The Private Life of Captain America

The Past

Years ago, Steve Rogers is selected to receive the Super Soldier Serum developed by Dr. Reinstein. After being injected, Rogers suddenly transforms into a man of total physical perfection. Reinstein names him Captain America. Suddenly, a Nazi spy who infiltrated the experiment shoots Reinstein and is killed by Captain America. In the battles aftermath, government officials note that Captain America has disappeared. As Captain America, Steve Rogers fights crime and Axis forces while keeping his identity secret acting as clumsy soldier Steve Rogers. However, his double identity is discovered by the army camp mascot James Barnes, whom Cap takes on as his sidekick Bucky.

The Present

Jeff Mace and Fred Davis Jr. have returned home after Jeff has been recently discharged from military service. Jeff gets a letter from the administrators at the Lee School who have learned that he used to be a school teacher before the war and offer him a job as a teacher. Jeff decides to accept the offer and has Fred register there as a student. Meeting with the principal of the school they are told that it is a special private school that caters to three classes of society who pay however they can and that Jeff will be taking up a position as an all-around teacher.

During his first day of teaching, Jeff gets his first encounter with class clown Snipe Gooligan when the lad hits him in the neck with his pea shooter. After spanking the boy he has him empty out his pockets and confiscates all his prank arsenal. Among the effects he finds a bottle of perfume which smells terrible, which he gives back to Snipe. After class Jeff and Fred notice a bunch of school kids giving Snipe grief for having a bottle of perfume and break up the fight. Snipe offers to sell the perfume to Jeff, who refuses after giving it a good smell.

Later that night, Jeff and Fred are alerted to a fire and go into action as Captain America and Bucky. Rushing into the burning apartment building they spot a bunch of firemen all standing around a door. Realizing real firemen would not due that due to the risk of a back draft, Cap correctly deduces that these men are crooks. They battle the crooks, but they manage to keep the heroes at bay with a fire hose and flee the scene. When the fire is put out, Cap and Bucky examine the room and find bottles of perfume and Snipe's pea shooter. The next day in class, Jeff gives Snipe back his pea shooter and Snipe tells him he lost it in class the previous day. Later, Jeff and Fred spy Snipe talking to the men who attacked them in the burning house the night before and go into action as Captain America and Bucky again. The two heroes fight the crooks but they escape when the two heroes are surrounded by school children that want their autographs.

Wondering what connection Snipe might have with the crooks, Jeff and Fred pay a visit to Snipe's home. There they meet with his mother and they find out that they are barely scraping by and that Snipe has taken up a job selling perfume bottles for the Tiger Sweet perfume company. Jeff notices a book showing all the addresses that Snipe has sold to and realizes that coincide with the house fires. They rush off to the Tiger Sweet company where Snipe has already made the connection and confronted his employers. Before they can silence Snipe, Captain America and Bucky burst in an another fight breaks out. Things are looking poorly for the two heroes until Snipe uses a burning dart to set off the sprinklers giving Cap and Bucky the edge to beat the gang. After the gang is turned over to the police, Cap shows the authorities that the bottles of perfume sold to the victims were rigged to start fires. The next day in class, Snipe gives an apple to Jeff, who is shocked to find a worm in it.

Recurring Characters

Captain America (Mace), Bucky (Davis), Snipe Goolian, (in flashback) Captain America (Rogers), Bucky (Barnes), Professor Abraham Erskine, Heinz Kruger

Continuity Notes

• Per What If? #4, the appearances of Captain America and Bucky here (other than the flashback in this first story) are attributed to Jeff Mace and Fred Davis.

• So what happened to Steve Rogers and James Barnes the original Captain America and Bucky? As seen in Avengers #4, both went missing in action in 1945 and were presumed dead. What If? #4 establishes that in order to hide this from the American public, the US government enlisted successors to pose as the original Captain America.

• This story has a number of inaccuracies with respect to the past of Steve Rogers and the events of Operation: Rebirth. These items are:

  • This story states that Steve Rogers was a school teacher before being part of Project Rebirth. Marvels Project #4 states that Steve Rogers struggled to get by and worked as dishwasher before trying to join the military.

  • The scientist involved in Project: Rebirth is identified as Professor Reinstein, the same name given to the scientist in Captain America Comics #1. However, his real name is Abraham Erskine. As explained in Captain America #255, Reinstein was a codename to protect the identity of the man behind Operation: Rebirth.

  • This story also suggests that Erskine gave Captain America his codename and that he fled the military after he got his powers. Neither of these facts are true.

  • One could assume that these inaccuracies are due to the fact that it is Jeff Mace and Fred Davis recounting the real Captain America’s origins which, at the time of this story, would have been top secret and therefor might have filled in the true details.

• Lastly, this story states it takes place on February 1, 1946. However, What If? #4 states that Jeff Mace took over as Captain America in July 1948. This is confirmed in multiple editions of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and the Official Index to the Marvel Universe. As such the date of February 1, 1946 should be ignored here.

Pennies From Heaven

The tenement section of New York City is surprised by apparent pennies from heaven that fall from the sky, the story becoming front page news.

Meanwhile, at the Lee School, Jeff Mace teaches his class about medieval weapons showing them swords that he borrowed from collector Joshua Blaine. When two students disrupt class with the change they picked up the street Jeff demands answers and they show him the newspaper story about the pennies from heaven. Jeff finds the story interesting and wonders if they have anything to do with the series of robberies of the wealthy that have also been rampant in the city. Later, Jeff and Fred return the borrowed weapons to Joshua Blaine, who tells them that he has always been interested in the story of Robin Hood. As Jeff and Fred return home to contemplate on the strange events of recent days, miser Peter Pinchtight is counting his money when an arrow with a note on it smashes through his window. The arrow was fired by a man calling himself the Modern Day Robin Hood and demands that Pinchtight turn over his fortune or die. Fearing for his life Pinchtight goes outside and gives his fortune over to Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men.

Spotting this robbery, Jeff and Fred change into Captain America and Bucky and attack. However, they are knocked out by Robin Hood and his men who escape. Coming around, Cap realizes that this modern day Robin Hood must be responsible for the "pennies from heaven" that have been raining down on the tenement district. The next day before class, Jeff and Fred go to the area and sure enough Robin Hood is dropping money from the roof tops again. Changing into Captain America and Bucky the two go up to the roof of the building and confront Robin Hood and his men. This time, the duo are able to subdue them, however as they are brining Robin Hood and his men out, they are confronted by the public who are not impressed that Captain America is arresting men who are doing some good. During the commotion, Robin Hood and his men get away, but Captain America finds one of his arrows and decides to take it to his friend Joshua Blaine to see what he can tell them about it.

Jeff and Fred go to Josuha's house and find it empty and decide to wait for him inside. While they are waiting one of Robin Hood's arrows with a note smashes through the window. Changing into Captain America and Bucky again, the pair fight the crooks but they once more escape. Returning to Joshua's home, they find that Joshua has arrived and found the note. However, Captain America notices that the quiver on the wall is empty and realizes that Joshua is really the Modern Day Robin Hood and knocks him out. Searching his house, the find the Robin Hood costume as well as half the loot that he stole, which he intended to keep for himself, then turn him over to the authorities.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky

The Case of the Borrowed Eyes

Ed Fallon requires eye surgery to replace his damaged eyes. Thanks to organ donation the doctors have procured the eyes that were once owned by famous Indian hypnotist Rajah Swami Sabini. The surgery is a complete success and Ed believes that his vision is better than ever. When he is checking out a girl he suddenly realizes that he has placed her in a hypnotic trance and decides to rob her and take on a career in crime.

After a string of muggings where the victims do not recall what happened the police call in the Human Torch and Toro to investigate. They get a common description of the man who was at every scene and go out on patrol to try and find him. They catch Ed as he is hypnotizing another potential victim and trap him in a fire ring. However, before they can arrest him Ed orders his slave to open a fire hydrant, dousing the heroes in water and allowing him to escape. Checking the scene, the Torch and Toro find a discarded notebook from the General Hospital that is written in Braille and decide to check it out. They learn about Ed Fallon and his recent eye surgery and also learn that he recently moved with no change of address and decide to try and lure the crook out of hiding.

They place a phony report in the newspaper about a large party of the city's wealthiest individuals. Reading about it, Ed decides to use his hypnotic powers to try and rob it. Ed falls into the trap, but when the Torch and Toro reveal themselves he is prepared for them. Dousing them in a fire retarding gas he then hypnotically commands them to get into a trunk and leaves them to suffocate to death. However, the Torch manages to break them out by pulling out a steel rod inside the trunk and use it to pry to the lock open.

Ed meanwhile has come to his girlfriend and explained to her about his new powers and how he has been using them to make himself rich. She is horrified that he would use such a gift in a criminal fashion. Suddenly the apparent voice of the Rajah calls out and condemns Ed for using his hypnotic powers for evil and that he has come to take his eyes back. Ed panics, however this is just a ruse by the Torch who followed Ed and he knocks him out. The Torch then turns Ed over to the police and warns them to be careful of his power.

Recurring Characters

Human Torch, Toro

House of Hallucinations

After class, Jeff Mace is going over the most recent assignments from his students. He notices that Tommy Colman is doing poorly in class and decides to speak with his parents. Jeff and Fred to go the address that the school has on file for Tommy Coleman. The man who answers the door refuses to let them in and tells them that he will talk to Tommy before slamming the door in their face. As Jeff and Fred walk back home they run into Tommy and tell him about what happened. Tommy then confesses that he gave the school the wrong address in order to avoid getting in trouble with his marks. Jeff tells the boy they will deal with things in class tomorrow.

Suspicious as to why the man at the door pretended to be Tommy's father, Jeff and Fred go back to the house and hear cries for help. They change into Captain America and Bucky and sneak into the house. There they witness a man named Amazo and his men stuff a man in a wicker basket. Amazo then stabs knives into the basket. Thinking the man has been murdered, Cap and Bucky attack. They subdue the men, but when Bucky removes the lid from the basket they are shocked to see that the man inside has disappeared. Amazo tells them that he is a master of illusion and that he made the man disappear. Bucky charges at him and at the swing of his cape Amazo also makes it Bucky disappear. When Cap tries to attack Amazo, the illusionist then tosses gas pellets on the ground and seemingly vanishes as well. Cap begins searching the house for the trace of anyone, and is knocked out by one of Amazo's men who was hiding in a suit of armor.

When Cap comes around he finds himself tied to a chair in the basement with Bucky and Jim Markham, the man who Amazo had prisoner who turns out to be a producer. They learn that he cancelled Amazo as a stage act and the magician went mad and captured him. As Amazo explains that he tricked them all into thinking they vanished with a series of trap doors, Cap manages to break free of his bonds and another fight breaks out. When Amazo grabs for a gun, he makes the mistake of grabbing a prop gun that only shoots flowers and is knocked out. Cap and Bucky then make short work of Amazo's men and turn them over to the authorities. The next day at school Tommy Colman promises Jeff that he will do his homework from now on.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky