Captain America Collector's Edition

(1981)

About This Book... (Table of Contents: 1)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Briefly discusses Jim Steranko's comic-book career.

No Longer Alone! (Table of Contents: 2)

Captain America / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script

Jim Steranko (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils

Jim Steranko

Inks

Joe Sinnott

Colors

Jim Steranko

Letters

Sam Rosen

Editing

Stan Lee (original editor)

Genre

superhero

Characters

Captain America [Steve Rogers]; The Hulk [Bruce Banner]; Rick Jones; HYDRA; Madame Hydra

Synopsis

Cap confronts the Hulk on a rampage in NYC. As the Army tries to stop him Rick Jones warns him how uncontrollable he can be. The Hulk escapes, and Cap vows Rick must never put himself in danger until the monster can be tamed. Back at Avengers Mansion, Rick finds Bucky Barnes' old uniform and rejects Cap's protests against wearing it. After putting him off for years Cap finally accepts Rick officially as his new partner. The two uncover a plot by HYDRA to contaminate the city's water supply and Rick survives his baptism of fire.

Reprints

• from Captain America (Marvel, 1968 series) #110 (February 1969)

Indexer Notes

Part 1 of 3. 1st appearance of Madame Hydra. James Bond had faced a "Madame Spectra" in the 007 newspaper strip story "The Spy Who Loved Me" in THE DAILY EXPRESS (December 18, 1967-October 3, 1968); see JAMES BOND 007 #[7] (Titan Books, August 2005).

HYDRA's last appearance was in STRANGE TALES #159 (July 1967); its subsidiary, A.I.M., had effectively split off to become a separate organization and continued to crop up in the Nick Fury, Captain America & Iron Man series. Cap had first asked Rick to be his partner in THE AVENGERS #4 (March 1964) but hesitated due to the danger he would put the teenager in. The sequence in the sewers is strikingly similar to the one in "Spy Ambush" in CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #10 (January 1942). The Spirit had also once faced a female villain who planned to poison NYC's water supply in an early story.

Tomorrow You Live Tonight I Die! (Table of Contents: 3)

Captain America / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script

Jim Steranko (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils

Jim Steranko

Inks

Joe Sinnott

Colors

Jim Steranko

Letters

Sam Rosen

Editing

Stan Lee (original editor)

Genre

superhero

Characters

Captain America [Steve Rogers]; HYDRA; Madame Hydra; Rick Jones; Man-Killer (HYDRA robot)

Synopsis

Cap is ambushed by HYDRA assassins at the command of Madame Hydra. The mission fails and later Rick Jones joins Cap in a training session. Alone, Rick picks up a message meant for Cap that causes him to hallucinate. Abducted by Hydra Cap searches for Rick and is attacked by a Hydra robot. Rick escapes & tries to warn Cap, who realizes he could make a good partner. Cap appears to leap from a rooftop into the river through a barrage of HYDRA gunfire. The police only find his costume and a mask with the facial features of Steve Rogers, suggesting "Rogers" was a fake identity.

Reprints

• from Captain America (Marvel, 1968 series) #111 (March 1969)

Indexer Notes

Part 2 of 3. Page 9 contains Steranko's 2nd tribute to Salvador Dali (following the cover of NICK FURY #7). The Spectro-Ray, which reveals no hidden weapons on Rick, is similar to the effect used by Infinata in the 1968 ROCKET ROBIN HOOD cartoon "Revolt In The Fifth Dimension" (and its 1969 SPIDER-MAN cartoon remake). One of the kidnappers on page 11 bears a striking resemblance to Stan Lee.

the strange death of captain america (Table of Contents: 4)

Captain America / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script

Jim Steranko (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)

Pencils

Jim Steranko

Inks

Tom Palmer

Colors

Jim Steranko

Letters

Artie Simek

Editing

Stan Lee (original editor)

Genre

superhero

Characters

Madame Hydra; HYDRA; Rick Jones; Vision; Black Panther [T'Challa]; Iron Man [Tony Stark]; Hawkeye [Clint Barton]; Thor [Dr. Don Blake]; Nick Fury; Sharon Carter; Jasper Sitwell (cameo); Dum Dum Dugan (cameo); Gabe Jones (cameo); Captain America [Steve Rogers]

Synopsis

The news reports Cap's death, and that "Steve Rogers" was a fake identity. A flashback reveals Madam Hydra's past and her rise to power as Supreme Hydra following the death of Baron Strucker. The Avengers, Nick Fury, Sharon Carter and several SHIELD men hold a wake, but are gassed by HYDRA agents. Rick follows to the cemetery and is almost caught himself when Cap suddenly appears on a motorcycle, very much alive. A battle follows, ending when a set of missiles miss their target and kill Madame Hydra. Cap reveals he faked his own death in order to once again have a secret identity.

Reprints

• from Captain America (Marvel, 1968 series) #113 (May 1969)

Indexer Notes

Part 3 of 3. The climax of this story in part pays tribute to "Spy Ambush" from CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #10 (January 1942). Nick Fury presumably appears between NICK FURY #11-12. HYDRA would finally return to battle SHIELD this month in NICK FURY #12 (May 1969). After all the effort to get Cap & Rick together as a regular team, it would prove short-lived, as Roy Thomas & Gil Kane wound up teaming Rick with Captain Mar-Vell in CAPTAIN MARVEL #17 (October 1969).

Following the cancellation of NICK FURY, Nick, SHIELD & HYDRA became recurring elements in the CAPTAIN AMERICA series. In the wake of Baron Strucker's demise, most HYDRA stories beginning with this one involve regional factions rather than one big, centralized organization. Although she appeared to have been killed at the end of this episode, Madame Hydra would return-- renaming herself "The Viper"-- in CAPTAIN AMERICA #180 (December 1974).

The Way It Was... (Table of Contents: 5)

Captain America / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Jim Steranko

Inks

Jim Steranko

Colors

Jim Steranko

Letters

typeset

Genre

superhero

Characters

Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Hulk [Bruce Banner]; Rick Jones; HYDRA; Madame Hydra; Man-Killer (robot)

Reprints

• from Captain America (Marvel, 1968 series) #110 (February 1969), #111 (March 1969), #113 (May 1969)

Indexer Notes

All 3 covers reproduced on 1 page.

Captain America Collector's Edition (Table of Contents: 6)

Captain America / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils

Jim Steranko

Inks

Jim Steranko

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Steranko

Genre

superhero

Characters

Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Rick Jones; HYDRA; Madame Hydra; Man-Killer (robot)

Reprints

• from Captain America (Marvel, 1968 series) #111 (March 1969) [minus "pinwheel" design]

Indexer Notes

Same as front cover.