Featuring: Captain America
Release: November 10, 1964
Cover: February 1965
12 cents
Pow! script: Stan Lee
Wham! art: Jack Kirby
Zowie! inking: Chic Stone
Ulp! lettering: Art Simek
10 pages
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The title brings to mind the classic 1954 film, Riot in Cell Block 11. Perhaps an intentional homage?
These opening credits left me with some fascinating questions. “Pow! Wham!” is forever associated with the medium of comics and the superhero genre, an association devotees of both often bemoan. People rightfully want to make clear that comics is a broad medium and not just superheroes and silliness. Others want to argue that the superhero genre is not children’s stuff, despite the fact that it evidently is.
I am not certain when this association between these sound effects and comics first took place. I believe the 1966 Batman television series really cemented it in the wider public consciousness. These onomatopoeic effects go back to the earliest days of the medium and we’ve seen plenty of sound effects in our reading. What is interesting here is that they are presented as a gag which presupposes the association of these words and superheroes, as well as the choice of words. “Pow” and “Wham”. These seem the sound effects most associated with superheroes (perhaps along with Biff! and Bam!), though I can’t say we’ve seen them any more than other sound effects in our reading.
It’s a common and tiresome trope of journalists writing about comics today to include onomatopoeic phrasings like “Biff! Bam! Pow!” in their headlines.
Lichtenstein’s “Whaam!” published a year earlier may have helped that particular word stick in people’s minds.
There is a recently debuted British comic called Wham!, but it does not specialize in superheroes at first. It won’t be until 1966 that reprints of American superhero comics start showing up in Wham!, and in spin-off titles Smash! and Pow!.
I don’t know quite enough about the history of these particular sound effects to comment further, but I suspect this 1964 comic has an important place in their history, showing that Stan took for granted audiences would associate these two particular words with superheroes.
Brian Cronin wrote about the most iconic comics sound effects here, but it comes from the point of view of a superhero comic reader who knows what sound effects are important to these stories, excepting his “Biff Bam Pow” entry, where the wider cultural acclimation is noted.
This very issue gives us some classic sound effects: Whup! Clang! Boang! Thwack! Thang!
If I found the credits of this issue to be endlessly fascinating, the issue itself is less so. Generic thugs, Viet Cong soldiers, and now prisoners. Every issue it’s a gang of generic baddies. Captain America just needs better foes to fight.
The comic begins in the middle of the action, where a mysterious prison warden has asked Captain America for a demonstration of his prowess against some criminals.
The mystery unfolds slowly, but not clearly. They’ve escaped their cells but can’t get out of the prison. Their plan for escape involves luring Captain America into the prison and stealing his shield. I have no idea the circumstances where all of the following would be true: prisoners in control of a cell block but unable to escape; Captain America entering the cell block at their invitation, but unaware of the riot.
We do get one mildly interesting revelation. In Avengers #6, we saw Iron Man had built in some magnetic attachments to Captain America’s shield. Now we learn Captain America had those removed. He makes the shield return to him through skill, not magnets. We also get our first hint of the idea that this shield is special. Captain America refers to its perfect balance, which was thrown off by any augmentations.
Thumper has fists of steal.
He shares a name with one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. I know who I’d bet on in a fight.
Magnetic door lock only opens to password: “Captain America”. Seems dangerous as they could have easily said his name in the vicinity of the door. They happened to not do so, either because Stan was careful or lucky.
On the subject of Captain America, I should note it’s March 2021. Captain America was introduced in Captain America Comics #1, cover-dated March 1941, 80 years ago this month.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 51/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Captain America Vol. 1. You can also find it in Captain America Epic Collection vol. 1: Captain America Lives Again. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Captain America
- Deacon
- Acting Superintendent Carlson
- Thumper
Minor characters:
- Rocky (prisoner)
- Blackie (prisoner)
Story notes:
- Cell Block 10 houses most dangerous criminals in prison.
| Previous | #290 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales of Suspense #62 | Reading order | Avengers #11 |
| Tales of Suspense #62 | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #63 |
