Captain America Annual #12
Blood of a Fighter
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Roberto Velasquez heads down to the local gym for a practice match against his friend Manuel Torrez. Although Manuel is much larger, Roberto proves the more proficient boxer. His coach, Trini, is pleased with him and sees a bright future for Velasquez in boxing. However, Roberto figures he has very few options because due to his height he’ll always be a bantam weight fighter.
After the match, Roberto practices on a punching bag when he is approached by a local mobster named Armando Aviles. Armando also sees big things for Roberto and offers to pay for a process that will increase his strength and make him a champion. Velasquez is reluctant to take drugs to boost his performance but Aviles preys on his vulnerabilities until he caves and agrees to undergo this process.
Roberto is then flown to Miami, Florida, where he undergoes a strength-enhancing process created by Doctor Karl Malus. After the process is complete, a fight against American boxer Emilio Garzon is arranged right away. At first, Roberto doesn’t seem to have enhanced strength at all. However, after a few blows in the ring, he suddenly feels a surge of strength and goes into a berserker rage, beating Emilio senseless. Although he wins the match, Roberto quickly learns that Garzon died as a result of his injuries. Velasquez is horrified and refuses to fight anymore. This angers Armando Aviles who spent a great deal of money to enhance Roberto and promises he will pay for reneging on their deal.
A short time later, Aviles arranges for a fight between an augmented boxer named Hammerhand and Roberto’s friend Manuel. Although Roberto attempts to stop the fight, Manual is still beaten badly enough that he needs to be hospitalized. Angered over this, Roberto confronts Aviles at his hideout. The mobster seemingly shoots Roberto to death and orders his men to dump his body in a nearby lake. Miraculously, rather than killing him the impact of the bullets made him stronger than ever and he is easily able to break free of the concrete coffin before he drowns.
Wondering what to do next, Roberto passes through a farm and gets inspiration from a rooster. Modifying his boxing gear to resemble the proud animal Roberto — now calling himself Bantam — goes to Alvarez’s hideout a second time. In the ensuing clash, the mobsters end up shooting themselves as bullets have no effect on Bantam. With everyone dead, Bantam realizes that there are no witnesses to explain what happened. Leaping out of a window, Bantam races into the night wondering what to do next.
Recurring Characters
Bantum, Doctor Malus
… And in this Corner… The Battling Bantam!
Having heard reports of augmented boxers in Florida, Captain America has come to investigate, fearing that the Power Broker is tainting yet another sport.[1] He goes to the local hospital to interview Manuel Torres, the man who called in the tip to his hotline. However, Manuel is no afraid for his life and insists to Captain America that he was mistaken about boxers undergoing strength enhancement. Cap sees how afraid Manuel is and figures someone got to him and decides to check out some other leads. Later that evening, Rico Lazar — the man who put Manuel — in the hospital shows up to punish him for speaking out. Using his own enhanced strength, Rico tosses Miguel out the window of his room sending him plunging to his death. Disguised as a doctor, Rico then sneaks out of the hospital undetected.
The following day, Captain America shows up at a local gym posing as a boxer named Stevens and challenges the seemingly unbeatable Rollo in the ring. Fighting Rollo one-on-one confirms to Steve that the man has been augmented. Despite this, Cap is able to defeat him thanks to his years of fight training. Impressed by “Mister Stevens” he is invited into the back room for payment. There he is swarmed by armed men because they figured out that he is enhanced but is not one of the people who undergone their process. “Stevens” insists that he is so strong because he was born a mutant. The leader of the gang decides to put this to the test by bringing him back to their lab.
At that same moment, Roberto Velasques arrives at the hospital to visit his friend Manuel. There, the nurses have to deliver him the bad news that his friend is dead.
Meanwhile, Steve is brought to Malus’ lab for experimentation. However, before he can bee strapped down to an operating table “Stevens” changes his story to try and get out of this tight spot. He tells them that he actually received his enhancements from the Power Broker back when he was with the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation. That’s when Doctor Malus enters the room and tells them that he has never seen “Stevens” in his life. However, before they can deal with “Stevens”, Bantam comes smashing into the hideout to avenge his friend.
While the armed thugs are busy with Bantam, Steve is able to slip away and change into Captain America.[2] In the ensuing clash, Bantam enters another berserker rage and begins attacking Captain America. Cap manages to restrain Bantam long enough for him to get his temper in check and regain control over himself. The pair then quickly exchange notes and work together to stop Malus and his accomplices from escaping in a boat. While this won’t bring Bantam’s friend back, the novice hero is just glad that the men responsible for Miguel’s death will see justice.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bantam, Doctor Malus
Continuity Notes
The Power Broker previously offered super-human strength enhancement to professional wrestlers and the like. His operation, however, was severely curtailed when he himself tried the process on himself and — like a small percentage of others — found himself horribly disfigured. See Thing #28-36, Captain America #329-331, 358-364, and 375-377.
A footnote here reminds readers that Malus first met Captain America back in Captain America #328.
Topical References
The reward for beating Gorilla-Face in the ring is $500. This should be considered a topical reference due to inflation. $500 in 1993 would be worth $1025 in 2022.
The Bantam Returns
Since getting his powers in Miami, Bantam underwent some fight training with Captain America in order to better control his new abilities. Returning to his native Puerto Rico, Bantam decides what to do with himself next. This is difficult and emotional for him because his enhanced abilities mean that he can no longer be a professional boxer for fear that he might kill another person in the ring. Seeing his former student in such anguish, Bantam’s coach tells him that he should consider becoming a trainer and teach others to box. Roberto thinks he wouldn’t do a very good job as a trainer, but Trini tells him to think it over.
On the way home, Bantam happens upon two rival street gangs about to get into a rumble and decides to intervene before someone gets hurt. One of the gang leaders pulls a gun and tries to shoot Bantam but the bullets bounce harmlessly off his body. He then beats the gang member into submission and tells the others that they could more constructively vent their aggression by becoming boxers and fighting in the ring.
Sure enough, a few days later, the gang members show up to learn how to box and Bantam takes on the task of training them. Seeing how the kids are finding productive ways of dealing with their aggression, Roberto finds new purpose in life and realizes that both Captain America and Trini were right about his future as a trainer.
Recurring Characters
Bantum, Captain America
Supplementary Material
This issue came polybagged with a trading card of Bantam.
A Captain America portolio featuring pin-ups of Falcon, Crossbones, Captain America with the Falcon, Diamondback, and Bantam.
