In its first volume, the title Marvel Super-Heroes introduced Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and told Doctor Doom's first solo story, along with reprinting stories (which it did exclusively after it first twenty issues). In its second volume, it became a quarterly anthology title; its third issue features Captain America in... Continue Reading →
Avengers #321-322 (August-September 1990)
These two issues continue "The Crossing Line," a large-scale adventure featuring the Avengers and their Russian counterparts, the People's Protectorate, battling terrorists called (groan) the Peace Corpse who have hijacked a British nuclear submarine, and also involves the Atlanteans and, as of the final page of the last issue, Alpha Flight as well. The layout... Continue Reading →
Avengers #299-300 (January-February 1989)
These two issues see the Captain assemble the latest Avengers team and it is... definitely something. It is also his last story before the landmark Captain America #350, after which everything changes (in Stan Lee's sense of "change," at least). I'm impressed by how tightly the Avengers and Captain America comics were coordinated in these... Continue Reading →
Captain America #349 and Iron Man #238 (January 1989)
This issue of Captain America brings Steve Rogers and Lemar Hoskins together for the first time, and reunites Rogers with Flag-Smasher and ULTIMATUM, which only reminds him of the catastrophic events of issue #321... and all of this happens in the last issue before the pivotal #350. (Also, note the cover by Ron Frenz and... Continue Reading →
Captain America #344 (August 1988)
This "giant-sized issue" picks up where the last left off and wraps up the serpent-saturated storyline of late, with Viper's attack on the White House bringing the Captain back to Washington, DC, for the first time since he relinquished the shield and stripes to the Commission in issue #332. And yes, just to get it... Continue Reading →
Captain America #342-343 (June-July 1988)
These two issues focus primarily on the Captain and his team—now augmented by Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback—fighting against Viper and her attempts to take over the Serpent Society. (Admittedly, the last part is mostly Diamondback's concern.) We also check in briefly with John Walker and Lemar Hoskins (the current Captain America and his recently renamed... Continue Reading →
Captain America #341 (May 1988)
This issue follows up on the "disagreement" between Iron Man and the Captain in Iron Man #228 over Tony's ongoing campaign to reclaim or disable all of his tech in other people's hands, including the U.S. government, and by whatever means necessary. This is just one of many examples of Tony's utilitarian approach to ethical... Continue Reading →
Thor #390 (April 1988)
To say this issue is pivotal in the histories of both Captain America and Thor is an understatement... and we'll find out why soon enough. For now, just know that this is the second half of the Captain's side-trip on the way to confront Tony Stark for his actions in Iron Man #228, the first... Continue Reading →
Captain America #338 and Iron Man #227 (February 1988)
This issue picks up from the last, after Captain Am... I mean, the Captain... and his friends Nomad, D-Man, and the Falcon violated police orders in order to catch four snake-themed villains in Las Vegas, representing the first real test of Steve Rogers' new "outlaw" status. The cover, on the other hand, shows John Walker... Continue Reading →
Captain America #337 (January 1988)
After the last issue debuted Steve Rogers' new hero identity, "The Captain," this issue reveals his new costume, shown on the cover to the right, itself an homage to Cap's first modern appearance in Avengers #4. We also see Cap pushed even closer to the side of lawbreaking—and not because he's almost violating the court... Continue Reading →