History

As a child, Nelson Gardner was sickly and asthmatic, but through years of training he managed to overcome his condition and eventually started playing football in college. After college, he joined the U.S. marines. He later adopted the identity Captain Metropolis to fight crime. Along with Sally Jupiter, he was a founding member of the Minutemen and later, he founded the Crimebusters with Ozymandias. He was apparently in a relationship with fellow Minuteman Hooded Justice, a fact that the Minutemen's publicist, Laurence Schexnayder, worked very hard to cover up. He started the Crimebusters because he thought that by pooling the efforts of the other vigilantes, crime could be effectively wiped out in Manhattan and outside. Both teams eventually fell apart due to personal problems from the team members. He contributed to the hatred of superheroes by expressing bigotry towards African-American and Hispanic people. He was decapitated in a car crash in 1974; the accident, however, would later prove to be suicide. Despite this, there is fan speculation that he, along with Hooded Justice, is still alive at the time of the graphic novel.

Personality

Despite being the leader of two superhero teams, Nelson was a nervous, weak-willed individual, most likely due to his health problems, who was often pushed around by the Comedian. It is implied by the Comedian that he is a glory hound, though this is unconfirmed. He also tends to stutter. He is loyal to his friends and it is implied he genuinely wants to fight crime despite his racist attitude.

Powers and Abilities

As a crime fighter, he used his tactical prowess and knowledge gained in the army to beat criminals.

Trivia

Like the Comedian, Captain Metropolis never appears alive in the story.

Watchmen Movie

Captain Metropolis appears in the Watchmen movie played by Darryl Scheelar. His role is significantly diminished, as Dan Dreiberg is the one who forms the Crimebusters, called the Watchmen in the film. He never speaks a line.