Captain America #166: Review

Oct 1973

Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema

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Story Name:

Night of the Lurking Dead

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #166 Review by Peter Silvestro (March 15, 2010)

The villain’s continued backstory comes from YELLOW CLAW #1-4 (1956-1957). Part two of a three-part story.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #166 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Having been tricked into savagely beating Nick Fury by the gloating Yellow Claw, Captain America finds the SHIELD leader is still alive, thanks to his having pulled his punches. He carries his injured comrade to the exit, crashing through the sealed door with his super-strength and comes face-to-face with a giant scorpion. Cap battles the monster, finally breaking its back with his shield and he rushes Fury to SHIELD’s medical unit, where he is met by a concerned Dum Dum Dugan and a hostile Contessa Val. Meanwhile in his lair, the Yellow Claw stands over his catatonic grand-niece Suwan and reviews their history: how he schemed to conquer the United States but the tender-hearted Suwan was secretly aiding the FBI in their efforts to stop him. He escaped, placing her in the Lotus-Vial of Dreamless Sleep until now, when he has discovered the means to make her his own again. Steve Rogers returns to his apartment to discover he’s been evicted, but forgets all that when he spies a news article (placed by the Eel and Viper) denouncing him as a vigilante. He phones Sharon for comfort and finds that Peggy has disappeared. Back in Harlem, the Falcon feels comfortable protecting the people of his neighborhood from a gang of robbers, when he sees the headlines about Nick Fury. Shortly thereafter Falcon meets Peggy who is seeking Cap and has tracked Falcon down by means of the return address on the mail he received while staying at the Carter’s home. Falcon hands her over to Leila for safekeeping while he informs Steve about this new development. While the partners are speaking, they hear a news report that the Yellow Claw has been seen near the Museum of Natural History. Donning their costumes, they head to that institution and are confronted by living mummies. Cap and Falcon defeat the mummies but are captured by a pair of hulking zombies. As they watch in horror, the Yellow Claw chants a spell over the mummy of the Princess Fan-Le-Tamen and infuses her soul into the comatose body of Suwan, raising the long-dead villainess to life!

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