Featuring: Captain America
Release: March 11, 1965
Cover: June 1965
12 cents
By: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inked by: Chic Stone
Lettered by: Artie Simek
10 pages
| 7Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Tales of Suspense #66 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #67 |
| Tales of Suspense #66 | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #66, Story B |
We’ve been very slowly saying goodbye to Chic Stone, as this represents his last month with Marvel. So we’ve seen his last work on many titles already. This is his final Captain America Story. He is Kirby’s best inker on these books so far, for my money. And he will be missed.
These Captain America stories have been set in his early days. The last three issues retold stories from Captain America Comics #1, with last issue retelling the introduction of the Red Skull (and making it really lame). This issue offers a new Red Skull story. At last we learn his origin.
In the original story, Red Skull was revealed to be American industrialist George Maxon. Last issue played out similarly, (though now he was John instead of George), but it added that Red Skull was not the real Maxon. He had killed Maxon and was impersonating him. That leaves room for his new origin here. As we’ve noted before, for my purposes we are treating the post-1961 stories as canonical for this Marvel Universe. The 1940s Marvel canon is separate. So the origin of the Red Skull is what gets told here. He is not Maxon.
We learn in this issue that he had also not been impersonating Maxon. That was someone pretending to be the Red Skull pretending to be Maxon. Yeesh. And apparently Captain America is desperate to hunt down the real Red Skull based on the crimes of a fake Red Skull. Maybe?
Will the real Red Skull please stand up?
The story opens with Captain America a prisoner of the Skull. That is not where the last issue left off at all. Perhaps they will fill us in how we got here.
We get at least a sentence explanation: Captain America had tried to sneak into Germany by submarine and was captured.
What does every villain want to do once their enemy is helpless? Tell their life story, of course.
He grew up poor and homeless, but then in a twisted My Fair Lady-esque tale, Hitler sees him working as a bellboy, and wants to prove he can make anybody into a perfect Nazi agent. Hitler personally trains this bellboy to be evil personified.
I imagine the real Hitler didn’t actually use the word ‘evil’ when describing himself or his movement.
One interesting thing about the Red Skull’s origin is that Kirby never shows his face. It’s always turned around or in shadow. He doesn’t draw him head on until he’s wearing the skull mask.
Hitler gives Red Skull his costume and mask and has him prove his loyalty and evil by killing his former instructor.
The art makes me think that’s what happens at least. As usual, Stan’s dialogue steps in to remind us nobody is killed in these superhero comics.
When I was a child, I collected superhero trading cards. And these cards featured a quote from the hero. It’s fun to come across the quotes I remember in my reading. Captain America’s quote comes from this issue:
“I’m an American– And my breed just doesn’t scare easily!”
Red Skull’s scientist used a potion to wipe Cap’s mind and allow the Red Skull to recreate him as a loyal Nazi. He gives him a mission to kill the Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies.
The existence of the Allied Armies implies America has already entered World War II. It’s presumably 1942 now, whereas last issue still took place in 1941.
Nick Spencer told a Captain America story a few years back where he was revealed to be a member of Hydra. Of course it was soon revealed this Captain America was not the real one, but an evil double created by a sentient cosmic cube. The real Cap soon returned and defeated Hydra Cap.
Prior to his doing so, the internet lost its mind. Several people on the internet had pretty severe reactions to this story. Some didn’t like it; others didn’t like it in unhinged ways. I won’t track down all these old tweets, and I admit I don’t know who these people were. Bots? Russian agents? Idiots? Who can tell. I’m sure some were just people who didn’t like the particular story. Not liking a story is fine; I dislike lots of stories. But the collective reaction was severe.
One argument commonly made by the outrage machine at the time was that Captain America creator Jack Kirby would be angry to see Captain America depicted as a Hydra agent, since they are similar to the Nazis. I think this story shows that Kirby is comfortable making Cap a Nazi.
The point is that in the end, Cap will become good again somehow.
Rating: ★★½, 40/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
The Red Skull’s origin is dumb. It’s dumb that the entire issue is Cap tied to a chair while Red Skull rambles off his David Copperfield kind of crap. And Kirby’s rendering of the Red Skull’s face remains dumb. Oh, and the double retcon that that person last issue was impersonating the Skull impersonating Maxon. Also dumb.
That’s a lot of dumb. But it does have that trading card quote. And Cap becoming a Nazi. And Kirby’s art is mostly good.
Remember when the Red Skull used to be cool? When he actually killed people, and his face looked more like a skull than a potato.
We’re a far cry from the villain who dragged Captain America down to hell for a final battle.
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Captain America vol. 1.
Characters:
- Red Skull
- Captain America
- Adolf Hitler
- Shultz
Story notes:
- Captain America and Bucky sneaking into Germany by submarine; captured by wolf pack torpedo boats. He had been searching for Red Skull.
- Bucky a prisoner of Red Skull, but not seen in this issue.
- Red Skull grew up a homeless orphan, having to steal to survive, but also having his food stolen by bullies. He grew up to be homeless and frequently imprisoned.
- As the war broke up his power grew. He murdered other advisors until he was 2nd only to Hitler.
| 7Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Tales of Suspense #66 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #67 |
| Tales of Suspense #66 | Tales of Suspense | Tales of Suspense #67 |
