Issue(s): Captain America #420
Cover Date: Oct 93
Title: "Skull sessions"
Credits:
Mark Gruenwald - Writer
Rik Levins - Penciler
Dan Bulanadi - Inker
Joe Andreani - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
Acting on info from the Viper, Captain America and SHIELD raid the Red Skull's most recent hideout. They have to fight some robots and a horde of uniformed troops...

...but the Skull has already escaped.

Cameo from Quasar, who has pulled down the Red Skull's satellite.

Cap still wants to go after the Red Skull, so he gets Nick Fury to give him whatever leads they have. Nick Fury says it's a "longshot" but sends Cap after the current Blazing Skull, because SHIELD got a tip that they were associated.

Friends, the Blazing Skull is not associated with the Red Skull. Even in Mark Gruenwald's corner of the Marvel universe, connections based on vague similarities in costume themes can only get you so far. But in order to learn this for himself, Captain America first has to fight the Blazing Skull...

...and then team up with the Blazing Skull against Night Shift.

They're involved because Dr. Druid sent Blazing Skull after Digger (who looks more like Mr. Hyde here).

When Night Shift are all wrapped up, Blazing Skull reveals that he's really Skull the Slayer. He's become skeletal thanks to a bizarre x-ray mishap.

And it turns out there really is a Red Skull connection, but only because the Red Skull fed SHIELD misinformation. And he does seem interested in Scully just because of their shared motif.

Even though Cap asked for "any leads... whatsoever" and Fury said it was a longshot, Cap gives Fury grief at the end because the lead didn't pan out.

On Cap's way home, he's contacted by Giscard Epurer, who says that Nomad has been captured by Dr. Faustus.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The end scene begins a short crossover with Nomad continuing in Nomad #18.

References:

• This Red Skull base is separate from the location where Diamondback was held in Captain America #409-410 (incorrectly footnoted as #410-411).
  
• Captain America met Night Shift in Captain America #330, when they were led by Shroud.
  
• Skull the Slayer appeared in Skull the Slayer #1-8 and Marvel Two-In-One #35-36.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This Blazing Skull has such a terrible design. The glowing skeleton in the black outline is fine, but by giving him gloves and boots, all you're doing is drawing attention to the fact that he's apparently walking around naked.

After seeing how naive the heroes were, Red Skull should have sent in a tip that he was associated with Red Sonja. It'd get Cap bumbling around in the Hyborian age for two issues at least.

If this had been written by John Byrne, the Blazing Skull would have been revealed to be the Red Skull's cousin :)

I like that after Quasar corrects Nick Fury on the proper way to address him, Fury then calls him 'Agent'. Fury would be an HR nightmare in today's workplace.

I think that Digger's hatred of demons stems from Avengers West Coast 76-79 (and the events of that story are the supernatural dealings Scully mentions).

I always liked Night Shift with their obscure members and would really like to see a writer give them some good storys or at least memorable appearances.

Dunno if this has been discussed elsewhere, but the namesake for the Blazing Skull is a GA Timely hero (real name: Mark Anthony Todd), though that's pretty much where the similarities end. Ghost Rider is a more direct descendant appearance-wise. This x-ray skull will eventually change his name to Skull the Slayer.

Nice "Whank" wound effect there.