Especially since I don't want to scan Cap from this one: from 1979,
Captain America #234, "Burn, Cap, Burn!" Written by Roger McKenzie, pencils by Sal Buscema, finishes by Don Perlin.
The National Force/Dr. Faustus story started in
Cap #231, and is probably best known for killing off Sharon Carter in
Cap #233. She would return like 200+ issues later; but I don't think her death had been intended to stick as long as it did. She had been brainwashed by Faustus, and this month Cap is as well, as he films an incendiary and race-baiting promo for the National Force. Cap tells "real" Americans--you know which ones--to rally under their banner, which is a literal goddamn swastika painted on his shield. Yeah, I don't think I'll be scanning any of that.
Matt Murdock hears the ad, with Foggy Nelson and Becky Blake, and makes a lame excuse so he can track down Cap. Daredevil apparently gets great reception, as his hypersenses are able to pinpoint the National Force's signal override; but he gets sidetracked saving an old man from getting splattered during a police chase. Still, these cops had been trying to track down some NF goons; which is refreshing to remember a time when the cops being
anti-Nazi was more of a given. DD smashes into their warehouse hideout, and has to face Faustus, brainwashed Cap, the "Grand Director"--the red-scare 50's Captain America, who wouldn't come to a good end in this storyline--and the usual gun-toting masked goons. Cap fights DD, and during the fight DD kicks a barrel of chemicals at Cap, which eats the Nazi paintjob off of his shield, which shocks Cap to normal. That's...sort of symbolic, but not great? Faustus still has his other goons, so this one's to be continued.
Faustus is supposed to be a bad guy you should hate; sure, done, but I have no idea what his motivation was. Like, he wanted power, but for any particular reason? Since he had some skill in hypnosis, he seemed to decide because he could force people to kill themselves, he might as well do it? You'd love to see him catch a good beating (or get shot, since I think he's crossed the Punisher before) but he seems to skate, a lot. (Actually, I think his legs or his spine were injured at some point; but I think it was forgotten or the degree of injury varies from appearance to appearance. Or maybe I just don't recall.)
The only time I can truly remember Faustus getting his at the end of a Cap story was Captain America #300 when he was strangled by the Red Skull's ghost, or whatever the hell that was supposed to be. Other than that, yeah you're right, he's usually gotten away with whatever horrible thing he did. You'd have thought Sharon would've killed him off on the low after what he did to her.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Nazis, I know there was small, but vocal sub-section of Americans who were Pro-Nazi right before & during WW2, but for the most part America was definitely hugely Anti-Nazi. I wish this country had kept that same energy through the years.