Captain America #202
Mad, Mad Dimension
With the Falcon missing, Captain America pays a visit to the last man to see him, an oil tycoon named “Texas” Jack Muldoon. Although he has to fight his way through Muldoon’s bodyguards, Jack is actually quite helpful and tells Cap how he gave Falcon a lift back to New York in his private jet and how Sam disappeared through a glowing portal that appeared in the sky. Intrigued by the mystery, Muldoon has already used his vast fortune and resources to independently investigate the mystery as well. That’s when his hired scientist, a man named Beasley, enters the room with a clue to Falcon’s disappearance.
The Falcon and his girlfriend Leila Taylor have been kidnapped by the Night People and brought back to their hideout, Zero Street, as the insane clan of thieves want a super-hero of their own. In order to make Sam and Leila obedient to them, the couple have undergone a brainwashing shock-therapy treatment. Now loyal to the Night People they have been renamed Brother Super-Hero and Sweet Sister. The Falcon is told about a creature that has been terrorizing the Night People since they arrived in this strange dimension and although they have driven it off in the past they fear that without a super-hero of their own, the monster will eventually destroy them. “Brother Super-Hero” agrees to battle the monster and after Brother Wonderful gives Falcon’s wings a power boost, the hero ventures out of the Night People’s home to explore the strange asteroid that serves as a home for Zero Street. He soon comes across the creature they speak of, a towering lizard like monstrosity that can also breath fire. Despite his best efforts to destroy the creature, it eventually manages to knock the Falcon unconscious.
Back on Earth, Beasley tells Captain America and Texas Jack a fantastic story: The Night People come from a mental institution that used to exist on Zero Street in New York City. One of the patients was a scientist named Abner Doolittle who was institutionalized after a mental break down. He was allowed to continue working on inventions as part of his treatment and he created some kind of dimensional doorway which swallowed up the institution and also allows the Night People to commit their robberies with ease. Captain America finds this hard to believe until they check out the side of the institution and find that it is gone and a strange alien material was left in its place. Before investigating things any further, Captain America borrows Texas Jack’s phone so he can call his own girlfriend, Sharon Carter and tell her what happened. Sharon is upset to learn that Steve is going into danger again. He tries to get her to understand that this is something that he needs to do to rescue his friend. Sharon understands the importance but is bitter that their relationship always has to suffer whenever he has duty as Captain America. After Cap gets off the phone, Jack can tell that the hero is having relationship problems by the look on his face.
Captain America decides to stake out the site on Zero Street, hoping that the Night People’s portal will open at nightfall. After Texas Jack leaves, Cap struggles to stay focused. Luckily, his patience pays off when — suddenly — the portal suddenly appears.
Back in the other dimension, the Falcon fights back against the monster and succeeds in knocking it off the asteroid, ending its threat. However, the Night People have grown paranoid about the other asteroids that populate the sky above them. Brother Wonderful — who is Abdner Doolittle himself — fears that other creatures may live on them and that they could form an army to attack their people. However, he has come up with a contingency by creating a larger portal device which they will use to banish any invaders to Earth.
At that same moment, Captain America pushes back all hesitation and leaps into the portal. Little knowing that Texas Jack was watching from the shadows. Wanting in on the action, the Texan leaps into the portal after Captain America, looking forward to the adventure ahead.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Night People (Brother Wonderful, Brother Inquisitor), Sharon Carter, Leila Taylor, Texas Jack
Topical References
In this story, the Night People use a shock treatment to recondition Sam and Leila. This was practice used to try and treat people’s mental health. Its use was always controversial and the benefits were not always worth the resulting side-effects. With the advent of drugs that can be used to treat mental illness became the norm the electroconvulsive therapy fell out of practical use. That said, the idea that the equipment for such a procedure being in the Zero Street Institution will become increasingly impossible due to the effects of the Sliding Timescale. One could assume that perhaps Zero Street had been in operation for a long time and outdated equipment could have been found by the Night People. Alternatively, one could assume that these devices were created by Abner Doolittle and were not equipment actually found at the institution.
Texas Jack lets Captain America use his car phone in this story. This should be considered a topical reference since car phones have become obsolete thanks to the proliferation of cell phones. One could assume that instead of a car phone, Jack loans Cap a mobile phone insetead.
