Captain America #398 (March 1992)

If there is one Marvel superhero that could be described as interlinked with the Avengers, it's Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. It's not hard to see why. In the comics, he was revived from ice not long after the team was formed (even though he isn't a founding member in the comics, he still is considered a founder due to how shortly the Avengers discovered him), and he arguably has served with them longer than practically any other Avenger member. 

It would be with the Avengers that ol' Stevie got his first taste of cosmic-level adventures. The 1970s were a high point for Earth's Mightiest, as their adventures would take on more cosmic and even multiversal scopes, with their first meetings with the alternate-universe JLA expies called the Squadron Supreme and the Kree-Skrull War. The Kree-Skrull War would have a major impact on the Avengers, impacts that still resonate with the team nearly 50 years later. 

One of those impacts would be the storyline Operation: Galactic Storm. A spiritual sequel to the Kree-Skrull War, this storyline got the Avengers involved in a war between the Kree and the bird-like aliens called the Shi'ar. You can read more about the origins of this crossover here. And considering that Captain America is so linked to the Avengers, it's only right that the crossover start in his book. So, how did it happen? Let's take a look at Captain America #398!

The cover is a Rik Levins and Danny Bulanadi piece. It's a bit basic, but still pretty cool It shows Captain America and Rick Jones being ambushed by an alien robot. There's something I have noticed about this cover, though. The masthead logo. It takes up nearly a third of the cover. Why is it so big? 

"It Came From Outer Space"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciler: Rik Levins
Inker: Danny Bulanadi
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with what looks like someone looking in on a planet.

This planet is actually a pretty significant one in the Marvel Universe's cosmos. This is the planet Hala, the main homeworld of the alien race known as the Kree. The voice describes a bright flash in the sky, seemingly bathing the planet in white light.

The flash is intense, but it is brief. The Kree start collapsing, dying en masse. There is seemingly one survivor: Captain America. The narrator is very confused. Earth is his traditional stomping ground. What is he doing on Hala?

Cap looks horrified at this carnage. Then, something weird happens. Tentacles sprout out of his head.

WHAT THE-?!

Thankfully, it all turns out to be a dream being had by Rick Jones, who was the narrator here.

Rick had never had a dream like this before, and he can't help but feel it's important. He goes to talk to the Hulk, but he's sleeping and he doesn't want to be disturbed. After all, at this time, Bruce Banner may still have his mind as the Hulk, but he's still The Hulk. When the Hulk wants to sleep, you let him sleep. Also at this time, Rick and the Hulk have been working with the Pantheon, a group of near-immortal beings dedicated to doing benevolent works for humanity. There's someone here he can talk to: Delphi.

Like her mythological namesake, Delphi already knows about Rick's dream. She suggests that Rick talk to Captain America about it. It would do some good. Rick is reluctant, as he was once Cap's partner, but it didn't work out too well. This was shown in Captain America #110-113. 

Speaking of Cap, he's at Avengers Headquarters in New York City.

He's checking up on Peggy Carter, who was one of the Avengers' Support Crew at the time. I always liked this concept. It makes sense that a group like the Avengers would need a crew to help them out with maintaining the headquarters and the like. Anyway, Peggy reports that Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback, never returned from a computer class. John Jameson had taken her there, but Cap wonders why he never picked her up. It's also not like her to stay out all night...

But that issue gets tabled for now, as Rick Jones comes a calling. He briefs Cap on his strange dream, and true to Delphi's prediction, Cap is the man to help. He is aware that the Kree Supreme Intelligence is capable of affecting people's dreams from a galaxy away. This certainly would not be beyond that gestalt AI. 

Cap heads to Benson, Arizona. He meets up with Rick in a truck stop.

The two then order some food. Hey, why not? Go to a truck stop diner, get some food. Mmm...diner food...

Anyway, Rick tells Cap that he doesn't want to be involved with this cosmic stuff anymore. He's had his fill of being, in his own words, a "cosmic puppet". However, before they can enjoy some yummy truck stop breakfast, a big green robot attacks, grabbing Rick.

Meet Warstar. Warstar is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, basically Marvel's answer to the Legion of Super-Heroes: a group of superpowered alien beings that protect the Shi'ar Empire. Warstar is actually two robots: The big one called C'cil, and the smaller robot riding on its back called B'nee. Fun fact, their names are in homage to the titular characters of an animated series called The Beany and Cecil Show. 

Cap, being Cap, naturally faces the robots in battle. He has a tough time against them, thanks to C'cil's robotic strength and B'nee's ability to electrify anyone he touches. He tells Rick to get out of there, giving him his communicard, whish is also the ignition key to his skycycle. 

Rick does try and flee, but then he gets captured by a spaceship.

We next look in on the real Hala, in a city-state called Harfax. In this place, there is a metal salvaging center, Inside the center, its supply of metal and plastics has been used to build a special new robot. A special robot for a special purpose...

The Supremor shall be the first of the new Kree Starforce. The Starforce will be like Earth's Avengers, a gathering of the Kree's greatest champions. Such a gathering will be needed, as a war is coming. A Galactic Storm, if you will...

I enjoyed this comic, but then again, I love Mark Gruenwald's Cap work. It's a fun issue with the main event being Cap vs. an alien robot. Nothing wrong with that. I admit, I would have liked to have seen a bit more discussion of Rick and Cap's previous issues, as I'm a sucker for character development. But I'm happy with what we got. Levins and Bulanadi's art is really good, too. It does feature some of the cross-stitching you do see in early-90s superhero comics, but it doesn't reach the levels the likes of Liefeld will later on. It also manages to walk the line between fantastical and realistic very well.

If you want to read this comic for yourself, I suggest you track down the 2006 trade paperback Avengers: Galactic Storm Vol. 1, or the 2017/2022 trade paperback Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 22: Operation: Galactic Storm. Thanks for reading this blog entry! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!