*(a.k.a. "The Captain America of the 1950s," a.k.a. "The Other Steve Rogers"; this post largely transcribed from George Olshevsky's The Marvel Comics Index v1 #8A).
Captain America and Bucky returned to comics in the middle 1950s when stories of Marvel's original heroes began running in Young Men #24 (Dec 1953). Captain America's own title was revived for a short three issue run, Captaim America Comics #76-78 (May-Sep 1954, the numbering picking up from the last issue of Captain America's Weird Tales, #75 (Feb 1950), which carried no superhero stories at all). In the 1950s stories, Captain America was a teacher at Lee School and Bucky was his ward; the menaces he faced were inspired by the threat of Communism rather than the scourge of Naziism. With the passing of the short 1950s revival, Captain America became once again a character in Marvel's past.
- Young Men #24-28
- Men's Adventures #27-28
- Captain America #76-78
In the last few pages of Captain America #152 (Sep 1972), the Falcon encounters what looked at first to be imposters of Cap and Bucky, but what turned out to be ther Captain America and Bucky of the 1950s. The 1950s Captain America (his name, William Burnside, was not relvealed until years later), as a child was an ardent fan of the hero's World War II exploits. he was grief-stricken at the news that his hero had been killed (in the battle against Baron Zemo; Captain America was, of course, not killed but merely deep-frozen; most of the newspaper accounts of his deathwere suppressed in the interests of national security -- only the irresponsible Daily Bugle failed to comply with the request). After graduating from college, he was able to produce a super-soldier serum of his own by going through some written accounts of German espionage efforts to uncover its formula. (See The Marvels Project #4, Feb 2010).
In 1952, in response to the Korean War, he offered ghis services to the United States Govenrment to be a substitute Captan America. Plastic surgery changed his appearance to resemble the original Stave rogers. But the Korean War ended before he could enter his new role, and the governmnet refused to consider outfitting another Captain America. the ersatz Steve Rogers went to work at the Lee School and met a youngster who was a dead ringer for the original Bucky (Jack Monroe). He and the new bucky injected themselves with the super soldier serum in response to an alert of an attack by the Red Skull, and the Captain America of the 1950s was born.
The government never fully approved of this new Captain America and Bucky, and when the duo decided that "most people who weren't pure-blooded Americans were Commies," that was the last straw. They were declared insane, restrained and eventually placed into cryogenic storage, in a move paralleling closely the then-unknown fate of the real Captain America. Finally, just in time for Captain America #153-156, a disgruntled government worker revived the 1950s heroes and unleashed them on a world gone soft on Communism. Thus it turned out that the hero featured during the 1950s as "Captain America" was not at all the character everyone thought he was, and the paradox caused by portraying Captain America's revival after a twenty year freeze in Avengers #4 was circumvented.
I bought Captain America #153-156 as backissues circa 1976, and Marvel Super-Heroes #20 (which reprinted Young Men #24 in its entirety) shortly thereafter.
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I read the '50s Cap revival stories off the spinner rack in the '70s, but couldn't tell you if I had known beforehand of a '50s Cap. If there were reprints by then, I would have known. If not ... well there wasn't an Internet in 1972.
Marvel Super-Heroes #20 came out three years before Captain America #153-156, so you would have read the reprint of Young Men #24 by then for sure.
I've probably told this story before, but it gives me the opportunity to post this cover before moving on.
Back in the '90s, my brother was sent to attend several days worth of teachers' meeting in Miami. The school distict he worked for required him to stay over a Saturday night to qualify for lower airfare, but the meetings were over on Friday. I worked for TWA at the time, so I flew down on Thursday night to keep him company until his flight home Sunday morning. That scedule left me with noting to do for the half-day of meetings on Friday. I had been a high school teacher before becoming a "mild-mannered analyst for a great metropolitan airline" and probably could have sat in on one or more of the English meetings, but I didn't feel like it, so I took a walk. without even realizing it, I turned onto Biscayne Boulevard, passed the "Torch of Friendship" monument in Bayfront Park and thought to myself, "It's the cover of Captain America #156!"
"Built in 1960, the Torch of Friendship was built to signify the passageway for immigrants coming from Latin America and the Caribbean. The gas fed flame was meant to act as a welcoming beacon for all new and old immigrants to the nation. In 1964 it was re-dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy." How things have changed! I guess this is one monument we don't have to worry about "a certain person" adding his name to.
When I was a junior in high school, I got my first real part-time job. Not only could I get more comics, I started getting back issues...in good condition! Covers and everything!
This being around 1980-81, one of my first goals was to get Captain America #153-156 (1972). I had heard about the story of the 50s Captain America. At the time, they were my oldest issues of Cap, save for #109. Heck, it was the first time I saw the Falcon with no wings!
As I've said, in Giant-Size Avengers #1 (1974), the Whizzer realizes that the Captain America he fought beside with in the All Winners Squad was not the original but supposedly the 50s replacement Cap.
Everything in that sentance was retconned away with What If? #4 (1977).
But they still never explained why Steve Rogers was never told about his successors!
A couple of years after I got those four issues, the Bucky of the 1950's returned in Captain America #281 (1983), finally got a real name, Jack Monroe then became the third Nomad!
But they still never explained why Steve Rogers was never told about his successors!
Mark Waid finally got around to it in Captain America: Man Out of Time #3.
In this retelling of Cap's early days "post-thaw," Cap is taken to the "Captain America" exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution where he learns the history of William Naslund and Jeff Mace, which came to light "during the ever-cynical '80s." (He will learn more about William Burnside at a later date.)
After his defeat at the "Torch of Friendship" monument in Miami, William Burnside was taken to "a certain mental institution in the Catskills" run by Dr. Faustus as a front for The Corporation. there, Faustus twisted his personality even further, transforming him into the Grand Director of the National Force. When confronted by Captain America, the "Grand Director" attempts suicide by self-immolation.
At the time, I was really hoping this was the end of Burnside, because I thought the worst thing Marvel could do was besmirch Captain America. To me, the symbolism -- as established by Steve Englehart -- defines the character. Politicians can make me ashamed of my country's government, its policies and its actions, but I can never be ashamed of my country's founding ideals. Captain America embodies that distinction. Take that away, and he's just another costumed acrobat. So, naturally, not only is Burnside still alive (sorry, spoiler), but they created Hydra Cap. I adamantly refuse to read "Secret Empire," and when it's brought up in current comics, I just bleep over it. IT. DID. NOT. HAPPEN.
They have killed the '50s Bucky/Nomad, Jack Monroe. At least for now! Are you covering him, too?
Is Rick Jones still dead? He was killed in The Story That Cannot Be Named, but I can't believe that will last.
At the time, I was really hoping this was the end of Burnside, because I thought the worst thing Marvel could do was besmirch Captain America.
I do not (and did not) disagree.
To me, the symbolism -- as established by Steve Englehart -- defines the character.
STEVE ENGLEHART (from his introduction to MMW Captain America v7): "But y'know, that flag could also stand for American ideals... the part of America that most Americans believe in. It wouldn't then matter that the America reality had gone wrong. whatever the people in the current America were doing, the spirit of America was something special, and it transcended the current one."
Off topic, but here's something else from that introduction that kind of blew me away: "So Roy said to me the words I've probably quoted in half the interviews I've ever done: 'We have no time for extensive edits. If you can make it sell and turn it in on time, you can keep doing it. If you can't, we'll fire you and find someone who can.' These days, I find, many people cannot grasp the concept of Marvel just handing me Captain America and letting me do whatever I wanted with it. These days, that would not happen. But in those days, it was standard operating procedure. A guy with three bi-mopnthly super-hero stories to his name was given total control over Captain Freaking America, told it was probably a suicide mission. and let loose upon the world, monthly."
So, naturally, not only is Burnside still alive (sorry, spoiler), but they created Hydra Cap.
I kinda spoiled it myself already when I said he attempted suicide. At the time (and for many years to come), he was dead, dead, DEAD.
I adamantly refuse to read "Secret Empire," and when it's brought up in current comics, I just bleep over it. IT. DID. NOT. HAPPEN.
Please do me a favor and do not ever read it. I did read it and I must admit I was was swept up into the narrative. I still maintain that it was extremely well-written, but, IMO, Nick Spencer wrote himself into a hole he ultimately could not extract himself from. Soon after that, Marvel hired to Mark Waid and Chris Samnee to dig Cap out, but Marvel has since distanced themselves from Spencer's run: "An evil version of Captain America led the world to the brink of destruction. The original Captain America returned in time to stop him, but the dark legacy of the Secret Empire lingers on--a truth felt by no one more than Steve rogers himself."
That is NOT what happened!
Incidentally, a hardcover of the Waid/Samnee version was released just last week. I didn't pre-order it, but I did pull that run out of the box for a re-read.
They have killed the '50s Bucky/Nomad, Jack Monroe. At least for now! Are you covering him, too?
That is not my intention, at least not directly. This story establishes that the '50s Cap, under Faustus' control, killed the '50s Bucky as a kind of "final exam." But, as Philip has already pointed out, J.M. DeMatties brought him back in Captain America #281.
Is Rick Jones still dead?
I don't know, but until you mentioned it I had purged it from my mind.
The still-unnamed "Captain America of the 1950s" also appears in Captain America Annual #6, a story which bridges time and relative dimensions in space to bring together "The Four (at the time) Captains." William Naslund was taken from June, 1945; Willaim Burnside from July, 1954; and Steve Rogers from August, 1982. Jeff Mace, also from 1982, is working with Mister Buda, revealed in this story to be an Elder of the Universe. The story written by J.M. DeMatteis, but because he is credited as "scripter," I suspect editor Mark Gruenwald had a hand in the plot. It is drawn in lackluster fashion by Ron Wilson and Vince Colletta, but Wilson is credited only with "pencil breakdowns" and Colletta with "finsihed art."
When Mister Buda snatched Naslund and Burnside from their respective eras, he inadvertantly (?) created an alternate timeline in which Adam II (from What If...? #4), becaomes the dictator of Earth. Here's what DeMayyeis had to say about the annual in his introduction to MMW Captain America v16: "There are a few other stories in this volume that bear mentioning: One is a Cap Annual I wrote that was illustrated, with Kirbyesque dynamisn, by ron Wilson. It featured every man who'd ever worn the Captain America uniform. More important (to me, anyway), it brough back one of my favorite Kirby characters, the enigmatic cosmic entity known as Mr. Buda."
But, as Philip has already pointed out, J.M. DeMatties brought him back in Captain America #281.
And then Ed Brubaker made him burn down, fall over and sink into the swamp!
But the next Bucky stayed!
The funny thing about the return of the 50s Bucky/Jack Monroe was that there was no foreshadowing or build-up, IIRC. Steve Rogers opened his door and there was an adult Bucky standing in front of him! Having been through this same scenario several times with doubles and robots, Steve snaps and attacks only to learn that Jack was never killed but he is better and looking for his place in the modern world!
Cap agrees to help him and the two go on patrol together with Jack wearing an adult-size Bucky costume! Where did that come from? Was it Jack's? Or was it just hanging in Steve's closet in case Rick Jones came for a visit. By this time Rick Jones was out of Cap's life longer that Cap and Bucky were partners.
Cap gets captured by the Viper II aka Madame HYDRA and "Bucky" gets left behind. Later, Nick Fury figures that since Viper was defeated by Nomad who was Cap, maybe someone else dressed as Nomad could distract her. Deciding that Jasper Sitwell was too skinny and Pinky Pinkerton too old, he had Jack cosplay as Nomad, the Man Without a Country (or a Future).
The bizarre thing is that the "New" Nomad (or Nomad III for those keeping track at home) looks NOTHING like the old one! Steve has blonde hair, Jack has brown and their costumes are different with Jack's being a lighter shade of blue with a short yellow cape that the original never had! There is no way that Viper would think that they are the same Nomad!
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