This issue launches a three-part story featuring Rachel Leighton aka Diamondback, who was mysteriously abducted from outside Avengers Mansion in the last issue... and from the cover it's clear who did it and why. Although much of the issue deals with Rachel and her former crew, there is plenty of Captain America material to cover... Continue Reading →
Nomad #1-2 (November-December 1990)
These are the first two issues of Jack Monroe's first miniseries, which followed a short tale in Captain America Annual #9 (which wasn't covered in the post on the issue). There, the former Bucky of the 1950s, who later adopted Steve Rogers' short-lived Nomad identity, decided to abandon Captain America's noble mission and methods altogether... Continue Reading →
West Coast Avengers #64 (November 1990)
This issue of West Coast Avengers (or Avengers West Coast, tom-ay-to tom-ah-to) is a done-in-one in the spirit of the recent Captain America #379 and Avengers #325, and is also a Captain America/Human Torch team-up book in spirit (if not execution). Any time Cap gets to interact with one of his fellow "Big Three" Invaders... Continue Reading →
Captain America #379 (November 1990)
Like last month's Avengers #325, this issue of Captain America bridges a gap, this time between the twice-monthly story, "Streets of Poison," that began in issue #372, and the three-part Diamondback-centered storyline starting in the next issue (with a preview in this issue's back-up, which is touched on at the end of this post). The... Continue Reading →
Captain America Annual #9, West Coast Avengers Annual #5, and Avengers Annual #19 (September 1990)
These three annuals, along with the Iron Man and Thor annuals the same summer, form the five-part storyline "The Terminus Factor," featuring the return of the alien conqueror Terminus, whom we saw Captain America and the Avengers fight in Avengers #257 (although it actually wasn't him... oh, never mind). Most of Cap's relevant appearances in... Continue Reading →
Uncanny X-Men #268 (September 1990)
This seminal issue of Uncanny X-Men establishes that Captain America met a fella named Logan and a young girl named Natasha early in World War II—a story that would be elaborated upon in Wolverine Origins: Our War—and also that the Black Widow is much older than previously believed (which enabled her to meet a newly... Continue Reading →
Avengers #323-324 (September-October 1990)
These two issues finish "The Crossing Line," a storyline that began in issue #319, with the Avengers joining with the People's Protectorate (from Russia) and Alpha Flight (from Canada) to face terrorists who hijacked a British nuclear submarine... a situation that, as of the end of the last issue, definitely went south, as shown on... Continue Reading →
Captain America #376-378 (September-October 1990)
These three issues wrap up the "Streets of Poison" storyline that began in issue #372, which has seen Captain America gradually become more unhinged due to being caught in an explosion in a drug warehouse. At this point, he appears less and less himself in each issue, as well as less and less period, as... Continue Reading →
Thor #420-421 (August 1990)
These two issues of Thor are part of a larger story called "The Black Galaxy Saga," in which the God of Thunder is called to... well, you know... in response to the latest scheme of the High Evolutionary. The story began in issue #419, where a Replicoid was sent by the Celestials to gather Thor,... Continue Reading →
Captain America #371 (June 1990)
After this pivotal, cataclysmic, universe-shattering issue, nothing will ever be the same... as Steve Rogers and Rachel Leighton, otherwise known as Captain America and Diamondback, go on their first date. ("As friends," wink wink.) A couple of Rachel's friends from the wrong side of the law play chaperone, but not in the way you might... Continue Reading →