Homage to the Greatest Cold-War Cap Opponent: The Red Guardian!

Red Guardian (Josef Petkus) as depicted in Captain America #353 (MAY 1989)

This post is dedicated to one of my favorite iconic Cold War characters:  Marvel's Red Guardian!  One needn't trace the history of the Red Guardian very far before being struck by how many "Red Guardians" there have been--at least seven, by my count! 

This particular post is concerned only with the Josef Petkus version and--even more specifically--with the first time I ran across RG in Captain America #353.  As a kid of the 80s I grew up on moves like Rocky IV and the high drama of Olympic showdowns between East and West.

"What a great concept!," I remember thinking.  "I can't wait to find some more comic books featuring this guy's rivalry with Captain America!"  Alas, my dreams were to be dashed.  In less than two years, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics would officially dissolve...and with it any real raison d'etre for the Red Guardian.  At least I had that one shining moment of comic greatness.  I invite you to join me in that reminiscence now.

Captain America #353
This issue began in dramatic fashion--with three dying Soviet Super Soldiers.  They had arrived at Avengers' Island in the previous issue requesting political asylum; but were subsequently attacked by an "unknown force." 

The force was only "unknown" to folks like me who had missed Captain America #352, where it was revealed that the Super Soldiers had been targeted by a second team of Russian operatives known as the Supreme Soviet.  For reasons that are never explained, the Supreme Soviets had disguised themselves as Avengers for the duration of the assault.

Meanwhile, Captain America was en route to the Soviet Union for a goodwill tour.  While his public purpose was to explore the possibility of expanding Avengers peacekeeping operations into the Communist bloc, secretly he suspected the attack on the Super Soldiers might have been a Kremlin-sanctioned operation, and he wanted to gather intelligence on this possibility. 

This covert intention evidenced  some less-than-meticulous attention to narrative logic.  Everyone in Russia knew Cap was in the country, and the Soviets seem to be keeping pretty tight tabs on him.  It's difficult to imagine how even he could've imagined getting the kind of privacy necessary to actually dig up Kremlin dirt.

Of course, this wasn't a critical piece of the narrative, and so they suffered the fate of all throw away lines.  Cap would never have to face the espionage challenge because his attention would quickly be focused upon a beast of pure black energy that would randomly appear and start rampaging down the Moscow boulevards.

Side note:  I really like the way Cap is depicted as leaping into the panel from somewhere outside.  Nice touch.

Despite Cap's best efforts the beast disappears as quickly as it appeared and nothing much is resolved.  I'm guessing that the narrative purpose of this first encounter was to let the first avenger to prove his sincerity about wanting to "serve the Soviet people in times of emergency."

The Red Guardian later shows up (in the opening panel of this post) at Cap's hotel room.  The Soviet superhuman has been assigned to be Captain America's handler for the duration of the trip. The two icons aren't together very long, however, before the beast shows up again and we get to see both shield slingers go into action.

Notice how R.G. is a little accusatory in his tone (e.g., "the behemoth you claim ravaged our streets)?

This was my favorite panel of the whole comic!  Again, Cap comes off as a humble dude who's just interested in stopping the threat.  The Guardian comes off as petty and self-centered.

Despite how battle savvy R.G. looks in the above panel, by the end of this particular fight he was absorbed into the beast.  Later when the rest of the Supreme Soviet attack the beast, they suffer the same fate as R.G.

Ultimately, writer Mark Gruenwald accessed his inner Golden-Age self to wrap this one up.  It's revealed that the beast was really some sort of mysterious psychic amalgamation of the comatose Soviet Super Soldiers.  Though their intent was to punish the Supreme Soviets' treachery by stealing their life forces, an impassioned plea by Captain America reaches the Super Soldiers' better angels, and they refrain from killing their attackers.

This sort of cheesy self-reflection was pretty standard in the Gruenwald Cap...Man, I loved that stuff!  I still do.  It may have been pollyanna, but it appealed to idealism.  I wish there was more writing like this now.

Returning to my titular claim, I recognize that "greatest Cold-War opponent" is quite a claim.  Nevertheless, I personally think it fits.  I can't think of anyone else who it could be legitimately put forward as Cap's Soviet rival....but maybe I just don't know enough about comics.

What say you veteran Marvelites?  Is there someone (or someones) that I'm leaving out?

Ace Spy Smasher (Black Cobra Comics #1)

Character Intro

This version of the Black Cobra (published for only three issues in October through November of 1954) was a reworking by Ajax-Ferrell of an earlier Chesler hero.  In this version, the Black Cobra was secretly FBI agent Steve Drake.  Like his namesake, the Drake/Cobra had no superpowers of his own, but fought crime with his wits, brawn, and a variety of cutting edge tools and weapons.

So, without further ado...let's dig into the first appearance of Ajax-Ferrell's Black Cobra!

Black Cobra #1 (October 1954)

Ace Spy Smasher

I'm glad the Cobra is there fighting tyrants and standing up for justice and what-not but...ummm...do you really want to describe your hero as having "even greater guile" than "the red tyrants"?

The story opens on young (marginally nerdy) FBI agent Steve Drake working away in a surprisingly gender-integrated office.  When a hot tip comes in on the teletype that "the Reds" have a spy embedded in the Voice of America broadcast, sending coded information back to Russia, Drake is assigned to work on the case.  True to the standard superhero plot, this means he must cancel a date with his co-worker/girlfriend, Debbie.

On the next page, readers get their first peek at the Black Cobra's "Super Racer," as well as learning the name of the supposed Soviet plant on the Voice of America staff--Adam Cleve!

The Cobra speeds off, intent on teaching the traitor a lesson--and feeding some of his own false information back to Moscow.  Upon entering Cleve's home, however, the story takes a surprising twist.

Wasting no time, the Cobra hops back into the Super Racer and speeds off to the Voice of America broadcasting station.  After smashing critical components in the equipment room (as well as having to rough up some well-meaning workers who try to stop him), the Cobra hurtles up the building's stairwell to the broadcast booth, only to find Adam Cleve announcing...or, at least someone made up to look like him!

Yes, that's right friends...the Black Cobra has a plastic suit (he's not big on breathability, I guess) that can't even be dented by anything less than a machine gun!  Naturally, his head is left completely unprotected.😕  #somebodyneedstoconsultednamode

The Soviet spy's no fool, though.  Once he realizes bullets can't pierce the Cobra's suit, he goes old school by seizing a lovely blonde hostage.  The spy issues the standard "don't move or I'll blow her brains out" shtick, but of course that's only a viable threat until the moment he has to climb a ladder.

So ya got lucky this time Cobra...but seriously, the Soviet Union was a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig place.  I'm bettin' they had a better marksman somewhere.  You should really re-think your wardrobe priorities.

The spy makes it to the roof and threatens the Cobra if that if he comes any closer the spy will jump.  (Yes you read that right.)

The Cobra calls B.S. on this threat, and tosses in a sweet little dig at the Soviet "justice" system.

As it turns out, the Russians have apparently planned for this sort of contingency having equipped their operative with a quick-opening parachute.  (Seriously, what scenarios do these international spy organizations not anticipate, am I right?)

However, since good ole' American ingenuity was every bit the match for our Cold War counterparts,  it will not surprise you to learn that the Black Cobra himself has some gadgetry designed for just this sort of occasion--suction boots!

Now, I'm no physicist...but I've got some reservations about how well just slappin' a few suction cups onto the bottom of a boot is gonna help you run hundreds of feet down the vertical face of a building--especially when your feet aren't even in contact with the building's surface!

First to the ground, the spy finds Black Cobra's Super Racer unattended and decides that he'll add shame to defeat by escaping in our hero's ride.

A beat cop passing by sees what's happening and rushes up to aid Black Cobra, but our hero informs the officer there's no need.

Well shucks, Black Cobra!  Can't I at least pull out my nightstick and rough him up a little bit?

This is because, as it turns out our hero has another invention designed for--you guessed it--just such situations. (Man!  The Black Cobra would absolutely kill it as a disaster planner, wouldn't he?)

Pretty ingenious there, Black Cobra!  I, too, have a special process invention for preventing car theft--I don't leave my keys in the ignition.

And, since this was Steve Drake in the fifties--rather than Peter Parker in the sixties--even the hero's love life woes are nicely wrapped up on the last page.