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Captain America #366Issue(s): Captain America #366 Review/plot: ![]() ...and has determined that his vital signs are stable but he's afraid of taking off the control disc without causing neurological damage. So Captain America tells Fabian Stankowicz to work with Pym to find a way to track the disc's broadcast signal back to the Controller. Meanwhile, the Acts of Vengeance arch-villains conclude their first official meeting (with all the members together at once)... ![]() ...and then Magneto asks the mysterious facilitator if the Red Skull that attended is the original. ![]() When the Red Skull returns to his office, he finds Crossbones waiting for him, and it's amazing the amount of attitude that he tolerates from his lackey. ![]() ![]() The Controller has gone off on an unauthorized venture, trying to get a control disc on Thor. ![]() Crossbones shows up and tries to help him get the disc on Thor, but he misses and hits the Juggernaut instead (and it looks like the disc shatters against his armor/forcefield, which is why the Controller doesn't gain control of Jugs). ![]() The Controller is not happy about Crossbones' interference, but that's where the Red Skull's "mouthpiece", who is actually the minor villain known as the Voice, comes into play. ![]() As they are leaving, Captain America spots their ship and climbs aboard. ![]() Since they are on a plane with a door open, it's too noisy for the Voice's powers to be effective. ![]() For you European juveniles, here's the notorious "Captain America, I command you to -- WANK" panel. Note that there's some wanking going on in the panel above, too. ![]() The Controller winds up falling out of the plane, and Cap jumps out after him, counting on the Controller's boot jets. They do survive the fall, but the the Controller seems to successfully get a disc on Cap. ![]() But it turns out that Cap had a cybernetic plate on his neck, under his costume. It protects Cap and gives him the control disc that he wanted to bring to Pym to help Namor. The Controller is said not to notice since adding Captain America's strength to the Sub-Mariner's would have a negligible effect, but it's not said why the Controller doesn't attempt to control or capture Cap while he has him knocked out in front of him. It could be that the Voice tells the Controller to return and the Controller has to obey that order very specifically. Once the Red Skull has the Controller back, he tries to use him to gain control of the mysterious Acts of Vengeance facilitator. But his attempts fail. First because no one but the Skull is allowed through his magic door... ![]() ...and then simply because it just doesn't work. ![]() I do like seeing the Skull make the attempt. Also in this issue, Diamondback opts to not steal some clothes to replace her torn costume, on the grounds that it would burn the bridge between her and Cap. ![]() These Cap issues of Acts of Vengeance are fun, in part because there is a lot of focus on the villains, and there are a lot of cool villains to be used. Ron Lim's art, which, per the lettercol sounds like it was a rush job, is nonetheless pretty good. The praise for Lim in the lettercol is that "the kid's as fast as he is good". Dwyer will return next issue but Ron Lim with become the regular artist beginning with #368. Quality Rating: C+ Chronological Placement Considerations: This begins with Henry Pym having examined the Sub-Mariner, placing it after his travel to the East coast following Avengers West Coast #53. A portion of this issue takes place concurrently with Thor's fight with the Juggernaut in Thor #411. A meeting at the beginning of this issue between the cabal of Acts of Vengeance arch-villains is described in a narration panel as "the first meeting of the greatest subversive minds on the planet ever assembled in one room". There's a problem with that. Thor #411 has to take place after Destiny's death in Uncanny X-Men #255, because Firestar appears in Marvel Comics Presents #82-87 after Destiny's death but before joining the New Warriors. But Wolverine #19-20 takes place prior to Uncanny X-Men #255, and Wolverine #19 shows the Red Skull as part of the AoV cabal. And again, this story shows Red Skull having just joined the cabal but also is concurrent with Thor #411. That's a headache, but i have Captain America #366 placed prior to Wolverine #19 through Uncanny X-Men #255, with the idea that the Red Skull's first meeting concludes in time for him to appear in Wolverine and all the other X-books to occur, and then sometime significnatly later we see the Thor/Juggernaut fight. Issues #365-367 have a Cobra & Hyde back-up story that i cover in a separate entry. References:
Crossover: Acts of Vengeance Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (2): showCharacters Appearing: Captain America, Controller, Crossbones, Diamondback, Dr. Doom, Fabian Stankowicz, Henry Pym, Juggernaut, Kingpin, Loki, Magneto, Mandarin, Red Skull, Sub-Mariner, Thor, Voice, Wizard CommentsI LOVE Crossbones; I assume Skull tolerates him because Bones has a sort of childlike fanboyish love for Skull. Crossbones for me was the prototypical "uber cool, wisecracking killer" trope that became a cliche in the late 80s and 90s but completely devoid of any redeemable qualities. Posted by: MikeCheyne | March 30, 2015 1:46 PM Don't forget the famous "Captain America, I command you to wank!" panel. Posted by: kveto | March 30, 2015 3:23 PM Oh fine, i added it. So immature! ;-) Posted by: fnord12 | March 30, 2015 3:34 PM Hahahahaha! If only you could appreciate it:-) Posted by: kveto | March 30, 2015 3:39 PM Amazing: in a few years the Voice goes from a has-been whose first and only appearance in forever was against Ant-Man in the 60s (pre-Wasp)...to one of the most meme-worthy panels outside Joker's obsession with "boners". Some obscure villains would die to get that promotion in notability. Posted by: Ataru320 | March 30, 2015 4:27 PM Oh, this is the book where Captain America wanks. :P Posted by: JSfan | March 31, 2015 5:01 AM You should see the next panel where he is forced to carry out the Voices command....actually, you shouldn't. nobody should:-) Posted by: kveto | March 31, 2015 3:54 PM I'm actually glad that was pointed out. I almost never look at the sound effect words (except in Simonson's Thor), so I never would have noticed that otherwise. Posted by: Erik Beck | September 19, 2015 8:47 AM I've ran into some debate whether the "WANK" panel was an intentional gag or not. In my opinion, the setting up of the Voice's command, followed by the sound effect, feels too perfect to be a mere coincidence... And it's not like "wank" is a particularly obscure Britishism, so it seem perfectly possible Gruenwald would know it. Did he ever comment on that panel himself? Posted by: Tuomas | September 26, 2016 7:53 AM Comments are now closed. |
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