Captain America #139
The Badge and the Betrayal!
Captain America has agreed to meet with the police commissioner to discuss an urgent matter.[1] Seven patrolmen have vanished without a trace. The commissioner now wants Captain America to go undercover as a beat cop to find out what’s causing these officers to go missing. Captain America agrees to lend a hand and they quickly come up for a cover story for Steve Rogers, who will be entering the force as a rookie cop who just passed through the academy.
As Captain America goes home for the night, he looks forward to this new assignment because it might be the thing he needed to try and create a life for Steve Rogers after years of being Captain America non-stop. As he goes to bed for the night, he wonders how his partner, the Falcon, would think about his new profession.
The next morning, Sam Wilson is at the office where he works as a social worker. He is visited by a woman named Leila. She has come to tell him that the people in Harlem don’t need social welfare, but men of action who will fight for their rights.[2] Sam, instantly attracted to the woman, tries to convince her that what he does it helping their people. She isn’t buying it and walks out on him but what she has to say has Sam thinking. Heading home for the day, Sam finds evidence that his work is a benefit to the neighborhood when he encounters a father and son he helped in the past. Sam helped the father get a new job, which allowed his wife to go back to school and get an education. When Sam gets home he decides to go out on patrol with his pet Redwing so he can test out his new “hawk’s claw” grappling hook. The test goes off without a hitch and as Falcon wonders what Captain America is up to, he is suddenly caught in a tractor-beam. He is pulled aboard the SHIELD helicarrier where he briefly spars with Dum Dum Dugan before he realizes who “kidnapped” him.
Nick Fury has sought out the Falcon in order to figure out where Captain America is. This isn’t for Fury, but on the behalf of Sharon Carter who has become depressed following her recent break-up with Steve Rogers.[3] Although Sam doesn’t know where Cap is, he assures Sharon that Steve is thinking about her as well. Soon the Falcon is returned to the city, where he hopes Steve’s absence isn’t due to some kind of trouble.
At that moment, in upper Manhattan, Steve Rogers reports for duty at a local police precinct. As he goes to the locker room to change into his uniform he is confronted by Sargent Brian Muldoon. A total hard-ass, Muldoon gives Rogers notice that he is going to be expected to follow orders without question. Muldoon reminds Steve Rogers of Sargent Duffy, his commanding officer during World War II when he posed as a bumbling soldier to protect his double identity as Captain America.[4] After getting chewed out by Muldoon, Steve goes out on his beat. As the sun begins to set, Steve checks in and then slips into an alley where he stashed his Captain America costume so he can put it on under his police uniform.
Not long after this, he runs into some local hoodlums who try to make a name for themselves by beating up the new rookie on the beat. Steve manages to hold his own against them, but the fight is interrupted by Reverend Garcia, a local religious leader who shames the kids as they run off. Garcia is impressed with Steve’s courage in handling the hoods without pulling his gun. Garcia hopes that Officer Rogers can help steer the local children onto the right path and hopes to see more of him in the future. After they part company, Steve hears a scuffle around the corner and races to Garcia’s aid. However, the reverend has vanished. Suspecting this might have something to do with the missing officers, Steve changes into Captain America. Looking around, he comes upon a stone cutter’s yard that has statues that look exactly like Reverend Garcia and the missing police officers. As Captain America tries to make sense of this grisly discovery his hunch as to who is responsible proves to be correct when he is suddenly ambushed by the Grey Gargoyle.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Grey Gargoyle, SHIELD (Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Sharon Carter), Leila Taylor, Brain Muldoon, Commissioner Feingold (unidentified), Reverend Garcia, Redwing, Mike Duffy (in flashback)
Continuity Notes
Commissioner Feingold is only referred to as “the commissioner” here. His last name is revealed in Defenders #34.
Leila’s last name is not revealed until much later. Captain America #188 reveals that her last name is Taylor.
Captain America rage-quit his relationship with Sharon in Captain America #124 when she broke her promise to stay out of danger to save his life.
Duffy was a pain in the ass right from the start in Captain America Comics #1. Although Duffy’s fate is not specified here, Young Allies Comics: 70th Anniversary Special #1 reveals that Duffy died in the year 2010 (this date is not topical).
Topical References
Steve Rogers is depicted reporting in by using a police call box. This should be considered a topical reference. Callboxes became obsolete as radio technology advanced allowing officers to carry radios on their person.
