This post corrects an egregious oversight: specifically, the baker’s dozen of issues of the weekly Marvel UK comic Captain Britain in which Captain America guest-starred in early 1977, which I seem to have skipped. It’s a fun, fact-paced story that calls back to Cap’s early adventures in Tales of Suspense, and I’m happy to bring it to you in this long post (and at long last). Here we see the first meeting between the Caps of Two Worlds (kind of), which—as these meetings often do—starts off with a misunderstanding, before the heroes realize they’re on the same side in fighting evil, especially when this evil appears in the form of the Red Skull.
A preview of sorts appears in issue #15, where Cap gets his assignment from Nick Fury…
…putting into Cap’s head that his British counterpart may have something to do with the computer installation in question.
The real action starts in issue #16, with Captain Britain, aka Brian Braddock, facing a masked adventurer’s ultimate indignity—and right outside of his family home, Braddock Manor, to boot. He only begins to fight back when a strange voice from overseas is heard.
Luckily for Cap UK, Cap US currently shares his anti-authoritarian mood (which, all joking aside, is actually consistent with his position, thirty years later, against superhero registration and the revealing of secret identities to the government).
(I don’t think the “Cap UK”/”Cap US” thing works, sigh.)
Braddock finds it in his best interests to defend his own countrymen, which prompts Cap to make an inappropriate comparison (to say the least).
Chief Inspector Thomas is content to watch as Braddock plays on Cap’s inherent trusting nature before loudly asserting his compliance with the orders of the state.
Cap reaffirms his support of superhero privacy before challenging Braddock’s true identity—and when Braddock in turn challenges him to a fight, he’s more than ready.
Cap’s impressed by Braddock’s skill, which brings the two to a draw, until the Englishman makes a crack about Cap’s age.
Cap finally gets the upper hand—literally—and luckily Thomas saves him from letting his anger (and his pride, mentioned above) get the better of him.
When Thomas threatens to take them both in, Cap changes his mind about resistance and quickly shows the inspector his official papers—and just like that, they’re fast friends, which Cap uses to keep Braddock out of jail as well.
Now it’s Braddock’s turn to question the other’s identity, based on his own performance in their skuffle. Cap, naturally, uses this as a chance to offer praise and encouragement (which is probably more effusive than his British counterpart is probably comfortable with).
On the final page, Cap reveals that what he’s looking for may actually be in Braddock Manor, after which the two heroes put their initial battle behind them and become Captain Friends Forever… all of which is witnessed by the Red Skull himself.
The Skull gets issue #17 off to a rollicking start—and showing his hand in the process.
After the two Caps defeat the two-bit Nazis, they make their way into the manor… and into a trap, at which point the identity of their enemy, never really a secret, is confirmed.
I don’t know about you, but if I never again hear Cap say something “smells Skull,” it will be too soon. (And this was before the gas was released.)
In issue #18, Captain America reveals an alarming defeatism, and it is up to Captain Britain to lift his spirits.
It turns out the Skull is not done with them yet—and with our Cap weakened and bleary, it is up to the other Cap to rise to the occasion. (Encouragement from the old man helps, even if it is to say “just try that button you haven’t pushed yet, what can go wrong?”)
When our heroes finally reach the Skull, Cap calls him… “crud”?… while Braddock takes the lead, with Coach Rogers continuing to cheer him on.
However, when the Skull shows Braddock that he has his sister Betsy and brother Jamie captive, the Caps let him go, and he transports away just before jets from STRIKE (the British version of SHIELD) bomb the manor on the orders of a treacherous agent (presumably working for the Skull).
In issue #19, Nick mourns the deaths of the Captains America and Britain, feeling both responsible and vengeful…
…but in issue #20 we learn that the two heroes are very much alive and choosing to continue to let the world think they’re dead. (The costumes probably won’t help, though.)
They overhear passersby mention their deaths, and Cap begins to regret their manipulation—but Braddock helpfully reminds him of people’s short attention spans. (Of course, he’s not nearly as well-known or revered as the Living Legend of World War II!)
Cap and Braddock make their way to the hospital where the other Braddocks are being held, and they form a plan, with Brian very aware of his own burgeoning self-confidence.
(It will be revealed, just be patient!)
After they defeat the men holding the Braddocks, Jamie outs his brother in front of Cap and then questions whether it’s really him, forcing Brian to magically remove his costume in issue #21. Meanwhile, Cap enjoys being able to effectively bluff a thug who doesn’t know him that well, and then calls Braddock back into action.
In issue #22, Cap and Braddock make it to the Red Skull’s warehouse hide-out but find traps inside—who could have imagined—and Cap tries out some dark humor for a change.
Cap takes a chance himself to poke fun at his old age before being flushed down the drain with Braddock. They end up in front of the Skull himself, with Braddock celebrating their “achievement” (to Cap’s admonition).
The Skull gets to give his anti-democracy speech to two patriotic heroes at the same time, saving some effort, and Cap gets to charge into battle against his greatest foe, which must feel like home after all this time. (Everyone wins, I guess?)
When the Skull brings out the (actual) UK Prime Minister, James Callaghan, whom he kidnapped in the last issue, it stops the heroes’ revelry.
Issue #23 opens with bad news for both the Skull and the PM, although the latter takes the news well, earning the respect of Captain America, who has found a kindred spirit.
As they are led away, Cap and Braddock catch sight of their other best friends and make a new plan, with Cap staying put to fight lots of Nazis—which he is clearly looking forward to—while Braddock looks for help.
The action switches to black-and-white—and gorgeous John Buscema pencils—for the last four installments of our story, and issue #24 reveals that, despite his good spirits, Cap was recaptured by Skull’s men, and the Skull himself is clearly finished with toying with his greatest enemy, who nonetheless remains defiant.
Braddock returns at the end of the issue to shield Cap and the PM from the blast, and he explains how to Cap in issue #25 before freeing the captives (and then falling on his bum).
Braddock wants to rush back into action, but Cap is more concerned with the PM—who epitomizes the “calm and collected” English character, assuring the heroes that they need not worry about him.
The Caps find the Red Skull just as Nick is hurtling towards him as well—and Nick is so shocked to see his old pal alive and kicking that he drops his cigar and, to add insult to injury, gets shot by the Red Skull. (Cap feels bad for the second thing but doesn’t even mention the first, which would surely make Wolverine weep.)
Cap is so exasperated by this point that he calls (what he assumes is a) bluff on the part of the Red Skull to wipe out the population of London with a germ bomb. Even when Braddock tries to bring him to his senses, Cap claims that letting the Skull have his way would be an even worse outcome.
Cap sounds truly defeated now, which opens the door for Braddock to take lead, and make a reference to some obscure British game. (“Stop talking nonsense, son—you think I play cricket?!”)
Braddock follows the Skull in hopes of both catching him and stopping the bomb, and in issue #26, Cap mourns his fallen friend… until his “corpse” comes to life just in time to save Cap.
I guess this counts as a “break in the action,” because Cap finally explains how he and Braddock survived the destruction of Braddock Manor earlier in the story, and you’ll never believe how they did it: They went to the bomb shelter. (Wow! Amazing! Incredible! What “top form smarts” Captain Britain had to come up with that!)
After STRIKE arrives and destroys the Skull’s warehouse (along with the computer that would have triggered the bomb), Cap and Fury use their nifty jetpacks to rush to Big Ben, where Braddock fought the Skull and watched him plummet to his “death.” Fury checks on Lance Hunter (commander of STRIKE) while Cap gives a piggyback ride to Braddock (whose magical uniform, I assume, shields him from Cap’s jetpack)…
…to make sure the bomb is actually disabled. (The Skull, however, is less so.)
As the final issue in the storyline begins, the Red Skull transports away, and it is Braddock’s turn to feel regret and Cap’s to provide support. (“If I had a shilling for every time I thought the Skull was dead… well, I don’t know how much a shilling is, but I’d have a whole lot of ’em!”)
At least he got in a dig at Nick before the story wraps up.
Later, Nick tells the thrilling tale of the bomb shelter to Hunter, who we can only assume simply shrugged in response, before (actual) U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Georgia accent and all, calls with his congratulations, and the heroes and spies from two nations say their farewells.
Even after they separate, they continue to sing each other’s praises, with Nick surprisingly the most emphatic of the four.
The two national heroes next meet in 1985 in Captain America #305-306, but it’s left frustratingly vague there whether Cap remembers meeting Braddock or not. (To be fair, Braddock’s outfit was different by then.)
ISSUE DETAILS
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #15, January 19, 1977, “…Once Upon a Death Wish!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Marie Severin (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #16, January 26, 1977, “A Hero Unmasked!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Marie Severin (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #17, February 2, 1977, “The Revenge of the Red Skull!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #18, February 9, 1977, “S.H.I.E.L.D. Strikes Out!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #19, February 16, 1977, “Two Died with Honour!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #20, February 23, 1977, “While the World Gently Weeps!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #21, March 2, 1977, “They’ve Kidnapped the Prime Minister!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #22, March 9, 1977, “Mayhem at Midnight!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #23, March 16, 1977, “The Night Big Ben Stood Still!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), George Roussos (colors), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #24, March 23, 1977, “The Fall of the Fourth Reich?”: Larry Lieber and Gary Friedrich (writers), John Buscema (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #25, March 30, 1977, “…Gathering of Gladiators!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #26, April 6, 1977, “Hickory, Dickory… Death!”: Gary Friedrich (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain Britain (vol. 1) #27, April 13, 1977, “…Will You Never Win?”: Gary Friedrich (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Fred Kida (inks), Irving Watanabe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Captain Britain Omnibus.
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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