Captain America #236
Death Dive!
Doctor Faustus and the Grand Director of the National Front have escaped in a blimp they will use to spray New York City with mind control gas. To stop them, Captain America and Daredevil give chase in an old World War I fighter plane. Handing the controls over to Daredevil, Cap tries to jump from the plane onto the blimp. Unfortunately, the hero misjudges his leap and falls past the blimp.
Using his radar sense, Daredevil follows Captain America down and manages to toss the hero his billy-club. Cap then uses the device to break his fall. Meanwhile, the plane Daredevil is flying begins to stall. Luckily, the Man Without Fear is able to direct the plane to the waterfront where it harmlessly crashes into some shipping crates and throwing Daredevil into the river.
Meanwhile, aboard the blimp, Doctor Faustus and the Grand Director show their prisoner, Peggy Carter, how they intend to spray the city with his mind control gas. It’s here that the Grand Director pulls off his mask and reveals that he looks exactly like Steve Rogers. Faustus explains that this man is not the Steve Rogers, but the man who took his name and fought crime as Captain America in the 1950s.[1] In recent times, when the real Captain America defeated his deranged 50’s counterpart, both he and the 50’s Bucky were sent to a mental institution for treatment.[2] By this time, Doctor Faustus was released from prison and placed in charge of the facility thanks to the Corporation. Here he developed his mind control gas and used it to brainwash the 50’s Captain America into his loyal subject. With this other Steve Rogers under his control, Faustus had the impostor shoot his partner.[3] When the Corporation was later defeated by Captain America and his allies, Doctor Faustus decided to use his Captain America and the mind control gas for his own ends.[4] With that he used his Steve Rogers to create the National Front. Faustus then used his mind control rank to enslave others and make the organization’s numbers swell. His plan netted him both Sharon Carter and the real Captain America, the latter he would have kept under his control had it not been for interference from Daredevil.[5]
By this time, Captain America and Daredevil have doubled back to Avengers Mansion and procured a Quinjet. This time when Captain America tries to land atop the blimp he succeeds. When he confronts Doctor Faustus it is just as he finishes explaining his plan. Hearing the truth about his past has caused the Grand Director to suffer a mental breakdown and has curled up in the fetal position on the floor. When Faustus orders the Director to do something, the man who once called himself Steve Rogers triggers the suicide function on his belt an immolates himself.[6] While everyone is distracted, Peggy stomps on the Doctor’s foot and gets away. When Captain America battles the rest of the National Front goons, he removes their suicide belts to prevent Faustus from eliminating them all at once. By this time a fire is raging aboard the blimp, weakening the braces holding all of the canisters of mind control gas. When Faustus tries to release them, they end up toppling onto him instead, pinning him to the floor as the blimp crashes in the waters of New York Bay.
Daredevil makes a water landing with the Quinjet and begins collecting survivors. When Captain America comes aboard he is dragging Doctor Faustus along with him, wanting the villain to face justice instead of escaping through death.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, National Front (Doctor Faustus, Grand Director), Daredevil, Peggy Carter, (in flashback) Sharon Carter, Bucky
Continuity Notes
As detailed in Captain America #155, this man was so obsessed with taking over as Captain America he underwent plastic surgery and legally changed his name to Steve Rogers. His real name is revealed to be William Burnside in Captain America #603.
Captain America’s battle against his 1950s counterpart was detailed in Captain America #153-156.
Although the 1950s Bucky is said to have been killed here, Captain America #281 reveals that Bucky — aka Jack Monroe — survived because Faustus loaded the gun with blanks as he only wished to break Burnside’s will.
Captain America was clashed with the Corporation from Captain America #213 through 230.
This of is recapping the events of issues #231-235.
It’s later revealed in Captain America (vol. 5) #38 that Burnside survived this attempt on his life and was kept in a catatonic state by the government, who kept him alive in the event they could ever use him as a replacement for Captain America a second time.
