May 1984
Field of Vision!
by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Ed Baretto, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald
Mother Superior gives Baron Zemo a pep talk. She inspires him to think bigger than just revenge on Captain America. She trains him for his next battle with Captain America. The Red Skull, her father, also encourages Zemo to think bigger first with words and then by beating him with his walking stick.
Captain America travels to Virginia to see Dave Cox, an old friend. Cap tells Dave about Bernie Rosenthal. Dave once carried a torch for Sharon Carter, Captain America’s now deceased ex-girlfriend. Cap tells Dave about Bernie’s marriage proposal and his uncertainty at accepting it.
The two men don’t realize it but they are being watched by Mother Superior and Baron Zemo. The two villains kidnap Dave after Captain America leaves. They torture him, brainwash him, and transform him into a villain named the Slayer.
Cap returns to New York City. He goes out on patrol with Nomad but they get into an argument after Captain America chastises his protégé for using excessive force against a common criminal. Nomad takes off running. Cap immediately realizes his mistake and races after Nomad.
Cap catches up to Nomad only to discover that he has been knocked for a loop by the Slayer. Captain America is next and gets knocked out by the Slayer
Notes
Dave Cox first appeared in Captain America 163 (Jul 1973). He appeared in 5 comic books prior to this one, all issues of Captain America. His most recent appearance was in Captain America 186 (Jun 1975). The Slayer costume he wears looks very much like the costume that Devil Slayer wears.
Thoughts
This is clearly set up for stuff to come in the next several issues. Turning Dave Cox into a villain seems like an old trope but I like it. He’s been brainwashed. He has no choice in the matter. He must submit to the villains’ demands and carry out their orders.
I really like the double page spread that is pages 2-3 of this issue. Several Images and some text are used to illustrate Mother Superior’s pep talk. The final image in the lower right corner is of a handgun being pointed at three faces: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and John Lennon.
The cover is interesting because Captain America is not completely in panel. It looks to me as though maybe the original drawn image for the cover may have been cropped for some reason. I wonder if someone else, maybe Dave Cox dressed as the Slayer, was part of the original cover image but they decided that they didn’t want him to be on the cover to this issue.
American Graffiti
The letters column gets a new name. All the letters are about the Deathlok arc, specifically issues 288 and 289. There is some hope expressed in the first letter that Zeck and Beatty will return to draw the book once again. One letter writer suggests that Nomad won’t be around for long. Mark Gruenwald’s response to this letter isn’t a happy one. Another letter writer inspires the question of the month by asking what moniker the members of the creative team would adopt if they survived World War III.
Marvel Bullpen Bulletins
Jim shooter tells some more stories about the 1983 San Diego Comic Con. The Hype Box highlights the first issue of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars.
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