These two issues complete the "Superia Stratagem" storyline that began in issue #387, when Diamondback and her friends were abducted from her Brooklyn home and taken to the cruise ship of Superia, who had gathered a motley crew of female supervillains for nefarious purposes. At the end of the last issue, Captain America and Paladin... Continue Reading →
Avengers #336-337, Alpha Flight #99-100, and Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD #26 (August-September 1991)
These two issues of Avengers continue the biweekly story "The Collection Obsession" that began in issues #334-335, at the end of which Captain America and the rest of the team had been defeated by the Brethren, who had until recently been prisoners of the Collector, and their leader Thane Ector, who absconded with Sersi as... Continue Reading →
The Adventures of Captain America #1 (September 1991)
This amazing four-part miniseries—the first devoted solely to Captain America—is written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by master of facial expressions Kevin Maguire, and elaborates significantly on Cap's earliest days, providing additional details and emotional weight to Steve Rogers' desire to serve his country, the Project Rebirth procedure and the training that preceded and followed... Continue Reading →
Infinity Gauntlet #1-6 (July-December 1991)
This incredible six-part miniseries from the second half of 1991 was the inspiration behind the last two Avengers films, Infinity War and Endgame, especially Thanos's infamous snap (seen in the middle of the first issue of the series rather than the halfway point). Captain America's role in this story is limited but important—he is not... Continue Reading →
Marvel Comics Presents #80-81 (July 1991)
This is a very curious little story, not least because it is, as far as I know, the only Captain America solo story written and drawn by none other than Steve Ditko. As you see from the covers above (front and back), the main stories from these two issues were part of "Weapon X," the... Continue Reading →
Captain America #385 (May 1991)
This is the first part of a two-issue storyline about one of Captain America's former neighbors in Brooklyn, who now runs with a new crew, some of whom you can see on the cover—and the romantic machinations of a certain Ms. Bernie Rosenthal continue. The issue begins with the Watchdogs—the right-wing extremist group that debuted... 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 →
Captain America #350 (February 1989)
This is it: the issue we've been waiting for ever since Steve Rogers resigned his identity of Captain America to the Commission on Superhuman Activities in issue #332 and the Commission replaced him with the former Super-Patriot, John Walker in the following issue. Whatever else happens in this issue—I'll get to it in a second,... Continue Reading →
Avengers Annual #17 (1988)
This issue continues Steve Rogers' gradual return to the Avengers that began in Avengers #298, although this annual does not feature any Avengers team we've seen before (which will be explained later). It is also part of a multi-part storyline, "The Evolutionary War," stretched across the 1988 annuals, in a practice that would continue for... Continue Reading →
Marvel Graphic Novel: Emperor Doom (June 1987)
Despite the cover shown to the right, this graphic novel is really a Doctor Doom story that features the Avengers: My copy has "Emperor Doom" in large letters at the top and "Starring the Mighty Avengers" in much smaller print below it. As such, I certainly can't do justice to the main part of the... Continue Reading →