Captain America #229: Review

Jan 1979

Roger McKenzie, Don Perlin

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Story Name:

Traitors All About Me!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #229 Review by Peter Silvestro (October 12, 2011)

Review: Nice issue moves the story ahead; it starts with a heroic escape by Cap and ends with a battle of Cap versus the Super-Agents. It’s in between that the epic gets quirky: what’s with two-and-a-half pages devoted to Cap and the Avengers trying to scrape together enough cash for a bus ticket? And then Steve immediately running into a kid who doesn’t like Captain America? And why does that bug him for a page’s worth of angst? At least we discover who the traitor is and move ahead to the next stage in the search for the Falcon. Oh yeah, and Blue Streak gets his face punched in; if only Texas Twister was next.

Comments: Part two of the four-part story arc “Search for the Falcon.” Marvel Boy is now called Marvel Man (about time).

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #229 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

A team of SHIELD agents led by Jasper Sitwell searches the old HQ which was just demolished as they moved to a new location after this one was compromised by a Corporation spy in their midst. The object of the search? Captain America, who was in the building, locked in combat with the deadly Constrictor when the explosives went off. Cap managed to save himself and his foe from the worst of the falling debris with his shield. He drags the unconscious Constrictor to safety, as his only lead to the missing Falcon. Cap must force open a warped door and carry his enemy through the sewers before they emerge under the night sky. Cap questions his captive, who knows nothing but lets drop a mention of "that Wilson kid" which gives Cap the clue he needs. Cap realizes that only Jasper and the Super-Agents knew he was in the SHIELD complex so one of them must be the traitor. Cap returns to his apartment—to be reminded that the place was trashed by the Volkswagen in issue #222, and his wallet was left on the train in #223. He spies a picture of Bucky and vows that he will not lose another partner. He heads to Avengers Mansion to scrounge up some money for a plane ticket and after some pooling of resources he has enough for a bus ticket to the West Coast. On the way Steve chats with a young comic book fan—who doesn’t think much of Captain America (he is a Gene Colan fan so you have to give the kid some credit). Arriving at SHIELD Los Angeles complex, he enters and accuses one of the Super-Agents of being a Corporation spy. The Blue Streak, who no one realizes is the traitor, tries to cover himself by shouting that this must be some kind of test and they all attack the hero together. Within seconds, Cap takes down all four opponents, proving super-powers are no substitute for experience. In the confrontation, Blue Streak inadvertently gives away his true allegiance to the Corporation. Cap bowls him over with his shield and Vamp piles on, beating the traitor to a pulp before Cap can stop her. Fed up with the craziness of the group around him, Texas Twister leaves the team in disgust. Cap questions the battered Blue Streak as to the whereabouts of the Falcon and is told that his partner is a prisoner on Alcatraz….

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