Oct 1981
Death of a Legend?
by J. M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck
There are 3 flashbacks in the first 6 pages of this issue. First Will Bynner of KGBS recounts the events of the prior issue, with his own slant on them. Next, Cap once again flashes back to his time as Nomad. Finally, Lenny Spellman tells Cap and Wally the story of how Cap saved his life during World War 2. The Red Skull was decimating the ranks of Lenny’s unit with an experimental death Ray when Cap arrived on a motorcycle and saved the day. Again with the motorcycle!
Nomad (aka Eddie Ferbel) tells Teacher, his boss, the hooded man behind the Nihilist Order, about his encounters with Captain America in the previous issue. Flashback number 4. Teacher is not happy. Nomad doesn’t get it. Teacher probably doesn’t view him as dedicated enough.
Captain America finally encounters the Ameridroid. The deadly encounter happens during the Captain America Day parade, another shameless promotion for the forthcoming film from Galactic Pictures. The Ameridroid is leading a gang from the Nihilistic Order and wielding a weapon that looks a bit like the death ray that the Red Skull used during Lenny’s flashback. The Ameridroid’s weapon doesn’t just shoot rays it also shoots knockout gas, which he uses on Cap, and bullets, which he uses to kill Nomad. There isn’t any blood shown but it is pretty clear what happens when the Ameridroid turns on Nomad and kills him. It is very clearly shown as the bullets rip through Nomad’s body and he tumbles to the ground.
The Ameridroid flees the parade with the unconscious Captain America. He leaves behind the Nihilistic Order goons who accompanied him to the parade. The oversized android returns to Democracy Pictures where his boss awaits. Captain America finally wakes up. He tries talking sense to the Ameridroid who is convinced that Cap is the one who put his consciousness in the giant body. Something gets through to the man once known as Lyle Decker. He comes to his senses and accuses Teacher of doing this to him.
The green hooded man points a finger at the Ameridroid and hits him with a bolt that strikes him unconscious. Teacher removes his hood an reveals the true identity of the man pulling the strings behind the Nihilistic Order: the Red Skull. Dun, Dun, DUN!
The story is brutal. There’s plenty of violence in Marvel comics these days but I wonder how the death of Nomad might be portrayed today or if it would be portrayed the same way. Once again some of the pages feel a bit rushed and not up to the level of detail that I associate with Mike Zeck. Even if you remove the taint of my judgment, it definitely looks like not all the pages were done by the same artists. Did I mention the smoking? Another thing you don’t see in Marvel comics anymore. I’m surprised that they didn’t edit out the cigarettes for the digital version.
I love this issue. The first copy I owned of it was a cover less copy. That’s how I found it, although I’m not sure exactly where that was. Maybe it was at Barbarian Books or maybe at a hotel con.
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