Up Against the Wall

While riding across the country by motorcycle, Steve Rogers decides to take to stop and take in a movie. He sits through a film called Captain America vs. the Hulk. The movie is totally campy and the young people in the crowd openly mock the film and its lead protagonist. This bothers Steve because, back in the 1940s, children wished they could become Captain America. The last insult is when the kids question how relevant Captain America is today. Steve walks out of the theater annoyed, and while he admits that his generation wasn’t perfect, neither is the current one and if this is their world, then they are welcome to it. As Steve leaves town on his motorcycle, he begins to resent the very people he dedicated his life to saving and considers the idea of looking out for only himself, since that’s what everyone else in this era seems to do.

Steve’s thoughts are interrupted when he begins heading toward a nearby college town and is turned away by a police roadblock. Apparently, there is a student protest at the college that has turned violent. Concerned that people might get seriously hurt, Steve pulls into a nearby forest so he can change into Captain America. When he arrives on the scene it is one of bedlam as angry students clash with police. When Captain America tries to break up the fighting, he is attacked by some of the students as well. He learns that they want to speak with the dean of the college, who has locked himself up in his office. As the students chop down a tree to use as a battering ram, Captain America scales up to the dean’s window and uses a SHIELD issue zip-line to help the dean escape.

When they land safely on the ground, they are approached by a man who claims to be a TV producer who is impressed with Captain America’s championing of law and order. He wants to get Cap on live television to send a message to the rioting students. Accepting the man’s business card, Captain America agrees to do so. What Captain America doesn’t know is that this man is working for the Hood, a mysterious criminal who was responsible for inciting the riots. He hopes to use Captain America’s televised address to inflame the situation further.[1]

However, when Captain America makes his appearance he tosses the script, which was critical of the student protestors and instead makes a speech about how America was founded by dissidents and that there is nothing sacred about the “status quo”. However, he does not condone violence as and encourages the students and the dean to sit down and talk out their differences and come to a peaceful resolution. Furious at this turn of events, the Hood calls in Batroc’s Bregade to deal with Captain America. Batroc answers the call and arrives at the television station with Whirlwind and the Porcupine. Although the trio have the element of surprise, Captain America is able to hold his own. As he fights these crooks, photographer Peter Parker snaps pictures from the sidelines, impressed by Cap’s fighting prowess. Soon, the authorities arrive, prompting Batroc and his gang to flee the scene.

With the battle over, Captain America hits the road again, unaware that the Hood is plotting a new scheme to defeat the Star-Spangled Avenger.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Batroc’s Brigade (Batroc the Leaper, Whirlwind, Procupine), Peter Parker

Continuity Notes

1. The Hood is exposed as Baron Strucker next issue… Or is he? At the time of this story, Baron Strucker was slain by the Death Spore Virus in Strange Tales #158. This Strucker is actually a robotic duplicate created by the Machinesmith as revealed in Captain America #247. The real Baron Strucker will eventually be resurrected but not until Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD (vol. 3) #21.

Topical References

• While in the movie theater, Steve Rogers muses how kids used to either want to be Joe DiMaggio or Captain America when they were kids. This is not a topical reference since Steve is recalling the children of the 1940s when he fought during World War II.

• It seems like this story was a commentary on student protests at colleges and universities that were against the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Particularly, the Kent State shooting where the National Guard opened fire on protestors killing four and wounding nine others. Obviously, any allusions that the protest in this story having any connection to these historical events should be considered topical.