Synopsis: Captain America and the Falcon 213 was written and drawn by Jack Kirby and opens with an action packed dream sequence from a blinded and hospitalised Steve ‘Captain America’ Rogers, who is being visited by Sam ‘The Falcon’ Wilson. Steve wakes from a dream about the Red Skull in a hospital run by S.H.I.E.L.D. they bring in another patient to his room, a man bandaged from head to toe. Steve goes back to sleep, but that night, someone breaks into this room to kill the other patient, who agents have referred to as the Defector. Blinded, half asleep, Steve still kicks this guy’s rear up and down the room and then through the window.
Later at the headquarters of something called the Corporation, the news of the failed hit passes to a man called Klugger, who discusses sending a new hit man with his assistant, a lady called Veda. She recommends the Night Flyer, an eccentric specialist in killing, who is called and dispatched to the hospital to kill the Defector.
The Night Flyer heads to the hospital, where he avoids a hail of gunfire and the waiting Falcon before slipping into the private room and firing several times into a dummy. Undetterred by this set back and the several armed S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents along with Captain America (although still in hospital gown and blindfold) the Night Flyer reaffirms his intent to kill the Defector. He is the perfect man, he intents to complete his assignment and No One Here Can Prevent It!
Notes: This is bonkers action as only the King can provide. One of the greats in both character ideas and action Jack Kirby could do comics like no one else and his work is all over this issue. As always, his dialogue is stiff and somewhat unnatural. But that’s like saying there’s a lack of everyday characterisation in an action film, that’s not really what you put your money down for. You are there for action, for cool effects and suspense. I can’t really look at this too objectively, mostly because Jack Kirby creations are amongst my favourites and even a good fifteen years after the silver age started, he still had it.
Relevance: To be honest, not a lot of 70’s Kirby at Marvel is referenced again, the Celestials keep popping up, but that’s about it. This was just a fun issue and that’s all it needs to be. Here again is Captain America being awesome.
Next Time: An Avenger flies commerical.
