Captain America (1968) 301

Captain America (1968) 301

Jan 1985

All Good Things…

by Mike Carlin, Paul Neary, Dennis Janke, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America hands over the body of the Red Skull to Mother Superior, the Red Skull’s daughter. She departs with the body and the Sisters of Sin. The Avengers show up in the Quinjet. They help Captain America and his friends gather their things and head back to Avengers Mansion.

The Avengers do what they can to help Cap. Starfox and Hercules return to Skullhouse and get the Red Skull’s machines. Vision and Hank Pym get to work on analyzing the machines. Captain America retells his origin story to give his teammates some idea of how he became the superhero that he is.

Vision coms up with a plan and uses the Red Skull’s machinery to try and reverse the aging process inflicted on his teammate. Cap is strapped down in the machine. The machine is in the process of doing it's work when Mother Superior and the Sisters of Sin show up. They have destroyed the body of the Red Skull in a bonfire. Mother Superior has come for Captain America.

The other heroes watch helplessly from the next room. Vision forbids them from entering because any interference on their part might endanger the reverse aging process. Cap is at less than full strength but he keeps Mother Superior and the Sisters of Sin at bay until the process is complete. He has been restored to full strength and the villains have also been reverse aged to he point where they are girls once again.

Captain America (1968) 300

Captain America (1968) 300

Dec 1984

Cap vs. the Red Skull… to the Death! or Das Ende!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Michael Ellis, Paul Neary, Dennis Janke, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America and the Red Skull fight. The Red Skull is convinced that this is their destiny, to die fighting one another. Captain America is enraged at the death of his friends but he refuses to kill the Red Skull when given the chance. He instead holds back and the poison kills the Red Skull.

Cap carries the Red Skull from the bunker only to discover that Skull House was not destroyed as he thought it was.

Nomad, Falcon, Bernie, and Arnie escape from the building where they were being held.

Dave Cox awakens from the coma. He thanks Captain America for giving him the strength to wake up but it was Black Crow who actually came to his help. Jesse Black Crow also helps Cap to recover from the Red Skull’s poison. Cap sees Black Crow in his mind but not with his eyes, just like Dave Cox.

Captain America (1968) 299

Captain America (1968) 299

Nov 1984

Cap’s Last Stand! or The Bunker

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Roy Richardson, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America searches Skull House until he finds the Red Skull in his bunker. The Skull reveals that he injected Captain America with poison and that he only has 3 to 4 hours to live.

Falcon, Nomad, Bernie, and Arnie escape from the room in which they have been locked. They make their way through Skull House until they find themselves in a chapel. The Sisters of Sin show up and attack Cap’s friends.

Interludes: There are a few brief glimpses in this issue of things that are happening elsewhere. Dave Cox is still in the hospital, unconscious. Julie, his wife, is by his side praying he will recover. Jesse Black Crow is in his apartment in Queens. He is haunted by visions of Captain America and the Red Skull. He doesn’t know what to make of the visions. The Avengers (Wasp, Starfox, Vision, Scarlet Witch) meet at Avengers Mansion to discuss what they can do to help Cap.

Captain America (1968) 298

Captain America (1968) 298

Oct 1984

Sturm Und Drang: The Life and Times of the Red Skull!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Roy Richardson, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

The Red Skull tells Captain America about how he was born Johann Shmidt and lived a miserable existence until one day Adolf Hitler took a shine to him. He was transformed and became the Red Skull. He also tells the Living Legend about the birth and development of Mother Superior, his daughter. He used advanced machinery to accelerate her development and that of four young girls who came to be the Sisters of Sin.

Falcon and Nomad work together to try and break free from the room in which they are imprisoned with Bernie and Arnie.

The Red Skull admits that he is dying. He knows he cannot evade death but he explains that he plans to take Captain America with him. At one point he had thought to let Captain America and his friends go free but now, seeing how Captain America is his perfect opposite he will do no such thing.

Captain America (1968) 297

Captain America (1968) 297

Sep 1984

All My Sins Remembered!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Roy Richardson, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Barn Zemo and Mother Superior argue over who should be taking the lead in the effort to break Captain America. The argument ends when Red Skull steps in and sides with Zemo.

Captain America is forced to relive the moment when Bucky was killed by Zemo’s father, the previous Baron Zemo. This time Cap saves Bucky except that it isn’t Bucky Barnes; it is Jack Monroe. Zemo doesn’t understand what went wrong. He blames Mother Superior but the Red Skull doesn't want to hear them bicker. He pushes them apart.

The Red Skull steps in and like Captain America he removes his mask, as the two men get ready to fight.

Captain America (1968) 296

Captain America (1968) 296

Aug 1984

Things Fall Apart!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Sam DeLarosa, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Falcon gets attacked on his home turf, in Harlem, by the Sisters of Sin. He puts up a fight but the four sisters prove to be a little too much for him. They knock him out and carry him away.

Wasp and Starfox find Bernie missing from her Brooklyn apartment. There is a skull burned into one of the walls. They head back to Avengers Mansion to regroup and try to make up for failing Captain America.

Cap and Nomad are still trapped with Arnie Roth, who is in bad shape. Steve takes off his mask and tries to reassure his old friend only to discover that it is yet another android duplicate of Arnold Roth.

One of the walls in the room slides back to reveal a passageway. Cap and Nomad follow it to a room where they find the corpse of Horst, the Red Skull’s assistant. Captain America is confused because Horst looks old. He catches sight of his own face and sees that he is also looking much older than he was a few minutes ago.

Cap and Nomad leave the corpse and continue to explore the hallways of Skull House. They wind up in what looks like an old cabaret nightclub. The waiter and all the customers look like robot duplicates of Arnold Roth.

Captain America (1968) 295

Captain America (1968) 295

Jul 1984

The Centre Cannot Hold!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Brett Breeding, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America and Julie Cox hangout in her husband’s hospital room. Dave Cox is still unconscious. Cap fears he is dead but Julie holds out hope that he will pull through. Cap blames himself for what happened to Dave but Julie does not hold him responsible.

Baron Zemo and Mother Superior torment Arnold Roth in his apartment until he passes out. Zemo wants to kill him but Mother Superior has other plans for Captain America’s old friend. They carry him away.

Steve Rogers meets up with Bernie Rosenthal and Jack Monroe outside a movie theater. They went to see a science fiction movie while he was in the hospital with Dave and Julie Cox. They are getting ready to go and get a bite to eat when Steve decides to check his phone messages. One of the messages is from Arnie Roth.

They rush over to Arnie’s apartment. They find a robot version of Steve’s friend. It has a message for them from the Red Skull. It tells them where to go if they want to rescue Arnold, as it disintegrates.

Captain America (1968) 294

Captain America (1968) 294

Jun 1984

The Measure of a Man!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Josef Rubinstein, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Nomad fights the Slayer. Captain America is till out cold. Slayer pulls different weapons out of his inter dimensional cloak. Nomad is on the ropes but manages to hold his own in the fight.

Cap wakes up and tries to join the fight but he is surrounded by a force field. He looks up and sees Baron Zemo and Mother Superior floating in the air. The Slayer finally gets the upper hand. He’s about to kill Nomad with a jagged looking sword but at the last second something inside him prevents him from killing Nomad.

Mother Superior tries to force Dave Cox to kill Nomad but he resists. The strain is too great and he passes out. Captain America breaks free from the force field and throws his shield at Mother Superior and Baron Zemo. They disappear in a flash of light before his shield reaches them.

Cap and Nomad take Dave Cox to the Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village. Captain America explains to Nomad about his history with Baron Zemo, both of them. He also explains about the costume Dave was wearing. It was the same one that Eric Payne (aka Devil Slayer) wore although it had been modified for Dave Cox.

Mother Superior and Baron Zemo return to Skull House. She introduces him to her disciples, the Sisters of Sin.

Captain America (1968) 293

Captain America (1968) 293

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.

Captain America (1968) 292

Captain America (1968) 292

Apr 1984

An American Christmas!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Paul Neary, Ed Baretto, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald 

Steve Rogers and Bernie Rosenthal goof around after he tells her about his encounter with the giant black crow which was first seen in Captain America (1968) 290. Their horseplay gets interrupted by Steve’s roommate, Jack Monroe. He tries to give them some privacy but they insist that he stay.

Jessie Black Crow, a wheelchair bound, former construction worker who lives in Queens, reflects on his past and that of his people. He knows what has to be done. He must kill Captain America in order to set things right. 

Captain America (1968) 291

Captain America (1968) 291

Mar 1984

To Tame a Tumbler!

by Bill Mantlo, Herb Trimpe, Jack Abel, Diana Albers, Andy Yanchus, Mark Gruenwald 

Captain America first fights and then teams up with the Tumbler, the namesake of a man he has fought before.

Captain America is patrolling the city at night on his motorcycle when he spots the Tumbler leaving the Guardian Life Insurance Company building. The two men fight. Captain America has fought a man named the Tumbler before but that man died years ago. This new Tumbler is a little too quick for Captain America but he leaves behind the bag he was carrying when he emerged from the building. 

Captain America (1968) 290

Captain America (1968) 290

Feb 1984

Echoes 

by J. M. DeMatteis, Ron Frenz, Steve Leialoha, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald 

Captain America hangs out with his friends, blissfully unaware that some villains are haunting his friends. 

Steve takes Bernie to Avengers Mansion. He shows her around but none of his teammates are around, except the Wasp. He returns to his apartment later only to find that Jack Monroe, Nomad, has just woken up from a bad dream. Cap encourages Nomad to come out on patrol with him to help clear his head.

Captain America (1968) 289

Captain America (1968) 289

Jan 1984

It's Assistant Editors' Month. This cover is like one of those images in the Sunday newspaper that asks you to pick out how many things are wrong with this picture?

There are two warnings on the cover, one in the lower left and the other in the lower right but if you bought this issue from a newsstand then the one in the lower left would have been replaced with a bar code. Captain America is facing backwards in the corner box. The logo in the upper right corner and the checkerboard pattern are reminiscent of DC Comics covers of the 1960s. The guys hanging out the window are (from left to right) J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Carlin, Mike Zeck, John Beatty.

Captain America (1968) 288

Captain America (1968) 288

Dec 1983

Mazes!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Mike Zack, John Beatty, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Godwulf explains to Captain America and Deathlok what happened between 1983 and 1993. He was part of the Nth Command, an offshoot of the Brand Corporation which itself was a subsidiary of Roxxon Oil. The Nth Command used high tech equipment to get the jump on the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and the Defenders and banished them all to alternate dimensions. Other unaffiliated heroes were hunted down and dealt with in a similar manner. The Nth Command tried to take over the United States by force. Things got messy. War broke out all over the world. 

Captain America (1968) 287

Captain America (1968) 287

Nov 1983

Future Shock!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Mike Zack, John Beatty, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America and Deathlok fight as Manning’s clone tries to hold on to life. The clone senses a greater purpose as his life starts to ebb away and he argues with his onboard computer. Captain America tries talking to Deathlok as they fight but the cyborg won’t listen and calls him Mister Flag.

Captain America (1968) 286

Captain America (1968) 286

Oct 1983

A Man in Search of… Himself!

by J. M. DeMatteis, Mike Zack, John Beatty, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Luther Manning travels back in time from the year 1991 to 1983 on a mission. He arrives in busy subway station in New York City. He’s been sent back in time by a man named Godwulf on a mission to locate Deathlok. Manning is a cyborg. He has a computer in his brain with whom he communicates as he uses the tech he brought with him to figure out where Deathlok can be found.

Captain America Annual 7

Captain America Annual 7

1983

The Last Enchantment!

by Peter Gillis, Brian Postman, Kim DeMulder, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

The Cosmic Cube, which is carefully guarded at Project Pegasus, awakens. The changes in its status quickly comes to the attention of three entities: the Shaper of Worlds, the Aquarian, and the scientists of Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM). The latter group decides that the time is right to attack Project Pegasus and retrieve the cube. They launch an all out assault on the research facility.

Captain America (1968) 285

Captain America (1968) 285

Sep 1983

Letting Go

by J. M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema, Kim DeMulder, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America rushes to the luxury apartment building where Jeff Mace lies dying. He stops a robbery in progress on his way there. Nomad follows him there but is barely able to keep up with him and stays outside while Cap visits with his old comrade. Nomad notices a flying drone spying on Captain America. Nomad follows it when it leaves.

Captain America Annual 6

Captain America Annual 6

1982

The Shadows of the Past!

By J.M. DeMattheis, Ron Wilson, Vince Colletta, Don Warfield, Diana Albers

June 1945 - the original Captain America and Bucky are gone and believed to be dead. The man once known as the Spirit of '76 has assumed the identity of Captain America. He fights with the Invaders (Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, Toro, the Whizzer, Miss America, Bucky II) in the Pacific. The war in Europe is over. They have been sent to find and neutralize a deadly new tank developed by the Japanese. Captain America II gets lost in thought and the tank fires on him. He manages to avoid being hit directly but he is still impacted by the blast. He blacks out.

Captain America (1968) 284

Captain America (1968) 284

Aug 1983

Diverging...

by J. M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema, Kim DeMulder, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Mark Gruenwald

Captain America, Nick Fury, and Nomad visit Dum Dum Dugan in the hospital. Dum Dum is ready to retire from SHIELD until Fury announces that he has decided to make him Deputy Director. Fury offers Nomad a job but he turns it down.

Cap and Nomad head back to Steve’s building. They stop along the way to break up a domestic dispute. A man is holding his wife and kids at gunpoint.