These four issues (together with issue #273) comprise the classic storyline in which Baron Zemo assembles a new line-up of the Masters of Evil and invades Avengers Mansion. It's a cracking good story with an emotional ending for Captain America, but as with many Avengers stories, he does share time with the rest of the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #324-325 (December 1986-January 1987)
I'm covering these two issues together because a significant portion of each issue is taken up with the adventures of Nomad (last seen in issue #309), whom Captain America joins up with at the end of the story. More interesting for our purposes is Cap's ongoing confrontation of the fallout from killing an ULTIMATUM agent... Continue Reading →
Captain America #323 and Marvel Fanfare #29 (November 1986)
This issue of Captain America introduces John Walker and Lemar Hoskins, albeit in a way that will be unrecognizable to readers familiar with them only from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. (However, John's career will follow the same broad trajectory, and Lemar fares much better than he does in the show!) Storywise, this issue... Continue Reading →
Avengers Annual #15 and West Coast Avengers Annual #1 (October 1986)
The two parts of this crossover between the two Avengers teams in their 1986 annuals are very different, as reflected in the covers: The Avengers annual focuses more on the big fight with a team of apparent ne'er-do-wells, while the West Coast Avengers annual is much more character-based and tied closely to the mystery figure's... Continue Reading →
Captain America #322 (October 1986)
This issue serves as the aftermath of the last one, which ended with Captain America shooting a terrorist ULTIMATUM agent to stop him from massacring hostages in a monastery in the Swiss Alps. Like the last issue, Captain America #322 is one of the most cited comics in my book, due largely to the fact... Continue Reading →
Avengers #271-272, Alpha Flight #39, Eternals #12, and Power Man and Iron Fist #125 (September-October 1986)
This post covers, in very little detail, the Avengers' underseas adventure with Namor in Avengers and Alpha Flight, as well as Captain America's two minor appearances alongside the team in the final issues of Eternals and Power Man and Iron Fist. (Not a good sign to have the Avengers guest-star in your book, I guess—watch... Continue Reading →
Captain America #321 (September 1986)
In my opinion, this is the one the most important issues of Captain America—which is appropriate, given that this is the 300th post at this blog! This is one of the issues I discuss the most in my book, because Cap's moral code is pushed to its limits at almost every step, with a jawdropping... Continue Reading →
Captain America Annual #8 (September 1986)
This annual is significant for (at least) two reasons. First, it is the first significant meeting between Captain America and Wolverine aside from brief interactions in team and event books, most notably Secret Wars, and later retcons, such as Uncanny X-Men #268, which show them meeting during World War II. Second, it marks the return... Continue Reading →
Daredevil #233 (August 1986)
This final issue of the legendary "Born Again" storyline in Daredevil, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, finds Captain America helping Matt Murdock battle against the Kingpin's final attempt to break him. Although the entire Daredevil story is deservedly heralded as a classic, the portrayal of Captain America in this issue is simply stunning, and... Continue Reading →
Avengers #270 (August 1986)
This issue mostly follows up on the protests over Namor joining the Avengers that we've seen in recent issues, and, as one of his oldest friends—one of his only friends, really—Captain America is affected personally by this. (Am I reading too much in the cover, or could it be a bit of an homage to... Continue Reading →