These two issues continue the build-up to the game-changing issue #332 as Captain America, accompanied by strength-augmented wrestler Dennis Dunphy, a.k.a. D-Man, continues to hunt for information about the Super-Patriot (John Walker) and the Buckies, as well as their enabler, the Power Broker, while the U.S. government steps its investigation into Cap behind the scenes.... Continue Reading →
Captain America #328 (April 1987)
This issue is the first of four issues featuring the greatest superhero sensation of 1987, D-Man, in which he helps Captain America search for the mysterious Power Broker, and building up to the game-changing issue #332. Our story opens at the Los Angeles headquarters of the Ultimate Class Wrestling Federation, where Cap hopes to find... 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 →
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 →
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 →
Captain America #320 (August 1986)
This issue concludes the three-part "Scourge of the Underworld" storyline, as Captain America finally comes face-to-face with the man who's been killing villains across the Marvel Universe (and in many titles) for the past year. (See the post on issue #318 for more background on the Scourge concept.) However, we open with Cap facing off... Continue Reading →
The Incredible Hulk #320-323 (June-September 1986)
The story in these four issues has a very simple premise: After being split from Dr. Bruce Banner in issue #315, the Hulk has become a being of pure rage with no moderating intellect or rationality, and as a result is now more uncontrollably violent than ever. Both Avengers teams now have to confront the... Continue Reading →