Captain America
Tales of Suspense #71-81

November 1965
Tales of Suspense # 71: "... When You Lie Down with Dogs ...!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: George Tuska (with layouts by Jack Kirby)
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Jay's Rating: JJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Dr. Rawlings, a Nazi collaborator, changes his allegiances at the last moment as the Nazis kill his sister and helps free Cap. Cap and Bucky deal with the Nazis. Cap learns that his army unit is about to be ambushed by Nazi forces. They work with Rawlings to reprogram the rocket and they send it over the Chanel. The rocket decimates the Nazi forces allowing Cap's army unit to escape.

December 1965
Tales of Suspense # 72: "The Sleeper Shall Awake!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: George Tuska (with layouts by Jack Kirby)
Inker: George Tuska
Jay's Rating: JJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Cap is haunted by strange nightmares of the Red Skull and remembers that the Red Skull had vowed, twenty years ago, to unleash the final Nazi threat codenamed the Sleepers. Cap investigates, but arrives too late as some of the Red Skull's lackeys have already awoken the Sleeper. Cap is unable to stop the Sleeper and it moves on in search of the other Sleepers.

Jay's Notes:

  • cameo by Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye.
  • The stories in this series are now set in the "present".

January 1966
Tales of Suspense # 73: "Where Walks the Sleeper!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: George Tuska (with layouts by Jack Kirby)
Inker: George Tuska
Jay's Rating: JJ1/2
Synopsis: (10 pages)
The second Sleeper has been awakened by the Red Skull's agents and it seeks
out the first Sleeper. Cap has a run-in with the second Sleeper, but is unable to stop it. He witnesses the two sleepers merge together and set out in search of the third Sleeper, rampaging as they go.

February 1966
Tales of Suspense # 74: "The Final Sleep" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: George Tuska (with layouts by Jack Kirby)
Inker: George Tuska
Jay's Rating: JJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Cap tries to warn the Allied forces of the deadly threat posed by the Sleepers. The third Sleeper is awakened and merges with the other two Sleepers. The composite Sleeper makes its way to the North Pole where it will channel down into the Earth's core and unleash worldwide desvastation. Cap tries a last ditch
attempt to stop the Sleepers and is successful.

March 1966
Tales of Suspense # 75: "30 Minutes to Live!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Dick Ayers (with layouts by Jack Kirby)
Inker: John Tartaglione
Jay's Rating: JJJ1/2
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Cap is rescued after the destruction of the Sleepers and returns to New York City. Cap meets a strange woman who reminds him of an old flame he met during WWII. However, this woman turns out to be a S.H.I.E.L.D agent and Batroc the Leaper is after her since she's transporting a mysterious explosive called Inferno 42. Cap comes to her rescue, but is forced to work with Batroc to find her since she's escaped with the Inferno 42 and doesn't know how dangerous it is.

Jay's Notes:

  • First appearance of Batroc the Leaper.

April 1966
Tales of Suspense # 76: "The Gladiator, The Girl, and the Glory!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Jay's Rating: JJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Cap and Batroc catch up with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Batroc manages to escape with the Inferno 42. Cap follows Batroc as he delivers the Inferno 42 to learn who had hired him. As it turns out, the Inferno 42 is safe in SH.I.E.L.D.'s hands and Batroc grabbed a fake. Both Batroc and his employers escape.

May 1966
Tales of Suspense # 77: "If A Hostage Should Die!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: John Romita with layouts by Jack Kirby
Inker: Frank Ray
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Cap recalls some WWII memories in France as the Allied forces pushed out the Nazis. He had been fighting along side a young freedom fighter and they had fallen for each other. However, the fighting seperated them and they weren't able to get find each other after the fighting. The young woman lost her memory and wandered out of Cap's life.

June 1966
Tales of Suspense # 78: "Them!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Jay's Rating: JJJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Nick Fury pays Cap a visit in hopes of getting some information about a secret organization called Them. However, before they make any progress they're attacked an android with an incredible array of chemical weeapons. Cap and Nick manage to defeat the android, but it self-destruct leaving no clues about its makers, Them.

July 1966
Tales of Suspense # 79: "The Red Skull Lives!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Jay's Rating: JJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
The Red Skull awaken from suspended animated by the secret society calling itself Them. The Red Skull then dispatches assassins to destroy Captain America. Cap defeats the assassins and learns of the Red Skull's return.

Jay's Notes:

  • First true Silver Age appearance of the Red Skull.
  • First appearance of the Cosmic Cube.

August 1966
Tales of Suspense # 80: "He Who Holds the Cosmic Cube" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Jay's Rating: JJJJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
A dying A.I.M. scientist reveals the Red Skull's plot to get his hands on A.I.M.'s ultimate creation the Cosmic Cube. Cap hitches a ride on the plane delivering the Cosmic Cube to the Red Skull. He confronts the Red Skull, but is defeated in battle. The Red Skull finally gains control of the Cosmic Cube.

Jay's Notes:

  • A.I.M. = Advanced Ideas Mechanics

September 1966
Tales of Suspense # 81: "The Red Skull Supreme!" 
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Jay's Rating: JJJJJ
Synopsis: (10 pages)
Cap desperately attacks the Red Skull, who now possess the power of the Cosmic Cube. The Red Skull unleashes its power against Captain America and defeats him. However, Cap manages to appeal to the Red Skull's ego and gains an opportunity attack. The Red Skull attempts to destroy Cap by tearing apart the island that they're on. In the mayhem, the Red Skull loses the Cosmic Cube and is apparently drowned as he's dragged to the bottom of the sea.

Jay's Notes:

  • The Cosmic Cube is next seen in Avengers #40.

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