Captain America #149
All the Colors of Evil!
Investigating a number of disappearances in the area, the Falcon tracks the kidnappers to a van as it speeds away from the scene. However, the Falcon loses sight of the vehicle, which sheds its outer shell revealing a smaller car inside that makes its getaway unseen by anyone except for Redwing, Falcon’s pet.
Meanwhile, at SHIELD headquarters, Captain America is confronted by Nick Fury. The spy agency’s director is getting fed up with Cap’s lack of commitment to SHIELD and orders him to become a full agent. However, Steve refuses and the pair almost come to blows before he walks out on Fury. As Cap makes his way out, Nick announces to all SHIELD staff — particularly Sharon Carter — are to cease association with Captain America who is now considered a person non-grata with the agency. This particularly bothers Steve because it also means an end to his relationship with Sharon.
Realizing the time, Cap then races to the police precinct where he works as a beat cop. There, Sargent Brian Muldoon informs Steve that the higher ups have decided to reassign him to a patrol car. Muldoon doesn’t know why Rogers is getting such treatment but warns the rookie not to screw up his new assignment. While on patrol, Steve spots a familiar looking man as he slinks into a nearby theater, however struggles to place a name to the face. Little does he know is that this man is his old foe Batroc the Leaper. Once inside the theater, the mercenary changes into his costume. After practicing his savate skills, he calls together his Batroc Brigade and reminds them of their current job for their mysterious employer.
By this time, the Falcon has returned to the officer where his alter-ego, Sam Wilson, operates as a social worker. There he gets a call from Mrs. Santiago, who informs him another one of her sons have gone missing, yet another victim of the kidnappers. As he prepares to go to the Santiago he is visited by Leila, the woman who has been trying to convince him to give up social work to get involved in social activism.[1] To try and prove the value of the work he does, Sam drags Leila with him to the Santiago home. After hearing Mrs. Santiago’s story, Sam explains that he and law enforcement are stumped about who is responsible for the kidnappings. Leila, who has a strong dislike for the authorities, becomes upset that Sam is putting so much faith in the cops and storms off. Unable to tell her that he also following leads as the Falcon, Sam finds himself stuck trying to explain his actions.
When Sam returns to his office he finds Captain America waiting for him. Steve has come to ask Sam’s help investigating the familiar man he saw in the theater district. However, Sam wants to continue investigating the missing kids and the pair decide to go their separate ways. When Cap returns to the theater he spots Batroc and ends up in a brawl against his foe and his brigade of mercenaries. Meanwhile, the Falcon confronts a local stool pigeon named Ducks for information and learns of a connection between the kidnappings and the theater Cap went to investigate as well as a warehouse where the missing Santiago boy has been taken. Falcon quickly saves the boy and has him call the cops while he races off to help his partner.
When the Falcon arrives on the scene, he and Cap are quickly restrained by their foes. It is then that Batroc reveals that he has kidnapped underprivileged children from all over the city and placed them in suspended animation for his mysterious employer. As Captain America and Falcon break free and renew the fight, Batroc uses a device to summon his employer. Moments later, a man appearing to be the enigmatic Stranger appears in the room.[2]
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Batroc the Leaper, Leila Taylor, SHIELD (Nick Fury, Sharon Carter, Countess de la Fontaine), Brain Muldoon, “the Stranger”, Rico Santiago, Juan Santiago, Paul Santiago
Continuity Notes
Leila’s last name is identified as Taylor in Captain America #188.
This is not the Stranger, but an other-dimensional being named Jakar who happens to resemble the Stranger, as we’ll learn next issue.
Topical References
The van and car seen in this story are depicted as 70s models of the Volkswagen minibus and beetle. This could be considered a topical reference unless you want to believe the kidnappers were using vintage vehicles, but that’d be pretty conspicuous if you ask me.
Leila calls Sam an “Uncle Tom” here, this is a disparaging term used to describe an African-American who is compliant to white establishment.
During her tirade against the cops, Leila asks Sam where he has been over the last 10 years. This is most likely a reference to the Civil Rights movement of the era in which this comic was published as well as race riots in Harlem during this period as well which saw heightened tensions between the black community and the police. While this is a complex issue that still lingers to this day, and reference to a specific period of time should be considered topical.
Batroc states that some of the children were taken from the ghettos of New York. At the time of publication in 1972, New York City did have many ghettos. However, years of gentrification and redevelopment has all but eliminated them. While entire neighborhoods are no longer considered ghettos, impoverished conditions still do exist in housing projects.
