More fighting! In this story, Baron Zemo sabotages Cap’s fitness exhibition by substituting his own henchmen for the sparring partners Cap expected to face—which Cap only realizes once they really put up a fight and start firing. This gives Cap a chance to cut lose, showing off his skills (and Kirby’s at the same time).... Continue Reading →
A pair of tales featuring very stupid villains. ('Nuff said!) PLUS the first "Avengers Vs. X-Men" story. (If only it had been the last, right? I kid, I kid...) In Avengers #11, the Mighty Avengers meet the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man… almost. Actually, they meet a robot duplicate of Webhead built by Kang, master of… robotics?... Continue Reading →
After the case of mistaken identity from the last issue, Cap finally get his own feature in Tales of Suspense (albeit slightly shorter than that of the “star” of the book, that infamous diva, Iron Man). This first story is similar to Avengers #4 in that it showcases both his grief over Bucky and his... Continue Reading →
In this story we meet Immortus, a far-flung future version of Kang, with all the time-travel shenanigans you’ve come to expect. (Groan.) But also, we see more physical prowess on the part of Captain America, who also revisits the issue of Rick Jones becoming his new partner (and possibly even an Avenger) and loses control... Continue Reading →
Captain America guest-starred alongside fellow Avenger Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #58 before Cap’s regular feature began in #59. This issue is notable for being the first of many battles between the two heroes—and a classic cover to boot—even though this fight resulted from a ruse created by a villain rather than an ideological... Continue Reading →
This issue introduces Simon Williams, who was transformed into Wonder Man by Baron Zemo to infiltrate the Avengers and destroy them from within. Of course, he doesn’t succeed—neither Williams nor Zemo—and Simon goes on to become a long-standing member of the Avengers (and, in a very interesting recent turn, a declared pacifist). Oh, and Cap?... Continue Reading →
"KANG!!!" (In the voice of Captain James T. Kirk, fist clenched tightly.) I have to tell you, I can't stand time-travel stories, and any story with Kang is guaranteed to be one convoluted time-travel story. On the bright side, this story exemplifies the interconnectedness of the Marvel Universe even at this early stage, as it... Continue Reading →
In this issue we see a Captain America not at his best, as he is rattled at a vision of his fallen partner, is duped by Zemo and his amazing friends, and once again expresses his desire for vengeance. This is a more emotional Cap then we're used to seeing, but as I explain, it's... Continue Reading →
This issue introduces us to Baron Zemo (glimpsed merely in silhouette in Cap and Bucky’s death scene in Avengers #4), who is shocked to hear that Captain America is still alive—both because he thought he died along with his teenaged partner, and because he bears a slight grudge over Cap’s role in gluing Zemo’s hood... Continue Reading →
Captain America’s second issue back from the frozen deep is fairly light on explicit demonstrations or descriptions of his virtues, but nonetheless there are interesting (or at least funny) things to note. And as a bonus, the Avengers appeared in the same month’s Fantastic Four #26, so I will describe them together. (Twice the value... Continue Reading →
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 