Captain America #277
In Thy Image
Coming to the rescue of his old friend Arnie Roth, Captain America has been brought to the Mexican castle of Baron Zemo and Arnim Zola.[1] Captain America cannot believe Zemo is still alive.[2] Arnim Zola then gleefully attacks Captain America with his newest mutate creations.[3] As Captain America fights off these nightmare creature, Zemo orders a massive mutate to grab the stasis pods containing Arnie Roth and his boyfriend Michael and orders Cap to stop fighting or they will die. He also reveals that he is not the original Baron Zemo, but his son.[4]
Zemo takes Cap on a tour of his family portraits and talks about how great his father was and how he blames Captain America for his death. Cap insists that the original Zemo’s death wasn’t his fault. Helmut slaps his enemy across the face and reveals that how he survived plummeting in a vat of his father’s Adhesive X in their last battle. However, this didn’t come without a cost. When Zemo removes his mask, Cap is horrified by Zemo’s horrifibly burned face. Zola convinces Zemo to calm down and put his mask back on. Once Zemo has composed himself, he explains how he has spent the last few months learning Captain America’s secret identity and learning about those who are closest to him, including his neighbors and current girlfriend Bernie Rosenthal.
That’s Zemo reveals that his partner is not actually Arnim Zola, but his greatest creation the shapeshifting mutate named Primus. Primus returns to his original form for a moment before assuming the form of Steve Rogers so that he can destroy Captain America’s personal life. Captain America tries to attack his doppelganger, but Primus proves to be too strong and knocks Captain America out.
Meanwhile, at the Bennett Advertising Agency, Mister Bennett goes over the proof of concept for a Morality in Media campaign being created by the Coalition for an Upstanding America. The campaign heavily uses the likeness of Captain America and Bennett believes he has just the freelance artist to help him with the job and asks his secretary to call in Steve Rogers.
Back at Zemo’s castle, Captain America wakes up and finds himself shackled to a wall next to Vermin. Zemo then gloats how Primus has already been sent to mess up his life and that he is doing all this to avenge his father. He then unleashes two of his brain creatures which are powered by the minds of the captured Arnie Roth and his boyfriend Michael.[5] With no other choice but to fight, Captain America frees himself and Vermin so they can work together. Unfortunately, Vermin attacks one of the brain monsters savagely, causing Michel to scream in agony. Hearing his friend in pain allows Arnie’s mind to free itself from the monster. However, when Roth gets up off the table and sees what happens, he blames Captain America for harming Michael, much to the delight of Baron Zemo.
At that moment, Bernie Rosenthal is returning home when she is greeted by Primus, who is posing as Steve Rogers. Little knowing what is going on, Bernie gets excited when “Steve” tells her that he has plans for her.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Baron Zemo, Primus, Bernie Rosenthal, Arnie Roth, Michael Berch, Vermin
Continuity Notes
Here, Baron Zemo refers to Arnie Roth as Steve’s childhood friend. We learned in Captain America #270 that Arnie grew up with Steve when they were kids. Arnie being alive in the Modern Age is becoming increasingly impossible and Marvel has yet to explain how this can be. I have a theory on this at the end of my summary of issue #270, check it out.
This is not the original Baron Zemo, but his son, Helmut. Heinrich Zemo died in a battle with Captain America back in Avengers #15. Here, Helmut also accuses Cap for the death of his mother. Back in Captain America #168, Zemo claimed that his mother committed suicide out of grief after being separated from her husband. However, it was later revealed in Captain America: The Medusa Effect #1, that Hilda Zemo betrayed her husband during the war and was killed for it. Either Helmut is delusional or was lied to about his mother’s fate. In case you’re wondering how Helmut has maintained his relative youth, Thunderbolts #-1 reveals that the Zemo family had access to a chemical bath that slowed the aging process.
Captain America’s last battle with Arnim Zola is referenced here. That took place in Captain America #208-212.
Cap recounts how he fought Helmut in the past when he operated under the identity of Phoenix. This was in Captain America #168.
Baron Zemo did a similar thing to Michael back in Captain America #270.
Snapping Part 2
Sam Wilson has been running for congress but his campaign has been troubled when his criminal past has been brought up. This has caused a struggle in Sam’s mind as he tries to figure out if he’s Sam Wilson, the caring guidance councilor and high flying Falcon, or the petty crook, “Snap” Wilson.[1]
Meanwhile, Sam’s sister Sarah, his girlfriend Leila Taylor, and his campaign manager Carol Davis have gone out for coffee to discuss Sam’s troubled past. Sarah explains how their father was a reverend in Harlem and a well known community leader. Although he tried to steer children away from a life of crime he was fatally stabbed trying to break up a street fight. Sam was deeply affected by his father’s death and for a time it looked like Sam was going to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a community leader.[2]
However, tragedy struck again when their mother was mugged right in front of them. Annoyed that Mrs. Wilson didn’t have enough money, the mugger shot her dead in cold blood. This had a negative impact on Sam who grew angry towards the world and later reinvented himself as the criminal everyone knows as “Snap” Wilson. Sarah tried to get Sam help for years but he always refused. Hearing this leads both Leila and Carol to wonder if the Red Skull’s claims of using the Cosmic Cube to alter Sam’s mind are true.
By this point, Sam has gone up to the rooftops to try and clear his head. The arrival of his faithful falcon Redwing does little to comfort him. He is soon visited by the family priest, Reverend Garcia who has come at the behest of Sarah to try and help Sam through this troubling period. However, when the Reverend calls Sam by his real name, he angrily tells the priest that he is Snap Wilson.
Recurring Characters
Sam Wilson, Sarah Wilson, Leila Taylor, Carol Davis, Redwing
Continuity Notes
This whole story is revolved around Sam’s apparent split personality, which in and of itself is very complex. Here are the details:
When Sam Wilson first met Captain America in issue #118, he seemed like an ordinary upstanding citizen who was tricked into being stranded on the Red Skull’s Island of Exiles. He proved to be the ideal crimefighting partner, the Falcon.
However, in Captain America #185-186, the Red Skull alleged that Sam was actually a petty crook named “Snap” Wilson and that he used the Cosmic Cube to alter his mind to act as a sleeper agent.
When the “truth” was revealed, Sam even stood trial for his past crimes and was released on probation in Captain America #191.
However, years after this story, in All-New Captain America #3, the Red Skull’s daughter claimed that “Snap” Wilson was the false identity and that her father created it to make Sam question who he really was.
If “Snap” Wilson was a fabrication it doesn’t explain how Sam went to trail for his crimes, how the Daily Bugle was able to dredge up his past, or how his sister — in this very story — recalls the events that led to Sam becoming Snap. I have a theory on how this could be here.
The account here about when and where Sam’s parents died has changed over time. Originally, per the story above, Sam’s father died when he was a child and his mother died when he was a teenager. Avengers (vol. 3) #64 would later state that he was 16 when his father died and 18 when his mother was killed. All-New Captain America #1 contradicts this by saying his father died when he was 14 and his mother a year later. Marvel has yet to provide an explanation for these discrepancies. See below for more on that….
Theory: Discrepancies in Sam’s Timeline
As stated above, there are three accounts of how Sam Wilson’s parents died. The basic facts are all the same, the only difference being how old Sam was when each of his parents were killed. As of this writing (July, 2022) Marvel has yet to provide an explanation for these differing accounts.
Each version of this account is told from a different perspective:
The first account is told by Sam’s sister Sarah in this very issue.
The account in Avengers (vol. 3) #64 is an internal monologue made by Sam himself that is told in the moment.
The most recent account in All-New Captain America #1 is part of Sam’s narrative as he is describing the events of that story-arc which finishes in All-New Captain America #3.
If you really want to be mundane about it, people get certain facts about their past mixed up all the time. Seriously, talk to one of your siblings and ask them about an event from your childhood you both experienced at the same time. 5 gets you 10 they’re going to remember things differently than you do. Couple that with the fact that Sam and Sarah are reliving two traumatic experiences, which when you experience something like that it can fuck with your memory. When you recollect a traumatic episode you experience, you may not remember it exactly correct. You’re asking these people to remember the time their parents were murdered, I think you can cut them some slack if they get some of the dates wrong.
But hey, if the mundane doesn’t do it for you, because you like being pedantic, how about this:
Measuring up these discrepancies to my theory that Sam Wilson’s reality was warped by the Red Skull when he created the Snap Wilson persona, I think all of these different perspectives start making sense. The accounts in Captain America #277 and Avengers (vol. 3) #64 are based on the way Sarah and Sam recollect the fake memories of “Snap” Wilson’s origins.
Anyway, Sam recollects things differently in All-New Captain America #1 because the narration is actually him recounting the events after the fact. As such, he would have already been made aware of the fact that “Snap” Wilson was a lie created by the Red Skull and thus now remembers his past “properly”.
There, happy? Stick around and maybe I’ll give you a long winded explanation why Stormtroopers always miss.
