The other other Captain America
Jul. 16th, 2014 01:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skjam posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scans_dailyHi folks!
Captain America has fought many enemies over the years, and a surprising number of them have also been "Captain America." These twisted reflections of our hero represent America's fear that we aren't who we want to be, the best of the America spirit. Instead, they are distorted by hatred and greed, the America we do not want to be.
This is the story of one such man, Fifties Cap. This story is from Captain America #155 in 1972; six pages of twenty.
We open in the Bahamas, as Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter take a well-earned beach vacation. It turns out Steve can sunburn (though it's likely he heals from it more quickly than most people.) He spots a boy from a distance who looks remarkably like his old partner Bucky, and goes to investigate. It's a trap, and Steve is knocked cold by the boy and...Captain America!?
The other Cap switches clothes with Steve to lure Sharon in, but she notices his lack of sunburn. (Side note: The colorist for this issue is not in the credits, a mercy since the sunburn coloration goes off and on randomly.) Sharon rabbits, and the intruders run after her. They're just about to catch Sharon when the Falcon, in costume but minus wings, shows up. The ersatz Steve uses words like "darkie" and "frail", further establishing that he's not the Cap we know.
Despite the help of Redwing, Falcon and Sharon fall prey to dirty fighting.
He reports his findings to the American government, who wanted to use the supersoldier serum wholesale to win the Korean War. But the researcher refuses to divulge the formula, as he wants to be the new Captain America himself. He's able to afford just enough to test the serum on a small monkey, and the results are good enough that the government gives in and funds the experiment. Since his security check comes through clean, he is promised the chance to be Captain America.
Bet you didn't know that Jack Monroe could sew! Professor Rogers has to decline, however. The Communists have been quiet lately, and a sudden appearance by Captain America might provoke them into attacking people who can't defend themselves. However, later that year, in Young Men Comics #24, Bucky got into a fight with some other boys who dissed Captain America as useless in the modern era. Professor Rogers breaks up the fight, but while taking the boy home, listens to a news report on the car radio. The Red Skull has reappeared and taken the United Nations hostage. If only Captain America and Bucky still existed! Gee, it just so happens that Jack carries the costumes with him at all times....
That Red Skull turned out to be an impostor, a Communist agent who had appropriated the name (he killed Peter Parker's parents, and was himself murdered by the original Red Skull.) Captain America and Bucky went on to face other Red menaces, like Electro (no relation) and The Man With No Face. However, something was going wrong. No matter how hard our heroes struggled, the Communists just kept getting stronger and more infiltrated into American society. Especially in places like Harlem and Watts. In fact, most people who weren't "pure-blooded Americans" were under theRed influence.
Communist agents within the federal government planted lies that Cap and Bucky were suffering from "schizophrenic paranoia" due to not being dosed with the Vita-Rays that had energized the original super-soldier serum. Blinded by these false reports, the Feds captured our heroes and placed them in suspended animation to await an eventual cure.
Recently, however, a patriotic American, incensed by Richard Nixon bowing to the Red Chinese, freed the two from their tubes to fight back against the ever more insidious Communist menace of the present day. The first step, getting rid of the current Captain America and taking his place. It becomes apparent that 50s Cap thinks Original Cap is another substitute, perhaps created with another version of the formula. Falcon points out that 50s Cap made a mistake with his costume, which results in the preview panel.
As soon as 50s Cap leaves the room, Steve reveals that he untied his ropes twenty minutes ago; he just let the other fellow ramble on to learn his secrets. Real Cap's costume and shield, as well as some of Sharon's clothes, are in nearby crates, so they suit up, and the issue ends with them and Falcon about to face the enemy.
Jack Monroe would go on to be cured of his insanity and become Nomad for a while before being killed off. 50s Cap stayed crazy, and pops in and out of being dead.
Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.skjam.com
Captain America has fought many enemies over the years, and a surprising number of them have also been "Captain America." These twisted reflections of our hero represent America's fear that we aren't who we want to be, the best of the America spirit. Instead, they are distorted by hatred and greed, the America we do not want to be.
This is the story of one such man, Fifties Cap. This story is from Captain America #155 in 1972; six pages of twenty.
We open in the Bahamas, as Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter take a well-earned beach vacation. It turns out Steve can sunburn (though it's likely he heals from it more quickly than most people.) He spots a boy from a distance who looks remarkably like his old partner Bucky, and goes to investigate. It's a trap, and Steve is knocked cold by the boy and...Captain America!?
The other Cap switches clothes with Steve to lure Sharon in, but she notices his lack of sunburn. (Side note: The colorist for this issue is not in the credits, a mercy since the sunburn coloration goes off and on randomly.) Sharon rabbits, and the intruders run after her. They're just about to catch Sharon when the Falcon, in costume but minus wings, shows up. The ersatz Steve uses words like "darkie" and "frail", further establishing that he's not the Cap we know.
Despite the help of Redwing, Falcon and Sharon fall prey to dirty fighting.
He reports his findings to the American government, who wanted to use the supersoldier serum wholesale to win the Korean War. But the researcher refuses to divulge the formula, as he wants to be the new Captain America himself. He's able to afford just enough to test the serum on a small monkey, and the results are good enough that the government gives in and funds the experiment. Since his security check comes through clean, he is promised the chance to be Captain America.
Bet you didn't know that Jack Monroe could sew! Professor Rogers has to decline, however. The Communists have been quiet lately, and a sudden appearance by Captain America might provoke them into attacking people who can't defend themselves. However, later that year, in Young Men Comics #24, Bucky got into a fight with some other boys who dissed Captain America as useless in the modern era. Professor Rogers breaks up the fight, but while taking the boy home, listens to a news report on the car radio. The Red Skull has reappeared and taken the United Nations hostage. If only Captain America and Bucky still existed! Gee, it just so happens that Jack carries the costumes with him at all times....
That Red Skull turned out to be an impostor, a Communist agent who had appropriated the name (he killed Peter Parker's parents, and was himself murdered by the original Red Skull.) Captain America and Bucky went on to face other Red menaces, like Electro (no relation) and The Man With No Face. However, something was going wrong. No matter how hard our heroes struggled, the Communists just kept getting stronger and more infiltrated into American society. Especially in places like Harlem and Watts. In fact, most people who weren't "pure-blooded Americans" were under theRed influence.
Communist agents within the federal government planted lies that Cap and Bucky were suffering from "schizophrenic paranoia" due to not being dosed with the Vita-Rays that had energized the original super-soldier serum. Blinded by these false reports, the Feds captured our heroes and placed them in suspended animation to await an eventual cure.
Recently, however, a patriotic American, incensed by Richard Nixon bowing to the Red Chinese, freed the two from their tubes to fight back against the ever more insidious Communist menace of the present day. The first step, getting rid of the current Captain America and taking his place. It becomes apparent that 50s Cap thinks Original Cap is another substitute, perhaps created with another version of the formula. Falcon points out that 50s Cap made a mistake with his costume, which results in the preview panel.
As soon as 50s Cap leaves the room, Steve reveals that he untied his ropes twenty minutes ago; he just let the other fellow ramble on to learn his secrets. Real Cap's costume and shield, as well as some of Sharon's clothes, are in nearby crates, so they suit up, and the issue ends with them and Falcon about to face the enemy.
Jack Monroe would go on to be cured of his insanity and become Nomad for a while before being killed off. 50s Cap stayed crazy, and pops in and out of being dead.
Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.skjam.com
no subject
Date: 2014-07-16 07:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-16 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-16 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-16 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-16 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-17 12:48 pm (UTC)He was used well in Brubaker's run, too, where he actually got a name (William Burnside) and some more development.
no subject
Date: 2014-07-17 03:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-17 03:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-18 04:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-18 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-19 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-07-19 03:11 am (UTC)