Captain America #262
Death of a Legend?
Will Brynner, a reporter for the local news is using airtime to commend Nomad’s recent clashes with the Nihilist Order. While he supports the new hero’s vigilante activity, he is critical of Captain America’s involvement as the Avenger is in town to promote a new movie based on his life. Watching the news are Captain America, producer Leonard Spellman, and his nephew and assistant Wally Lombergo. Leonard is concerned that this negative publicity will affect his new Captain America film. Cap, on the other hand, has other concerns. The only reason he came out to help promote this new movie is to learn who this new Nomad is and what his game is, since he is pretending to be the original hero — something that is impossible since Steve Rogers was the original Nomad during a brief period he gave up being Captain America.[1]
Cap’s thoughts are interrupted when Leonard decides to tell him why he is so determined to make a movie about the life of Captain America. He shows Cap a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings of the Avenger’s exploits dating back to World War II. Spellmen then reveals that a member of his family was saved by Captain America during the war. This was in 1943 and that Spellman was pinned down with his unit thanks to the arrival of the Red Skull and his death-ray. Spellman just watched as his buddy was killed in the line of fire when Captain America arrived on his motorcycle and fought off the Skull. Seeing Captain America in action renewed the elder Spellman’s fighting spirit. It is because of that day that Leonard Spellman became determined to make a movie about Captain America.[2]
Meanwhile, at the abandoned Democracy Pictures Studio, Eddie Ferbel — the stuntman who has been posing as Nomad — apologizes for failing his mission to his masters, the mysterious Teacher and his “pupil” the Ameridroid. The Teacher is annoyed that Ferbel is failing at his job unlike Will Brynner — another secret operative of the Nihilist Order — who has been using his position as a news anchor to discredit Captain America. Not wanting to listen to excuses, the Teacher sends Eddie to exercise so he can maintain his peak strength. Eddie begins pumping iron, more determined to prove his worth than ever before.
That evening, Captain America is scheduled to appear on a late night talk show to help promote the film. However, while he waits to go on stage, performing comedian Benny Bernhart is attacked by members of the Nihilist Order who threaten to blow up the entire studio with a bomb. When Captain America tries to stop the terrorists, Nomad arrives once again to stop them as well. When the Nihilist Order members flee the studio, Captain America goes after them but is tripped up by a plant in the audience. As Nomad once more showboats for the cameras, Captain America is even more convinced that something fishy is going on and swears to get to the bottom of things.
Three days later, the Teacher prepares his Nihilist Order for their final attack. Nomad is worried that after this mission they won’t have a use for him any longer but the Ameridroid assures Eddie that he will have always have an important place in the Nihilist Order. The terrorists then attack a parade being thrown in Captain America’s honor, yet another publicity stunt for Galaxy Picture’s new film. Captain America is shocked to see that the Ameridroid is leading the Nihilist Order since the last time he saw Fred Dekker, he had made peace with his new android form and swore off any further violence.[3] Once again, Nomad conveniently arrives to join the fight and reporter Will Brynner is reporting live so he can carry out the Teacher’s media smear campaign against Captain America.
In the ensuing fracas, the Ameridroid kills Nomad in cold blood as he has outlived his usefulness. The Ameridroid then uses knock out gas on Captain America and escapes with the hero. When Captain America eventually wakes up, he finds himself in the Teacher’s hideout. There, Cap tries to make Lyle remember his lost humanity. This almost works, but the Teacher uses a device to incapacitate the Ameridroid before he can betray him. The Teacher decides that the time for deception is over. Removing his mask, voice distorter, and green robe the Teacher reveals that he is none other than the Red Skull.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Ameridroid, Red Skull, Edward Ferbel, Leonard Spellman, Wally Lombergo, Jason Staid
Continuity Notes
Steve Rogers gave up being Captain America when he discovered that the President of the United States was the leader of the Secret Empire and witnessed the Commander-in-Chief blow his brains out in the Oval Office circa Captain America #169-175. He then reinvented himself as Nomad until his replacement —- Roscoe Simmons — was murdered by the Red Skull, forcing Steve back in the role. See Captain America #176-186.
Leonard Spellman specifically states that he was active during World War II and he was the one Captain America saved in 1943. This will become increasingly impossible due to the Sliding Timescale, see below for more details.
The whole Lyle Dekker/Ameridroid “saga” (if you want to call it that) was chronicled in Captain America #219-221.
Topical References
The televisions in this story are depicted as CRT televisions that have dials and knobs to operate. I think you know why this would be considered topical.
How Can Leonard Spellman Still Be Alive?
Leonard Spellman is another in a long line of characters in 80’s era Captain America stories who state that they were alive and served during World War II. While this would have been possible when this story was originally published in 1981, it becomes increasingly impossible as the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age forward, widening the gap of time between the end of World War II and the start of the Modern Age. By today’s standard (November, 2021), if Leonard was even still alive it seems highly unlikely that a senior citizen of his age would be a producer for a Hollywood movie studio.
Marvel has yet to come up with an explanation for this discrepancy. Typically, with important characters, some method of extending, slowing, or retarding one’s life span is used to explain how a wartime character could still be active in the Modern Age. However, keeping in mind that he was just your average infantry soldier during the war and went on to become a movie producer, this seems highly unlikely. This is especially true when, after next issue, Spellman is never seen again.
One could presume that rather than Spellman himself, the man Captain America saved in 1943 is a family member to whom Leonard has descended from. It would not be that outlandish that a past family member being rescued by Captain America during the war would inspire a descendant to make a movie about Cap.
