AVENGERS #4: Have No Fear! Captain America Is Here!!

Published: March, 1964

Before ever turning a single page of a comic book, I knew the name Captain America. This name has been with me so long, I can’t recall how I first learned of it. I only know that “Captain America” is what you say when you want to talk about someone who is good and true, honest and honorable, brave and kind, and just about any other admirable adjective you can think of.

If Joe Simon and Jack Kirby had not invented Captain America in the 1940’s, somebody else eventually would have. You put those two words together, and you get Mom, apple pie, and the boy next door.

Only, in this case, the boy next door goes on to be one of the greatest superheroes of all time. So imagine how delighted I was to look at the cover of Avengers #4 and suddenly realize, “Ah! So this is where it all begins.”

Though, of course, this is not where it begins, because Captain America as we know him, was reborn from the ice, a reincarnation of his former glorious self. I don’t know much about the first incarnation of Captain America, except for that general sort of information that almost everyone knows–that he was a product of WWII, devised to raise patriotic sentiments. I also know, because I’m married to a fan of Marvel comics, and because I saw Captain America: The First Avenger, in 2011, that he had a teenaged sidekick named Bucky, who died. I’m sure that first Captain America did all kinds of wonderful things that we really don’t need to examine in tremendous detail. Two words: Captain…America. That’s all we need to know.

LIFE IS BETTER, THE SECOND TIME AROUND
In Avengers #4, we have a second origin story for Captain America. It begins when Sub-Mariner, on his way back from fighting the Avengers, runs across a tribe of Eskimos worshiping a shadowy human form in a block of ice. His pride still wounded from his failure to defeat the Avengers, Namor pitches a fit and smashes the frozen idol to the ground. Then he leaves, never realizing his single, reckless action inadvertently serves as the catalyst for the strengthening of the Avengers.

I love the irony of this plot point! And I especially love that it’s Namor, the Sub-Mariner, ruler of Atlantis, who is responsible for the re-emergence of Captain America. Like the Captain, Sub-Mariner also arrives in the Silver Age of Marvel Comics from a previous era; he was resurrected with help from Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four #4. How appropriate that one classic, near-mythical figure revives another from the same era! In the 2011 film, Captain America: The First Avenger, Sub-Mariner is not a part of the momentous event, and while the narrative of that movie is good, here it misses out on a fine opportunity to paint a fuller, richer picture of the intricacies of the Marvel Universe.

In Avengers #4, the Avengers rescue the shadowy, frozen figure from the depths of the ocean, and as the ice melts away, they discover the shield and the mask, quickly realizing what they’ve discovered.

When Cap revives, after some understandable moments of disorientation over the death of his lost sidekick, Bucky, he eventually suits up and reports for duty.

We’re treated to some “fish out of water” moments (no pun intended), as Cap muses that “the girls are still as lovely as ever,” and expresses delight in television and modern automobiles. But it’s not all just “Gee! How cool is this modern world?” The Avengers have gone missing, and our old pal Rick Jones enters the picture, helping the Captain rescue his new friends.

MEDUSA MADNESS
Seems the Avengers were turned to stone by a stranded alien who only wants to “phone home,” but must resort to defending himself by turning people to stone. In a neat twist, this alien, whose “name would be meaningless to you as earth tongues cannot even pronounce it,” has been the inspiration for the Medusa myth, frightening people with his long scraggly hair before zapping them with his stone-ray gun.

When Sub-Mariner runs into this fellow, he agrees to free his submerged spaceship, if the alien will turn the Avengers to stone. So, that’s what happens. Only, when we finally get the whole story out of You-Cannot-Even-Pronounce-My-Name, Captain America says, “Hey! Turn my friends back, and we’ll free your ship!”

So he does…and they do…only Namor and some undersea warriors crash the party. The expected battle ensues, till The-Alien-Formerly-Known-As-Medusa blasts off in his newly repaired spaceship from the middle of the ocean, causing volcanic waves that scatter the clashing combatants.

Though the gang is not sure if this all goes down in the Plus or Minus Column, one thing everyone agrees on: Captain America is the newest member of the Avengers!

UNCOMFORTABLE
This is all groovy, right? Well, except for maybe a couple of things. First, for a few moments, as the Avengers begin to fight Namor and his men, Captain America hangs back and simply watches, trying to determine “how powerful they really are.” I know he’s got to weigh his options as he begins job-hunting in this new world, but it seems odd that his immediate impulse wasn’t to spring into action.

And what finally causes him to spring into action and start acting like Captain America? When Namor threatens Rick Jones, Cap suddenly exclaims, “The lad is in danger! THIS I will not tolerate!” And the next thing we know, he’s crashing the scene, hell-bent on protecting his new little buddy.

And that’s the other weird thing about this story. First, let me say, I understand that back in the day (the 1940’s “day”) every good superhero had a teenage sidekick. It was a way for young readers to identify with their heroes, and put themselves into the action. I also understand that when Bucky is killed, Cap is understandably upset. And when he’s revived in 1964, it’s all fresh and new to him, as he painfully regrets Bucky’s death, not only missing his pal, but also feeling responsible for his death. On top of having to deal with Futureworld, he hasn’t yet had time to process anything that’s happened.

However…

The depth Of Cap’s devotion to the departed Bucky seems to border on…extreme, and extremely uncomfortable for the reader. Well, for this reader, anyway. Maybe I’m just looking back on this through the cynical eyes of 2014, but some of the emotions Captain America expresses regarding Bucky sound…well, let’s just say it: gay.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I’m not saying anything against gay people; I’m just saying we don’t generally consider our Silver Age superheroes to be anything more or less than Mom, apple pie, and the boy next door. Sexuality (at least in these 1960’s comics) is never part of a superhero’s profile. Unless you consider the flirtatious Wasp–but that’s de rigueur, and done mostly for comedy.

I’m certain Stan never intended to give even the slightest inkling of a hint of a question as to what kind of relationship existed between superhero and sidekick. I know that when he penned lines like Cap thinking, “It would be meaningless without Bucky!” and “If only Bucky were here…if only…” he was simply attempting to convey Cap’s profound grief. It’s our–and by “our,” I mean “my”–jaded sensibilities that add innuendo, where none was intended.

Having said all that, I love this scene:

See? Even teenager Rick Jones knows there’s something not quite right about the way this guy is acting. Not because he’s emitting a homosexual vibe, but because he’s acting like someone who can’t seem to separate himself from his past.

But let’s give Cap a little leeway here, shall we? His “past” took place yesterday. He’s suddenly been transplanted 20 years in the future, where he’s alone (or, if he finds the time to track down anyone he used to know, they’ll either be either dead, or really old, and that’s going to cause yet another shock). Cap is trying to cope with an impossible situation, and if it helps him to pretend that Rick Jones is his old pal Bucky…then, let’s just let him. Right? It’s not hurting anyone, and maybe it makes him feel better.

So, step back, Rick Jones! No head shrinker will be required here. The Captain is made of stern stuff, and he’s already found a terrific support group. I’m sure he’ll bounce back, and quickly be everything we need in a superhero.