Captain America Vol 1 249

Captain America #249
Previous Issue	Captain America #248
Next Issue	Captain America #250
Art by: John Byrne and Joe Rubinstein
Release Date	June 10, 1980
Cover Date	September, 1980
Issue Details
Editor-in-Chief	Jim Shooter

1. "Death, Where Is Thy Sting?"
Appearances · Synopsis
Writer(s)	Roger Stern John Byrne
Penciler(s)	John Byrne
Inker(s)	Joe Rubinstein
Colorist(s)	Bob Sharen
Letterer(s)	Jim Novak
Editor(s)	Jim Salicrup

 I'll never stop believing that life is something most sacred, something to be sacrificed only for the greatest of causes...liberty! 

—Captain America

Appearing in "Death, Where Is Thy Sting?"

Featured Characters:

• ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵

Supporting Characters:

• Bernadette Rosenthal
• Mike Farrel
• Josh Cooper

Antagonists:

• Machinesmith

Other Characters:

• ⏴ Dragon Man ⏵
• Robot creations of:
  • Air-Walker
  • Magneto
  • Thing (Ben Grimm)
  • Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

Locations:

• New York City
  • Brooklyn Heights

Items:

• Captain America's Shield
• Captain America's Uniform

Synopsis for "Death, Where Is Thy Sting?"

Captain America frees himself from Dragon Man's grip by throwing his glove into Dragon Man's eye. Retrieving his shield, Cap smashes the drone buzzing round, freeing Dragon Man from its influence, then follows as Dragon Man heads off to confront Machinesmith. Meanwhile, as Josh and Bernie watch Mike's fireman unit put out a fire Dragon Man started, Bernie realizes she is concerned for the absent Steve, and wonders how deep her feelings run for a man she has only just met. Dragon Man destroys a barn to reveal a hidden entrance, and Cap follows Dragon Man inside. Machinesmith attacks and incapacitates Dragon Man.

When Cap confronts Machinesmith, his head falls off, revealing him to be a robot, and another Machinesmith taunts Cap as several robots attack simultaneously. Cap fights his way through the onslaught pursuing Machinesmith, who continues to jump between robot bodies. After explaining how his mind came to reside within a machine, he attacks Cap with a Machinesmith army. Noticing they are guarding a computer bank, Cap attacks it, deactivating the robots. As the damaged computer deactivates, Machinesmith reveals it houses his consciousness, and thanks Cap for helping him end a life no longer worth living.

Notes

• Plot by Stern and Byrne, script by Stern.
• In this issue, Machinesmith is revealed to be the former Daredevil villain Mister Fear.
• This issue also reveals that the Manipulator from Captain America #242 was created by Machinesmith.
• This issue also contains a letters page, "Letters to the Living Legend". A letter is published from Gary M. Fishman with a reply from Roger Stern.

See Also

• 1 image(s) from Captain America Vol 1 249
  • 1 reprint(s) of Captain America Vol 1 249.jpg
• 7 reprint(s) of Captain America Vol 1 249

Links and References

• The Grand Comics Database: Captain America Vol 1 249 [1]