Captain America #176: Review

Aug 1974

Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema

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Story Name:

Captain America Must Die!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #176 Review by Peter Silvestro (March 15, 2010)

Prelude to the Nomad story arc which begins in the next issue. The issue reflects the mood of the times in the wake of the Watergate scandal, when it seemed that the nation’s leaders could no longer be trusted to do the right thing. Story includes flashbacks to many earlier adventures.

Captain America #176 Review by Rob Johnson (January 7, 2014)

In between the disillusioning end of the Secret Empire story last issue and his resignation this issue, Cap spent Avengers #125 (and Captain Marvel #31-33), Av#126, Giant-Size Av#1 and Marvel Two-In-One #4-5 thinking it over.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #176 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Captain America mentally reviews his origin, how he was chosen for the experiment that made him the embodiment of the nation’s ideals during the dark days of World War 2. But now he is discouraged, disillusioned at the seeming betrayal of those ideals by America’s own leaders and considering abandoning the identity that no longer symbolizes what it once did. Thor attempts to encourage Cap by praising the nobility of his mission to combat evil, but Cap dismisses the argument with an appeal to the growing moral ambiguity of the times. Iron Man points out that Cap has always used his superior abilities to help those in need—but what happened as a result? asks Cap. The people turned against him, choosing to believe the Secret Empire’s smear campaign. The Falcon bursts in and confronts Cap, reminding him how he inspired Sam Wilson to become a costumed hero, one who proudly served by Cap’s side in the fight against evil. Cap will have none of it: heroes can’t be trusted and hero-worship does more harm than good. Peggy Carter assures him that America’s ideals are greater than any crooked politicians and that such crooks are exposed and the country righted itself. But Cap is more than an example of heroism, he is a symbol of America, forged in the crucible of the War against the Nazi threat, and continuing to the present to combat newer threats to the nation. Cap points out however, that America is now a diverse nation, without a unified goal or set of values. He then asks to be left alone to think. Vision pauses to ask if he would be able to turn away from a life of adventure, and Sharon assures him she will support whatever decision he makes. A short time later, he emerges from seclusion and announces to his stunned friends that Captain America must die….

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