Comics Declared War First

In March 1941 — nine months before Pearl Harbor — Captain America #1 hit newsstands with a cover showing Steve Rogers punching Adolf Hitler in the face. America was officially neutral.

The comic was not. It sold nearly one million copies. Creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, both Jewish, received death threats from American Nazi sympathizers, and groups like the German American Bund loitered outside the offices.

New York Mayor La Guardia personally phoned to promise police protection and sent officers to patrol the building. Superman and Batman also fought Axis villains throughout the war, making comics a genuine propaganda tool.