There was a time when I was obsessed with rank. Maybe it had to do with comic books - SERGEANT Fury had his Howlin' Commandos during the second World War but when he took over S.H.I.E.L.D., he became COLONEL Fury. Obviously a field promotion.
Or maybe it was because of Star Trek - Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, Crewman. I liked to know stuff like the ship's counselor on the Enterprise (under Captain Picard) had a rank of Lieutenant Commander but took the Bridge Officer's test to get the rank of full Commander so she could helm the ship.
Who knows? When I meet folks who were in the military, I often ask them their rank. I always liked the difference between enlisted & officer, & between non-commissioned officers & the commissioned kind. Sometimes the people I talk to are a little sensitive - I understand. The military, like any enforced hierarchy, breeds resentment & rivalry.
Maybe because the world has always admired heroes in wartime, the comic book world is filled with ranked super-heroes. Especially captains. Captain America. Captain Atom. Captain Marvel. Captain Universe. (Someone listed their ten favorites here. Some of these fought or were created during World War II - I think we're supposed to believe that Captain America, at least, really holds that rank. I wonder if anyone's written about the connection between ranks & superheroes. It's almost as common as colors & super heroes (Green Lantern, Black Panther, Blue Beetle, etc.).
Why captains, though? Perhaps I'll talk about that tomorrow.
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