Featuring: Human Torch
Release: August 8, 1963
Cover: November 1963
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: Dick Ayers
18 pages
Why did we choose now to review the origin of Captain America? Because Captain America is returning. “From out of the Golden Age of Comics”, the cover says. Not sure if we’ve yet seen that term in our reading. The era we are reading has been dubbed the Marvel Age.
Weird that he’d choose the Antique Auto Show of Glenville, Long Island to make his return after a decade-long absence.
Captain America and Human Torch get into a fight. Superheroes often do that when they meet.
Hey. Why is Captain America breaking those criminals out of prison? Has Captain America gone bad?
Waitaminnit! That’s not Captain America at all! It’s Carl Zante, the Acrobat! Then why did we bother to review Captain America Comics #1 before reading this issue? I thought Captain America was returning.
Oh, dear. And I just remembered the very first page told me not to spoil the issue’s twist, and that’s just what I’ve gone and done.
I think I’ll cut my losses with this entry.
I wonder if the real Captain America will ever return…
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 50/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
With the exception of the final page, the scans above are taken from a reprint in Captain America #216, 1977. The cover tries to make the fact that they don’t have any new content so are going to throw in a reprint sound as exciting as possible.
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch vol. 1. You can also find it in The Human Torch & The Thing: Strange Tales – The Complete Collection. Or on Kindle.
Characters
- Sue Storm/Invisible Girl
- Johnny Storm/Human Torch
- Captain America/Acrobat/Carl Zante
- Doris Evans
Story notes:
- Human Torch practices in his backyard at the same time everyday.
- Doris Evans now described as Human Torch’s girlfriend. She still disapproves of his flaming. She does have a crush on Captain America.
- It wasn’t obvious in his previous appearance that “Acrobat” was Carl Zante’s super-villain name, though it was implied. It’s clear here.
- Human Torch reads old Captain America comics. The comics know he is secretly Steve Rogers, so it must be public knowledge.
#109 story in reading order
Next: Strange Tales #114, Story B
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