Russkie-Smashers CAPTAIN AMERICA "Captain America Strikes!"

 Wherever the Red Menace Threatens America...

...(even overseas) there will be be a Captain America and Bucky to combat them!

Written by Don Rico (who was also quite an illustrator himself) and illustrated by hot up-and-comer John Romita Jr (whatever became of him?) this tale from the first issue of Cap's revived comic (#76 in 1954) has him back in the military, though he was already shown to be an honorably-discharged civilian in his 1950s return to comics post-World War II in Atlas' Young Men #24 (1953)...which was also written by this story's scripter, Don Rico!
Whether it was editorial sloppiness in dropping a line about an "honor guard of retired heroic soldiers" or that the story was set post-WWII, but before Steve Rogers was discharged, we'll never know!
New WWII flashback stories about Cap & Bucky were a major part of their Silver Age run in Tales of Suspense, giving context to present-day tales that often were direct sequels!
And there were no Silver-Age references (or reprints) of the 1950s CA&B since, according to editor Stan Lee...they never happened in official Marvel continuity!
But that began to change in 1968, when elements of the 1950s stories began to creep into Silver Age stories as shown HERE!

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Decades

Marvel in the '50s

Captain America Strikes!

(Which reprints this story)

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Russkie-Smashers SPY CASES "Smashing the Iron Curtain!"

"A secret agent is not some mythical being born on the comic page..."

...and raised to glory on the silver screen!"

How "meta" can you get?

Though the tale is closer to Mickey Spillane than Ian Fleming, it's still a rousing adventure that proves you don't need tights and a cape to smash Russkies!

Doug Grant was the star of the ongoing (and usually cover-featured) lead strip of Atlas' Spy Cases anthology comic.
This intro tale from #27 (actually #1, but they were continuing the numbering from a different comic, The Kellys) is scripted by Robert Bernstein and illustrated by Al Hartley.
He lasted for 39 stories, longer than any other Atlas-era secret agent except for The Yellow Claw's nemesis Jimmy Woo!

Next Week:

The legendary Man of Bronze takes on the Nazis at the 1936 Olympics as they put up an athlete who was trained from birth using the same techniques that Dr Clark Savage Sr used for Doc in this never-reprinted, almost 40 year-old extra-long tale!

Guest appearances by historical figures including Jesse Owens and Adolf (You Know Who)!

See the Nazi-Punching action at

Hero Histories and Medical Comics and Stories

Russkie-Smashers CAPTAIN AMERICA "Hour of Doom!"

Propaganda/Disinformation Presented by a Trusted Source...

...was a popular with the Russkies in the 1950s as it is with MAGA today!

Luckily, back then we had a Captain America & Bucky to expose it!

This final appearance of the Cap & Bucky of the 1950s (until Marvel's Captain America #153 [1972] as detailed HERE), written by Don Rico and illustrated by John Romita Sr,  appeared as the last story in Atlas' Captain America #78 (1954), ending his part of the short-lived revival of Timely Comics' "Big Three" (Cap, Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner)

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Decades

Marvel in the '50s

Captain America Strikes!

(Which reprints this story)

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Russkie-Smashers MAN COMICS "Bob Brant & the Trouble-Shooters! in 'Rocket to the Moon!/Out of this World!' "

There are Russkies Everywhere...

...in every country, under the sea, and the sky above...including the Moon!

Note: May be NSFW due to portrayal of Australian Aborigines, though it's not any worse than the standard depiction of Native Americans in similar stories of the era.

So, the All-American teenagers defeat Russkies and claim the Moon for the good 'ol USA in this never-reprinted tale illustrated by Carl Hubbell from Atlas' Man Comics #27 (1953)!

It's a pity the magazine only ran for one more issue after this!

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Newsboy Legion

Volume 1

by

Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

The First Kid Gang in Comic Books!

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Russkie-Smashing with AI! JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY / WHERE MONSTERS DWELL "Ruler of Earth!"

Despite the ominous-sounding title (and word balloon)...

...the Artificial Intelligence in this tale is benevolent...until Russkies enter the picture!
(Yeah, Russkies ruin everything!)

So, let's travel to the "future" year of 1990...as seen from 1962...

Appearing as the cover-featured story in one of the final pre-Mighty Thor issues of Atlas' Journey into Mystery (#82 in 1962), this story by plotter/editor Stan Lee, writer Larry Leiber, penciler Jack Kirby, and inker Dick Ayers is a clear Cold War/anti-Communist parable!

But, when the tale was reprinted at the end of the Cold War in Marvel's Where Monsters Dwell #25 (1973)...

...editor Roy Thomas had the hammer and sickle and red star insignias removed from the Russkies' hats...

...and replaced with an "H", which was explained with the change in the dialogue balloon above!
HYDRA???
Why not AIM...who were always more tech-oriented?
So, presumably, there are at least two worlds in the Marvel Multiverse where ROE presides, to this day, over a peaceful Earth!
Bonus for putting up with this all this fanboy mishigas...the lovingly-detailed original art for the spash page by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers!

BTW, did you note how warm, cuddly, and almost teddy-bear-like the cover's ROE is, compared to the version in the story itself?

Russkie-Smashers JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Invisible Woman!"

Sometimes, the Best "Man" for Russkie-Smashing is a WOman...

...as this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Journey into Mystery #43 (1957) aptly-demonstrates!

This story has a rather unique artistic pedigree

Pencils by Syd Shores, who is usually an inker, and inking by one of the (now) most famous pencilers of the era...Matt Baker!
Why did editor Stan Lee make these particular choices?
Did the artists themselves suggest it as a change of pace?
Did Lee want to test to see how they'd do in unfamiliar roles?
I'd note there's also speculation Baker re-penciled certain panels, particularly the ones focused on the female spy!
What's the truth?

We'll never know the answer!

Just enjoy the result!

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Matt Baker

Art of Glamour

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