9. Tomorrow You Live, Tonight I Die (Captain America #111-113)
Jim Sterankos regrettably short-lived run as writer/penciller on Captain America introduced a theme that would loom large over the Captain America universe for years to come: Captain America the dream, the ideal, the symbol. In this storyline (Steranko scripted/illustrated issues #111 and #113), the villainous Madame Hydra discovers Captain Americas secret identity (Steve Rogers) and uses this information to strike at the Avenger close to home. In order to protect his loved ones, Rogers fakes his own death. The Avengers mourn the death of their leader while the HYDRA terrorist group celebrates the American heros death. Cap eventually returns, and alongside his buddy Rick Jones (imitating Captain Americas WWII sidekick Bucky), kicks some HYDRA butt. In one of the Sterankos most famous splash pages, Cap is holding a HYDRA goon over his head while the text waxes poetic about how a man, a team or an army can be destroyed, but symbols live forever. The storyline has an inherent understanding that Captain Americas real strength is derived from what he represents not from a serum or an adamantium shield.
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
