Featuring: Captain America
Release: June 25, 1941
Cover: September 1941
10 cents
9 pages
So long, Cap. I did my best. Long live liberty!
No credits are given in the issue. The opening page is by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The rest of the art is by Al Avison, Syd Shores, and George Klein. Those are the credits given in the Golden Age Captain America Omnibus. The GCD credits the entire story to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, but I believe they are incorrect.
We just read the beginning of Iron Man’s second battle with Titanium Man in Tales of Suspense #81. We had previously read the conclusion of that issue, which featured Captain America’s epic battle with Red Skull and his Cosmic Cube. Before we get to issue 82, I’d like to peek back at this old Captain America story, which introduces the villain Fang.
Fang is an Asian villain, and thus probably a racist stereotype of a character like most Asian villains in the 1940s. And the 1960s.
We learn Fang is based on San Francisco’s Chinatown. He meets with an agent of an “Asian aggressor nation”. I interpret that Asian aggressor nation to be Japan, particular given the agent’s surname of “Nushima”, though the comic prefers not to specify.
After all, America wasn’t at war with Japan in June 1941 when this comic was released.
Fang’s ethnicity is unclear. That he’s based in Chinatown makes me think he might be Chinese. His servant is named “Chu Lin”, which sounds more Chinese than Japanese. But he’s working with the Japanese, and specifically working with the Japanese to sabotage efforts of China to secure a loan from the US for war efforts against the Japanese.
So either he’s a Japanese villain living in Chinatown (San Francisco did have a Japantown at the time as well), or he’s a Chinese villain in league with the Japanese against China. We’ll see more evidence he’s Japanese when we meet the character again in the 1960s.
Private Rogers and Camp Mascot Bucky are assigned to guard two Chinese delegates. But when Rogers succumbs to sleeping gas, one delegate is killed, and the other is taken prisoner along with Bucky.
The Chinese delegate is being tortured and Bucky is about to be beheaded.
Betty Ross jumps in to save the day, but is overwhelmed by Fang’s Hatchet Men herself.
Fortunately, Captain America shows up and the situation resolves itself.
Did Bucky just change into his costume in front of everyone? Bad enough his superhero codename is just his name. Why even have secret identities?
I appreciate that the characters are shown speaking their own language with their own character set. I don’t know enough to tell you if those phrases are legitimate Mandarin or Cantonese. Perhaps one of my readers does.
The story ends with Fang in custody.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 30/100
I read this story in Golden Age Captain America Omnibus.
Characters:
- Baron Nushima
- Chu Yin
- Fang
- Sgt. Duffy
- Private Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Bucky
- Chan
- Liang
- Betty Ross
- Wong
Story notes:
- In the table of contents, the title of the story is, “Captain America Meets the Fang”.
- Fang’s Hatchet Men operate out of San Francisco’s Chinatown.
- Baron Nushima an agent from an “Asiatic aggressor nation” in Chinatown to meet Fang.
- Hiss of dragon statue is sign an audience has been granted.
- Chu Yin is Fang’s servant.
- Chinese emissaries Chan and Liang set to arrive at Camp Lehigh to seek a loan for China from Washington. They will be guarded by Private Steve Rogers.
- Fang agrees to disrupt the loan.
- Sleeping gas makes Private Rogers pass out. Bucky covers his nose in time.
- Liang killed by Fang’s Hatchet Men.
- FBI operatives and army officials hold Rogers for questioning, but he needs to rescue Bucky.
- Liang managed to get message to army before death that Fang had taken Chan and Bucky to a Lotus Street hideout
- Fang has Chan tortured.
- Wong is Fang’s headman.
- Cap rescues Bucky just before he’s beheaded.
- Captain America defeats Fang and hands him over the FBI.
