The Tales of Suspense issues will be Masterworks, as will Cap #100 (my copy has a small tear on the lower left rear cover and I would be afraid of tearing the dangling piece off if I took it out of its mylar). Everything else will be read from the original comics.

Tales of Suspense #59



"Captain America"
Writer: Stan Lee
Art: Jack Kirby (pencils) and Chic Stone (inks)
Cover Date: November 1964

Synopsis
The story opens at Avengers Mansion, as Cap prepares for an evening alone on duty in case of emergency. Jarvis preps him a cup of tea before taking off for the evening, and Steve sits down and starts going through an old scrapbook to pass the hours.

The scene cuts abruptly to a gang of thugs arguing how they can ever get one over on the Avengers. The group's leader, a man called "Bull" believes they should attack Avengers Mansion when Cap is there alone, as he is "nothin' but a glorified acrobat." As if on cue, two of the members of the gang drag Jarvis in, who reveals that Cap is alone at the mansion on this very night; after getting that information and stating their intention to attack the mansion that evening so they can raid the vault and steal the Avengers' secret plans, they let Jarvis go.

Back at the mansion, Steve comes to a picture of Bucky in his scrapbook and is overcome by the memory of Bucky's death. Shortly thereafter, the gang (wearing matching purple suits) attacks, including a member wearing an iron suit. Cap fights them off, but he is struck by a stray bullet and subdued, being tied up and carried off while the gang searches for the vault. They fire up an acetylene torch to try to cut into the vault, but Cap regains consciousness and breaks the ropes on his arms, although his legs remain bound. He bounces around the room, dodging bullets and eventually tricking the man with the torch into burning through the ropes on his legs, setting him completely free.

Using a variety of gymnastic moves, martial arts, and some shield work, Cap takes out the entire team, including the guy in the armored suit, and is left face to face with Bull. Bull charges him and gains the upper hand, but Cap takes him out with a couple of punches. Cap sits among the unconscious gang members and tells them they're lucky none of the other Avengers had been there or else they might have really gotten hurt. He then calls the cops to come pick up the thugs, and the final panel shows Steve lamenting that he is tired, thinking it may be his age that is making him feel soft.

Notable First Appearances: Edwin Jarvis (only referred to as "Jarvis" here - given name is not revealed until Avengers #201 in November 1980)

Continuity Issues:  None

My Thoughts:
It seems like Stan Lee didn't have much of a master plan for Cap at this point, as this was the embodiment of a filler story. After facing off against Namor, the Masters of Evil, and Kang in the regular Avengers book, this is a major step down in terms of challenge for Steve. It makes sense in that it showcases his abilities and determination, but it's not all that exciting after what Cap has already been through since being unfrozen.

There are a couple of things that happen in this story that left me shaking my head.
1. After being captured and hearing the gang's plan to attack the mansion, then being subsequently released, why didn't Jarvis call the mansion to warn Steve that the thugs were on their way? The gang members were in street clothes when they were first introduced, then later changed into their purple suits, so it isn't as though he didn't have time to do it.  I understand that him doing so would have invalidated the entire story, but I have a hard time accepting plot holes (prominent in the Silver Age) that you can drive a convoy of 18-wheelers through.


2. That armor looks surprisingly familiar and also completely out of place. This isn't the Masters of Evil or the Maggia attacking, but rather just a bunch of random street thugs who want to get rich quick. When did they acquire something like that, seeing as Tony Stark only invented his suit about 18 months prior (real-time, not comic book time), and for a bunch of regular guys, where did they get the money for it?

All in all, an OK first solo effort for Cap, but nothing memorable.  

Grade: C

You're entirely welcome, Richard.

EDITED TO ADD: And I agree with you as to the overall mediocrity of this first episode. Great action sequences and little else. Kirby could do this stuff in his sleep. The series doesn't really get going until the origin reboot in #64 (one of my favorite Cap stories ever).

Cei-U!
Information is meant to be shared!

I'll have to concur with the sentiment on how weak Cap's first solo in TOS #59 is. I really don't think that the stories got much better until #63 when the WWII flash backs started

I've only read Silver Age Cap once, but it does all seem to gel, like most of the Marvel series, by early 1965. The Sleeper saga is a mini masterpiece in my book.

Yeah, the problem with the early Captain America stories in TOS is that the major Captain America vs. Zemo plotline is happening in the Avengers. (And it is far more a Captain America story than an Iron Man story or a Thor story.)

Although Avengers started using Giant Man as the main character about the time Cap's solo series started. (That was not a good idea either!)

I enjoyed this issue, though - the only real high point is Kirby's fight scene choreography, but OH MY GOD KIRBY'S FIGHT SCENE CHOREOGRAPHY!!!

And I like the sense of humor, too. The panel with the thugs laid out, draped over the furniture while Cap is talking about how old he is is a highlight.

If only they faced off against both Sabretooth and Thor...