Captain America #275
Yesterday’s Shadows
Captain America checks in on SHIELD to see if they have gotten any clues on who created the monsterous brain-creature and the Vermin who attacked him recently.[1][2] Unfortuantely, technician Gail Runciter has no news for him.[3] Cap takes the opportunity to apologize to Gail for snapping at her recently before going to check in on his friend Arnie Roth and his boyfriend Michael. Meanwhile, Gail joins a team of SHIELD psychologists who are examining Vermin. The creature keeps praying to his masters to save him, leaving them to believe the rat-man is insane.
Meanwhile, Michael is doing well after having his mind transferred into the creature that attacked Captain America earlier. However, he has no idea who was responsible for creating it. Cap is glad that Michael is on the mend and as he leaves, Arnie tells Steve that he is the best friend ever.
Later that day, Steve Rogers and his girlfriend Bernie Rosenthal help their landlord Anna Kappelbaum get some groceries. When they past the local Jewish temple, Anna is horrified to see that someone has vandalized the building by painting Swastikas on it. While the Rabbi figures that this was the work of some bored kids, Anna insists that this is a serious issue, particularly since she survived the Holocaust back during World War II.[4] Anna has some extreme ideas about how to deal with Neo-Nazis, but Steve insists that America’s constitutional right to free speech should be upheld even for those who have repugnant ideas since that freedom of expression must be protected at all cost. That’s when Bernie tells Steve that some Neo-Nazis are going to be holding a rally and that she and her friends are going to counter-protest and asks Steve to come along so their voices are heard. Steve, unfortunately, declines because he has other thing to do.
Elsewhere, a mean wearing the mask of Baron Zemo looks at an old black-and-white family photo. After a moment of silent reflection he vows that Captain America will die.[5] At that same moment, a group of Neo-Nazis are meeting the home of their leader gets them worked up with his Holocaust denying rhetoric and tells them that they will show the world the truth at the rally the next day.
Meanwhile, at a Baptist Church in Harlem, Sam Wilson announces his intention to run for congress. When he fields questions a reporter for the Daily Bugle brings up Sam’s past criminal history as “Snap” Wilson. This annoys Sam who assures them that his criminal past is behind him and that “Snap” Wilson is dead, but the question really touches a nerve.[6] Peter Parker, who is there to snap photos for the Bugle, is a little shocked by the bluntness of his colleague’s question. However the reporter intends to dig up all the dirt on Sam Wilson so he can nail him to the wall.
Later that week, Steve Rogers goes to the Bennett Advertising Agency for a potential gig as a freelance artist. However, when he hears the owner making anti-semetic comments, Steve walks out of the meeting, deciding that he doesn’t want the job. This moment convinces Steve to join Bernie, Anna, and their friend Josh Cooper at the counter protest at the Neo-Nazi rally. There Bernie is greeted by Sammy Bernstein, a man everyone is surprised to learn is her ex-husband. As the Neo-Nazis begin their rally, Sammy begins riling up the counter protesters and soon things get heated enough that violence breaks out.
Elsewhere, the man dressed as Baron Zemo and his ally Arnim Zola begin the next phase of their plan.[7] By the push of a button the remains of their brain creature comes to life and breaks out of its containment cylinder at SHIELD headquarters. The monster then frees Vermin from his cell before kidnapping Arnie Roth and Michael for the second time.
Back at the scene of the riot, Steve Rogers slips away unseen in order to change into Captain America. Taking the stage, he breaks up the fist fight between Sammy and the Neo-Nazi leader. He then tells everyone to stop fighting and makes an impassioned speech about the freedom of expression, chastising the protestors for reducing themselves to the same level as the Neo-Nazis by engaging in violence. He also scolds Sammy for firing everyone up. When Sammy and the Neo-Nazi try attacking him, Cap easily tosses them off the stage. Hearing all of this, Bernie notices that Captain America’s speech sounds very familiar and comes to the shocking realization that her boyfriend Steve Rogers is Captain America!
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Baron Zemo, Vermin, “Arnim Zola”, Bernie Rosenthal, Gail Runciter, Michael Bech, Arnie Roth, Anna Kapplebaum, Josh Cooper, Mike Farrel, Sam Wilson, Carol Davis, Peter Parker, Sammy Bernstein
Continuity Notes
Captain America was attacked by the brain creature in Captain America #270 and the Vermin in issue #272.
Here, Captain America states he misses the old SHIELD headquarters which operated out of a barbershop. This location operated as SHIELD headquarters from Strange Tales #136. Sometime later, Fury ordered its destruction after the spy agency was compromised by the Corporation as seen in Captain America #228.
Captain America snapped at Gail when he was undergoing a mental probe to learn the location of some kidnapped telepaths in Captain America #268.
Anna’s time at the Diebenwald Concentration Camp was documented back in Captain America #237. How she can still be alive in the Modern Age is unexplained, but I go into some possible theories in my summary for that issue. Check it out.
The mystery man here is Baron Helmut Zemo, as revealed in issues #276-277. This scene has many layers:
Helmut’s father, Heinrich was a Nazi scientist during World War II who clashed regularly with Captain America and was responsible for Cap going into suspended animation for decades, per Avengers #4. Surviving into the Modern Age, Heinrich died in battle against Captain America in Avengers #15.
Helmet blamed Captain America for his father’s death and previously went at Captain America as Phoenix. He ended up getting dumped into a vat of his father’s Adhesive X, as seen in Captain America #168.
This photo is obviously of Helmut and his parents taken sometime during World War II. His mother, Hilda Zemo. In Captain America #168, Helmut states that his mother committed suicide after being separated from her husband. However, Captain America: The Medusa Effect #1, shows that Hilda betrayed her family to prevent Heinrich from targeting Nikolai Tesla and later helped Captain America foil her husband’s scheme. But hey, Nazis like to twist the truth to support their own narrative so blaming Cap for her death makes sense.
If your wondering how the two Baron Zemo would still be active in the Modern Age. Thunderbolts #-1 reveals that Heinrich created a chemical bath that slowed their aging process.
Sam’s criminal past as “Snap” Wilson is compicated:
In Captain America #185-186 the Red Skull revealed that he used the Cosmic Cube to turn the criminal “Snap” Wilson into the ideal sidekick for Captain America when they first met back in issue #117 and having him operate as a sleeper agent.
Sam later went to trail and was released on probation in Captain America #191.
Years after this, in All-New Captain America #3, the Red Skull’s daughter Sin revealed to Sam that the “Snap” Wilson identity was the fabrication in order to make Sam always question who he really is.
So if “Snap” Wilson was the fabrication then how did Sam go to trial for those crimes and how do people remember this fictional history? Marvel has yet to explain, I have posited a theory here.
This is not Arnim Zola, but his creation Primus as we’ll learn in Captain America #277.
Topical References
Sammy Burnstein makes a joke about Yassir Arafat in this story. This should be considered a topical reference as the long time Palistinian leader died in 2004.
