This issue continues the story of Captain America’s fight against the white nationalist Grand Director, his National Front, and Dr. Faustus, which began in issue #231, as well as Cap’s team-up with Daredevil, which started in the last issue. Much of this issue involves Cap and DD escaping various forms of peril, culminating in—as you can see on the cover to your right—Daredevil flying a @#$%& airplane! Not a hoax! Not an imaginary story!
The issue opens where the last one left off: Thanks to Daredevil, Cap has just recovered from Faustus’s mind control under which he sided with the National Front on TV with a swastika painted on his shield and fighting his hornheaded pal. Now, both heroes face a “fire-ing” squad.
Faustus gloats as the flaming warehouse collapses around them, and Cap and Daredevil begin an issue full of saving each other as well as themselves, with Cap taking the first turn.
The panels below portray and describe Cap’s heroic resilience and determination, some of it shown through Daredevil’s thoughts.
Daredevil’s turn is next, using his enhanced senses to push Cap out of the way of a collapsing portion of the roof that Cap can’t see due to the smoke, and then devising a way out of the firetrap, guiding Cap on exactly how to use his shield.
The dialogue below reminds us that, at this time, Cap (and most of his fellow heroes) were unaware of DD’s secret identity or the fact that he’s blind. (Daredevil himself plays with this fact near the bottom!)
Cap tries to ignore his burnt hands as he pulls Daredevil out of the building, just in time for the water tower to collapse—which probably would have been a blessing if it had happened earlier!
Having escaped the first disaster of this issue, Daredevil gets something off his mind!
“Sure thing, young man!”
Daredevil finds a clue in the wreckage of the warehouse that leads him and Cap to Faustus and the Grand Director (wearing the Captain America cowl below, another hint as to his real identity), who are preparing to spread Faustus’ mind-control gas over the city—a general plot Cap is all too familiar with by now.
(Don’t tell me the last panel above doesn’t remind you of Batman and Robin ready to launch off a rooftop to fight crime, especially with the corny lingo reminiscent of the 1960s show.)
But as soon as Cap and DD get to our villains, the Grand Director brings out someone who would normally be a sight for sore eyes: one of the missing Carters, who Cap discovered was abducted from her hospital bed in issue #233, and whose current predicament predictably predisposes Cap to pause.
Faustus and the Grand Director flee with Peggy in the blimp carrying the gas, and the rest of the National Front follow in old-school biplanes… with Cap and DD right behind them.
Gee, it seems there might be a downside to Daredevil keeping his secrets from his pals… even DD acknowledges below that his radar sense isn’t of much use in the air. (And “I’m no pilot” is an understatement if I ever heard one!)
As Cap prepares to dives for the blimp, Daredevil easily acknowledges his superhuman courage… but his admiration quickly turns to horror as the plane is buffeted and Cap misses his mark.
Another terrific cliffhanger ending, as Cap plummets to Earth and Daredevil is literally flying blind! Be sure to come back for the next post to see how they get out of this one. (In the meantime, check out my friend Christine Hanefalk’s post on this issue and the next at her fantastic Daredevil blog The Other Murdock Papers.)
ISSUE DETAILS
Captain America (vol. 1) #235, July 1979: Roger McKensie (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Jack Abel and Frank Miller (inks), Roger Slifer (colors), John Costanza (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in black-and-white in Essential Captain America Volume 6.
PREVIOUS ISSUE: Captain America #234 (June 1979)
ALSO THIS MONTH: Avengers #185 (July 1979)
NEXT ISSUE: Captain America #236 and Marvel Premiere #49 (August 1979)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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