Captain America #294
The Measure of a Man
Captain America’s pacifist friend, Dave Cox, has been brainwashed by the Red Skull into the Slayer. Ambushing Captain America and Nomad, the Slayer traps Cap in a force field while he faces off against Nomad. Forced to watch from the sidelines, Captain America looks up and sees the battle is being observed by Baron Zemo and his new ally, Mother Superior. As Nomad fights for his life, Cap calls out to Dave to try and get him to snap out of it.
Luckily, when the Slayer finally has Nomad at his mercy, he cannot bring himself to kill as Dave Cox’s true personality struggles against his brainwashing. However, in doing so Cox’s mind is overloaded and he collapses to the ground. Finally freed from the force field, Captain America tries to stop Zemo and Superior but they teleport away. Rushing to Dave’s side, Cap tells Nomad that they are being targeted by his foe Baron Zemo, and explains that this is the son of the original who has been hellbent on getting revenge since his father’s death.[1] Since Zemo knows Captain America’s true identity, he fears that nobody who is close to him is safe.
Dave Cox is then taken to a nearby hospital where he is examined by doctors. His wife Julie soon arrives and learns that Dave has suffered severe neurological damage and could be in a coma for the rest of his life. Surprisingly, Julie doesn’t blame Captain America for what happened and tells him not to let what happened to her husband stop him from upholding his ideals.
Meanwhile, Mother Superior and Baron Zemo have returned to Skull House to prepare for the next phase of the Red Skull’s revenge scheme. Here, she introduces Zemo to others who have joined the cause, her Sisters of Sin: The vacant eyed Sister Dream, the seductive Sister Pleasure, the withered Sister Agony, and the musclebound Sister Death. The Red Skull watches this from another room through his security monitors. Bedridden due to some malady, the Skull’s assistant Horst Lederer gives his condolences resulting in his master to attack him out of rage.[2]
Back in New York, Captain America and Nomad return to their apartment. Steve’s mind is preoccupied with what Zemo’s plans are and who the mysterious woman he was with. However, this recent incident has convinced him that he cannot accept Bernie Rosenthal’s marriage proposal.[3] Jack, meanwhile, is still trying to wrap his head around the idea of Dave Cox being a pacifist because the idea is a foreign concept to him having spent most of his life in the 1950s.[4] Steve can’t explain the social changes that have gone on since Jack was in suspended animation in one sitting, and has to go and talk to Bernie right away. When Steve tells Bernie that he can’t accept her marriage proposal she refuses to accept his reasoning. She understands that being the wife of Captain America would constantly put her at risk, but she refuses to let that get in the way of their love for one another. It takes some convincing, but she manages to change Steve’s mind and he accepts. Moments later a package is delivered to Bernie’s apartment. Curious to see what it is, she opens it and both she and Steve are horrified that it contains a replica of the Red Skull’s iconic mask.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, The Slayer, Nomad, Red Skull, Sisters of Sin (Mother Superior, Sister Agony, Sister Death, Sister Dream, Sister Pleasure), Baron Zemo, Bernie Rosenthal, Julie Cox
Continuity Notes
The conflict between Captain America and the Zemos is a complex one:
Captain America frequently clashes with Heinrich Zemo during World War II and it this Zemo who was responsible for Cap being put into suspended animation for decades, per Avengers #4.
Heinrich Zemo also survived into the Modern Age and died in battle against Captain America in Avengers #15.
His son, Helmut, surfaced as the Phoenix to avenge his father in Captain America #168. That battled ended with Helmut’s face betting horrendously burned after being dunked into a vat of Adhesive X.
Taking on his father’s mantle, Helmut recently went after Cap as the new Baron Zemo in Captain America #276-279.
You don’t recognize Horst Lederer? He was one of the Nazis who was put into suspended animation alongside the Red Skull during the end of World War II as seen in Tales of Suspense #79. He is depicted as an old man here because the process that put Linder and the Skull into suspended animation has begun to wear off and they are now rapidly aging, as we’ll learn in Captain America #297.
Bernie proposed to Steve in Captain America #292.
Jack Monroe was the Bucky of the 1950s until the super-soldier serum in his body drove him mad and he was put on ice for decades. He was thawed out in more recent times and has been trying to get used to life in the present day ever since. See Captain America #155 and 281.
Topical References
In this story, David Cox is referred to as a veteran of the Vietnam War. This should be considered a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale. All Modern Age characters who have been referred to as Vietnam War veterans are now considered to have fought in the Sin-Cong Conflict instead, per History of the Marvel Universe #2.
Captain America and Nomad are stated has having been in suspended animation for 40 and 30 years respectively at the time of this story. This should be considered topical as the Sliding Timescale causes the number of years between the 1940s and 1950s to grow with each passing year as it pushes the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe forward in time.
Likewise, Steve talks about the social and political changes of the 1960s as though he lived through them. This should also be considered topical. Although Steve’s return in Avengers #4 was publish in 1960, the Sliding Timescale makes it so that the events of the Modern Age are not attached to a static date. Modern readers could assume that he is speaking in a general sense and not from experience.
Bernie is depicted listening to “Love is a Stranger” by the Eurythmics on a Walkman tape player. Both of these dated references should be considered topical.
