Captain America #311
Working…
Captain America visits Frank Schlichting — aka the Constrictor — in the hospital after he was assaulted the night before. He believes that the mercenary-for-hire was beaten up for reporting the Serpent Society’s robbery of the abandoned Brand Corporation building. Cap’s hunch is correct, but Frank refuses to talk out of fear of more reprisals from Sidewinder and his crew. Seeing that he is getting nowhere, Captain America leaves but tells Frank to call him if he changes his mind. However, Cap turns back when remembers something else and stops the nurse from shooting Frank point-blank in the face with a gun. The nurse flees out a window and Captain America follows in pursuit. However, around the corner he discovers a nurse disguise in a nearby trashcan and no sign of the shooter. Going back upstairs, he asks the police to add extra protection around the Constrictor in case the assassin comes back.[1]
Changing back to Steve Rogers, Captain America heads to midtown Manhattan where he meets with Mike Carlin at Marvel Comics to show a sample of his artwork.[2] Carlin is impressed with Steve Rogers art skills and decides to hire him on as an artist on Marvel’s Captain America comic book. Steve is then shown some fan mail and he takes particular interest from a little boy named Bobby Hitchenson in Ohio, who is writing asking Captain America for help with a strange creature he found in a local barn. This makes Steve realize how hard it is for ordinary people to ask Captain America for help but is unsure if this is a serious request or not. After getting his assignment, Steve is told that the work needs to be done in three weeks. As he heads out, Carlin quips that if Hollywood is looking for an actor to play Captain America, Steve Rogers would fit the role, little knowing that he is Captain America.[3]
Meanwhile, the Serpent Society is holding another meeting after a successful series of heists. Confident that his team can work effectively in the field, he then breaks everyone off into groups to court potential employers in the criminal underworld.
Later, Steve Rogers has returned to his apartment in Brooklyn Heights and has started working on his first assignment for Marvel Comics. Bernie Rosenthal, his fiancée, find it amazing that the Captain America will be doing the art for the official Captain America comic book. She also tells Steve her plans for going into law school since she was forced to close her business and needs to find new work. When Steve tells Bernie about the fan letter he read, Bernie encourages him to check it out.
After looking up the information on Bobby Hutchison, Captain America borrows a Quinjet to fly out to Mayfield, Ohio. There, he meets with Bobby and his father in the parking lot of the local mall. From there, Bobby and his father take Captain America out to the barn where the boy claims a monster lives. Going inside to investigate, Captain America encounters the Mad Thinker’s Awesome Android.[4] Captain America fights back but is easily tossed outside by the android. Once Captain America is gone, the Awesome Android stops attacking and then uses stacks of hay to cover the hole in the wall created when it threw the intruder outside.
Meanwhile, back in New York City, Cottonmouth and Asp manage to break into the Kingpin’s main office. There, they offer him his services before leaving without further incident. Fisk orders his men to look into this Serpent Society and to have the guards punished for failing to stop Cottonmouth and Asp from reaching his inner sanctum.
Back in Ohio, Captain America tries to get back into the barn. Each time, he is attacked by the Awesome Android. However, the machine doesn’t follow him outside whenever he is thrown out. Cap deduces that the android is only defending the barn and isn’t a threat as long as nobody goes inside and wonders how it got there and why its protecting an empty barn. What Captain America doesn’t know is that the Awesome Android operates on very limited instructions from its creator the Mad Thinker, and has been waiting here on stand by ever since his master was defeated by Rom the Spaceknight.[5]
He shares this information with Bobby and his father and gives tells them to keep an eye on things and to call him for help if the Awesome Android begins acting differently in the future.[6] Heading back home, Captain America once again thinks about how hard it is for ordinary people to get in touch with him and decides that this has to change.
Elsewhere, Bushmaster and Diamondback meet with the head council of Advance Idea Mechanics to solicit the services of the Serpent Society. The AIM scientists are intrigued and hire them to eliminate their former leader, MODOK.[7]
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Awesome Android, Bernie Rosenthal, Scourge of the Underworld, Constrictor, Kingpin, Serpent Society (Cobra, Anaconda, Asp, Bushmaster, Black Mamba, Cottonmouth, Death Adder, Princess Python, Rattler, Sidewinder), AIM (MODOK), Mike Carlin
Continuity Notes
This killer is one of the Scourge of the Underworld. Per US Agent #1-4, they are a vigilante organization formed by the golden age hero known as the Angel to assassinate supervillains. They have previously struck in Iron Man #194, Thing #24, Secret Wars II #2, Thor #358, Marvel Age Annual #1, and will strike again in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #3, Avengers #263, Thing #33, Fantastic Four #289, Marvel Fanfare #29, Amazing Spider-Man #276, Captain America #318-319, Amazing Spider-Man #278, and Captain America #320.
Yes, Marvel Comics also exsts in the Marvel Universe. Here, rather that publish fiction, they are officially licensed to create comic book adaptation of the various superheroes they publish comic books about. They have been doing this as far back as Fantastic Four #10.
At the time of this story, Captain America’s true identity is a secret after the world was forced to forget who he really was by the Space Phantom. See Captain America #111 and Avengers #106-108. It stands to reason that, although they published officially licensed Captain America comic books, nobody at Marvel is privy to Steve’s secret identity and that the stories they publish in universe either don’t go into that detail or have made up one in their comics.
The barn reminds Captain America of the Machinesmith’s old hideout. The Machinesmith operated beneath an abandoned barn as well, as seen in Captain America #249.
The Mad Thinker fought the legendary Spaceknight — and licensing headache — Rom in Rom #14.
Bobby and his dad will call on Captain America for help when the Super-Adaptoid comes to claim the Awesome Android for his team of robots called Heavy Metal. See Avengers #286-290.
At the time of this story, there was a schism within AIM between those loyal to MODOK and those who were not. This began in Ms. Marvel #7. The two groups were last seen fighting among themselves in Incredible Hulk #289.
Topical References
Marvel Comics creators Mike Carlin and Mike Higgins appears in this story. Unlike other real people, Marvel Comics creators that appear in Marvel stories are not considered topical. They all exist in the Modern Age of Earth-616 in the relative prime of their lives, even after said creator dies in real life (hence the “relative prime” part).
One of the department stores at the mall in Mayfield is depicted as Newberry’s. This should be considered a topical reference because this chain went out of business sometime between 2001 and 2002.
