Donald Trump and Elon Musk feature as ‘villains’ in Canadian comic book Captain Canuck. The world first saw Donald Trump as a businessman, then as President of the United States. Now, amid rising resentment in Canada, he’s taken on a new role—supervillain.
Trump’s threats to annex Canada and turn it into the 51st US state, along with his harsh tariff policies, have brought back to life a Canadian superhero from the 1970s—Captain Canuck, a red-and-white-clad government agent with superhuman powers who defends Canadian sovereignty.
74-year-old Richard Comely, the co-creator of Captain Canuck, said the character’s revival has been driven by Canadians seeking a symbol of independence. “All of a sudden Canadians are looking to Captain Canuck as a symbol. And it’s basically, to them, Captain Canuck symbolizes independence,” he said.
Captain Canuck’s alter ego, Tom Evans, is a Mountie with powers gained from an alien encounter.
‘Supervillain Trump and his sidekick Musk’
Shortly after taking office, President Trump drew widespread anger in Canada by referring to its prime minister as a “governor” and threatening annexation. His proposal to “buy” Canada prompted a tongue-in-cheek counter-offer from the Canadian government—to purchase California.
Trump began calling Canada “the 51st state” during press briefings, citing national security and economic benefits. This triggered a wave of protests across Canada, with slogans like “Canada Not For Sale!”
Trump’s escalation continued with aggressive tariffs across multiple sectors, followed by additional “reciprocal and non-reciprocal” trade penalties. Under mounting pressure, Canada’s interim prime minister called snap elections to seek a stronger mandate in response to Trump’s tactics.
Relations between the two countries, once close allies, rapidly deteriorated. Many Canadians felt betrayed and began to believe that American leadership could no longer be trusted.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk also faced backlash in Canada, with critics accusing him of overreach and citing his alleged support for right-wing groups in Europe. In the comic, Musk is portrayed as Trump’s sidekick—both of whom are dramatically overpowered and tossed aside by Captain Canuck. One panel shows the superhero blocking Trump’s path; another shows him dragging Trump and Musk by the collar.
The return of Captain Canuck has been a massive success. Bookstores and libraries across Canada are stocked up, with people lining up to get copies.
Canada needed an icon – in the 1970s and now
Richard Comely created Captain Canuck in the 1970s during a period when Canadians were seeking their own national hero—something akin to America’s Captain America.
“I think there was an undercurrent, so to speak, in Canada in the ’70s. So I think Canadians were starting to feel like, you know, like they should acknowledge the fact that we had our own country, and we had our own culture and be proud of the fact that we were Canadians,” Comely explained.
Since its debut in 1975, over four million Captain Canuck-themed comics, books, and graphic novels have been printed worldwide. Originally, Comely’s stories featured Canada as a global power facing threats from foreign infiltrators—but never from the US.
“For the 50th anniversary issue, I drew Captain Canuck wagging a finger at Trump, who wants Canada to become a US state. It’s got a lot of Canadians, you know, thinking about their identity as Canadians and feeling more united as Canadians,” Comely said.
The comic series had periods of silence as Comely took time off for personal reasons, with a brief return in the 1990s. Since 2012, following a licensing deal with Chapterhouse Comics, Captain Canuck has become a prominent figure again—with an animated web series and merchandise.
Now, with renewed political tensions, Comely said Canadian companies are showing interest in the character like never before.
“So in a sense, we have Mr. Trump to thank for a bit of resurgence,” he added.
