Captain America #181: Review

Jan 1975

Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema

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Story Name:

The Mark of Madness!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #181 Review by Peter Silvestro (March 15, 2010)

Part five of the ten-part Nomad arc. Superhero Rule: whenever two heroes meet for the first time, they have to fight, even when it isn’t really the first time.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #181 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Nomad, the former Captain America, stands before the seated statue in the Lincoln Memorial, pondering Lincoln’s words about freedom and tyranny. Suddenly he turns to find Namor, the Sub-Mariner behind him, demanding to know the whereabouts of the Warlord Krang. When Nomad denies knowing him, the angered Namor attacks him, believing that Nomad is lying since he battled Krang’s allies, the Serpent Squad. After a brief battle, Nomad reveals himself to be the ex-Captain America, and the two have a talk. At the hideout of the Serpent Squad, Krang explains how he discovered the Serpent Crown of Lost Lemuria, and donning it was commanded to seek out Madame Hydra, leading to her revival of the Serpent Squad as the new Viper. They place the crown on the head of the oil executive they kidnapped (last issue) and broadcast his instructions to his employees to cooperate with the villains if they would ensure his safety. Nomad and Namor hear the broadcast and a quick call to Nick Fury reveals there is a Roxxon oil rig near the site of Lemuria. Meanwhile, Sharon Carter drops by her parents’ house to see Steve and is miffed to find he isn’t there but out crime-fighting. In New York, while Falcon trains Redwing, exploring the mental link between them, he encounters Roscoe dressed as Captain America and tries to dissuade him from the hero’s life…when they are interrupted by Peggy Carter who thinks Cap has come back. An embarrassed Roscoe takes off—as Falcon wonders why Gabe Jones is always around Peggy. Krang and the Serpent Squad seize the oil rig and announce plans to use the equipment to return Lemuria to the surface as the first step in conquering the world. Nomad arrives and battles the villains when they are interrupted by a helicopter firing upon them. The serpentine villains snatch the Serpent Crown from the oil executive’s head and take off in their craft while Nomad beats down Krang. The security forces from the helicopter turn out to be Roxxon’s private task force, and the commander insults Nomad with "we didn’t need your help." The hero loses his temper and slugs the fellow, then vows that "the Nomad will go on!"

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