Captain Proton's universe took elements directly from 1930s/1950s sci-fiction comics and their tv or film dramatisations.

Alan Sims, property master for 'Star Trek Voyager': The props for Captain Proton were delivered to me in a full five-act treatment in which I could see what the look and feel of the characters had to be. I remembered the Flash Gordon serials. I homed in on exactly what was required in the script such as the hand ray gun; Satan's Robot, which came right out of the Commando Cody episodes; and the Commando Cody rocket pack."

A main influence was the Rocketman/Commando Cody films and Commando Cody tv show of the 1950s.

Commando Cody, Sky Marshall of the Universe This was originally developed for tv. Republic Pictures released the film of this name in 1953 starring Judd Holdren, and then to television in 1955. The tv show comprised 12 complete and self-contained 26-minute episodes, aired on Saturday mornings. This was unlike the 12-chapter serials of the films described below. Rocketman returned as Commando Cody, designated by the interplanetary council, with the same assistants from the film serials. He had an aerodynamic metallic bullet-shaped helmet and a flightsuit with a jet-pack strapped to his back which enabled him to fly and swoop down on villains or to escape from deadly close calls in the nick of time. His bullet-shaped rocketship could travel to other planets in the solar system to foil the aliens. In some episodes he had a ray gun. He also wore a uniform and usually wore a black mask like the Lone Ranger's. Cody's character was by now fully developed as he tangled with an alien megalomaniac known only as the Ruler: the Ruler has conquered much of our solar system and mankind's only hope is Commando Cody who in the final episode captures the alien dictator and thwarts his fiendish plans. The show used much stock footage from the three film serials. This was the last of the Rocketman films.

Rocketship

King of the Rocketmen (Republic Pictures) starring Tristram Coffin (1949) This comprised a 12-chapter serial, each part ending with a cliffhanger. The hero is Jeff King, the mysterious rocketman who, along with a fellow-scientist, develops the atomic-powered flying suit to prevent an evil scientist called Dr. Vulcan from conquering the world with his powerful weapon the Sonic Decimator. Jeff King has the rocketsuit and the ray gun but never leaves the stratosphere. Needless to say, Rocketman triumphs over the evil Dr. Vulcan. The film was Republic's response to Columbia Pictures' 1948 hit serial Superman.

Radar Men from the Moon (Republic Pictures) starring George Wallace (1952) Another 12-chapter cliffhanger serial with a new rocketman character called Commando Cody. Cody, who is employed as a scientist with a top-level government agency does not wear a uniform or a mask but does have the flying suit. Cody and his colleagues investigate suspicious atomic activity taking place on the moon and mysterious sabotage incidents on Earth. They develop an atomic-powered rocketship to explore the moon. Cody discovers an evil race of moonmen (Radar Men) ruled by the brilliant but evil Retik, Ruler of the Moon. Eventually, Cody manages to prevent them from launching an invasion of Earth. Stock footage from King of the Rocketmen was used for most of the flying scenes. Clayton Moore, tv's Lone Ranger, had a cameo role as a henchmen working for the aliens.

Lobby Card of Commando Cody confronting Retik in Radar Men from the Moon (1952) - Scene from Chapter 10 'Mass Execution'

Zombies of the Stratosphere (Republic Pictures) starring Judd Holdren (1952)

This appeared 6 months after Radar Men from the Moon, again as a 12-chapter cliffhanger serial. Although the character is essentially Commando Cody, with many of his same assistants, the character's name was changed at the last minute from Cody to Larry Martin, to avoid confusion with another Republic "rocketman" story soon to go into production. Plot summary The evil Marex and fellow-Martians plot to destroy the Earth. Rocketman never leaves the stratosphere but the film featured several aerial rocketship battle scenes. Evil Martians Marex, Roth, and Narb (played by Leonard Nimoy) travel to Earth, planning to destroy our planet with a hydrogen bomb. In the final chapter, in the nick of time Rocketman Larry Martin shoots down the Martians' rocketship and defuses the hydrogen bomb. Again the film used stock footage, from both King of the Rocketmen and Radar Men from the Moon. Zombies of the Stratosphere 1952