portal for him to pluck out of the hat, Sorcero explained. The tapping causes me extreme pain, you see — Ill do ANYTHING to make it stop, so he gets his rabbits.

Alerted that the sky portal was burning, Cap realized that the lightning from his transformation had ignited the top hat. Sorcero admitted that the destruction of the hat would end Carlinis reign of terror but that Cap would be stranded if he didnt leave immediately. Switching identities, Billy slid through the flaming gateway with a boost from the newest Marvel.

Waking up in his bed, Billy was assured by Mary that hed only had a dream. Look, she insisted. I SAW Carlini jolted backwards, breaking his wand, when the lightning hit the first time ... then you said the word again a second later. Lucky thing too, or hed have seen the transformation.

But what if time passed differently there? A SECOND for YOU could have lasted HOURS for me. It COULDVE happened, Mary. It SEEMED real.

Slapping her brother over the head with a pillow, Mary repeated, It was a dream, bonehead!

Somewhere, looking up as a flickering hole in the sky blinked out, a flying rabbit in a red and gold costume made a vow. Your memory will live on in the good deeds Ill perform ... as Hoppy the Marvel Bunny!

His silhouette was briefly seen in Limbo, where forgotten characters from DC continuity resided, being pursued by Ace the Bat-Hound. (Final Crisis #??)

DC Rebirth

Powers

Hoppy supposedly channeled the same divine powers as the Marvel Family: wisdom, super-strength, stamina, power, courage and speed.