AVENGERS '58 #4

1958. Communists, aliens, terrorists. As the nation faced these many dangers, President Eisenhower brought together the greatest heroes of the day.

Marvel Boy - Super-powered youth armed with Uranian science
Venus - The goddess of love
3-D Man - The triple-powered protector
Gorilla Man - A human mind in the body of a beast
Human Robot - The mechanical marvel

Together, they protect America from the threats of this world and of others.

Bob Gansler presents: AVENGERS ‘58

In the director's office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover waited with eager anticipation. His secretary had informed him that Professor Sinkowitz would be bringing over the Bureau's two 'guests'. As Sinkowitz had promised, the cryogenic manipulation had apparently been successful.

The intercom buzzed again. The secretary, a blonde-haired beauty named Mary Mitchell, said that Sinkowitz had arrived. "Send them in," Hoover replied. He rose from his chair and waited for the trio to arrive.

Knocking first, Professor Will Sinkowitz (sometimes known as the Cold Warrior) entered the office. He smiled at Hoover and then made the introduction. "Mr. Hoover, may I present two of the greatest heroes this nation as ever known. Mr. Hoover, I give you ... Captain America and Bucky!"

Dressed in the legendary costumes of the original patriotic mystery-men, two figures entered the room. Captain America, the watchful eye would notice, wore a costume that was slightly different than the traditional. The red-and-white stripes that went around the waist stopped at the hips and did not go all the way around. Buck, on the other hand, wore an outfit that was not the one closely associated with the sidekick to the Sentinel of Liberty. His blue shirt was tucked into a pair of red shorts. He also had blue leggings that went down to his red boots.

"Captain America and Bucky, it's a pleasure to welcome you back."

"Thank you ... Mr. Hoover," Captain America replied slowly and adjusted the shield on his back. "It's good to be back. I'm sorry for the trouble we caused."

"Nonsense, my boy." Hoover gestured for the patriotic duo to sit down. Sinkowitz found a chair for himself at the back of the room. The Professor was visibly proud of his accomplishment. "You were just a bit over-zealous in your crusade against communism in this country. I'm just sorry that my agency had to bring you in and detain you."

"Bring us in and detain us?" Bucky exploded. "You G-Men zapped us and then stuck us in a freezer!"

"Easy, lad," Captain America turned to his sidekick. "The government had every right to do it. We were going off the deep end. We were seeing Commies were there weren't any. Then again, we were finding Commies were they couldn't."

Professor Sinkowitz watched the conversation unfold in the back of the room. If anybody had told him a few months ago that he would be here today, he would have thought it pure lunacy. Yet here he was, a special researcher for the FBI, in the office of the Director with the replacement Captain America and Bucky of the 1950's. Because of his involvement in the project to restore their sanity, Sinkowitz had been given security clearance to study the background of these men.

This Captain America and Bucky were not the genuine articles. What had happened to them was not included in the files that Sinkowitz had been allowed to access. These two, however, had apparently succeeded in replicating the legendary Super-Soldier Formula and used it on themselves. They adopted the guise of the two heroes when the Red Skull, who had apparently joined the Communist cause, held the United Nations Building hostage back in 1954. For a while after that, Captain America and Bucky delighted the nation with their crusade against crime and especially against Communism.

Unfortunately, the heroes had been too devoted to their battle. They began to see Communist spies in anyone who did not fit their ideals of white, red-blooded Americans. They began harassing loyal Americans to such an extent that the Bureau had to intervene. Capturing the duo, the Bureau placed them into cryogenic suspended animation. Bureau scientists had discovered that the duo had not been exposed to the all-important vita-rays as the original Captain had done. As a result, the Super-Soldier Formula had affected their minds.

Over the past few months, Sinkowitz had been assigned to the project to find a cure for their insanity. With his expertise in cryogenics, he had become convinced that by deft manipulation of their cryogenic state, Captain America and Bucky could be cured of their insanity. The procedure had been a success. The debriefing after the release from cryogenic storage indicated that Captain America and Bucky no longer were afflicted with the monomania that had possessed them.

Sinkowitz suddenly realized that he had not been paying attention while Hoover talked with the Captain and Bucky.

"So you'll be back here at 3 PM this afternoon in costume when the other heroes are here, won't you, Professor?" Hoover asked.

"Um ... er... yes, I will," Sinkowitz stammered. He wondered what Hoover meant by "the other heroes". He hoped that it did not mean the 3-D Man. He was still embarrassed about twice being manipulated into fighting 3-D Man, once by a fake Vice-President and once by the Yellow Claw. "I wonder if he means those other heroes 3-D Man fought with?" Sinkowitz thought. He checked his watch; he would find out in a few hours.

"You and Bucky can wait in the conference room, Captain," Hoover addressed the duo. "I'll have someone bring you back once the others are here."

"Mr. Hoover, we'd really like to get out there and back in action," Captain America replied. "From our debriefing, the Commies are as dangerous as ever. Bucky and I need to make up for lost time."

"Yeah," Bucky added. "We gotta smash some of those Commie rats but good. Just point us at 'em and we'll clobber 'em."

Hoover was quite pleased with their enthusiasm. These three would be his special weapons in removing Communism in this country. "There'll be plenty of Commie-smashing to come in the very near future. As it is, I'd like you to wait so I can introduce you to some new fellows."

Sinkowitz, Captain America, and Bucky all left the room. Hoover picked up the phone and called over to the White House. Reaching one of the President's secretaries, he left a message. "This is FBI Director Hoover. Tell the President that I have a plan for solving the Wall Street situation. Have him summon the Avengers and have them report to FBI HQ at 3 o'clock." He hung up the phone before the secretary could even respond.

A few hours later, the Avengers stood gathered before Director Hoover. "Avengers, I'm glad you could come," Hoover greeted. "I take it that you received a summons from the President?"

"That is correct," Human Robot responded. "Via Interplanetary Cosmic Radio which Marvel Boy forwarded on to our personal communication devices."

"Avengers, there have been a number of robberies in New York City recently. Centered in the Wall Street district, some of the most powerful financial institutions in the nation, if not the world, have been hit. The police have been unable to do anything."

"I find that hard to believe, Mr. Hoover," 3-D Man said. "The NYPD is one of the best departments in the country."

"I would agree, 3-D Man, but this menace is something that goes beyond their abilities to tackle. Something is interfering with police radio communications. The dispatchers report that their radios are being jammed. Whenever there's a robbery, they can't get any word to units in the field. If a unit happens to be on the scene, they have to go in with no backup."

"Hmm," Marvel Boy mused. "I wonder what kind of device it could be. Then I might be able to concoct a machine to counteract the jamming."

"That may be," Hoover replied. "But for now, what I … I mean we … would like you Avengers to do is to patrol New York City for the near future."

"New York is a very large city, Mr. Director,' Venus responded. "There's only so much area that we can cover."

"Quite true, Venus. That is why I have a special surprise for you. You're going to need some help." Hoover buzzed the intercom. "Miss Mitchell, please send the guests in." Hoover pointed to the door. "Avengers, I'd like you to meet the newest members of your team … Captain America and Bucky!"

The patriotic duo walked into the office to the gasps of the Avengers. Captain America did not notice the knowing wink of Miss Mitchell as he went past her.

"Is it really you?" 3-D Man asked.

Captain America nodded. "I am Captain America."

"If I may," Hoover interjected. "Captain America and Bucky, let me introduce you to Marvel Boy, the Human Robot, 3-D Man, Gorilla-Man, and Venus."

Captain America looked over the assembled heroes. "Marvel Boy, we've heard of. Venus, we thought you were just a modern day myth."

"It looks like she's real in the flesh, Cap, and her flesh is something else!" Bucky added excitedly.

Captain America shot an angry glare at Bucky, although he could not fault the young man's taste.. Then he turned back to the Avengers. "Mr. Hoover has promised to provide all the support that the FBI can give to the Avengers if Bucky and I are allowed to join your team. I've heard some good things about you dealing with the Yellow Claw."

Marvel Boy rubbed his chin. This deal troubled him. He knew enough not to trust Mr. Hoover. The others, except for Venus, seemed to be in awe of the duo who claimed to be the legendary Invaders/Liberators/All-Winners. Even the Human Robot seemed to be taken by them. Still, the support of the FBI would be useful in the battle against evil.

The Avengers were crowded around Captain America and Bucky, peppering them with questions. Marvel Boy interrupted the chaotic conversation. "I think it's clear that the Avengers would be proud to accept Captain America and Bucky into our ranks."

Applause went up from the other Avengers, particularly 3-D Man. Captain America had always been a hero to the Chandler brothers. To fight alongside him was a dream come true.

"Now that that's settled," Hoover said, "the Bureau would also like you to accept another member into your ranks."

Who could it be? Another hero come out of retirement? The Avengers wondered at the possibilities and discounted others. The greatest heroes of the era – Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch and Captain America – had disappeared a few years ago after brief re-appearances. Could it be one of them? Many heroes in the ranks of the Liberators had fallen during the war. Then there was the ill-fated third incarnation of the All-Winners Squad. Time had taken its toll upon the first generation of heroes.

"I'm sure you all remember the Cold Warrior." Hoover pointed to the door, where the unmasked Professor stood, clad in his all-white costume, but holding his mask in his hands.

"If you'll have me," Sinkowitz began, "I'll be working more on a scientific support basis. I'm sure the 3-D Man will attest that I'm not much of a combatant. He clobbered me back when I was tricked, I'm sorry to say, into thinking he was a red spy."

3-D Man didn't know what to say. Sinkowitz certainly sounded sincere. Perhaps he ought to take the Cold Warrior at his word and accept the apology. "No hard feelings here." He offered his hand to Sinkowitz which the researcher gladly shook.

"Well, if the 3-D freak can accept the Cold Warrior," Gorilla-Man growled, "I guess the rest of us can, too."

"Then it's agreed," Venus smiled broadly. "The Avengers increase their ranks by three today."

NEW YORK CITY

A black Edsel pulled up in front of the studios of the WMVI radio station. The driver, a rough-looking man, - got out and opened the door for his passenger. The passenger held his trenchcoat tightly over his body and tilted his large hat forward, obscuring his features. He gave the driver a nod and headed for the door. The driver returned to the car and drove away.

Once inside, the passenger was immediately greeted by two men in pinstriped suits. They looked more like barroom bouncers than the security guards they purportedly were. They approached the man and demanded, "Can we help you?"

The man flipped off his hat, revealing a red skull-like mask that covered his entire head. "You can accept my praise for your diligence."

The guards at once stood at attention and saluted the man. "Hail, Red Skull!"

The Red Skull returned the salute. "I trust our little operation is proceeding well?"

One of the guards replied, "You'll have to check with Balnikov inside, but as far as we know, everything is going according to plan."

"Very good." The Red Skull removed his jacket and handed it to one of the guards. His outfit could now be seen. It was an all-green ensemble with a collared purple cape. He strode imperiously into the control room.

Once inside of the control room, the Red Skull glanced over the scene. His agents had done an excellent job in installing the Frequency Destabilizer. The device, the product of some of the most devious minds back in the Soviet Republics, was interfaced with the broadcast tower of the radio station. His arm happened to brush against a plaque on the wall. He and looked at the plaque and spat upon it. The plaque featured a picture of the wartime Liberty Legion. The inscription read "WMVI – Initial gathering of the Liberty Legion, 1942."

"Balnikov!" the Red Skull barked. "Where are you?"

Soon the grubby-faced Balnikov was in front of his leader. "Yes, Comrade Skull?"

"I want a report on the status of this operation."

"Well," Balnikov began. "We have had the Frequency Destabilizer installed for two weeks now. At least once a day, we activate it as our agents go out to seize the capitalists' decadent currency."

"And what of the employees of this radio station?"

"The hypno-gas devised by our scientists is working perfectly. They are completely susceptible to our directives to ignore our activities. To the outside world, WMVI is broadcasting regularly. Whenever we are to engage in a strike upon a capitalist stronghold, we activate the device and a second signal is carried along with the station normal broadcast. It blankets the five boroughs so that all police-related radio communications are jammed."

The Red Skull smiled. With his mask, his smile appeared quite grotesque. "Excellent. What is our financial status?"

Balnikov looked down to the clipboard in his hands. "After last night's raid, we have acquired in excess of fifty million American dollars."

"Very good," the Red Skull replied. "Where is that filthy rag these Americans call a newspaper – the New York Times? How I sometimes long for the exquisite journalism of Pravda."

One of the Skull's agents quickly put the newspaper in the Skull's hands. The Skull leafed through it until he reached the financial section. The numbers there showed the success of his plans. His raids upon the nation's top financial institutions were resulting in a destabilization of Wall Street. Stocks were plummeting, the Dow Jones average was in a nosedive. Confidence in the market was low. The Red Skull would bring the nation to its knees with economic warfare.

The Red Skull walked over to a chalkboard that displayed a list of assignments. He noted the main strikes with white chalks; the secondary strikes were in yellow. These secondary strikes were spread out all over the city. By now, the law enforcement officials would realize what was going on. The secondary strikes were intended to keep the New York's Finest from concentrating on Wall Street.

The Red Skull sat down in a chair and relaxed. This operation would bring him high marks with the Central Committee back in Moscow. His previous efforts had met with very little success. He had been thwarted time and again by that rabidly nationalistic Captain America and Bucky. Fighting America head-on was a mistake. Subterfuge was bound to be more productive. Subterfuge had been one of his specialties when he headed a Communist spy cell in Algeria. It was what had brought him to the attention of Premier Malenkov and gained for him the role of the Red Skull. He once was Albert Malik; now he was the living embodiment of the Communist Cause.

He checked over the chalkboard. The next target was the investment firm of Adams, Thomas, Andrews, and Joseph. He would make sure that his agents were prepared. Then he would wait for them to return with their plunder.

FBI HEADQUARTERS
NEW YORK CITY

After securing the Silver Bullet on its makeshift landing site atop the FBI Building, Marvel Boy scampered down the stairs to rejoin his fellow Avengers. The rest of the team was already gathered in a large conference room. Director Hoover had given orders for this office to provide the Avengers with a temporary command post. Marvel Boy joined with the others in reading over the intelligence reports that the FBI agents had gathered.

"Oh, fer crying out loud," Gorilla-Man growled. He was already unhappy with his living arrangements at Marvel Boy's secret base. "Reading these reports is a waste of time. Let's just get out there and look for whoever the perpetrators are. None of these reports is going to give us anything helpful."

Marvel Boy looked at the information before him. While the reports were massive, there was really no useful information contained therein. The FBI was at a complete loss of what to do, but that did not stop them from creating lots of paperwork.

"I suppose we could just do that," 3-D Man offered. He looked over to Captain America. "Unless Cap has a better idea. He is the veteran here."

Marvel Boy took note of 3-D Man's words. It was obvious that the red-and-green hero was in awe of Captain America. It concerned him that 3-D Man seemed to be giving the reins of leadership over to Star-Spangled Patriot. Marvel Boy had his reservations about this Captain America. He had known about the Captain rabid anti-communism as well as the patriotic duo's disappearance a few years ago. If anybody should lead the Avengers, it should be he, Marvel Boy. He was, after all, physically and mentally superior to all here, save for the beauteous goddess Venus.

"Well, Captain?" Marvel Boy asked with forced civility. "Any great battle plans for us?"

"Er, no," Cap replied. "Let's just get out there and catch these guys in the act."

"Yeah," Bucky added. "We've been cooling our heels long enough."

"All right then," Marvel Boy said. He handed a communicator to Cap and Bucky. "These communicators tie into my Interplanetary Cosmic Radio. They shouldn't be affected by whatever is jamming the police communications." He showed them how to use the devices.

The Human Robot spread a local map over the table. He had already sectioned the city off into sectors. He addressed the group. "Note that I have divided the city into areas for each of us to patrol. I have computed this to be the most effective division of our resources."

Marvel Boy looked over the map. He picked up a pencil and switched Captain America's assignment with his own. Then he nodded his agreement. Venus swept her hair back and thought about how life was different with the Avengers – they had to find trouble, trouble usually just came to her. 3-D Man noticed how big the city was. It was a lot of ground to cover and he only had two hours left before he would have to return to Hal's glasses. He hoped that Hal was comfortable over in one of the sleeping quarters inside FBI HQ.

"Right then," Marvel Boy said. "Go, Avengers, Go!"

The team replied in unison and headed out of the building. The FBI agents left behind stared in amazement at the colorful heroes. Their job just might get a little easier with the Avengers on the scene. Then again, with the office rumors about the Director's dislike of masked heroes, it just might mean that their jobs would get a little more difficult.

Captain America and Bucky patrolled in the Queens area. Cap had noted to Bucky that the Human Robot and initially pencilled them in for Harlem, but Marvel Boy had switched it.

"I guess they're afraid that we'd find Commies up there in Harlem," Bucky opined. "Not that it wouldn't be hard to do."

"You're right, Bucky," Cap replied. "We can leave them for another day. For now, let's make sure we smash this operation."

"Smashing is what we do best," Bucky responded enthusiastically.

The other Avengers did not meet with any success in their endeavors. Marvel Boy actually thwarted a robbery at a small convenience store, and the Human Robot helped rescue a cat stuck in a tree. Cold Warrior had offered to coordinate activity back at FBI HQ. Gorilla-Man was having a hard time being inconspicuous in midtown. Venus staked out the jewelry district and noted the wonderful craftsmanship. Not any that any mortal work could compare to that of her husband Vulcan, but there was definite skill displayed in the works.

As Cap and Bucky wound their way through Queens, they both suddenly felt a slight tingle. They looked at each other. "The jammer?" They rushed down the block to the nearest police phone. Sure enough, the line was dead. They then took off sprinting in search of the police. They almost ran over an amazed beat cop. After the beat cop had recovered from his surprise, he showed them that his walkie-talkie was not getting through to anybody. Cap thanked the officer, and he and Bucky took off running again.

"It's going down now, Bucky. Be ready!" Cap said.

"I was born ready, Cap." Bucky replied. "I hope the hit happens by us."

"Be careful what you wish for." Cap pointed down the block at the First Bank of New York. A truck had come to a screeching halt in front of the bank's doors. A dozen or so armed men piled out of the truck and burst through the bank's doors.

"Better let our teammates know it's going down here and not on Wall Street," Bucky remarked. He pressed a button on the communicator. "We got one up here in Queens," he spoke into the device. "First National Bank on Fifth." Bucky put the communicator under the fold of his shirt. "Not that we'll need their help. We should be able to put 'em all down before they get here."

"Let's get 'em, Bucky," Cap ordered as he slipped his shield off of his back and into his left hand. The duo continued to sprint towards the bank.

Captain America thought about their tactics. With their enhanced strength, they should be able to make mincemeat out of these thugs. The problem was tactics – they didn't have any. He and Bucky just laid into them, just like in the old days. Perhaps if he had the battle savvy of his idol, the original Cap, they might be more effective. He remembered from watching the newsreels how the original Cap and Bucky would overcome twice as many opponents as this in half the time, and the original Bucky didn't have the Super-Soldier Formula to help him. Cap shrugged; he knew he was not an adequate replacement for the original Cap, at least not yet. With this second chance, maybe this time he could be.

By the time Cap and Bucky reached the bank, the gunmen had already secured the doors. Being well past normal operating hours, there were no tellers or customers inside. Not that Cap and Bucky would have necessarily been concerned about the plight of innocent bystanders.

Cap and Bucky were greeted with a barrage of bullets from the bank's windows. Bucky rolled off to the side while Cap crouched down behind his shield. He gritted his teeth as the bullets impacted upon the shield. He knew that it was not anywhere near as impervious as the one that the original Cap wielded, but it was good enough against bullets. While the gunmen concentrated their fire on Cap's shield, Bucky crawled over to a waste can leaning against a lightpost. Lifting it, he heaved the can with his Super Soldier strength at the window. The glass shattered and the gunfire momentarily stopped.

Cap led the way and leapt through the window; Bucky was close behind. Cap's landing put him right on top of two of the gunmen, who had ducked for cover from the shower of shattered glass. A quick kick to the head of these two rendered them senseless. Bucky meanwhile raced past Cap and tackled another gunman. The youth peppered him with blows to the midsection until the man could stomach no more pain.

Looking over at the teller area, Cap could see a number of the gunmen working at cutting open the safe with an acetylene torch. He slipped his hand from out of the shield's straps and hurled the disk at the safe-cutters. The shield clobbered one of the gunman in the head and bounced to strike another in the small of the back. The disk did not knock the torch out of the third man's hands, as Cap had hoped.

"Nuts!" Cap thought. "I'm never going to be as good as the original. He would've pulled off that maneuver, no problem!"

While Cap looked to deal with the man with the acetylene torch, Bucky was busy wading through the other remaining gunmen. They tried surrounding him, having holstered their guns for fear of shooting each other. Bucky laughed at their efforts. "Ha, three against me. I've got you creeps outnumbered."

The first tried rushing upon Bucky, but the kid met him with a right cross. A second followed close behind the first, but Bucky ducked under the lunge and drove his elbow into the man's solar plexus. The third tried to keep his distance, but Bucky was upon him with a quick leap. With a double-handed blow, Bucky sent the man into the realms of unconsciousness.

As Cap hurdled over the teller area, he was still bitter about his failed shot with his shield. Perhaps he should have kept it on his arm and pressed the attack more personally. Now he had to face the lone remaining robber without any protection. He could not afford to let the robber get close to him with the acetylene torch. Cap bobbed and wove as he tried to look for an opening. The robber kept on jabbing at him with the torch. Fortunately for Cap, the torch did not have a very long flame. Finally Cap saw his opening. He wound up to deliver a haymaker punch, but instead he darted his leg out that connected with the sole of his boot to the torch-man's belly.

"All right!" Bucky exclaimed as he towered over the downed gunmen. "Captain America and Bucky are back, and how!" He rushed over to shake his partner's hand. "Like I said, we didn't even need those Avengers help."

Cap nodded but added prophetically, "Maybe not this time, but we might in the future." He thought about how Director Hoover wanted him to keep on eye on these Avengers. The Director did not fully trust them, and Cap felt that they should not either.

The other Avengers finally arrived on the scene. Marvel Boy had gathered them up with the Silver Bullet and brought them to the bank. Venus checked on the downed gunmen. Many of them had been beaten rather badly. Gorilla-Man was unhappy that he missed what looked like a good scrap. The Human Robot surveyed the scene, transferring all of the visual information to one of his internal data tapes. Marvel Boy was impressed by Cap and Bucky's victory but was unimpressed by the efficiency by which the robbers had obviously been disposed. This robbery was obviously a secondary target. He wondered if the main target had been hit simultaneously.

The 3-D Man walked over to Cap. "So, any idea who these guys are?"

Captain America recalled the 3-D Man's story about the Avengers' previous case. Perhaps this scheme here in New York had something to with it. He grabbed dazed robber, the acetylene canister still strapped to his back, and lifted him off the ground by the collar. "Who's running this operation? Is this another scheme of the Yellow Claw?" He shook the man while he waited for an answer.

Bucky decided to follow his mentor's lead. He rummaged through the downed gunmen until he found one that was still semi-conscious. "Yeah, is this some set-up by that yellow-skinned Commie?"

"Cap, Bucky! Go easy on them!" 3-D Man shouted.

Venus was aghast at the brutality. Were these the same two mortals that Mercury had spoken of with respect? She could see no such admirable qualities in these two. "Stop it!" she commanded.

Cap and Bucky paid 3-D Man and Venus no heed. Finally Marvel Boy turned to Gorilla-Man and the Human Robot. "Please stop them." The man-beast and the mechanical man came up from behind the duo. Gorilla-Man's arms put Bucky in a bear hug while the Human Robot applied a full-nelson to Captain America.

Marvel Boy reached over and propped up one of the gunmen in a black leather chair. "There are better ways to find out the information. If I may?"

"What's he gonna do? Zap 'em with that flashlight on his bracelet?" Bucky asked as he struggled in vain to get out of Gorilla-Man's arms.

"No, Marvel Boy has other powers than those of his light jewel." Venus explained. "He can read minds with mental telepathy."

Marvel Boy leaned over, his hands resting on the gunman's forearms. He looked deep into the gunman's cloudy eyes and concentrated. His face contorted slightly and then he was finished. "Hmm, this is not good."

"Define 'not good'," The Human Robot requested.

"I know who's behind this operation," Marvel Boy replied.

"So, out with it already," Bucky demanded. He brushed off his shirt after Gorilla-Man released him from the bear hug.

Marvel Boy turned to Cap, who was now free of the Human Robot's hold. "It's actually one of your old foes, Captain. The mastermind behind this plot to destabilize the American economy is the Red Skull!"

Captain America shook his head. Was it fate that he and Bucky had been revived just when their nemesis had returned as well? "The Red Skull. I thought he was dead. Maybe this time we make sure of it."

"Yeah, let's crack the Skull." Bucky rubbed his hands together in excited glee.

FLASHBACKWORDS

Since this book takes place in the Fabulous Fifties, I just had to bring back the Captain America and Bucky of this era. Now I know that the events of CAPTAIN AMERICA #153-156 made it seem that the duo had been in cold storage since 1955. What those issues didn't reveal was that they thawed out for a while; however, they will eventually return to their cryogenic sleep to be awakened at a later date to face the original Captain America.

You'll note that despite the Professor Sinkowtiz's best efforts, Cap and Bucky have not been completely cured. I hope no one gets offended by their characterization. I'm just trying to keep them true to their personalities as portrayed in the comics.

That brings up another point. Why don't the characters that have been shown to survive in the future (Captain America IV, Bucky III/Nomad, 3-D Man, Marvel Boy) remember their time as members of this team? For that matter, why doesn't the public remember the existence of an Avengers team years (or is it decades?) before the forming of the current version? I'll be addressing these issues in an eventual GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS '58.

The Liberty Legion assembled for the first time at this radio station in the pages of Marvel Premiere #29-30. The station itself was not named; I provided the initials. You might notice that those initials are somewhat close to the initials of a certain fanfic group.

COVER CREDITS: Avengers from What If #9, Cap and Bucky from Strange Tales, Cold Warrior from Marvel Premiere #37

NEXT ISSUE: "An Avenger Falls" The Avengers confront the Red Skull with deadly results. Plus, what's happening to the Soviet fleet in the Atlantic?

Comments, criticisms, and concerns for FLASHBACKWORDS gladly accepted at rgansler@facstaff.wisc.edu

The AVENGERS '58 web page is at http://www.cae.wisc.edu/~gansler/avengers58/av58.htm