Issue(s): Team America #2
Cover Date: Jul 82
Title: "Fear and loathing in Montana"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo, Denny O'Neil, & Jim Shooter - Writer
Mike Vosburg - Penciler
Vincent Colletta - Inker
Denny O'Neil - Editor

Review/plot:
Most likely, when the Editor and Editor in Chief get co-writing credits, it's not because you were having a fun collaborative session; it's because your book needed heavy re-writes. The credit box calls all three "scripters", for what it's worth.

Let's see now.... within the first few pages we have: Wolf calling someone a "gringo".

Honcho turning into Peter Parker.

Wolf's super-strength.

And with that, Wolf quits Team America.

All in all, a successful press event. It attracts the attention of supergenius-in-a-trailerpark Lenny Hebb, aka Wrench.

Also, Hydra.

By the way, that bald Hydra leader isn't hiding his face because he wants to surprise us by revealing that he's someone cool like Baron von Strucker. He's just embarrassed to be in this comic.

And despite the young upstart Hydra agent's boldness, don't go thinking that she's going to get personally involved. She brings in an independent contractor. Outsourcing, people.

Outsourcing might be a way to bring in a super-villain, either someone with some name recognition for us desperate readers or maybe just a cool motorcycle-themed new one. But no, he's just some dude.

Along with Wrench, this issue brings in the fifth member of Team America. And if "R.U. Reddy" wasn't activating your redneck triggers, here's Luke Merriweather, aka Cowboy.

All of the Team America share a psychic bond, which is convenient for getting the group together. It explains why Cowboy tracks down Honcho, and it also explains why Wrench thinks it's a good idea to show up while Wolf is finishing up his initiation into the Savage Skulls motorcycle gang.

Wrench looks comically amused by the fact that his girlfriend is about to get gang-raped by bikers, but Wolf seems surprised by these new associates of his because he immediately quits the gang and turns on them. Wolf gets buried in bikers and suddenly the Marauder shows up, followed by the rest of Team America.

With the gang all together again for the first time, i guess it's time for a race. The Hydra contractor shows up to threaten the team...

...which results in more inter-Team squabbling, and then the race starts. It's another Unlimited Class Race, and this time they're not even using motorcycles.

One very long race and two racial slurs later...

...and Team America is celebrating with some Texas Joy Juice.

The immediacy of the Hydra threat is gone, thanks to the fact that the Marauder showed up at their headquarters to ensure that the Supreme Leader would murder all his subordinates for failure.

Here's one more gringo as some minor compensation for those wetback remarks.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Cowboy, Wrench, and Georgiana Hebb

Chronological Placement Considerations: This immediately follows the first issue. I really should merge the two into one entry but i apparently have so much to say about these things i've left them separate. Both issues therefore take place before Team America's publication debut in Captain America #269 although only Honcho, Wolf, and R.U. Reddy appear in that issue.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A