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Captain America #324Issue(s): Captain America #324 Review/plot: ![]() ...and while he's there, he bumps into the Trapster and invites him to come along. ![]() Not sure if Baron Zemo would approve of Whirlwind involving old Paste Pot Pete, but we get to see the two lower level villains talking about why they stay in the villain game. ![]() They lure Cap into a trap with a message to his Hotline, pretending that they are really Nomad. And the trap involves a big mess of glue that first knocks Cap off his motorcycle and then traps him in place. ![]() ![]() The sticky goop presents a problem for Whirlwind being able to actually attack Captain America, though (Cap is lucky Tinkerer didn't design a costume where Whirlwind could shoot projectile blades while spinning the way Riptide of the Marauders did). And that gives Cap enough time to figure out an unorthodox solution. ![]() ![]() But that's nothing compared to how he escapes from the goo to attack Trapster. ![]() Pretty awesome, Cap. Definitely thinking outside the You don't see little stirrups on this feet in that shot, but they are there later when he kicks Pastey into the goo. ![]() I am surprised Cap doesn't wear socks, though. Isn't that bad hygiene? Cap had been considering hiring his own PR agent after his encounter with the Super-Patriot and continued public concern over the shooting incident (see References). But after his amazing showing here, he realizes he doesn't need one. It's not clear what Baron Zemo hoped for with this. Clearly he wasn't expecting Whirlwind to win, since the whole point of his Mansion takeover is to eventually get to Cap. And Whirlwind says the original plan was for him to "waylay" Cap... ![]() ...but this attack doesn't delay Cap's arrival at the Mansion, since Cap didn't seem to be heading there. In fact, as we'll see in Avengers #274, it actually alerts Cap to the fact that there was a problem. So i'll have to chalk that up to Zemo being a better tactician than me. Nomad's name was used as the bait in this story, but Nomad actually is featured in this issue in an unrelated subplot. The character has gotten a little darker. He's experimenting with facial hair... ![]() ...and he's been infiltrating the organization of a crimelord called the Slug. And when he finally meets the Slug, he decides that he has to kill the guy because he's fat (and not because his civilian name is Ulysses X. Lugman). ![]() It's not quite up there with the core Masters of Evil storyline, but it's a fun story. Quality Rating: B- Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place between Avengers #273-274 as part of the Masters of Evil storyline. It's not said where Cap starts this issue (it could be Florida, per Avengers #273, which means Cap was closer to the real Nomad than he realized), but he's in Tennessee when he sees the fake message from Whirlwind and the fight takes place in North Carolina. References:
Crossover: Avengers: Under Siege Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (4): showCharacters Appearing: Captain America, Nomad, Paste Pot Pete, Slug (Crimelord), Tinkerer, Whirlwind CommentsFun issue. I like the upgrades to both Trapster and Whirlwind, similar to what Gruenwald did with Blue Streak. It makes sense, improves their threat, but the upgrade only really restores them to the level they had when they first appeared instead of making them into a completely new class. I also like how Gruenwald is taking Nomad in a new direction. It's not what I expected at the time, and I like how he is still a recurring character even if he is no longer a supporting character. Posted by: Chris | February 14, 2014 8:18 PM Note that this story makes it clear that this is the first time Whirlwind has used the blades- a later backup story in an Iron Man Annual depicting how Tony first met Mrs.Arbogast had Tony fighting a Whirlwind who was wearing the blades. Posted by: Michael | February 14, 2014 10:52 PM I like the brief glimpse into midcard villainy here. Perhaps the Tinkerer should start like a match.com service for supervillains. Posted by: MikeCheyne | February 15, 2014 1:07 PM But...when the Trapster first appeared, he was Paste Pot Pete. Any upgrade would have elevated him above that! Posted by: Mark Drummond | February 15, 2014 3:54 PM When the Slug got his entry into the MU Handbook, it said something about how no normal human being could be that fat. How times have changed... Posted by: Mark Drummond | February 15, 2014 4:04 PM To be fair, as we'll see in future issues, the Slug can actually smother people in the folds of his flesh. How many normal human beings can do that? Posted by: Michael | February 15, 2014 4:13 PM Any of the stars of "My 600-lb Life"? Posted by: Mark Drummond | February 15, 2014 4:17 PM Thank goodness Captain America de-feet-ed them:) Posted by: clyde | February 15, 2014 6:55 PM The good: having a few old villains meet and talk like professionals and people. the bad: do we really need another overweight crime-lord? Posted by: kveto from prague | February 17, 2014 4:08 PM Gruenwald later admitted that the Slug was supposed to be 1200 lbs, and that he couldn't imagine any human being that obese until he read about one in People later. Posted by: Mark Drummond | July 31, 2014 6:03 PM "In fact, as we'll see in Avengers #274, it actually alerts Cap to the fact that there was a problem. So i'll have to chalk that up to Zemo being a better tactician than me." Cap would have had no reason to go to the mansion otherwise. This was the bait that Zemo needed to get him there. Posted by: clyde | November 27, 2017 4:39 PM Comments are now closed. |
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