Look at that splash page. Is there a better way to begin a new run on a series with a standard-bearing character?
Than to have him running?
Stern and Byrne get their run started with an introspective issue about Cap’s past, in which they undo all the crap that happened over the past two years to rewrite his origin to the point where the character made no sense.
In other words, they try to re-ground him in the best parts of his past exploits, and shed the rest. They do it by saying it was all false implanted memories, and he discovers the truth through his own written word.
Meanwhile, Baron Strucker escapes SHIELD custody and goes after him. He seems to go after Cap immediately until…
It was never Strucker in the first place.
The robot Strucker was built by Machinesmith, who will become a more developed threat throughout this run. We see him in the issue’s final panel and in the background are robots foreshadowing future stories.
Such a perfect comic.
And finally, they pay tribute to artist Sal Buscema with graffiti on a wall.
Roger and John’s run on Cap is one of the top 10 Roger Stern comics of all time. On the letter page, Stern offers his views on the hero.
