Captain America #168
… And a Phoenix Shall Arise!
While on patrol with the Falcon, Captain America is lost in thought. Seeing that something is on his partner’s mind, Falcon asks what’s wrong. Cap explains that he feels like even more of an anachronism, a left over from World War II that is out of place in the modern world.[1] Two recent incidents that have made him contemplate this was his recent encounter with his 1950s counterpart and the return of Peggy Cater, his wartime romance.[2]
This discussion is interrupted when the pair are ambushed by a new villain calling himself Phoenix. Armed with a death-ray and seeking revenge against Cap for some unknown reason, Phoenix is forced to retreat when his weapon is damaged in the ensuing battle. As he flees, Phoenix vows to return and end Captain America’s life within the day.
Phoenix’s familiarity has Captain America wondering what this new foe’s true identity is. Changing back to Steve Rogers, Cap walks the street trying to figure out who this new threat is. He dismisses the idea that it could be the Red Skull or Baron Zemo since both men are dead. Similarly, he doesn’t think it’s one of his newer enemies in a new costume, such as Solarr.[3] Steve decides there is no reason to wait around for Phoenix to strike and goes out on patrol again in order to lure the villain out. When Falcon tries to join him, Cap intentionally accuses him of not being helpful in order to anger Falcon into leaving so he can deal with Phoenix alone. Cap hated doing so, but he can’t help but worry about his current partner sharing the same fate as his wartime ally, Bucky Barnes.[4] As Cap searches the city he comes across a man who claims to have been attacked by Phoenix. Led to the site where the attack happened, Captain America attacks what he thinks is Phoenix. Instead it turns out to be nothing more than a life-like robot that sprays him with knock out gas.
As it turns out, the man who called to him for aid was his foe out of costume. When Captain America wakes up he finds himself suspended over a boiling vat of Adhesive X. To his surprise, Phoenix reveals himself to be none other than the son of his wartime enemy, Baron Zemo.[5] With Captain America at his mercy, the young Zemo tells of how he and his mother idolized his father, a famous Nazi scientist whose brilliance created the first death-ray as well as Adhesive X.[6] He also recounts how, during an early clash with Captain America, Baron Zemo had his hood glued to his head with his own adhesive. This drive Zemo mad and he began abusing his family. By 1945, he father disappeared and after his mother died, the young Zemo made a meager living with his scientific skills. However, when he learned of Captain America’s return and his father’s death, the young Zemo returned to the family castle and began learning his father’s secrets so he could get revenge. After recreating his father’s death-ray and Adhesive X, he came up with the Phoenix identity as a symbol for the resurrection of the Zemo name.[7]
Before Phoenix can send Captain America falling into the vat of Adhesive X, the Falcon comes crashing in through the skylight to rescue his partner. While Phoenix is preoccupied, Captain America breaks free from his bonds and joins the battle. When Cap tries to pull Falcon away so they can attempt to reason with Zemo, the villain grabs Cap’s shield and tries to throw it at the hero. Captain America dodges his weapon and it boomerangs back, striking Zemo and sending him falling into the vat of Adhesive X, suffering the fate he had planed for his father’s old enemy.[8] This encounter with Zemo makes Cap feel even more like a man out of time because he is facing the same kind of hatred that should have ended after the war.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Phoenix, Redwing, (flashback) Hilda Zemo, Baron Zemo
Continuity Notes
Here Captain America states he still looks like a man in his 20s. Per Captain America #176, Steve Rogers was 18 years old in 1940 when he was selected for the Super-Soldier Program circa Captain America Comics #1. This is confirmed in both Adventures of Captain America #1 and Avengers: Roll Call #1’s profile on Captain America. Both sources confirm that Steve was born on July 2, 1922. This would have made him about 23 years old when he went into suspended animation in Avengers #4. While Cap’s actual age will constantly be in a state of flux due to the Sliding Timescale (see below) physically he’d be about 26 or 27 years old at the time of this story.
A few notes here on these recent events:
The 1950’s Captain America was one William Burnside an academic so obsessed with Captain America he took on the role when he uncovered the long lost Super-Soldier Serum. He fought the real Cap in Captain America #153-156. See also Young Men #24.
Per Tales of Suspense #75, Captain America had a wartime romance with Peggy Carter who went missing after the liberation of France. Recently, Cap saved Peggy from Doctor Faustus in Captain America #161-162. How Peggy can still be alive in the Modern Age is a complex issue that I explain in more detail here.
Captain America considers the following villains:
His long time foe the Red Skull who, as far as Captain America knows, died during their recent battle is Las Vegas circa Captain America #148. The Skull actually survived this encounter. He will resurface and how he survived will be revealed in Captain America #182-186.
Baron Zemo on the other hand is dead as shit, getting himself killed in an avalanche during a battle with Cap in Avengers #15.
Lastly, Solarr recently fought Cap in Captain America #160.
Cap recounts the fates of his past partners and how he pushed them away to try and protect their lives:
Of course, no reflection is complete with Cap lamenting Bucky Barnes who, as far as he knows, died in 1945 as depicted in Avengers #4. However, Bucky actually survived and was transformed by the Russians into an assassin called the Winter Soldier. Cap will not learn this until Captain America (vol. 5) #14.
Rick Jones was Cap’s first partner when he was revived in the Modern Age. He tagged along with Cap from Avengers #4 through 17. He quit when Cap overlooked him for official membership in the Avengers. He later convinced Cap to let him be the new Bucky. This lasted from Captain America #110 through 116. Their partnership ended when the Red Skull (who had swapped bodies with Cap) pushed Bucky away.
He also mentions Nick Fury for some reason. The pair have worked closely together during World War II and beyond. Their earliest interaction dates back to 1941, as seen in Wolverine: Origins #16-20. They never really have been partners, but Cap worked on-and-off for SHIELD since being revived in the Modern Age. At the time of this story, Cap has been on the outs with SHIELD since issue #149.
Sharon Carter has worked with Cap in her capacity as a SHIELD agent since Tales of Suspense #75, despite the fact that Steve had issues with her risking her life. She has been sidelined after taking a leave of absence from SHIELD in issue #153.
Lastly Cap mentions the Avengers, a team he joined after they saved him from suspended animation in Avengers #4.
Although he is not identified by name here, Helmut Zemo’s full name is revealed in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2. The names of his father (Heinrich) and mother (Hilda) are also revealed there. How he manages to appear as a young man in his 20’s here is explained in Thunderbolts #-1, which reveals that the Zemos exposed themselves to a chemical bath that slowed their aging process.
This story references Special Marvel Edition #8 to readers. This is the wrong issue, as the story they were referencing was actually published in Special Marvel Edition #6. That story in itself is actually a reprint of the story first seen in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #8.
While Helmut states here that he lost contact with his father in 1945, this is not the case as seen in Thunderbolts Present Baron Zemo: Born Better #4 and Thunderbolts #-1, which shows Helmut living with his father after he fled from Nazi Germany to South America. See below.
Helmut Zemo does not die here. He survives but finds his face is horrendously burned. He will resurface and terrorize Captain America anew in Captain America #275-278.
Topical References
This story states that World War II was 30 years prior to this story. This should be considered a topical reference as the Sliding Timescale continues to move the Modern Age forward in time, making the gulf between it and World War II longer with time.
Cap is depicted scaling a billboard advertising cigarettes which features a cutout of a man that actually billows smoke. This should be considered a topical reference as tobacco advertisements were banned as part of an anti-smoking initiative in 1971, so its appearance here is already 2 years out of date.
During the battle against Phoenix, the Falcon calls him “Archie”. This is a reference to the character Archie Bunker from the sitcom All in the Family. The character was portrayed by actor Carrol O’Connor. The character was best known for his prejudiced attitudes toward minority groups. This should be considered a topical reference since All in the Family ended its run in 1979.
Zemo Family History
This story states that the original Baron Zemo abandoned his family in 1945, leaving Helmut to raise himself after his mother died. This is not the case as Thunderbolts Presents Baron Zemo: Born Better #4 shows Helmut as a child living with his father in South America. Thunderbolts #-1 shows an adult Helmut with his father in South America as well. In that story, Helmut states that he was working for a small engineering firm when his father reconnected with him during adulthood.
One could assume that Heinrich Zemo brought his son to his South American hideout as a child but he did not spend the convening years living there and only returned when his father summoned him.
Which leaves the question why Helmut does not mention any of this when he is recounting his origins to Captain America in this story. There is no official explanation for this discrepancy either. I presume this probably has a lot to do with sounding more impressive to his enemy. In the actual accounts, Helmut inherits all of his father’s inventions. Helmut probably figures that by making it sound like he tracked down his father’s hideout and learned how to replicate his inventions on his own would sound more menacing to Captain America.