Captain America #171: Review

Mar 1974

Mike Friedrich, Sal Buscema

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Story Name:

Bust-Out!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #171 Review by Peter Silvestro (February 15, 2010)

Story idea by Steve Englehart.

Part three of the seven-part Secret Empire story arc.

Captain America #171 Review by Rob Johnson (November 28, 2013)

This issue is intimately entwined with Avengers #120-121, also by by Steve Englehart. A police liaison goes to talk to the Avengers at the beginning of #120 about Captain America being jailed for murder, and gets involved in an attack by the Zodiac gang, during which time cap gets busted out. After the initial attack Iron Man comes here to meet Falcon, and then returns to #120 as the Avengers take the fight to Zodiac. The freed Cap helps the Avengers win their 2nd fight with Zodiac in #121, but then leaves them so that they won't be accused of harbouring a fugitive. Then he comes back here to meet up with Falcon. And Black Panther returns to the Avengers.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #171 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

A costumed gang calling itself the Sanitation Unit tries to break Captain America out of jail but Cap refuses, choosing to put his faith in the due process of the law. The prison guards arrive; the Sanitation Unit plans to shoot them down with their rock-blasters so Cap fights his would-be rescuers to save the guards. Unit thugs release gas, knocking out Cap and the guards. Cap slowly awakens from the effects of the gas and overhears that the Sanitation Unit is secretly working with the Committee to Re-gain America’s Principles in their scheme to discredit the hero. Cap recovers his shield and beats up his captors, forcing one of them to reveal their employer’s address. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the Falcon and the Black Panther arrange a rescue for Leila, who is a captive of the exiled American gangster Stoneface. The heroes break into the villain’s hideout and confront the enemy but Falcon’s lack of practice with his new high-tech wings causes him to lose control and crash into the Black Panther, knocking them both out. The gang boss has his men take the two captive heroes to the sea-cliffs outside the city and orders them thrown to their deaths. As they plummet, Falcon is able to master the use of the wings and he swoops and catches the Panther. The heroes then return to the top of the cliff and overpower the baddies. Falcon and Leila return to New York, where he excuses himself to go show off his new gear to Cap. Dropping by his office, Falcon finds Iron Man waiting for him; Shellhead gives him the details on the murder charge against Cap and Falcon vows to clear Cap’s name. Cap and the Falcon link up and head to the address Cap obtained earlier and they discover that the building belongs to Quentin Harderman, leader of the Committee. As they watch the building from nearby, they are confronted by Moonstone, who uses his laser blasts to take down Captain America and the Falcon….

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