In this story, we follow Captain America in Vietnam, fighting the Vietcong with the goal of rescuing a captured helicopter pilot. The story has Cap allowing himself to be captured to get taken to the General and the pilot.

Story

This is a standalone tale that anyone could pick up and enjoy without worrying about what came before or after. While reading, my mind drifted to the historical context of the time—the real-world history:

With a cover date of January 1965, the comic would have hit stores in late 1964, just months after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which escalated the war (though the ground war didn’t start until March 1965). So, tensions were already brewing, serving as a backdrop for stories like this—most notably Iron Man’s origin. These events were likely on the minds of both the authors and the audience. While opposition to the war was starting to grow, it hadn’t yet reached its peak.

Captain America, as a character, was created to embody the ideals and desires of his authors at the onset of conflict. With Jack Kirby drawing the character (and likely playing a strong role in plotting as well), it’s no surprise to see Cap thrown into the fray of this building conflict. It’ll be interesting to watch how this plays out as the public opinion of the war evolves—or whether the comics sidestep it altogether.

Characters & Development

As mentioned above, this is a standalone story. While we see the antagonist again decades later, this issue stands on its own. As for Cap, this story reinforces who he is and what he stands for rather than adding new layers to his character

Originality & Continuity

Is it original? Sure, but it’s also similar to what came before. That said, it feels like an early attempt to carve out Captain America’s place in the Silver Age of comics, figuring out where he fits in this new era.

Artwork

Jack Kirby’s work is phenomenal. The way he captures action—mid-leap, mid-flip, mid-thrust—gives a sense of movement that even the best movie directors can only dream of. As the story unfolds, we see Cap fighting, often in the middle of intense action sequences, and Kirby absolutely excels at this. The artwork is hands down the best reason to read this story.