CAPTAIN AMERICA #286-289 (1983-1984): Deathlok; 1st Sister Pleasure

One of my all-time favorite covers.

Deathlok may be a cool concept, but he’s rarely written well.  He’s kind of like Ghost Rider: He looks cool, great concept, very difficult to execute.

Luther Manning Clone Deathlok gets a “tortured soul” tone for his character in this arc…

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Looking to be human, he goes back in time to find the original Luther Manning Deathlok, who is trying to prevent the future where Roxxon Corporation owns everything and is evil.  Yeah, it’s basically Terminator 2.

When Manning meets up with Captain America, he’s stunned by seeing a living legend.

Cap learns Luther Clone’s backstory.

They team up to investigate Roxxon, infiltrating the future and the enemy base…

Very cool.

In the end, Cap returns to his timeline, Manning and the Clone are united in a single body and Deathlok becomes a hero to his people in the future.

This story introduces Godwulf, a Christ-looking dude who is basically Deathlok’s version of Microchip, except he’s got his own posse called The Redeemers.

Meanwhile, in the “regular” 616 timeline, Jack Monroe rescues a hot chick who will later become Sister Pleasure.

Issue #289 wraps up loose ends for the first half and the second half has the Assistant Editor’s Month story.

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With Mo Skull.  It could only have been better if there had been Larry Skull and Curly Skull, too.  Bernie, Steve Rogers’ girlfriend (who knows he is Captain America), has a dream where she’s the hero and Steve is the one who is waiting around for her to show up while she has adventures.

Assistant Editor Mike Carlin appears as a Watcher.

In the final panel, Bernie breaks the 4th wall.

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