Issue(s): Marvel Spotlight #10
Cover Date: Jan 81
Title: "Double jeopardy!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Steve Ditko - Penciler
Steve Ditko - Inker
Al Milgrom - Editor

Review/plot:
This second Captain Universe story in Marvel Spotlight is on a much less cosmic scale than the previous one. It's interesting because we see that the Uni-Power can be split between two people at once, and it has a more human sub-theme examining two twin sisters, one of which has prioritized her career while the other has chosen to raise a family.

I can't say that any of it is done very well, particularly when we get to the twist ending, but it does show how the Captain Universe concept can be used for a variety of stories.

The career focused sister, Clare Dodgson, is a private detective. She's working with her sister Ann Stanford's husband Edward, who is the District Attorney, as they investigate the crime network of the mysterious Nemesis.

You can see the contention between the two sisters getting hammered home pretty hard.

Edward is subsequently kidnapped by minions of Nemesis (or so it seems). And when Clare gets to the Stanford house, she senses that something is wrong. I said last issue that the recipients of the Uni-Power in these Marvel Spotlight stories are ordinary, non-superpowered people, but this issue does go with the trope of twins having a special mental connection.

So, sensing danger, Clare comes bursting in through the window with her gun out.

And in the ensuing chaos, both sisters receive the Uni-Power.

Good thing the Uni-Power is adaptable enough that when transforming ladies into Captain Universe, it can give them heels as part of their costumes. You'd think Clare, at least, would get a costume with some flatfooted footwear based on what we've seen of her.

The twins know immediately that they are Captain Universe, and realize that they have superpowers, "like the Avengers or the Fantastic Four whom we sometimes see in the news". Ugh, dialogue.

The Captain Universes use their Univision to interrogate the thugs and find out where Nemesis might be keeping Edward, and are directed to a man called Rooney.

Clare is impressed to see that Ann isn't quite as meek as she thought.

And both feel pretty liberated by the Captain Universe powers.

Rooney turns out to be the owner of a local gym, so the Captain Universes get to beat up a bunch of weightlifters.

Ann can't help making housecleaning comments.

They learn from Rooney that Nemesis keeps his headquarters behind the screen of a drive-in movie theater. There has to be a better way in, but the Captains have to go and ruin the film for all the people in the audience. Jerks.

And oh my god the housecleaning stuff continues.

Ann gets caught in a deathtrap and Claire has to rescue her.

The dialogue implies that Ann probably could have busted her way out if she hadn't panicked.

They aren't able to locate Edward, so they follow Nemesis, who has escaped. And it turns out that Edward is Nemesis.

Sure, who can live on a District Attorney's salary?

Ann will now have to learn to live on her own woman's strength.

There's potentially a good story in all of this, but it's not executed well.

Who will get the Uni-Power next? It could be you!

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I remember once when I got the uni-power years ago. Used it to clean my drainpipes.

In the 1982 movie "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," every time someone said the phrase "cleaning woman," Steve Martin's character would go mad.