Random Happenstance

I didn't get Mr. Hyde built yesterday, but I did go through a box from the last comic book show I went to, and found a book I had been wanting to blog forever! We did actually blog one panel from it back in 2007, since I've had the trade forever, but didn't have one to cram into the scanner. From 1980, Captain America #251, "The Mercenary and the Madman!" Written by Roger Stern, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Joe Rubinstein.

While Cap indulges in a bit of flashback, Mr. Hyde is broken out of prison, by Batroc the Leaper! Well, by Batroc's staff. He is, how you say, très busy, non? Still, he has a lot of overhead costs, what with staff, equipment, his floating barge/secret headquarters, prostitutes; so he's going to need the five million Hyde promised him. Too bad Hyde doesn't have it! While Batroc gets steamed, he can't kick the crap out of him, and Hyde has some scheme cooking to come up with the cash. The next day, Steve Rogers wraps up an all-nighter, and new love interest Bernie Rosenthal makes him some breakfast and grills him for info.

Hyde and Batroc hijack a Roxxon tanker, which could easily explode and destroy most of New York, and Hyde tries to extort a billion dollar ransom from the company. They also demand Cap as a hostage (well, one of them does...) but Cap has a trap laid for them, gassing most of Batroc's men, then is able to slug him into it. Then, it should be a piece of cake to take down Hyde; Cap had done it before--

And Hyde straight-up no-sales that one! You don't see Cap drop the ball like that very often, but Hyde had leveled up since he fought Cap, and beats the stuffing out of him. The issue ends with a dire cliffhanger, with Cap chained to the bow of the tanker, as Hyde is going to ram it into the city! Stern and Byrne's run was a short one, but a great one.