Adventures of Captain America #3
Battleground: Paris
Lieutenant Colonel James Fletcher and Cynthia Glass were captured by the Vernichtungs-Kommandos in order for the Nazis to try and learn the secret of the vita-rays that created Captain America. Managing to escape, Fletcher was able to get to a nearby diner and report his location to General Chester Phillips before the Kommandos can recapture him.
Captain America arrives a half hour later and discovers that nearly all the patrons of the diner have been murder. There is a lone survivor who tells him that the Nazis took Fletcher back to a nearby meat packing facility. After calling this in to General Phillips, Cap heads to that location.
Once inside, he hears Cynthia Glass calling out for help. Smashing his way inside, he arrives just in time to save Cindy from the whirling saw blades. She tearfully tells Steve that the Nazis have taken Fletcher with them back to Nazi occupied France in order to force the secrets of the vita-rays out of him so they can create their own army of super soldiers. Rogers assures her that that isn’t going to happen because he’s going after Fletcher. However, Cynthia refuses to stay behind, reminding Steve that she is an intelligence officer, who not only knows her way around France, but can speak the language as well, two things that’ll help immensely on the dangerous mission ahead.
The pair sneak back to Camp Lehigh to get what they need. Although they try to keep quiet, their return wakes up James “Bucky” Barnes who decides to check out what the commotion is. He ends up walking in on Steve changing out of his Captain America costume. Bucky is excited to learn that his pal is secretly Captain America.[1] Cynthia gets the drop on Barnes and asks Steve if she should shoot him. Steve tells her to stand down as they can trust Bucky to keep his secret. The youth immediately annoys Glass with his juvenile humor and his sexist objectifications of her. Still, Buck manages to convince them to let him tag along as Bucky can help them secure a plane and the supplies they need for their mission. With the boy’s aid, they are able to commission a private plane to fly them into France.
Along the way, Bucky insists on accompanying them on the ground. When Cynthia asks how Bucky can be any help, the kid tries to convince her that he has been specially trained to do the things that Captain America can’t do while in costume as it would tarnish his reputation. The whole time he is explaining this, Bucky is trying to casually put his arm around Cynthia’s shoulder. When this gets him the stink-eye from both Cynthia and Steve, Barnes wisely decides to head up to the cabin to check in with the pilot to see if they’ve reached the drop zone yet.
Soon, they are parachuting to the ground along the French countryside. As they are stashing their parachutes they are ambushed by members of the French resistance. Luckily, Cynthia’s ability to speak French allows them to explain who they are and why the came. After learning that the Nazi’s in Paris have been very active the past few days, the three Americans are led into the city by the members of the resistance.
The following morning, at a exclusive Paris hotel, James Fletcher continues to stone wall his captors. Seeing that they will need to make alternate arrangements, they have arranged for a master interrogator to ply his craft in order for them to get the vita-ray secrets from him. In order to intimidate his captive, the master interrogator shows off his various torture device. Fletcher manages to remain cool until he is shown a testicular perforator. This causes him to sweet, making the Nazis smile with glee.
A few hours later, Steve, Bucky, and Cynthia are taken along the River Seine in a boat. They are caught by a Nazi patrol and shot at. Steve deflects the bullets with his shield and dives into the water. He surfaces a few minutes later dressed in his Captain America costume and ambushers the Nazis. The gunshots and an exploding drum of fuel unfortunately warns the Nazis in the hotel that they are under attack. While soldiers are deployed to deal with the attackers outside, the master interrogator prepares to inject Fletcher with a truth serum that will make him talk.
Meanwhile, the French resistance leads Cap and the others into an sewer tunnel which will lead them into the hotel. They then split up into two groups, with Cap, Bucky and Cynthia heading up to the hotel while the resistance fighters set up a distraction at the nearby Tomb of Napoleon. When Fletcher is injected with the truth serum, he struggles to keep his mouth shut by imagining an Hitler using the super soldier formula to create an army of Nazi super men and resists. When he can’t keep his mouth shut much longer, James lunges out of his chair and leaps out the window, preferring death to betrayal. He fatally hits the ground just as Captain America and his allies have emerged from the sewers. Stopping briefly to mourn the death ofh is friend, Captain America races into the hotel to avenge Fletcher’s death.
Inside the hotel, Captain America clashes with the Das Vernichtungs-Kommandos. Saurespritze is taken down when Cap rips the tubes that feed his acid sprayers, causing his air tight uniform to fill with the corrosive gasses instead. He then holds his own against Blitzkrieg and Zahnmorder. Unfortunately, the Nazi soldiers come back and surround Captain America before a victor can be determined. At that same time, Cynthia is leading Bucky away, saying that they need to regroup and avoid capture. However, she leads Barnes to a house occupied by Nazis. When Buck tries to turn and leave, he discovers that Cynthia had pulled a gun. As it turns out, Cynthia Glass was the Nazi spy known as Agent X this entire time.
By this time, Captain America has managed to fight his way past the Nazi guards and slip into the sewers. He manages to make it to the Eiffel Tower. Racing to its upper levels, Cap is pursued by Blitzkrieg and Zahnmorder. When Blitzkrieg tries to fire his barbed grappling hook at the hero, it misfires due to the fact that it was damaged in their earlier clash, causing the Nazi to be fried by his own weapon. Zahnmorder races up the tower and catches up to Captain America on the top balcony. There they fight again until a lunge from the Nazi sends both men smashing through a guard rail and over the edge. Cap manages to grab the ledge of the balcony, but Zahnmorder still has a hold of his foot. Before Captain America can shake him off, the Red Skull arrives and introduces himself to the hero before proclaiming himself as the man who killed Captain America and opening fire on the hero.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky, Nazis (Das Vernichtungs-Kommandos (Saurespritze, Blitzkrieg, Zahnmorder), Agent X, Red Skull), James Fletcher, Chester Phillips, Emil Gruber
Continuity Notes
This mirrors the scene from Captain America Comics #1. However, this story places Bucky’s discovery of the truth earlier than other stories. That said, it’s later revealed in Captain America (vol. 5) #12 and Captain America and Bucky #620 that Bucky was intentionally trained to be Cap’s partner and didn’t have to stumble upon the secret on his own. In fact, the “discovery” scene was actually wartime propaganda to sell the American public on supporting Captain America. That said, if you want to consider this series as part of continuity like I do, I provide an possible explanation on how this can all be part of continuity below.
Translations
Das Vernichtungs-Kommandos = The Elimination Squad
Die Säurespritze = The Acid Syringe
Der Zahnmörder = The Tooth Killer
Der Blitzangriff = The Lightning Attack
“Sterben Amerikaners!” = “Die Americans!”
“Todestrafe zu der super soldat” = “Death to the Super Soldier!”
“Comment vous appelez vous? Parlez ou vous êtes un homme mort.” = “What is your name? Speak or you’re a dead man.”
“Non! Non! Arretez!” = “No! No! Stop!”
“Parlez-Vous Français?” = “Do you speak French?”
“Oui.” = “Yes”
“Nous sommes des Americanes -- voici le super soldat Captaine America” = “We’re American. This is the super soldier Captain America.”
“Je m’excuse! Je m’excuse!” = “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“Mais Oui.” = “Why yes.”
“Tout le monde peut sortir. Le danger est passé.” = “Everyone can come out. The danger has passed.”
“Herr” = “Sir”
“Guten tag” = “Good morning”
“Jawohl” = “Yes sir”
“Vas is” = “What is…”
“Verflucht!” = Damn!
“Mein Herr” = “Sir”
“Roter Schädel” = “Red Skull”
Story Chronology
As I stated in the entry for the first issue of this series, this story is not generally considered part of continuity. However, elements of this story have later been introduced into mainstream continuity. That said, the story can easily be added to continuity (See isse #1 for my justifications). Without further adue this is how I think this issue would fit in with the rest of Captain America’s continuity…
————————————
This issue issue and next are the only ones that aren’t really intruding on various other points of Captain America’s chronology and the bult of the stories can be slotted in between the insertion I made between Cap’s chronological appearance in Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #3 and his next chronological appearance in Captain America (vol. 4) #2.
The only thing that sticks out as “anomalous” is that Bucky discovering Steve Rogers is Captain America in Adventures of Captain America happens earlier than established continuity. (Per the MCP’s chronology there are a total of 20 more appearances of Captain America that happen before the “reveal” (Pages 7 & 8 of Captain America Comics #1).
However, as Bruebaker’s run on Captain America revealed, that “first revelation” was part of a propaganda film made by the US military giving the public a version of Captain America’s origins. That isn’t to say that it wasn’t based on real events. Technical the “Propaganda film” is the events of Captain America Comics #1. Young Allies Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1, also reveals that many early Timely stories are merely “adaptations” of “true events” that may have happened slightly differently or at different times.
In Adventures of Captain America #3, shortly after Bucky makes his “discovery”, our characters end up on a plane heading for Nazi occupied France. Here, Bucky brags to Cynthia how he had been trained to be Bucky’s sidekick as he could do things that Cap couldn’t do while in uniform. While this is played for humor as Bucky is apparently trying impress Cynthia with made up bullshit to make a move on her, we later learn that this was actually Bucky’s intended purpose all along. With that in mind, we could say that Bucky wasn’t joking (since the intended humor of the scene still works regardless of if he is telling the truth or not.)
That all said, I think the discovery happened earlier and it inspired them to film a recreation of the moment when they later went on to make the propaganda film.
Captain America (vol. 4) #2 (Page 18, Panel 2-3): Cap fights alongside some troops somewhere in Europe. Is shocked by seeing the devastation first hand. A soldier tells him to get used to it.
Black Panther (vol. 3) #30/Black Panther Captain America: Flags of Our Fathers #1-4: Captain America travels to Wakanda. Helps defend it alongside this eras Black Panther, Azzuri.
Captain America Annual #13 (2nd Story, Page 5, Panel 2-Page 8, Panel 3): Clarence Duckett uncovers Steve Rogers secret identity. When he is later captured by Nazis, Steve saves his life as Captain America.
Marvels Project #5 (Page 16-18)/Captain America #255 (Page 17, Panel 1-3)/Marvels Project #5 (Page 19-22): Captain America busts up some Nazi spies with the aid of the Angel.
Captain America (vol. 5) #25 (Page 10, Panel 1): Captain America fights spies at a pier.
Captain America #255 (Page 17, Panel 4-7): Captain America stops saboteurs from blowing up Boulder Dam.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #7 (2nd Story, Page 1): Cap is called in to meet with President Roosevelt.
Captain America #255 (Page 17, Panel 4-7): Roosevelt meets with Cap, gives him a new costume and his circular shield.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #7 (2nd Story, Page 6-8): Steve learns the reason why he was chosen for Project Rebirth from the President.
Captain America #303 (Page 14, Panel 6): Cap goes to the lab where his new shield was created.
Captain America & Bucky #620 (Page 15-17): Captain America’s exploits are part of various news reels and propaganda films around the time Bucky was undergoing secret training.
Captain America (vol. 5) #12 (Pages 5-6): Steve is shown Bucky as he is in combat training. Is told the kid will be his sidekick.
Captain America #215 (Page 8, Panel 1-2): Steve is in shooting practice. Gets chewed out by Duffy.
Captain America #109 (Page 19, Panel 1-3): Steve is on patrol duty. Bucky later shows him a newspaper story about Cap’s recent exploits.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12 (Page 5-7): Steve learns about Bucky’s contraband smuggling business.
