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Captain America #12: Review

May 2012
Ed Brubaker, Patrick Zircher

Story Name:

Shock to the System, Part 2

Review & Comments

Rating:
3 stars

Captain America #12 Review by (May 23, 2012)
Review: Seriously, D-Man? Does Ed Brubaker go through back issues of CAPTAIN AMERICA just to find old characters to build stories around? Last issue it was Diamondback, seemingly transformed from the fun-loving bad girl of days gone by into a generic tough professional woman; Ed did the same to Bernie Rosenthal a few years ago, likewise erasing her personality and making her a “realistic” one-dimensional lawyer. And the irony is, Bernie and Rachel are now interchangeable in terms of looks and personality. Well, now it’s D-Man’s turn; the good-natured lug lacking a few of his marbles is now a violent brainwashed killer. So we’ll see where this goes; there’s nothing otherwise interesting about this issue and the story doesn’t move very far. Meanwhile, we’re waiting with bated breath to see whether Codename: Bravo will finally do something interesting besides play with INCEPTION.

Comments: Dennis Dunphy first appeared in THE THING #28-35 as a wrestler with strength enhanced by the Power Broker; he later took the name Demolition Man and became an unofficial sidekick to Captain America in CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #328-349. In that last issue he was apparently killed but brought back in issue 400-401; after this he is a semi-comical character, appearing intermittently as a sort of emotionally disturbed hero wannabe in issues of THE PULSE and NEW AVENGERS. He was seen most recently as one of Wonder Man’s Revengers in the Avengers and New Avengers annuals for 2011. Rattler was introduced in issue #310 as a member of the Serpent Society.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Captain America #12 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

The new Scourge of the Underworld is working out on a heavy bag to channel his anger and disappointment over how his mission has been going. His handler—former government agent Henry Peter Gyrich—encourages him to carry on….

Meanwhile, Captain America races through the halls of a hospital to the side of Diamondback, who has been critically injured in her battle with Scourge. The doctor is unable to give a definite prognosis and is honest about her slim chances. Dum Dum Dugan reassures Cap that she will be okay and the two of them head out to hunt down some Hydra agents. Sharon Carter tells them that the mole in the organization (unmasked and committed suicide last ish) has been to a certain train tunnel, according to his GPS. Cap and Dugan enter the Hydra Base they are convinced is there and find a trap; fighting their way through the nameless hordes they reach the video room—as they know they were intended to. They are shown film of Henry Gyrich being brainwashed into serving Hydra and realize that he is the one running the new Scourge…but who is Scourge?

At a park in the shadow of the Washington Monument, Gyrich turns over to a news reporter the details on the supervillain witness protection program…

Back in Manhattan, the criminal known as the Rattler is assaulted by Scourge. He fights back with his sonic powers and the two masked malefactors engage in savage hand-to-hand combat. Scourge gains the advantage and beats Rattler to a pulp before snapping his neck. He then unmasks as Dennis Dunphy, the Demolition Man, and Cap’s former friend….



Patrick Zircher
Patrick Zircher
Paul Mounts
Patrick Zircher (Cover Penciler)
Patrick Zircher (Cover Inker)
Matt Hollingsworth (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Diamondback
Diamondback

(Rachel Leighton)

Plus: D-Man (Demolition Man), Hordes of HYDRA, Scourge (Scourge of the Underworld).

> Captain America: Book info and issue index

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