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Captain America #10

Oct 1998
Mark Waid, Andy Kubert

Story Name:

American Nightmare, Chapter Two: The Growing Darkness


Synopsis

Captain America #10 synopsis by Kevin Hollander
Rating: 4 stars

Captain America, Sharon Carter, and the construction worker scramble toward the basement which catches some, but not all, of the falling metal. The rest is supported by Cap's new shield. Sharon and the construction worker blast a hole into a cavern to give them some breathing room. However this cavern is also the hiding place that the Rhino is using. After taking down the Rhino, they are immediately found by the remaining construction crew. They return to Rogers' apartment where Steve admits to Sharon he is having inexplicable moments of cynicism – during the building collapse.

Skull Island: The shadow being containing the consciousness of the Red Skull is unable to reverse his current condition. Kang the Conqueror arrives at this point to offer the Skull his assistance is returning him to his normal form.

Avengers' Mansion: The latest news reports show more erratic behavior from prominent citizens. Cap thinks that the connection is that all those that are affected have in some way achieved the "American Dream". Each has become very successful in their respective careers and has been targeted by this "virus". He believes he has a link to the other as evidenced by his recent uncharacteristic behavior.

At this point Jarvis notifies Cap that U.S. Agent is now holding a pilot hostage at a nearby Air Force base and plans to deliver an experimental fighter jet to a foreign power. When Cap and Sharon arrive, they hear U.S. Agent's diatribe about how "weak" the current crop of soldiers are. U.S. Agent attempts to leave but Cap causes the jet to crash and his is taken back to SHIELD headquarters.

They compare notes with acting S.H.I.E.L.D. director "Dum Dum" Dugan. He explains that they are all currently sleepwalking. What's worse, their reactions are all synchronous with each other, indicating they are sharing the same dream.

With more people being infected by the minute and with no other options available, Cap volunteers to be put into a dream state to investigate. He feels that his link may allow him to at least uncover what is going on with the sleep walkers. They are to awaken him in sixty seconds.

Cap soon discovers that the mastermind behind this "insanity plague" is Nightmare. Nightmare greets his guest and explains that he has been waiting for him. With Cap under his control Nightmare 's victory in the real world is assured. As proof, Nightmare takes control of Cap's body and begins to assault the nearby S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.


 

Review / Commentaries


Captain America #10 Review by (May 23, 2012)
Review: A more ominous turn to the tale as, first, Cap seems to be coming under the spell of the madness that is spreading across the country, and, second, the enemy turns out to be supernatural. Cap always seemed to be at a disadvantage against that sort of thing; he was created to battle spies and fascists, making foes like the Red Skull and Hydra his element. As his Avengers stint continued, he grew more adept battling the heavy science fiction enemies such as Kang and Ultron since this was an extension of the 1940s Nazi menace. But when it came to the paranormal, Cap was distinctly out of his element—even after his long association with Thor, Sersi, and other such heroes. So facing not just a Dr. Strange villain but one of the premiere Strange villains (really, Nightmare was the baddie in Strange’s first appearance, STRANGE TALES #110) should throw Cap off the rails, especially after dealing with down-to-Earth foes such as the Rhino and an insane USAgent. We’ll see.

Comments: Odd that Rhino can be taken out with just a kick to the face; you’d think Spider-Man or Hulk would have noticed that long before now.


> Captain America comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
DIAMOND SELECT TOYS Marvel Premier Collection: Avengers Endgame Captain America Statue, Multicolor
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Andy Kubert
Jesse Delperdang
Chris Sotomayor
Andy Kubert (Cover Penciler)
Jesse Delperdang (Cover Inker)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Dum Dum Dugan
Dum Dum Dugan

(Timothy Aloysius Dugan)
Jarvis
Jarvis

(Edwin Jarvis)
Kang
Kang

(Nathaniel Richards)
Red Skull
Red Skull

(Johann Shmidt)
U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent

(John Walker)

Plus: American Dream.