Captain America #184
Cap’s Back!
The Red Skull is back and has murdered Roscoe, the man who took over as Captain America after Steve Rogers quit. This has forced Rogers to become Captain America again to track down his old foe.[1] Arriving at the hideout location given to the Falcon, Captain America only finds a recorded message of the Red Skull. The Nazi war criminal has gone back to his old ways and has decided to turn today — the anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s death — to finally destroy America.[2] The recording doesn’t give much of an explanation for the Red Skull’s current scheme of replacing currency with counterfeits. As he exist the hideout, Cap finds a news crew waiting outside eager to get word about his return. While Captain America confirms that he is back, he declines to give an interview because he has other things to do.
Captain America then goes to check on his partner, the Falcon, who is recovering at the apartment of his current girlfriend, Leila.[3] He is surprised to learn that Sam has finally revealed his true identity to Leila. Although she is not happy that Captain America is there and asks him to leave, Sam tells Cap to stay and talk. When he tells Sam about how he’s hit a dead end in his search for the Red Skull, Sam tells him that the Skull told him that he would be striking the Capitol Building in Washington, DC the following afternoon. Before Steve takes off, Sam hopes that they can bury the bad-blood between them when Steve briefly became Nomad. As he prepares for his trip to Washington, Steve Rogers recounts how he briefly quit as Captain America, became the hero Nomad for a while, until he circled back to becoming Captain America once more.[4]
When Captain America and the Falcon arrive in Washington, it is a city that has newfound optimism after recent political scandals. However, there are still others who believe that there is some kind of political conspiracy going on. Outside the Capitol Building, a government official named Herbert Glass arrives for important talks about the economy. When he exits his car, he is surprised when the radio suddenly turns on. Hearing that it is Chopan’s Funeral March, Captain America recognizes it as the Red Skull’s old calling card.[5] The villain suddenly drops out of the sky via a jetpack and throws his so-called “Dust of Death” into Herbert’s face. When Captain America and Falcon try to capture the Skull, the Nazi manages to escape but not before explaining his scheme: He intends to destroy the American economy by targeting the members of the Federal Open Market Committee and that his next target will be Lawton Sargent, who will die at midnight. When Captain America and the Falcon check on Herbert Glass, they are horrified to discover that the Skull’s Dust of Death turned Glass’ face into a grisly imitation of the Red Skull’s face.
With time to spare, Steve realizes that he hasn’t told Sharon of recent developments and goes to the Carter mansion in Virginia. There, Sharon has just come back from a walk with her neighbor, Dave Cox.[6] Sharon is unhappy to see that Steve is back to being Captain America again and considers herself foolish for thinking he would ever change his constant life of danger.
When Captain America and Falcon arrive at Lawton Sargent’s home, a remote lighthouse, they discover that SHIELD has assigned Gabe Jones and Peggy Carter to protect Sargent. Cap gets a moment alone with Peggy, and apologizes for the abrupt way he told her that their relationship was long over. Peggy understands and tells him it was for the better as she found a new purpose in working for SHIELD.[7] As it begins to rain, Gabe and Falcon stay inside to guard Sargent while Cap and Peggy search the grounds for signs of the Skull. When the Falcon asks about Gabe’s previous relationship, he realizes he hit a touchy subject when Jones curtly tells him it ended a few years ago.[8]
Outside, Peggy is ambushed and attacked by the Red Skull who flees when Captain America and Gabe Jones are drawn by the sound of battle.[9] Peggy only suffered a black eye and the all return to the lighthouse where the Falcon is still guarding Sargent. Suddenly, the lights go out. When Cap lights a candle, they find Sargent dead on the floor, his face turned into a red skull by the Dust of Death. However, they are left wondering how the Skull managed to kill Sargent without any of them noticing.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Red Skull, SHIELD (Sharon Carter, Peggy Carter, Gabe Jones), Leila Taylor, Dave Cox
Continuity Notes
There is a lot going on here:
Steve Rogers quit as Captain America after discovering that the leader of the Secret Empire was a former President of the Untied States. See Captain America #168-175.
After retiring, Steve took on the identity of Nomad in Captain America #180.
Roscoe Simmons (full named revealed in Captain America #615.1) took on the mantle of Captain America in issue #182 and was murdered by the Skull last issue.
In the Marvel Universe, as in real life, Adolf Hitler died on April 30, 1945. While the Skull states that Hitler committed suicide (like in real life) he is mistaken. As detailed in Young Men #24, Hitler was immolated by the Human Torch. However, Hitler cheated death by having his brain transferred into clone bodies that were later known as the Hate-Monger. See Fantastic Four #21 and Super-Villain Team-Up #17.
Leila’s last name is not given here. Captain America #188 reveals that it is Taylor.
After he quit as Captain America, Steve was convinced to return continue fighting crime by Hawkeye in Captain America #179. He later created the Nomad identity in the following issue. Also mentioned is his battle with the Serpent Squad which took place in Captain America #180-181.
The Red Skull previously used Chopin’s Funeral March to announce the murders of military officials during World War II. See Captain America Comics #7.
Dave Cox reminds Cap that they met during one of his battles with the Serpent Squad in Captain America #163.
Peggy and Captain America had a brief romance during World War II. They were separated during the Liberation of France, as detailed in Tales of Suspense #65. Peggy recently re-entered Cap’s life when he saved her from Doctor Faustus in Captain America #161-162. For a time, Peggy assumed their romance would continue, forcing Cap to let her down in issue #179.
This is a reference to Carla Williams, who Gabe started dating during World War II. She appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #56 and Annual #4. Jones states that he and Williams broke up a few years ago at the time of this story. This has some issues, see “Gabe Jones/Carla Williams Romace” below.
Peggy states here that Cap must be something like 25 years old, while she is 47. This is problematic, here are the facts:
Captain America was put into suspended animation in 1945 per Avengers #4 until he was revived in the Modern Age. Per Captain America #176, Steve was 18 when he tried joining the military in 1940. Meaning he was about 23 years old when he went into suspended animation. His actual age will always be subject to change due to the Sliding Timescale (see below) however, per this same Timescale, Cap has been active in the Modern Age for about 4 years at the time of this story, making him physically 27 years old.
Peggy stating that she is 47 here. There are a lot of problems with that. See “Peggy Carter’s Age” below.
Topical References
This narrative of this story states that this story takes place in 1975 and that it is the 30th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s death. This should be considered a topical reference as the Modern Age operates on the Sliding Timescale and the stories therein should not be ascribed to a specific date. Further, the number of years Hitler has been dead will always be subject to change as the Sliding Timescale increases the gulf of time between the end of World War II and the Modern Age.
Gabe Jones/Carla Williams Romance
As stated above, this story states that Gabe and Carla broke up “a few years ago” according to this story. Williams only appeared in a few issues of Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos, which were stories set during World War II. While it would have been possible for Jones and Williams to have a romance that lasted until this story was first published in 1975, the Sliding Timescale makes that incredibly difficult without some means of slowing or stopping their aging process.
Marvel has never really given a clear answer on how the members of the Howling Commandos have remained relatively young and vital in the Modern Age. A profile for Gabe in Captain America: America’s Avenger #1 states that Jones has likely remained vital due to wartime exposure to Nick Fury’s blood, which contained the age repressing Infinity Formula.
This same profile also states that Gabe’s romance with Carla Williams continued on well into the modern age. Indeed she appeared in Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos Annual #4, which was set in the Modern Age. In this story it is announced the couple were engaged to be married. This is addressed in the Gabe Jones profile in Captain America: America’s Avenger, however it does not provide any explanation as to how Carla remained youthful into the Modern Age. Presumably — even though it’s a huge stretch — she received a blood transfusion from either Fury or Gabe that slowed her aging process. In lieu of an actual explanation I guess that’ll have to do.
Peggy Carter’s Age
In this story, one of Peggy’s thought bubbles comments on her age. It says “I’m 47…. I sure don’t feel 47, though —”
Peggy Carter has a problematic history when trying to make her history adhere to the Sliding Timescale of the Marvel Universe. I’ve written about it at detail here. However, this story is the first time that Peggy’s age is mentioned and it is using some very problematic math.
Here, Peggy states that she is 47 years old. Peggy’s reintroduction into Captain America #161-162 was done with the intent that Peggy aged normally over the years. It would have been very possible for her to still be relatively young and able to join SHIELD when this story was published in 1975. However, like Gabe Jones, the Sliding Timescale has made this problematic.
Even taken at face value: Even from the perspective of when this story was published, if Peggy was 47 in 1975, that would have made her 16 years old when she went MIA in Tales of Suspense #75 (which takes place in 1944). While there are records of children under the age of enlistment who served on all sides during World War II, and I have no doubts that some young people were used in the French resistance, it seems unlikely that Peggy an American born to a wealthy family would have been able to run off to fight in the French resistance in World War II. Moreover, it seems pretty inappropriate for Steve Rogers, who was 22 in 1944, to be romantically involved with a minor in the middle of a warzone. All depictions of Peggy during World War II depict her as an adult who is in her 20s. So I’m not sure where Steve Englehart was getting his math, but I think it’s all safe to assume that the age given was erroneous given the implications it creates.
That said, the Sliding Timescale has made it so that the time in between World War II and Modern Age will continue to grow longer with the passage of time. While Marvel hasn’t really explained it (at the time of writing in June 2021), it seems likely due to her later association with SHIELD she may have gotten access to formula that slowed her aging process.
I think her comments about “being” 47 but not “feeling” like she’s 47 could be reinterpreted as a comment on her slowed aging process. Like Captain America is physically 27 in this story, Peggy could be physically 47 as opposed to that being her actual age, hence why she “doesn’t feel” her age.
