Captain America #112
Lest We Forget!
Captain America has apparently been gunned down by Hydra. Dredging the river where his body fell, the police find a bullet-riddled costume and a latex mask. Assuming the body was washed out to sea, they also assume that — because of the life-like mask — that Captain America’s Steve Rogers identity was a cover.[1] Regardless, everyone believes Captain America is dead and that the news will rock the entire home.
Moments later, Iron Man returns to Avengers Mansion just as the phone begins to ring. The call is to inform Iron Man of Captain America’s alleged demise. Deeply upset by the news, Iron Man agrees to make final arrangements. Tony Stark then changes out of his armor and goes to a portrait of Steve Rogers. Behind it is a visa-file device that keeps the Avengers records on Captain America’s career. Stark then goes about closing down Steve’s file with a retrospective on his career.
Reflecting on Captain America’s activities during World War II, Tony remarks on one of his earliest battles against the Red Skull in 1941. With the aid of his partner Bucky, Captain America was able to prevent the Red Skull from causing sabotage with a giant drill.[2] He also recounts a number of Cap’s battles with his early foes such as the Butterfly, the original Circus of Crime, the Legion of Beggars, the White Death, and the dreaded Black Toad.[3] When America officially entered World War II, Captain America and Bucky fought alongside the troops in Europe. However, things came to a tragic end the day the pair were captured by Baron Zemo. The Nazi scientist attempted to launch a drone plane loaded with explosives. Bucky thought he could disarm it in time and ignored Cap’s orders to bail out. While Bucky seemingly died in the explosion, Captain America fell into the freezing waters below where his body was frozen in suspended animation for decades. His frozen body was later found by a tribe of Inuits who worshiped him. In modern times, Cap’s frozen body was found by the Sub-Mariner and tossed back in the ocean where warmer waters began to thaw him out. Later, the living legend of World War II was recovered and revived by the Avengers.[4]
It was not long after this that Captain America resumed his crusade for justice in the modern age. On top of serving on the Avengers, Captain America reconnected with an old wartime friend, Nick Fury, now the director of SHIELD.[5] It was here he met and fell in love with a female SHIELD agent Sharon Carter, aka Agent Thirteen.[6] Working together, Sharon and Captain America defeated the scientific terrorist group known as Advanced Idea Mechanics and their leader MODOK.[7] Later, the pair worked together to stop the Red Skull’s Fourth Sleeper.[8] Tony then recalls all of the other foes that Captain America has fought in the present such as the Batroc the Leaper, the Tumbler, Swordsman, the Living Laser, the Red Skull’s Exiles, the Trapster, and Doctor Faustus.[9]
Tony Stark ends his report by detailing how Captain America seemingly died at the hands of Hydra. With the recording over, Tony puts Steve Rogers's portrait back over the visi-file and after saluting Steve’s photo vows to avenge his death.
Recurring Characters
Iron Man
Continuity Notes
Steve Rogers revealed his identity to the public in Tales of Suspense #95-96. He was apparently gunned down last issue. However, next issue we’ll learn that Cap faked his death in order to walk-back his public identity. Avengers #107 shows that this half-assed scheme was pulled off thanks to the machinations of the Space Phantom, who used a device to make everyone forget Steve Rogers was Captain America. Cap’s identity will remain a secret until he publicly reveals it again in Captain America (vol. 4) #3.
This flashback was adapted from Captain America Comics #3. It should be noted that this was not the Red Skull — Johann Schmidt — but George Maxon, a man who posed as the Red Skull in the United States during Captain America’s early career. See Tales of Suspense #66.
Captain America battled these foes in Captain America Comics #3 (the Butterfly), 5 (the Circus of Crime), 7 (the Black Toad), 9 (White Death) as well as All-Winners Comics #1. Some additional facts:
The Circus of Crime is identified as the “original” group, differentiating itself from the contemporary group that was first seen in Incredible Hulk #3. It’s later revealed in Marvel Two-In-One #76 that the Ringmasters of both versions are from the same family tree.
The Legion of Beggars were not originally identified by that name when they appeared in All-Winners Comics #1, however there they were called the Hollow Men. They were homeless men who lived in the Bowery that were turned into mindless zombies by a guy calling himself the Lord of Death. These details were likely glossed over to appease the fucks at the Comics Code Authority.
Similarly, the White Death was identified as the White Ghost when he appeared in Captain America Comics #9. This change was for-sure to appease the Comics Code Authority which refused to allow any reference to supernatural things like ghosts and the like because they still thought horror comics turned kids into juvenile delinquents in the 1960s, because people believed the bullshit hatchet job done by a hack psychologist.
This sequence of events was first chronicled in Avengers #4. There are some facts that are unexplained here:
Although everyone believes that Bucky died in 1945, he actually survived and was recovered by the Russians. They then spent the convening decades turning him into an assassin called the Winter Soldier. See Captain America (vol. 5) #11.
The Sub-Mariner does not recognize Captain America here, despite the fact that they fought alongside each other during the war. This is because for years Namor suffered from amnesia and when his memory was restored he had blank spots for some time. See Fantastic Four #4, Sub-Mariner #1, and Marvel Saga #12.
The earliest encounter between Captain America and Nick Fury dates back to 1941 as seen in Wolverine: Origins #17-20. Fury managed to live on into the modern age in his relative prime thanks to the Infinity Formula, per Marvel Spotlight #31. He became the director of the modern incarnation of SHIELD circa Strange Tales #135. Captain America joined SHIELD in Tales of Suspense #78.
Captain America first met Sharon Carter in Tales of Suspense #75.
Cap and Sharon fought AIM and MODOK in Tales of Suspense #93-94.
Sharon and Cap destroyed the Fourth Sleeper in Captain America #101-102. Previously, Cap destroyed the first three sleepers in Tales of Suspense #72-74.
Captain America’s bouts with this list of villains is a lot more detailed than covered here:
Captain America fought Batroc the Leaper in a number of times as seen in Tales of Suspense #75-76 and 85.
He fought the Tumbler in Tales of Suspense #83.
Captain America first fought the Swordsman alongside the Avengers in Avengers #19-20 and Annual #1 when he and other villains teamed-up with the Mandarin. Later he would fight him again with Power Man in Tales of Suspense #88.
He first fought the Living Laser alongside the Avengers in Avengers #34-35, he was also one of the Mandarin’s allies in Avengers Annual #1.
Batroc, the Swordsman, and Living Laser later teamed-up and fought Cap together in Captain America #105.
The Exiles fought Captain America in Captain America #103-104.
He fought the Trapster in Captain America #108.
Lastly, Captain America clashed with Doctor Faustus in Captain America #107.
Topical References
The Visa-File is depicted as having reel-to-reel recorders and a large magnetic strip reader.
World War II is stated as ending 20 years prior to this story. This is also a topical reference. The Modern Age of the Marvel Universe operates on a Sliding Timescale that pushes this era forward. Thus the time between the end of World War II and the start of the Modern Age will grow longer with time. For more on the math behind this, go here.
