This issue, Captain America is still reeling from the betrayal he thinks he suffered at the hands of his beloved Sharon Carter and his "beliked" Nick Fury in the last issue, although we know he was just too hurt and impatient to wait for the quite reasonable explanation Sharon would have offered. Luckily for him,... Continue Reading →
Captain America #101-102 (May-June 1968)
As is appropriate for the first full story in Captain America's new title (which in issue #100 wrapped up a storyline from Tales of Suspense #97-99, as detailed in the last post), we see the return of Cap's archfoe, the Red Skull. How about this great Kirby splash page to open issue #101? Here we... Continue Reading →
Tales of Suspense #97-99 and Captain America #100 (January-April 1968)
With this post we reach the end of Captain America's run in Tales of Suspense and the beginning of his first self-titled book (continuing the previous title's numbering while co-star Iron Man gets his own #1). And this four-part story features the first appearance of Black Panther outside the Fantastic Four book, and leads directly... Continue Reading →
Avengers #42-44 (July-September 1967)
These three issues of Avengers continue the fairly fallow period for Captain America, as he was in and out of the book to attend to his own life and events in Tales of Suspense and Captain America. Accordingly, this and the next two Avengers posts will be brief. (You were warned!) Issue #42 opens with...... Continue Reading →
Tales of Suspense #79-81 (July-September 1966)
Finally… the Red Skull returns! Not only does Captain America’s greatest foe resurface in this issue, but he’s working with AIM (no longer being called Them), and he gets control of their new weapon: the Cosmic Cube, making its debut in the first issue of this storyline. Issue #79 opens with a traditional Cap battle…... Continue Reading →
Avengers #26-31 (March-August 1966)
These six issues see two current Avengers members leave and two originals return... and even more momentous, Captain America and Hawkeye start to heal their wounds (as Clint gets a new punching bag). Issue #26 opens with Cap trying to show his fellow Avengers the new secure messaging device Tony Stark dreamed up, but Hawkeye... Continue Reading →
Tales of Suspense #72-74 (December 1965-February 1966)
After eight issues in World War II, we return to the present day, in which Cap battles against a plan the Red Skull launched twenty years ago—and we get the first appearance of Cap’s Kooky Quartet in his own book. Issue #72 begins with Cap telling Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch the story recounted... Continue Reading →
Tales of Suspense #63 (March 1965)
The Origin of Captain America! Told for the first time since Captain America Comics #1 in 1941, but quite similarly, as explained by legendary Marvel Comics editor Tom Brevoort at his blog (also comparing both issues to the retelling in Captain America #109). You would expect an origin of Captain America to focus on his... Continue Reading →
Tales of Suspense #60, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #13, and Tales to Astonish #62 (December 1964)
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 →
Avengers #11-12 and X-Men #9 (December 1964-January 1965)
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 →