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Issue: Captain America Special Edition #2
Publication Date: March 1984
 
Disclose Detail
Title:
Variant: unnamed
Rating:
Publisher: FlagMarvel
Brand: MarvelView Brand Images3
Indicia Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
On Sale Date: 11/29/1983
Volume: 1
Pages: 52
ISBN:
UPC/EAN: none
Price: $2.25 CAD
$2.00 USD
Indicia Frequency:
Content Items: 7 (4 stories, 1 cover)
Editor(s):  
Disclose Notes: Collects Jim Steranko stories from 1969 & 1967. On-sale date from Marvel Age #6 (1983), within Last Minute Additions... column, with with newsstand on-sale date of 1983-12-20.
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Disclose Format
Publication Type: Comic Book
Color: Color
Dimensions: Standard Modern Age U. S. (6 5/8" x 10 3/16")
Paper Stock: Glossy cover; Baxter interior
Binding: Saddle-stitched
Publishing Format: Limited Series
Format Notes:  
Disclose Reprinted In2
Some/all of Issue reprinted as a Content Item in another Issue:
Disclose Images1
Cover, Front
Original Artwork
Digital Edition
Adult Image
Title Page
Indicia on this Page
 
 
Assets1
 
 
The Strange Death of Captain America

Illustration  on  Cover, Front
Subject Matter
superhero
Captain America (statue); HYDRA; Rick Jones
Reprinting
FlagCaptain America Spécial #[nn] published January 1985
as Mort Mystérieuse [Illustration on Cover, Front]
FlagCaptain America #113 published May 1969
was [untitled] [Illustration on Cover, Front]
 
Miscellaneous
1
Introduction

Text Article  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
typeset
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
1
Jim Salicrup discusses Steranko's career, his magazine MEDIASCENE PREVUE and this issue's contents. He mistakenly refers to the Nick Fury story reprinted in this issue as coming from STRANGE TALES #169 rather than #159!
The Strange Death of Captain America

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Subject Matter
superhero
Madame Hydra; HYDRA; Rick Jones; 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]
The news reports Cap's death and explains that "Steve Rogers" was a fake identity while Madame Hydra has Cap's HYDRA file burned. A flashback reveals how she replaced Baron Strucker as head of the organization. The Avengers, Nick Fury, Sharon Carter and several SHIELD agents hold a wake but are suddenly gassed by HYDRA. Rick follows to the cemetery and is almost caught, but Cap unexpectedly appears on a motorcycle, very much alive! A battle follows, ending when a set of missiles miss their target and kill Madame Hydra. Cap reveals he faked his death in order to retain his secret identity.
Reprinting
FlagCaptain America #113 published May 1969
was The Strange Death of Captain America [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
20
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 and Rick together as a regular team, it would prove short-lived, as Roy Thomas and 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).
Dark Moon Rise, Heck Hound Hurt

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Subject Matter
espionage, humorous, mystery, occult
Knock Furious, Agent of S.H.E.E.S.H.
The Hound Of Ravenmad [Snoopy]; Knock Furious; Lord Ravenmad; Cousin Gotta Lotta Gaul; Cousin Edgar Allan Schmoe; Cousin Vava Va Voom; Cousin Robert Mashem; Colonel Von Twothreefour (Nazi Corps commander, Hitler confidante, torture-camp recreation director, general sadist-about-town); Arnold Drake (writer, raconteur, rotten pool player); Frank Springer (artist, designer, martini enthusiast)
After a huge beagle attacks a Scotsman & chews up his bagpipe, Knock Furious is hired to investigate the mystery of Ravenbad Castle. When some "pea-brained, sieve-headed, vacuum-skulled idiot" opens a door Knock was rushing to break down, he finds himself in the castle's "sub-cellar"-- so called because it's got a sub (also twelve planes, three tanks, and four nuclear-armed missles). At that point, Arnold Drake finds he's stuck for the rest of the plot, and he and Frank Springer toss ideas around-- until Knock can take no more!!
Reprinting
FlagNot Brand Echh #11 published December 1968
was Dark Moon Rise, Heck Hound Hurt [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
7
A parody of Jim Steranko's "Dark Moon Rise, Hell Hound Kill!" from NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD #3 (August 1968). This was published only 4 months after the original. Frank Springer had become the regular artist on SHIELD at the time this came out (and doing this may have been what caused Herb Trimpe to have to pitch in on pencils for NICK FURY #8). "Knock Furious" header removed from splash page for this reprint.
My Heart Broke In Hollywood!

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
Subject Matter
romantic
Wendy Nelson; Victoria Grant ["Vick"] (aspiring actress); Artur Lavelle (movie director)
Wendy and Victoria go to Hollywood to make it in pictures, and meet director Artur Lavelle, whom "Vick" falls in love with.
Reprinting
FlagOur Love Story #5 published June 1970
was My Heart Broke in Hollywood! [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
7
Steranko's last story for Marvel.
Spy School

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Subject Matter
espionage
Dum Dum Dugan; Jasper Sitwell; Nick Fury; Gabe Jones; Laura Brown; Yancy Street Gang (flashback cameo); Mamma Fury (flashback cameo); Jake Fury (unnamed; flashback cameo); The Gaff [Sidney E. Levine]; Val [Contessa Valentina Allegro De Fontaine]; Captain America [Steve Rogers]
Fury reminisces with Laura about his days growing up in Hell's Kitchen and later offers her a job as an agent. Attending a training session for recruits Fury meets two agents: Sidney E. Levine, a tech expert (who agrees to replace Fury's destroyed Porsche 904) and Val, who scoffs at his attitude that the spy game is man's work. Fury takes on Captain America in a display bout for the recruits, but gets dizzy due to a side-effect of the invisibility pill he used earlier. Cap tells him he's found out who was responsible for a job they tackled "a year ago"-- "The Big Blackout".
Reprinting
FlagStrange Tales #159 [U.S. Cover Price] published August 1967
was Spy School [Story on Interior Page(s)]
 
Miscellaneous
12
Part 1 of 9. 1st appearance of Fury's apartment, The Gaff & Val. During the fight, Cap mentions the last time he and Fury met was when they fought "THEM"'s Humanoid Assassin in TALES OF SUSPENSE #78 (June 1966). That story was clearly Cap and Fury's 1st meeting since WW2 in SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS #13 (December 1964), as Cap had been trying to contact Fury for months about possibly becoming a SHIELD agent (seen in several issues of THE AVENGERS). Yet 4 pages later, Cap refers to a job they tackled together "a year ago". (Perhaps "The Big Blackout" took place immediately after TOS #78, as there was a break between issues #78 and #79.) Meanwhile, after loitering in the shadows outside Stark Industries for 2 months, Jasper Sitwell would become a regular in the Iron Man series in TALES OF SUSPENSE #95 (November 1967).
Featuring: The Great Captain America!

Cover Reprint (on Interior Page)  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
Subject Matter
espionage, superhero
Nick Fury; Captain America [Steve Rogers]
Reprinting
FlagStrange Tales #159 [U.S. Cover Price] published August 1967
was Featuring: The Great Captain America! [Illustration on Cover, Front]
 
Miscellaneous
1
Back cover.

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