Issue(s): Captain America #290
Cover Date: Feb 84
Title: "Echoes"
Credits:
J.M. DeMatteis - Writer
Ron Frenz - Penciler
Stephen Leialoha - Inker
Mike Carlin - Assistant Editor
Mark Gruenwald - Editor

Review/plot:
Mike Zeck is off Captain America as of this issue. Ron Frenz does fill-in art this issue, and next issue will be a complete fill-in by Bill Mantlo & Herb Trimpe. Then J.M. DeMatteis returns with new regular artist Paul Neary.

This is a downtime/plot-building issue. It starts off quietly with Steve and Bernie hanging out in Avengers Mansion's kitchen. That "mosquito" flying around is actually the Wasp, who didn't want to interrupt their intimate moment, so she shrunk down to wasp size when they entered the kitchen.

A scene with the Falcon confirms that he lost his election for Congressman, which happened "a few days" ago. At least he's back in costume now.

The rest of the arc is building up a plotline that will culminate in issue #300. Nomad is having visions of an aging Captain America and someone with eyes of red.

And poor Arnie Roth has visitors.

The woman is Mother Superior. She approaches Baron Zemo, who was stalking Cap and Bucky in his civilian persona.

And she brings him to meet her father, the Red Skull.

She's called Mother Night on the cover but Mother Superior on the inside, and she'll have some more names later.

There's also this scene, which seems innocent enough but may actually be Nomad slipping Cap an aging powder under post-hypnotic suggestion (when this is revealed, this issue in particular isn't referenced, but it's a very similar scene to the one in Cap #292 and it takes place after Nomad was seduced by Scarlet in issues #287-288 so it seems likely).

And lastly, Cap and Nomad get attacked by a crow.

A good build-up issue, marred slightly by Ron Frenz's still somewhat rough pencils.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 6 - first Mother Superior AKA Mother Night (later Superia, later Sin)

Chronological Placement Considerations: In the first issue of the Falcon mini-series, it said that it took place way before Sam Wilson promised voters that he'd give up being the Falcon, but that didn't feel right, and a note in this issues lettercol confirms that the Falcon mini-series actually takes place "right after the events in this issue".

References:

• A reference to Steve Rogers spending the weekend at Bernie Rosenthal's parent's place "last weekend" has a footnote that says, "See our past four issues for details." Later a footnote explicitly citing Captain America #286-289 acknowledges that Cap actually spent most of the time in the "horrible future" of the 1990s.
  
• The Falcon lost the election due to revelations about mental illness as shown in Captain America #276-278. Arnie Roth's "roommate" Michael (we never got his last name) died in those issues as well.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

First Black Crow too, isn't it?

He's more like behind the scenes or something. I gave credit to his first "full" appearance in issue #292. But yes, this is the first evidence of him.

Captain America tag missing?

Yes, thanks.