Two stories of the 2002 Captain America: Red White & Blue anthology were not included in the Marvel Chronology Project listing.
The eighth story in Captain America: Red White & Blue.
The eighth story in Captain America: Red White & Blue.
Synopsis: February 1954: Earlier, the Red Skull had killed a senator named Joseph McRooter, and taken his place. Recruiting war criminals to help him, he called for investigations into the U.S. military for possible Communist infiltration. As part of this, he demanded that Captain America and Brigadier General Zwiller appear before him. Captain America appeared with lawyer Ken Levine in Washington. "McRooter" demanded that Captain America take off the mask during his next appearance.
Speaking with FBI agent Betsy Ross, Captain America discovered that she suspected that the real McRooter had been killed and replaced. She showed him pictures of contacts McRooter had met with, who Captain America recognized as war criminals.
At the next hearing, Captain America unmasked "McRooter" as the Red Skull. An agent of his grabbed for a gun, but Betsy Ross shot him.
It was discussed twice in the Marvel Chronology Project forum:
http://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2 ... =9&t=13139
http://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2 ... f=9&t=4170
I think I can overcome all objections that have been raised for the inclusion of this story.
Objection 1: the 1950s Captain America started in 1954 (and so cannot have the Korea War service mentioned). This is false both on publication dates and intradiegetic narrative.
Paul B. stated "There was a Captain America active in 1954 (William Burnside), but that wasn’t until later in ’54."
Yet Young Men #24 had a publication date of December 1953, so hitting stands in August or September 1953 (after the truce of July 27, 1953).
Based on the narration in Captain America #155 by Burnside, the plan to make a new Captain America was cancelled after the July 27, 1953 truce. Instead, he starts as a teacher, meets Bucky in the fall and "later that same year" (so still in 1953) becomes Captain America.
Objection 2: he was never deployed to Korea so the senator's bringing up his Korea service means it cannot fit in continuity.
http://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15080
He is in Korea in Men's Adventures #28, then in Captain America #77 (fourth story) rescuing prisoners of war, he is stationed there as a soldier in Captain America #78 (second story) and the narrative in Marvel Comics Presents #47 (fourth story) mentioned a Captain America was in Pork Chop Hill with a soldier called Clarence. Pork Chop Hill refers to two battles of the Korea War: 16–18 April / 6–11 July 1953.
Since we have no confirming pictures with the narrative, Clarence could have confused memories. Maybe he met this Captain America after the truce in Men's Adventure #28 (second story), Captain America #77 (fourth story) or #78 (second story) or in Indochina (Captain America #76, fourth story).
Another possibility is the following, Burnside did become Captain America in July 1953, was sent to Pork Chop Hill and was disappointed that the war ended three weeks later and that the military took back the costume so soon. The stories in Young Men #24 and Captain America #76 establish that Captain America & Bucky are believed to be fictitious, possibly the result the army denying Captain America's presence at Pork Chop Hill. His first-person narrative in Captain America #155 would then be hyperbole or a simplification, possibly an attempt to claim he first became Captain America on his own, to rationalize acting without official sanction. In that scenario, after he saved the United Nations from the Red Skull's attack, the army revised their position on having an active Captain America, maybe on the condition that he (re)joined the army.
Possibly supporting the action in Korea hypothesis, the flashback in Captain America (fifth series) #38 is actually three flashbacks. In the first one he is alone, in the second one receiving a giant key with Bucky, in the third with Bucky unduly attacking African Americans in spite of policemen. As a three-panel summary of his career, it sort of reads 1. operating alone, 2. being lionized with Bucky, 3. turning unbalanced. The fact that it is only the second panel that mentions "using the super-soldier serum on himself and his Bucky" could be interpreted as meaning he was already Captain America before injecting the serum on Bucky and himself. I have no idea which of the three panels prompted the placement after Captain America #77. The third panel should occur much later, before panel three page 17 of Captain America #155. The ceremony in the second panel is odd for the low-key adventure in Captain America #77 that it follows, but such ceremonies are planned in advance and this could be an award for an earlier accomplishment (saving the United Nations for example). Whatever is made of the data, this Captain America has enough of a service overseas to be attacked on it by the "senator".
Objection 3: Betsy Ross is out of place in this story as she resigned in 1949.
This argument is not valid since she was a supporting character in the first two stories in Captain America #76.
Objection 4: this Red Skull is a Nazi rather than a Communist.
While it is indeed likely that he is a Nazi due to the mention of "war criminals" as "contacts of his," strictly speaking it is only Captain America who characterizes the rhetoric as "Nazi ideas." But even so in New Avengers (2nd series) #11-12 (the Avengers 1959 flashback) there is a Nazi Red Skull impostor (which could even be the same as this one).
Further argument for inclusion, the "Senator" accuses Cap of "activities behind enemy lines." In the fourth story of Captain America #76 Captain America went behind enemy lines in Indochina pretending to defect to the communist side. A truncated version of that event would serve the accusation.
So I place this story after the second story of Captain America #78, his last appearance in Korea.
http://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2 ... =9&t=13139
http://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2 ... f=9&t=4170
I think I can overcome all objections that have been raised for the inclusion of this story.
Objection 1: the 1950s Captain America started in 1954 (and so cannot have the Korea War service mentioned). This is false both on publication dates and intradiegetic narrative.
Paul B. stated "There was a Captain America active in 1954 (William Burnside), but that wasn’t until later in ’54."
Yet Young Men #24 had a publication date of December 1953, so hitting stands in August or September 1953 (after the truce of July 27, 1953).
Based on the narration in Captain America #155 by Burnside, the plan to make a new Captain America was cancelled after the July 27, 1953 truce. Instead, he starts as a teacher, meets Bucky in the fall and "later that same year" (so still in 1953) becomes Captain America.
Objection 2: he was never deployed to Korea so the senator's bringing up his Korea service means it cannot fit in continuity.
http://www.chronologyproject.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15080
He is in Korea in Men's Adventures #28, then in Captain America #77 (fourth story) rescuing prisoners of war, he is stationed there as a soldier in Captain America #78 (second story) and the narrative in Marvel Comics Presents #47 (fourth story) mentioned a Captain America was in Pork Chop Hill with a soldier called Clarence. Pork Chop Hill refers to two battles of the Korea War: 16–18 April / 6–11 July 1953.
Since we have no confirming pictures with the narrative, Clarence could have confused memories. Maybe he met this Captain America after the truce in Men's Adventure #28 (second story), Captain America #77 (fourth story) or #78 (second story) or in Indochina (Captain America #76, fourth story).
Another possibility is the following, Burnside did become Captain America in July 1953, was sent to Pork Chop Hill and was disappointed that the war ended three weeks later and that the military took back the costume so soon. The stories in Young Men #24 and Captain America #76 establish that Captain America & Bucky are believed to be fictitious, possibly the result the army denying Captain America's presence at Pork Chop Hill. His first-person narrative in Captain America #155 would then be hyperbole or a simplification, possibly an attempt to claim he first became Captain America on his own, to rationalize acting without official sanction. In that scenario, after he saved the United Nations from the Red Skull's attack, the army revised their position on having an active Captain America, maybe on the condition that he (re)joined the army.
Possibly supporting the action in Korea hypothesis, the flashback in Captain America (fifth series) #38 is actually three flashbacks. In the first one he is alone, in the second one receiving a giant key with Bucky, in the third with Bucky unduly attacking African Americans in spite of policemen. As a three-panel summary of his career, it sort of reads 1. operating alone, 2. being lionized with Bucky, 3. turning unbalanced. The fact that it is only the second panel that mentions "using the super-soldier serum on himself and his Bucky" could be interpreted as meaning he was already Captain America before injecting the serum on Bucky and himself. I have no idea which of the three panels prompted the placement after Captain America #77. The third panel should occur much later, before panel three page 17 of Captain America #155. The ceremony in the second panel is odd for the low-key adventure in Captain America #77 that it follows, but such ceremonies are planned in advance and this could be an award for an earlier accomplishment (saving the United Nations for example). Whatever is made of the data, this Captain America has enough of a service overseas to be attacked on it by the "senator".
Objection 3: Betsy Ross is out of place in this story as she resigned in 1949.
This argument is not valid since she was a supporting character in the first two stories in Captain America #76.
Objection 4: this Red Skull is a Nazi rather than a Communist.
While it is indeed likely that he is a Nazi due to the mention of "war criminals" as "contacts of his," strictly speaking it is only Captain America who characterizes the rhetoric as "Nazi ideas." But even so in New Avengers (2nd series) #11-12 (the Avengers 1959 flashback) there is a Nazi Red Skull impostor (which could even be the same as this one).
Further argument for inclusion, the "Senator" accuses Cap of "activities behind enemy lines." In the fourth story of Captain America #76 Captain America went behind enemy lines in Indochina pretending to defect to the communist side. A truncated version of that event would serve the accusation.
So I place this story after the second story of Captain America #78, his last appearance in Korea.
Suggested revisions of the Marvel Chronology Project listings for characters involved:
GOLDEN GIRL II/BETTY ROSS
CAC 76/2
*CA:RW&B /8
CAPTAIN AMERICA IV/WILLIAM BURNSIDE/"STEVE ROGERS"
*CA5 38 (2)-FB add number in parentheses)
CAC 77/2
CAC 77/4
MENADV 28/2
CAC 78/2
*CA:RW&B /8 insert
CAC 78
CAC 78/4
CA@ 13-FB
CA@ 6
CATOW:AF
*CA5 38 (3)-FB insert
CA 155 (17:3 - 18:5)-FB
Either:
RED SKULL IMPOSTER III
*CA:RW&B /8 insert
NA2 11
NA2 12
Or:
RED SKULL IMPOSTER III (insert)
*CA:RW&B /8
RED SKULL IMPOSTER IV (change number)
NA2 11
NA2 12
GOLDEN GIRL II/BETTY ROSS
CAC 76/2
*CA:RW&B /8
CAPTAIN AMERICA IV/WILLIAM BURNSIDE/"STEVE ROGERS"
*CA5 38 (2)-FB add number in parentheses)
CAC 77/2
CAC 77/4
MENADV 28/2
CAC 78/2
*CA:RW&B /8 insert
CAC 78
CAC 78/4
CA@ 13-FB
CA@ 6
CATOW:AF
*CA5 38 (3)-FB insert
CA 155 (17:3 - 18:5)-FB
Either:
RED SKULL IMPOSTER III
*CA:RW&B /8 insert
NA2 11
NA2 12
Or:
RED SKULL IMPOSTER III (insert)
*CA:RW&B /8
RED SKULL IMPOSTER IV (change number)
NA2 11
NA2 12
The ninth story in Captain America: Red White & Blue.
Synopsis: Captain America has been shrunk down and inserted into someone’s brain to fix genetic sabotage. He battles Red Bra, who turns out to be Sharon Carter. Also, Black Mamba is called in for help, who mentions the Avengers. After the patient is saved, Captain America asks who it is. It is a comic artist making comics about a rich character giving money to homeless people! GASP! How will this affect the CHILDREN???!~ wonders Captain America. (Refers to 1952's Disney story "A Christmas for Shacktown")
In 2002 this story could not be canonic. Thanks to the Captain America: Reborn series, it is now possible for Captain America in 1952 to remember/dream of Sharon Carter and Black Mamba. During Reborn Cap's present consciousness travels to his own past at the time of (in issue #1) D-Day, his mother's death, a castle in Europe in 1944 (in #1 & #2), a late war meeting with FDR, Erskine's death in 1940, (in #3) the block of ice worshipped by Eskimos thrown into the sea by Namor, the Kree-Skrull War, (in #4) the battle vs Madame Hydra, the Channel Islands fatal fight in April 1945. His present memories can therefore appear in a story set in 1952.
And there are now three different stories establishing that while frozen in ice Captain America was having weird dreams. The ninth story in Captain America: Red White & Blue is clearly dreamlike (or nightmarish). The tenth story in that collection shows five different dreams. The third dream story is the "1964" story in Marvel Comics 1000. (The sixth story in Captain America: Red White & Blue is also a weird dream.)
Analysis: The story starts "Somewhere in a cortex, November 12th, 1952." So this story happens in a brain, but the frozen Captain America's brain (not a comics artist although note that Captain America is a former comics artist himself!). Black Mamba on page 6 says, "It's only a dream." The whole thing is another of those dreams he had while frozen like Marvel Comics #1000 '1964' and the tenth story in Captain America: Red White & Blue, except it's a dream from the Captain America at the time of Captain America: Reborn bouncing across time, here bouncing back to the time when he was frozen dreaming in November 1952, which is how he can dream of Sharon Carter and Black Mamba in that story.
Although absurdist, a number of elements in this dream point to Captain America's predicament in Captain America: Reborn. Sharon Carter is a traitor in the dream and so was she in "Death of Captain America" as she was the (brainwashed) assassin of Captain America. "Red Bra" is Captain America's unconscious mind telling him she was manipulated by the Red Skull. A footnote says Sharon has been "missing in action since the latest victorious battle against the Red Skull." The "in a cortex" phrase can itself refer to the consciousness of the modern-day Captain America being present in the brain of his past self. The red machine instilling red thoughts into the comics artist's brain can be a subconscious warning that the Red Skull is in the process of swapping bodies with Captain America in Captain America: Reborn #4 between pages 17 & 25. Sharon Carter is present during this operation and speaking, even calling to Steve. Her voice could influence the content of Cap's dream. So this story should be placed during Reborn #4.
This could be placed between pages 17 & 18 (before his last return to the past), between 22:3 & 22:4 (just before he realizes he's pulled from the time stream, but he's back in civvies in the next panel), between 22 & 23 (he's in costume but not in a specific past time anymore) or between 24 & 25 (just before Red Skull takes over his body).
Presumably the operation requires three steps 1) locating Captain America's mind and 2) pulling it to the present, 3) swapping Captain America's & Red Skull's minds. During step 1 his mind, dreaming in 1952, is influenced by Sharon Carter's voice and Red Skull's presence through the link to his present body, then his consciousness shifts to April 1945 and that's when he's pulled to the present (22:4 - 25:1), his body is taken over (25:1 - 27:1).
CAPTAIN AMERICA/STEVE ROGERS
CA:REBORN 4 (1-17)
*CA:RW&B /9 insert here
CA:REBORN4 (18-28)
CARTER, SHARON
CA:REBORN 4 (1-17)
*CA:RW&B /9 insert here
CA:REBORN4 (18-28)
RED SKULL/JOHANN SCHMIDT
CA:REBORN 4 (1-17)
*CA:RW&B /9 insert here
CA:REBORN4 (18-28)
In The Avengers #4 there are bits of information that Captain America should not have. How does he know that his last mission was "more than twenty years ago"? Presumably, the Avengers could have told him the date in an unseen scene. But when Captain America says "I must have been frozen in an ice floe and found by some Eskimos who thought I was a supernatural object" there is no way he or the Avengers could have known that. Those elements must be what prompted Ed Brubaker to write Captain America: Reborn.
In retrospect, it seems the dreams in the tenth story of Captain America: Red White & Blue are also affected by the modern-day Captain America's consciousness. On page 2 the Red Skull says, "How long have I waited for this moment? Ten years? Fifteen?" This points to awareness that this many years have passed. Page 3 mentions "red saboteurs" indicating awareness of the Cold War and the lunar cities point to the space race. The early lunar conquest also evokes Captain America (fifth series) #10, the House of M reality. On page 4 Senator Rogers announces his candidacy to the office of... but is then targeted by a sniper's assassination attempt in front of a building and on similar steps as in Captain America (fifth series) #25. The deathbed scene on page 6 is reminiscent of the one in Captain America #286, the death of Jeff Mace, the third Captain America.
If Captain America was "unstuck in time" during Captain America: Reborn, it seems logical that the period when he was frozen would be one of the most revisited since it covers more than fifty percent of his lifetime (60 years on the sliding time scale, which is 60 percent for a person born in 1920). And just as the Captain America in The Avengers #4 displayed future knowledge, just as the dreams in the tenth story of Captain America: Red White & Blue reflect future events, the initially surreal ninth story can now find its place in the chronology.
CA:REBORN 4 (1-17)
*CA:RW&B /9 insert here
CA:REBORN4 (18-28)
CARTER, SHARON
CA:REBORN 4 (1-17)
*CA:RW&B /9 insert here
CA:REBORN4 (18-28)
RED SKULL/JOHANN SCHMIDT
CA:REBORN 4 (1-17)
*CA:RW&B /9 insert here
CA:REBORN4 (18-28)
In The Avengers #4 there are bits of information that Captain America should not have. How does he know that his last mission was "more than twenty years ago"? Presumably, the Avengers could have told him the date in an unseen scene. But when Captain America says "I must have been frozen in an ice floe and found by some Eskimos who thought I was a supernatural object" there is no way he or the Avengers could have known that. Those elements must be what prompted Ed Brubaker to write Captain America: Reborn.
In retrospect, it seems the dreams in the tenth story of Captain America: Red White & Blue are also affected by the modern-day Captain America's consciousness. On page 2 the Red Skull says, "How long have I waited for this moment? Ten years? Fifteen?" This points to awareness that this many years have passed. Page 3 mentions "red saboteurs" indicating awareness of the Cold War and the lunar cities point to the space race. The early lunar conquest also evokes Captain America (fifth series) #10, the House of M reality. On page 4 Senator Rogers announces his candidacy to the office of... but is then targeted by a sniper's assassination attempt in front of a building and on similar steps as in Captain America (fifth series) #25. The deathbed scene on page 6 is reminiscent of the one in Captain America #286, the death of Jeff Mace, the third Captain America.
If Captain America was "unstuck in time" during Captain America: Reborn, it seems logical that the period when he was frozen would be one of the most revisited since it covers more than fifty percent of his lifetime (60 years on the sliding time scale, which is 60 percent for a person born in 1920). And just as the Captain America in The Avengers #4 displayed future knowledge, just as the dreams in the tenth story of Captain America: Red White & Blue reflect future events, the initially surreal ninth story can now find its place in the chronology.
