| Characters |
Madame Hydra; HYDRA; Bucky [Rick Jones]; Avengers [Vision; Black Panther [T'Challa]; Iron Man [Tony Stark]; Hawkeye [Clint Barton]; Thor [Dr. Don Blake]]; Nick Fury; Sharon Carter; Jasper Sitwell (cameo); Dum Dum Dugan (cameo); Gabe Jones (cameo); Captain America [Steve Rogers] |
| Synopsis |
While the news reports Cap's death, and that "Steve Rogers" was a fake identity, Madama Hydra has Cap's HYDRA file burned. She then thinks back on her past, and the way she bumped off several top men in the organization following the death of Baron Strucker, to become Supreme Hydra "in this sector". The Avengers, together with Nick Fury, Sharon Carter and several top SHIELD men, hold a wake, but are suddenly gassed by HYDRA agents, bent on eliminating them as well! Rick follows to the cemetary, where multiple premature burials are planned, and is almost caught himself-- when out of nowhere, Cap appears on a motorcycle, very much alive! A battle follows, ending when a set of "Hunter Missiles" miss their target and take out Madame Hydra instead! Cap reveals he faked his own death in order to create the idea that he was never "Steve Rogers"-- "and so, Captain America has a secret identity once more!" |
| Genre |
Superhero |
| Script |
Jim Steranko |
| Pencils |
Jim Steranko |
| Inks |
Tom Palmer |
| Colors |
Jim Steranko |
| Letters |
Artie Simek |
| Notes |
Part 3 of 3. The climax of this story in part pays tribute to "Spy Ambush" from Captain America Comics #10 (January 1942). Nick Fury presumably appears between Nick Fury #11-12. HYDRA would finally return to battle SHIELD this month in Nick Fury #12 (May 1969). After all the effort to get Cap & Rick together as a regular team, it would prove short-lived, as Roy Thomas & Gil Kane wound up teaming Rick with Captain Mar-Vell in Captain Marvel #17 (October 1969). Following the cancellation of Nick Fury, Nick, SHIELD and HYDRA became recurring elements in the Captain America series. In the wake of Baron Strucker's demise, most HYDRA stories beginning with this one involve regional factions rather than one big, centralized organization. Although she appeared to have been killed at the end of this episode, Madame Hydra would return-- renaming herself "The Viper"-- in Captain America #180 (December 1974). |
| Reprinted |
in Captain America Collector's Edition (Marvel UK, 1981 series) #[nn] (1981); in Essential Captain America (Marvel, 2000 series) #2 (2002); in Marvel Masterworks: Captain America (Marvel, 2003 series) #3 (July 2006) |