User:Morgan695/sandbox5: Difference between revisions

{{distinguish|The Death of Captain America}}

{{suppress categories|{{Infobox comics story arc <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->

| title = The Strange Death of Captain America

| image = CaptainAmerica113.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Cover of ''[[Captain America (comic book)|Captain America]]'' #113

| alt =

| publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]

| date =

| startmo = February

| startyr = 1969

| endmo = May

| endyr = 1969

| genre = [[Superhero comics|Superhero]]

| titles = ''[[Captain America (comic book)|Captain America]]'' #110, 111, 113

| main_char_team = {{ubl|[[Captain America]]|[[Viper (Madame Hydra)|Madame Hydra]]|[[Rick Jones (character)|Rick Jones]]}}

| writers = [[Jim Steranko]]

| artists = Jim Steranko

| pencillers =

| inkers = {{ubl|[[Joe Sinnott]] (#110, 111)|[[Tom Palmer (comics)|Tom Palmer]] (#113)}}

| letterers = {{ubl|[[Sam Rosen (comics)|Sam Rosen]] (#110, 111)|[[Artie Simek]] (#113)}}

| editors = [[Stan Lee]]

| colorists =

| CEheader =

| TPB =

| ISBN =

| TPB# =

| ISBN# =

| cat =

| cat+# =

| sortkey = {{PAGENAME}}

| self-titled = y

| nonUS =

}}}}

"'''The Strange Death of Captain America'''" is a 1969 [[story arc]] written and illustrated by [[Jim Steranko]] that ran in ''[[Captain America (comic book)|Captain America]]'', an [[American comic book]] series published by [[Marvel Comics]]. The story follows [[Captain America]] as he struggles with his lack of a [[secret identity]], while taking on [[Rick Jones (character)|Rick Jones]] as his new [[sidekick]] and fending off the fascistic terrorist group [[Hydra (comics)|Hydra]] under the leadership of [[Viper (Madame Hydra)|Madame Hydra]].

Steranko had developed a profile as a popular illustrator and comic book artist on the basis of his avant-garde art style, influenced by [[op art]] and artists associated with the [[surrealist]] movement. In developing his run on ''Captain America'', Steranko sought to reestablish to the World War II-era story formulas that had first made the character a pop culture icon, and incorporate a cinematic aesthetic characterized by its use of answering shots, pan and tracking sequences, dramatic lighting, and reaction inserts.

"The Strange Death of Captain America" has been acclaimed by comics critics and creators. Despite its brevity – "The Strange Death of Captain America" is a total of three issues – it is regarded as highly influential in the editorial history of Captain America, with scholars considering the run as marking a transitional point from the character's origins as a patriotic wartime hero to one that was responsive to the changing political realities of the post-war era.

==Plot==

At [[Avengers Mansion]] in New York City, the [[Hulk]]'s sidekick [[Rick Jones (character)|Rick Jones]] finds the uniform of [[Bucky Barnes]], the deceased sidekick of [[Captain America]]. Jones dons the uniform and asks Captain America to make him his new sidekick, a request he rejects. Suddenly, they are alerted that the fascistic terrorist group [[Hydra (comics)|Hydra]] is attacking the city's water's supply. Captain America defeats the Hydra henchmen with assistance from Jones, and he agrees to take Jones on as his new partner.

Later, Captain America is ambushed by Hydra assassins under the command of [[Viper (Madame Hydra)|Madame Hydra]] while in the guise of Steve Rogers, his civilian identity; he reflects on how his lack of a [[secret identity]] exposes himself and his companions to danger. Shortly thereafter, Jones experiences a violent psychedelic hallucination after he picks up a letter from Hydra laced with a psychoactive gas intended for Captain America. In a confrontation between Captain America, Jones, and Hydra, Captain America is shot and falls into a river; only his shirt and a mask with Steve Rogers' facial features, both riddled with bullet holes, are recovered.

The revelation that Captain America is dead and that "Steve Rogers" was a false identity become public. A funeral held by the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]] is attacked by Hydra, though Captain America suddenly appears to join the fight; in the ensuing conflict, Hydra is beaten back and Madame Hydra is killed. Captain America privately reveals to the Avengers that he is Steve Rogers, that his death was a ruse, and that as Captain America has returned while the public believes Steve Rogers to be dead, he once again has a secret identity.

==Development==

===Context===

[[File:10.12.12JimSterankoByLuigiNovi1.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Jim Steranko]] in 2012]]

''[[Captain America (comic book)|Captain America]]'' was revived as a standalone ongoing comic book in 1968, following a five-year period in which stories starring the title character were published in the anthology series ''[[Strange Tales]]''.<ref name="13thDimension"/> The revival was initially written and edited by [[Stan Lee]] with art by Captain America co-creator [[Jack Kirby]], both of whom had authored stories featuring the character dating back to the 1940s.<ref name="13thDimension"/> Many of the comics in Lee and Kirby's revivial of ''Captain America'' were referential to the character's roots as a patriotic wartime superhero; stories featured, for example, an [[Adolf Hitler]] impersonator and the Nazi villain [[Red Skull]] as antagonists.<ref name="13thDimension"/><ref name="CBRLookBack"/>

[[Jim Steranko]] began working for Marvel in the late 1960s, after previously working at [[Harvey Comics]] as writer and illustrator for the comic ''[[Spyman]]'' under editor and Captain America co-creator [[Joe Simon]]. His first work at Marvel was as inker for the ongoing feature "[[Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature)|Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]" in the anthology ''[[Strange Tales]]'', which was also illustrated by Kirby; Steranko would later assume Kirby's role as illustrator for the series.{{sfn|Hayton|Albright|2009|p=19}} By the time his run on ''Captain America'' began in 1969, Steranko had already achieved a high degree of acclaim and notability for his avant-garde art style, which draws inspiration from [[op art]] and artists associated with the [[surrealist]] movement such as [[Salvador Dalí]].{{sfn|Hayton|Albright|2009|p=19}}

===Production===

[[File:Test.jpg|right|200px|thumb|An excerpt of Rick Jones' hallucination in ''Captain America'' #111, showcasing Steranko's signature [[surrealist]] and [[op art]]-influenced style]]

After publishing ''Captain America'' #109, which features a retelling of Captain America's [[origin story]], Kirby departed as the regular artist for the series.{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxv}} Steranko requested and was given authorship of ''Captain America'' by Lee in part to resolve a dispute between the two: Steranko had quit "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." after Lee placed a [[fill-in]] issue in the middle of Steranko's run that Steranko felt had broken the series' continuity.{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=348}} Comics scholar [[Ben Saunders (professor)|Ben Saunders]] notes how Steranko's run on "Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." had elevated [[Nick Fury]] from a "second-tier strip into a fan favourite", and that Lee "clearly hoped that Steranko would bring a fresh feel to Captain America’s adventures, too".{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvi}}

Steranko sought to reestablish what he saw as "the formula that had made [Captain America] a cultural icon".{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=348}} To this end, he had three primary goals for his run: the first was to reestablish Captain America's secret identity, following his unmasking in ''Captain America'' #105 (1968). Steranko felt this decision had diminished "the universal mystique once surrounding" the character, and made him "something less than the quintessential symbol of patriotism".{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=349}} He also sought to resolve the character's ongoing guilt over the death of his wartime sidekick [[Bucky Barnes]], and to introduce new villians who were more contemporary than the Nazi adversaries the character continued to face.{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=349}} The former was resolved through the introduction of Rick Jones as the new Bucky – that the new Bucky would be Jones was a directive from Lee, according to Steranko<ref name="GCD110"/> – while the former was resolved through the addition of Hydra, who Steranko had previously used as villains in "Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=349}}

In developing the artwork for his run, Steranko felt that the "zap art style" he had used for "Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." was inappropriate for Captain America, and instead sought "an approach more expressive and sophisticated, more worthy of his historical eminence".{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=349}} To this end, he sought to use a cinematic aesthetic characterized by its use of answering shots, pan and tracking sequences, dramatic lighting, and reaction inserts.{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=349}} Steranko's art in general highly referential, to both comics and other media: the climax of "The Strange Death of Captain America" is a reference to "Spy Ambush" from ''[[Captain America Comics]]'' #10 (1942),<ref name="CBRLookBack"/><ref name="GCD113"/> while Rick Jones' hallucination is influenced by [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s 1945 film ''[[Spellbound (1945 film)|Spellbound]]''.{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=351}} Steranko used actor [[Burt Lancaster]] as reference for both the visual appearance and personality of Steve Rogers,<ref name="EW"/> drawing the character as "a living powerhouse" by "layering muscle on top of muscle" to achieve an effect that was "realistic, yet of ultrahuman proportion".{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=351}} Steranko also designed a new logo for the ongoing ''Captain America'' comic book.<ref name="13thDimension"/>

Beyond Steranko, creative staff for "The Strange Death of Captain America" included [[Joe Sinnott]] and [[Tom Palmer (comics)|Tom Palmer]] as inkers, and [[Sam Rosen (comics)|Sam Rosen]] and [[Artie Simek]] as letterers.<ref name="CBRLookBack"/> The centerspread in the run's final issue was penciled, inked, lettered, and colored by Steranko, and was the first time that Marvel had published a page that had been fully illustrated and formatted by a single individual.{{sfn|Steranko|2022|p=351}}

Credit for authorship of "The Strange Death of Captain America" has been the subject of dispute. According to the [[Grand Comics Database]], Steranko stated in a 1970 interview published in ''[[Fantastic Fanzine]]'' that he plotted the issues while the dialogue was written by Lee.<ref name="GCD110"/><ref name="GCD113"/> Steranko has subsequently downplayed Lee's involvement and expressed frustration over not receiving full authorship credit for "The Strange Death of Captain America", as this has impacted his royalty payments for reprints of the story arc. Brian Cronin of ''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' notes that Lee is not credited as a writer of any of the issues in Steranko's run, and that Steranko has stated that he was paid a full writing credit for his issues of ''Captain America''; Cronin hypothesized that Lee's direct role in the story was likely limited to dialogue adjustments. In 2015, Steranko stated in a post on [[Twitter]] that Marvel was now crediting him as the sole author of "The Strange Death of Captain America".<ref name="CBRDispute"/>

===Release===

"The Strange Death of Captain America" was originally published in ''Captain America'' issues #110 (February 1969), #111 (March 1969), and #113 (May 1969).<ref name="CBRLookBack"/>{{efn|''Captain America'' #112 was a [[fill-in]] issue written by Lee and illustrated by Kirby.<ref name="CBRLookBack"/>}} The series has been anthologized several times, notably as a ''[[Marvel Masterworks]]'' edition published in 2006,<ref>{{cite web |title=Marvel Masterworks: Captain America Vol. 3 (Hardcover) |url=https://www.marvel.com/comics/collection/4452/marvel_masterworks_captain_america_vol_3_hardcover |website=[[Marvel Comics]] |access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref> and as part of the Captain America volume of the [[Penguin Classics|Penguin Classics Marvel Collection]] published in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Captain America |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/639741/captain-america-by-jack-kirby-joe-simon-stan-lee-jim-steranko-and-john-romita-sr-foreword-by-gene-luen-yang-introduction-by-ben-saunders-series-editor-ben-saunders/ |website=[[Penguin Random House]] |access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref>

==Reception==

===Critical response===

"The Strange Death of Captain America" has been acclaimed by comics critics and creators. In its commemoration of the run's fiftieth anniversary, the [[ArtCenter College of Design]] wrote that "many still consider [it] the greatest Captain America story ever told, for both its story and its art" and noted its reputation as "a tour-de-force of [Steranko's] verbal and visual storytelling skills and talents that branded him the [[Jimi Hendrix]] of Comics".<ref name="ArtCenter"/> Writer [[Ed Brubaker]] cited Steranko's run as an influence on [[Captain America (vol. 5)|his own run of ''Captain America'']], particularly his storyline "[[The Winter Soldier (story arc)|The Winter Soldier]]".<ref name="AVClub">{{cite web |last=Sava |first=Oliver |title=Interview: Ed Brubaker |url=https://www.avclub.com/ed-brubaker-1798226673 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103053406/https://www.avclub.com/ed-brubaker-1798226673 |archive-date=November 3, 2019 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |access-date=November 22, 2023 |date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

On its list of "The Ten Essential Captain America Stories", ''[[Comics Alliance]]'' ranked "The Strange Death of Captain America" first, commending its "psychedelic visuals" and calling its two-page spread artwork "some of the greatest in comics history".<ref name="CA"/> ''[[Screenrant]]'' listed Steranko's run second on its list of the "10 Best Captain America Runs of All Time", describing it as containing "perhaps the most important comics in Cap's history" and offering praise for its "vivid, boundary-breaking style, with inventive layouts and pop-art psychedelia".<ref name="ScreenRant"/>

===Legacy===

<!---{{Quote box

|quote = "Steranko's work [...] was the the last serious effort to revive the World War II formula that first established the character as a national icon–the last attempt to present Captain America as an uncomplicated symbol of the American fighting spirit [...] The fact that this emblematic approach was almost immediately abandoned again after Sterenko's departure reflects less upon the artist than it does upon the historical transformation of American society in the years since the war."

|author = – [[Ben Saunders (professor)|Ben Saunders]]{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvii}}

|width = 30%

|border = none

}}--->

Lee would ultimately not maintain many of the changes introduced to ''Captain America'' by Steranko: Rick Jones departed Captain America to join up with [[Captain Mar-Vell]] in ''Captain Marvel'' #17 (October 1969), and Marvel's first African-American superhero [[Falcon (comics)|Falcon]] was introduced as Captain America's new sidekick shortly thereafter.{{sfn|Saunders|2022|pp=xxxvi–xxxvii}} Madame Hydra would be revived in ''Captain America'' #180 (December 1974) with the new name "Viper",<ref name="GCD113"/> and Captain America's questioning of his place in the world as a 'man out of time' would remain as a recurring plot and thematic element of the series.{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvi}}

Despite these reversals and the general brevity of Steranko's run, "The Strange Death of Captain America" is nevertheless regarded as highly influential in the editorial history of Captain America.<ref name="CBRLookBack"/><ref name="13thDimension"/> Comics scholar [[Ben Saunders (professor)|Ben Saunders]] writes that despite its contemporary visuals, the run was "an essentially nostalgic approach to the character and concept",{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvi}} representing "the last serious effort to revive the World War II formula that first established the character as a national icon–the last attempt to present Captain America as an uncomplicated symbol of the American fighting spirit, without qualms or misgivings, and mercifully free of psychological trauma".{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvii}} He writes that the ultimate abandonment of this formula "reflects less upon [Steranko] than it does upon the historical transformation of American society in the years since the war",{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvii}} and that immediate changes such as the introduction of Falcon were a "recognition that American society was continuing to evolve, and that Captain America needed to evolve with it, if he hoped to survive".{{sfn|Saunders|2022|p=xxxvii}}

Comics scholars Christopher Hayton and David Albright similarly write that "The Strange Death of Captain America" was influential as "a time of transition and uncertainty" for Captain America, as the character moved from his origins as a patriotic wartime hero to one who represented "the dichotomy that was developing in public consciousness between American ideals and American practice".{{sfn|Hayton|Albright|2009|p=19}} Subsequent Captain America stories, such as "[[Secret Empire (1974 comic)|Secret Empire]]" (1974), would address this dichotomy directly.{{sfn|Hayton|Albright|2009|p=20}}

==Notes==

{{notelist}}

==References==

{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="13thDimension">{{cite web |last1=DiBello |first1=John |title=Jim Steranko: Three Issues of Captain America and the Truth |url=https://13thdimension.com/jim-steranko-three-issues-of-captain-america-and-the-truth/ |website=13th Dimension |access-date=April 15, 2024 |date=April 3, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="ArtCenter">{{cite web |title=Jim Steranko's Captain America: A 50th Anniversary Celebration |url=https://www.artcenter.edu/connect/events/jim-sterankos-captain-america-a-50th-anniversary-celebration.html |website=[[ArtCenter College of Design]] |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref>

<ref name="CA">{{cite web |last1=Cereno |first1=Benito |title=Reading List: The Ten Essential Captain America Stories |url=https://comicsalliance.com/ten-essential-captain-america-stories/ |website=[[Comics Alliance]] |access-date=April 15, 2024 |date=March 29, 2017}}</ref>

<ref name="CBRDispute">{{cite web |last1=Cronin |first1=Brian |title=Comic Legends: Who Really Scripted Jim Steranko's Captain America? |url=https://www.cbr.com/captain-america-jim-sterano-stan-lee-scripting/ |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |access-date=April 15, 2024 |date=March 16, 2019}}</ref>

<ref name="CBRLookBack">{{cite web |last1=Cronin |first1=Brian |title=Look Back: Jim Steranko's Captain America Has An Explosive Finale! |url=https://www.cbr.com/captain-america-jim-steranko-finale/ |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |access-date=April 15, 2024 |date=February 21, 2019}}</ref>

<ref name="EW">{{cite web |last1=Labrecque |first1=Jeff |title=The Infinitely Incredible, Impossible Life of Jim Steranko |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/07/31/infinitely-incredible-impossible-life-jim-steranko/ |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=April 11, 2024 |date=July 31, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="GCD110">{{cite web |title=Captain America #111 |url=https://www.comics.org/issue/22590/ |website=[[Grand Comics Database]] |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref>

<ref name="GCD113">{{cite web |title=Captain America #113 |url=https://www.comics.org/issue/22718/ |website=[[Grand Comics Database]] |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref>

<ref name="ScreenRant">{{cite web |last1=Cabaniss |first1=Nathan |title=10 Best Captain America Runs of All Time |url=https://screenrant.com/best-captain-america-runs-all-time-marvel-comics/ |website=[[ScreenRant]] |access-date=April 15, 2024 |date=May 3, 2023}}</ref>

}}

===Bibliography===

{{refbegin}}

*{{cite book |last1=Kirby |first1=Jack |last2=Simon |first2=Joe |last3=Lee |first3=Stan |last4=Romita Sr. |first4=John |editor1-last=Saunders |editor1-first=Ben |author1-link=Jack Kirby |author2-link=Joe Simon |author3-link=Stan Lee |author4-link=John Romita Sr. |title=Captain America: Penguin Classics Marvel Collection |date=2022 |publisher=[[Penguin Random House]] |isbn=978-0143135746|ref=none}}

**{{cite book |last1=Saunders |first1=Ben |pages=xxiii–xxxvii |chapter=Volume Introduction |title=Captain America: Classics Marvel Collection |date=2022}}

**{{cite book |last1=Steranko |first1=Jim |pages=348–351 |chapter=Afterword by Jim Steranko |title=Captain America: Classics Marvel Collection |date=2022}}

*{{cite book |last1=Steranko |first1=Jim |author1-link= |title=[[The Steranko History of Comics|The Steranko History of Comics, Vol 1]] |date=1970 |publisher=Supergraphics}}

*{{cite book |editor1-last=Weiner |editor1-first=Robert |title=Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero: Critical Essays |url=https://archive.org/details/captainamericast00wein |url-access=limited |date=2009 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-0786437030|ref=none}}

**{{cite book |last1=Hayton |first1=Christopher J.|last2=Albright |first2=David L. |pages=15–23 |chapter=O Captain! My Captain! |editor1-last=Weiner |editor1-first=Robert |title=Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero: Critical Essays |date=2009 }}

{{refend}}

==Further reading==

* {{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Alan |title=Captain America #110|url=https://50yearoldcomics.com/2018/11/04/captain-america-110-february-1969/ |website=Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books |date=November 4, 2018}}

* {{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Alan |title=Captain America #113 |url=https://50yearoldcomics.com/2019/02/03/captain-america-113-may-1969/ |website=Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books |date=February 3, 2019}}