Captain America and the Falcon #175 (July 1974)

In the 1970s, America was in a bit of upheaval. Particularly, the Watergate scandal, which would lead to the downfall of the presidency of Richard Nixon. As creative types, were wont to do, they drew inspiration from the scandal. Steve Englehart was no different. He was writing Captain America at the time, and as he said himself, he was writing a character who believed in America's ideals when the President was a crook. As such, this story came about. So, let's take a look at the climactic issue of Captain America's original battle with the Secret Empire.

The cover is pretty decent. The top is a bit busy with the masthead that has the title logos and images of the characters. The cover image is really cool, with Cap brawling with Moonstone and Number Two in front of the White House. However, Number Two's helmet doesn't match the actual comic.

"...Before the Dawn!"
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Inker: Vince Colletta
Letterer: Artie Simek
Colorist: Petra Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas

The issue begins with Number One, the head of the Empire, gloating over the supposedly dead Captain America, Falcon, and the X-Men's Professor X, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl.

Yeah, during the storyline, the Secret Empire kidnapped a whole bunch of mutants, and Cap teamed up with the still-free X-Men members to rescue them.

Also, during that time, the X-Men actually didn't have their own book. Their book had been cancelled, and they were reduced to guest stars in other books. Yup, there was a time in the MU when the X-Men didn't hog all the spotlight and have nearly ten books focused on teams and solo members. Number One's cronies take their bodies and unceremoniously dump them in a basement.

However, Cap wakes up, and sees two of Number One's said cronies. He leaps up to throw some American punches, but they stop him, explaining they're friends. They unmask to prove it.

It's Gabe Jones and Peggy Carter! The former Howling Commando and resistance fighter have infiltrated the Secret Empire for SHIELD to gather info so they can be brought down. Jones tricked Number One by setting the gun so it would stun Cap and his allies.

Jones explains that the Secret Empire, much like Advanced Idea Mechanics, were one part of HYDRA, but they decided to pull a WWWF on the National Wrestling Alliance (Pro wrestling historians will get that joke), and go solo and do their own thing. Jones then recounts their battles with the Hulk (Tales to Astonish #81-82), and Namor (Tales to Astonish #83-84), which led to the original Number One blowing himself up. With that, and Gabe Jones's efforts, the Secret Empire collapsed.

However, the Empire pulled a Force Awakens and made a comeback under a brand new Number One. As such, SHIELD asked Gabe Jones to reinfiltrate them. Gabe was able to worm his way deep enough he was able to bring in Peggy Carter as backup.

They have to move, as the Empire now has the Electro-Gyro, a gadget that would allow the Empire to achieve its goal. Elsewhere, the Empire are placing a disk with captive mutants attached to it on to a saucer craft.

The Electro-Gyro has been installed, allowing the Empire to steer the craft. So what are the mutants for? Well, they're the batteries for the saucer. According to Number Three, the saucer will be powered by "X-Waves", energies mined from the mutants' brains by special machines. Huh. So, evidently, according to this comic, mutants' brains can generate a special energy.

That's...kinda weird. Thing is, the human body does use electrical signals to make the muscles work and do things, including making the heart beat. Is that what the basis for this here? That for mutants, this "Bioelectricity" is somehow different? This is a headscratching thing right here. The Secret Empire's nameless...or should I say, numberless mooks, board the craft and take off, ready to use it to conquer the USA.

In Washington DC, the Lloyd Bloch Moonstone and Quentin Harderman, the man who used his advertising skills to turn people against Captain America (long story), watch the saucer land, gloating over how no one can stop them now.

The press and the military gather around the saucer, prepared to cover the story and defend the nation. The saucer's door opens.

Credit where credit is due, Number One knows what he wants. The Army says "nuts" to his demand for surrender, and fire on the saucer. Their weapons have no effect, thanks to the saucer's powerful forcefield, again somehow generated by mutants. Moonstone then flies in, and puts on the whole "No one is mightier than America and I will stop you" act. The saucer sends out Number Two, a costumed warrior in a big metal helmet.

I wonder how he moves his head in that helmet. The Empire's act continues, with Number Two claiming that his helmet gives him the same powers his ship does, and Moonstone's all "Bring it on, mothertrucker!" The two fight, and Number Two seemingly defeats Moonstone and frog-marches him into the ship. Inside, the two chuckle about their deception. Moonstone leaves the ship, saying that they cannot beat the invaders, and America must surrender to the Secret Empire. Number One re-emerges, announcing that atomic devices are being placed in various places across the country, and if the nation does not surrender in a half-hour, they will be detonated.

Inside the ship, some subterfuge is going down. Gabe Jones and Peggy Carter open a hatch, revealing Captain America, Falcon, Cyclops, and Jean Grey. Evidently, the SHIELD agents managed to somehow sneak the superheroes on board. One question I have is...where's Charles Xavier? Did they just leave him behind? The heroes sneak their way to the saucer's control room. and they charge in.

They make quick work of the guards, and shut down the saucer. Intereestingly, Cyclops remarks that Xavier couldn't join the fight. Where did he go, then? Is he back at the Secret Empire's base? The heroes couldn't have taken him home, they didn't have the time. Anyway, with the saucer disabled, the two X-Men can now rescue the other mutants. Cap tells Falcon to go with them and help them clean out the place and find out where the atomic devices are, while he heads outside.

Number One is unaware of what's going on, as he is gloating. He gets ambushed by Captain America. Falcon and the X-Men leave the saucer, having found the devices' locations. Moonstone runs his mouth, and Cap gives him an EPIC TACKLE.

The two fight, while the narration talks about how Cap defeats Moonstone because the Sentinel of Liberty has more determination and spirit. However, I also like to think that Captain America is helped by the fact that he is a trained hand-to-hand combatant with a nearly indestructible shield. Moonstone may have superpowers, but that doesn't mean he has the best training in how to use them wisely in combat.

Anyway, Cap hands Moonstone a can of American whupping. Quentin Harderman tries to throw Moonstone under the bus, claiming the superhuman duped him. However, Moonstone is all like, "Oh, no! I am not going down alone for this, man!", basically saying Harderman not just was in on it, but was the mastermind. Because the media cameras are still there, they pick up Moonstone's confession, exposing the entire scheme to discredit Cap and conquer America.

Number One attempts to make his escape, but Cap spots him and gives chase. He pursues the mysterious mastermind into the White House. You'd think the Secret Service would be trying to stop Number One from trying to get into the White House considering that's where the President lives and works. Maybe considering the original plan for this story...

Cap manages to catch Number One in the Oval Office, and rip off his hood.

Yeah, Number One was intended to be President Nixon. I am not kidding. This story was inspired by Watergate, so appropriately, the President in the Marvel Universe would end up being a sort of  supervillain, the head of a conspiracy to conquer a country. According to Englehart himself, he made the choice to deliberately keep vague the identity of Number One because he was uncertain if Marvel would let him do it.

Interestingly, Cap from around this point in time would be one of the characters in Avengers Forever, and Wasp remarked that it was some nameless high government official in this story.

Back to his, Number One states that the power in his position was not enough for him, and he wanted more. Much more. Thus, the official gambled on the Secret Empire to cause a coup to get the power he craved. Since the gamble failed, he's going to cash in his chips.

With a bullet. Cap then dejectedly walks out of the White House. He's in a funk. He knew his country had faults and flaws, but he always believed that in the end, people in the government worked to make things better. Yeah, sure. Dirty tricks and corrupt politicians didn't exist in the 1940s. Sure.

This issue was...pretty decent to pretty good. It does continue a tradition Cap does in his stories, and that's reflect the times they were printed in. Only appropriate that Cap tell a story inspired by the biggest American political scandal of the 1970s. The dialogue can be a bit...hammy at times, but it comes with the territory of comics made in this time. Cap's disillusionment is a bit...sudden, though. However, it works for the story. Sal Buscema puts in some really good art. Some of the panels have a bit of a Jack Kirby vibe to them, which is really neat.

Next time, we return to Earth-712, where we continue our look at the downfall of the Squadron Supreme...