Can't you see that in stooping to your own enemy's level--you're being made over in his image--that you are becoming the very thing that you loathe? 
Appearing in "Yesterday's Shadows!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gail Runciter
- Michael Bech
- Arnie Roth
- Bernie Rosenthal
- Anna Kapplebaum
- Josh Cooper
- Mike Farrel
- Samuel Wilson
- Arthur Bennett
Antagonists:
- Vermin
- Neo-Nazis
- Baron Zemo II (First appearance as Baron Zemo)
- Arnim Zola
- Arnim Zola monster creations
Other Characters:
- "Sandy" Sanderson
- "Doc"
- Rabbi Kessler
- Sarah Wilson-Casper
- Carol Davis
- ⏴ Peter Parker ⏵
- Williams
- Sammy Bernstein (First appearance)
- Baron Zemo I (Photo)
- Hilda Zemo (Photo)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- New York
- New York City
- Long Island
- Babylon
Items:
Synopsis for "Yesterday's Shadows!"
Cap arrives at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters through a holographic projection and reminisces with Gail Runciter about the good old days when he simply sat on a barber chair and was lowered down to HQ. Ms. Runciter is keeping a pile of goo under observation, all that remains of a creature that attacked Cap (in Captain America Vol 1 270). Cap apologizes to Runciter about being rude to her previously while she was running a psychic scan on him (Cap Vol 1 268). She says not to worry about it and flirts a little with Cap before walking away and telling herself to put him out of her mind. She goes to check out Vermin who is also under observation. Meanwhile Cap visits Arnie Roth and his "room mate" Michael in a S.H.I.E.L.D. sick ward.
Later Steve Rogers is enjoying some downtime returning from a grocery shopping trip with Bernie Rosenthal and his landlord Anna Kappelbaum when they come across Anna and Bernie's local synagogue vandalised with swastikas. Rabbi Kessler explains that vandals had broken in, trashed the place, and stolen the congregation's copy of the Torah. Anna sees it as the act of "Nazi criminals" connected to an upcoming neo-Nazi rally on Long Island but Steve suggests it was just stupid kids. Rabbi Kessler sees it as part of a recent upsurge in anti-semitism. Steve suggests that as much he hates Nazis, everyone has freedom of speech in America. Bernie invites him to an anti-Nazi protest but Steve says he's too busy to go.
Three interludes follow. First, Baron Zemo is seen gazing at a family portrait and swearing that Captain America must die. Second, right wing extremists are spouting hate speech and denying the holocaust as they prepare for their rally. In the third interlude, in a small Baptist church in Harlem, Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon) announces that he is running for congress. Mr. Williams, a reporter from the Daily Bugle, challenges Sam about his criminal past and after the interview tells Peter Parker that he thinks Wilson is "slime" and that he plans to "nail his butt to the wall".
Later in the week Steve Rogers drops into Bennet Advertising to sell some of his artwork (he really needs the money), but when he hears Mr. Bennett spouting antisemitic insults he tears up his drawings and storms out. Steve then decides to attend the anti-Nazi protest. There he meets Sammy Bernstein who announces that Bernie is his ex-wife! This is news to everybody and they are all shocked, especially Steve. As the Nazi rally begins, the hate-speech is too much for the anti-Nazi protestors and an ugly fight breaks out between the two groups. Meanwhile in a far off hideaway Baron Zemo and Arnim Zola are watching the protest on a video screen, and planning a little riot of their own. Zemo presses a button and a pile of goo under observation at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters takes semi-human form and breaks out of its container. Vermin escapes after the wall of his room is smashed down by the "mass of muck."
Meanwhile back on Long Island, Bernie notices that Steve has disappeared. Suddenly Captain America arrives on the scene and both Nazis and anti-Nazis are stunned into reverent silence as he gives a speech about freedom of speech and non-violence and defends the reality of the holocaust from first hand experience, saying to the neo-Nazi leader, "I wish I could take you back with me to the day we liberated Diebenwald -- let you smell the stomach turning stench of death -- let you see the mountains of corpses left behind by the corrupt madmen and murderers you idolize." It is the kind of great speech that Cap is often criticized for but he's determined to give it anyway. But the speech is so much like one that Steve Rogers gave earlier that Bernie has a revelation - "Oh...my...dear...God! Steve Rogers is...Captain America!"
Notes
- Baron Zemo was last seen in Captain America Vol 1 168 in the guise of Phoenix.
- New Mike Zeck and John Beatty designed corner symbol replaces the previous Jack Kirby image.
- The Golden Age cover logo that first appeared on Captain America Comics Vol 1 1 (1940) reappears for only the second time in the Modern Age (it also appeared on Captain America Vol 1 255). It would remain for a lengthy run and be used yet again in Captain America, Volume V
- Arnie Roth and his roommate Michael are in fact a gay couple - the first in mainstream comics. Though this is never made overt, J.M. DeMatteis has written that it was a quite deliberate attempt to introduce homosexual characters to the Marvel universe.
- Steve Rogers quits his job at Bennett Advertising due to his protest of Anti-Semitic remarks of his boss Mr. Bennett.
- This issue contains a letters page: Letters to the Living Legend. Letters are published from: John Brittan, Bruce Caldwell, David Reitzes, Bill D. Middleton, David G. Thompson, Matt Bowerman, and Frank Gruber.
See Also
Links and References
- The Grand Comics Database: Captain America Vol 1 275 [1]