Comic Browser:

#184
#185
#186
#187
#188
#189
#190
#191
#192
#193
#194
#195
#196
#197
#198
#199
#200
#201
#202
#203
#204
#205
#206
#207
Selector

Captain America #189: Review

Sep 1975
Tony Isabella, Frank Robbins

Story Name:

Arena For A Fallen Hero!

Review & Comments

Rating:
3 stars

Captain America #189 Review by (January 5, 2011)
Comments: Part one of a two-part story. Nightshade was introduced in issue #164.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #189 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Captain America arrives at SHIELD HQ but is prevented from seeing his injured partner the Falcon by the Contessa and Eric Koenig. Agency Co-Director Jeff Cochren explains that it is a security measure since the Falcon’s identity is still uncertain. Cochren persuades Cap to aid in a possible treatment for his partner…which involves fighting him to the death. A confused Cap is told that attacking the catatonic Falcon will force him out of his schizophrenic state and force his true personality to the surface. In an arena, observed by Cochren and company, Cap cannot bring himself to fight his partner. Suddenly Cap sees the Red Skull before him and decks his archenemy—then discovers he has hit the Falcon. Next, one of the Yellow Claw’s giant spiders (issue #165) appears and again Cap lashes out and strikes his partner. He begins to wonder if the illusions are being caused by his enemy Dr. Faustus…. The Contessa and Koenig protest Cochren’s conduct of this violent therapy without the presence of a psychiatrist but the Director overrules them. On the field, Cap is struck down by an energy blast and looks up to see the old Masters of Evil—the Black Knight, the Enchantress, the Executioner, the Melter, and Radioactive Man—attacking him. Cap hurls his shield which shoves the Radioactive Man into the Melter’s beam, causing an explosion that kills both villains. He then grasps the Black Knight’s lance and flips him into the Executioner, knocking them both unconscious. The Enchantress—the only one of the enemy the Contessa and Eric can see—seduces Cap into her power…. Meanwhile, the Falcon emerges from his catatonia but the last thing he remembers is being shipwrecked on an island as thug Snap Wilson. He tries to ask Captain America what is going on but Cap, seeing him as Baron Zemo, beats him up. The Falcon strikes back with the aid of Redwing, whom he knows instinctively is his pet. Falcon orders the bird of prey to attack Cap but Cap stands still until Sam orders Redwing to veer away, understanding they are not enemies. Cap fills in the story of Wilson’s career as the Falcon and they join forces against their enemy—who stands revealed as Nightshade, who has captured the minds of all the male SHIELD agents and pressed them into her service….


Frank Robbins
Frank Chiaramonte
Dianne Buscema
Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Mike Esposito (Cover Inker)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Falcon
Falcon

(Sam Wilson)

Plus: Eric Koenig, Jeff Cochren, Nightshade, Yellow Claw.

> Captain America: Book info and issue index

Share This Page


Elektra