Captain America #21: Review

Jun 2014

Rick Remender, Nic Klein

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Story Name:

Super-Soldier No More [The Iron Nail Part 5]

Review & Comments

Rating:

Captain America #21 Review by Peter Silvestro (June 7, 2014)

Review: Cap versus Iron Nail in a giant Transformer? Seriously? And I suppose with the baddie’s death his entire elaborate scheme and organization just vanish? What about all the kidnapped rich people? What about the point of the story? Iron Nail sets out to prove that America is the bully of the world—and SHIELD (and Cap) oblige him. Yet there is no irony or point to the proceedings; I certainly hope there is some fallout to this in the next issues. Oh yeah and Cap has lost his powers for I believe at least the fourth time, though it isn’t made clear exactly how or why—the reactor? Iron Nail’s tentacles? Let’s see where it goes this time.

Comments: As he dies, Iron Nail mentions Mila—the woman he rescued in WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #21 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

The SHIELD supercarrier Gungnir has transformed into a humongous fighting robot to destroy the tiny nation of Nrosvekistan in accord with the Iron Nail’s scheme to disgrace America. Dum Dum Dugan, knowing his colleagues are aboard, reluctantly gives the order to destroy it…. Inside Captain America is locked in combat with the Iron Nail in his monster form. A space weapon strikes Gungnir, knocking the villain off balance so Cap can retaliate bringing the ceiling down on him. Cap hastily asks the injured Maria Hill how to shut down the craft and she directs him to the core reactor. Hill and Nick Fury Jr. evacuate all SHIELD personnel while Cap heads for the reactor, all the while berating himself for being too distracted by the loss of Ian and Sharon Carter to pay attention to the secret attack on SHIELD. Iron Nail catches up to Cap and impales him with his tentacles. Cap breaks free and dodges other attacks but is skewered by flying needles and falls down a shaftway. As he nears the reactor, the villain seizes him and closes the reactor bay while Gungnir prepares to fire a blast. Cap hurls his shield accurately through the closing doors and it destroys the reactor, halting the massive weapon. The fight has left Cap horribly aged—and at Iron Nail’s mercy. Suddenly Falcon crashes in savagely beats the villain. When Falcon is distracted by debris falling on Cap, Iron Nail detonates the reactor. The madman is burned alive by the radiation but Falcon shields himself and Cap with his wings then flies them both to safety as Gungnir shuts down for good. The dying Captain America is rushed to the hospital….

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