The Classics - Captain America #175

It's a rare comic that manages to actually shock the reader, but this issue of Captain America left us stunned.

That's probably because the shock ending seemed to come out of nowhere - yet it made perfect sense.

(By the way, this is a review that will contain spoilers for this issue which carried a cover date of July 1974. Consider yourself warned.)

At this point in Cap's publication history, he was enjoying a series of strong stories written by Steve Englehart (who I readily admit is one of my all-time favorite comic book writers), with almost every issue drawn by the terrific (and often underrated) Sal Buscema.

This issue was the culmination of a series of stories that had been running for about a year, as a plot to discredit Cap and to establish the original Moonstone as a hero continued to unfold.

It was all a plot by the Secret Empire, a criminal organization (along the lines of Hydra and AIM), and it involved the X-Men, whose title had been canceled months earlier (they got better).

The story included an invasion of Washington, DC, and a threat of nuclear destruction - all part of the evil plans of "Number One," the leader of the bad guys.

Thankfully, Cap and his allies - the Falcon, SHIELD agents and the X-Men - managed to turn the tables, and Cap redeemed himself with a final knock-down fight with Moonstone.

But that's not the shock ending. "Number One" escapes into the White House, with Cap in pursuit, and the chase ends in the Oval Office where Cap unmasks his enemy. Unlike the misleading cover, we are never shown the face of "Number One," but Cap's reaction tells us all we need to know.

The bad guy was the President of the United States! (For those who don't remember, the guy in charge at the time was Richard Nixon, and the Watergate trial was going on at the time.) Before Cap could stop him, "Number One" committed suicide - and the story was over.

It was a stunning conclusion to what would otherwise have been just another good guy vs. bad guy story - and it forced Captain America to confront the feeling that something was terribly wrong with the country.

It was a true reflection of the mood of the country at the time - a brave story that few writers would have the nerve to tackle. It led into another epic story with Cap re-examining his life and purpose - but that's another story.

Still, it was a key turning point for the character, as the distinction was made that Captain America represents - and fights for - nothing less than the American Dream.

Grade: A