Thanks for all the support and well-wishes on Captain America: The Fighting Avenger.
I don’t mind telling you, it took some convincing when Nate Cosby first called me about doing an on-going Captain America book. Cap was one of those characters who simply didn’t do anything for me. But Nate’s approach to Cap in this series got its hooks in me.
He wanted to show Cap’s very earliest days. After the serum kicked in but before he had the experience and confidence to be the mythic Captain America we know.
I said “I’ll think about it” but I already knew the answer was, “Let’s do this.”
We were thinking we’d get 12 issues out of it — were we ever so naive and ugly? — but that our best bet would be to tackle it in 4-issue chunks. Both for ease of trade collection and to make sure the continuity never got too cumbersome.
We’ll never have a chance to share those issues with you, but I can share some broad stroke ideas of what we had in mind for them. What follows is the content of a rambling text document I sent Nate after a weekend of brainstorming. I believe he called it, “the single strangest pitch I’ve ever gotten.”
List of themes, characters, set pieces, and various elements we’ll play around with:
Operation: Rebirth – largely the same. Dr. Erskine, biochemical genius, engineers human enhancement virus, Army plans on using it make hundreds of “super soldiers” to end the two-front war in a matter of months. Steve Rogers is the first to accept the procedure, Erskine killed after administering it. Should Cap kill the saboteur?
Philadelphia Experiment – Teleportation experiment gone crazy due to Nazi saboteurs.
Isiah Bradley – Attempt to recreate Operation: Rebirth.
Nazi Antarctic space program – Stop them Nazis from rocketing weapons platforms into space!
Tesla Shields – don’t quite work, maybe involved with Philadelphia Experiment.
HYDRA HQ – mobile island.
Captain America’s Love Interest? Recurring character, pops up randomly. Do we make her Sharon Carter? Perhaps as an experienced OSS (or even SHIELD?) agent already kicking ass in Europe. She’s skeptical of Cap. Feels he didn’t “earn” his abilities and lacks experience. Grows to appreciate him as an asset and person. Develops slightly flirtatious back and forth.
Red Skull. Recurring villain, the main guy behind a lot of other projects. Flawed Nazi attempt to recreate Operation: Rebirth. Largely successful, but side effects include massive superficial deformity (the red skin and skull head) as well as dependence on an exotic/expensive chemical cocktail. Definitely a mad scientist, his focus is on biological agents.
Baron von Strucker. Recurring villain, founder of HYDRA; HYDRA recast an elite Nazi unit developing and deploying all the super crazy Nazi tech. Strucker is the head scientist here and a bit off his rocker. Rabidly jealous of Red Skull’s enhancements. Sometimes experiments on himself to get the upper hand on Skull. They’ve got a rivalry going on, each one trying to out-do the other, each one vying to use the Nazi movement for their own evil ends. Strucker’s focus is on the technological.
Plots and story lines and such!
One of the strengths of Atomic Robo is that we tell our stories non-linearly. Jumping around time between and during volumes goes a long way toward maintaining the illusion of a more fully realized world. I’d like to be able to do the same things with this Cap series. At the very least I’d like to be able to hop from one era of the war to another with each Volume. I think Cap’s first mission is a good place to start as it sets the tone for this whole “Cap before he was REALLY Cap” thing we’ve got going on. But I’d like the second volume to jump ahead a few years and then the third to come back to the early days. I can build a rough timeline to make sure everything lines up and then pick and choose which adventures to show in whatever order seems the most interesting so we never have to waste a single page on justifying moves from one set piece to another.
Volume 1:
#1: Cap’s first mission. Conventional troops very skeptical. Everyone thinks he’s just a “flag with legs.” Kinda given a hard time by troops, but takes it in stride. The mission goes bad, troops are in trouble, Cap takes action that saves everyone but puts him in tremendous danger. They back him up, together mission accomplished. — Fun Fact: we got news that we were being cut from 12 issues to 2 after the art was finished for this issue. I had a hell of a time figuring out how to get to a satisfying ending in one issue given where the first one left off.
#2: Reveal the mission was conducted in secret to test whether or not Captain America could be a reliable battlefield resource. Its success has emboldened the brass re: integrated special troops into the armed forces. Meanwhile, Cap has orders for a new mission. Elects to bring the squad from #1 with him. This is a more “visible’ mission with higher stakes. End on a critical moment, looks like Cap or troops or both are done for, with the reveal of Red Skull while he still looks like a human.
#3: Resolve cliffhanger. Wrap up mission. It’s basically a success, even though the Big Villain gets away (duh). Red Skull has retreated to his science HQ. Having witnessed his abilities in person, Skull is now obsessed with Captain America more than ever. Meanwhile, Cap and Co pursuing Red Skull. Getting through his defenses and troops. Only has snippets of Erskine’s formula (first mention of Cap’s origin) with his own work filling in the gaps. In a moment of madness and hubris, Skull doses himself with his hodgepodge formula. Close on Cap confronting Skull in his inner sanctum just after Skull supers himself up. — Fun Fact: this issue would have had a hilarious tie-in moment with the Thor/Cap FCBD 2011 issue you’ll see in a few weeks!
#4: Big damn fight with Skull and Cap’s troops hold back Skull’s troops while reinforcements from both the Allies and the Axis are trying to get there. Cap vs. Skull is a dead heat. Cap has more experience with the enhancements, but Red Skull seems to be stronger/faster…until the formula burns out. He barely gets away. Cap doesn’t chase, instead he helps to defend the Allied Forces from the Axis Forces. News of Cap’s exploits begins to spread among the conventional troops since so many saw him in action here. His legend is born. Now to see if he can live up to it!
Another storyline: 2 – 3 issues.
Nazis are launching a so-called “Sun Gun” from their secret base in the heart of Antarctica – basically it’s a huge mirror they put into orbit to use the sun’s rays to vaporize any target on the Earth with impunity. Gotta stop ‘em!
Another storyline: 1 – 2 issues.
Allied convoys are mysteriously sunk in the Pacific and it’s bringing the US advance on that front to a halt. Rumors abound. Cap is on one such convoy, gets attacked, he survives and discovers it’s a giant squid or octopus…with a Japanese U-Boat implanted in its “face” or “forehead” or something so the Imperial Navy can “pilot” it. Cap beats up the Japanese, blasts the sub out of the Kraken’s head, and it retreats to the safety of the deep Pacific. — This is where we would’ve had Cap meet Namor for the first time, which would eventually lead them to forming The Invaders about midway through the war. As a result, we’d have probably made this the second storyline.
Speaking of which, our Invaders were going to be…
Captain America
Namor
Blazing Skull
Spitfire
Union Jack
Another storyline: 1 issue.
Retelling Cap’s origin. Probably via flashback in the middle of another adventure, during downtime say. Maybe something Cap is thinking about while stuck in a trench with some troops under fire. The point here is that Cap is worried about his ability to live up to what the propaganda makes the troops think about him and we reflect that anxiety through his very earliest moments as Cap America. In the end, he figures it doesn’t matter if he feels like he’s a hero or not, he’s got lives depending on him, and he leads the troops to overcoming the Nazis.
Another storyline: 1 Issue.
Captain America captured by HYDRA. Cap plays Red Skull against Strucker, orchestrates his own escape.
Another storyline: 1 – 2 issues.
Red Skull tries a new version of his flawed super soldier serum. Either it doesn’t quite work right or it turns out Strucker secretly sabotaged it. Either way, it turns a platoon of test subjects into hideous vampires or zombies. And they’re killing their way to the Allied front! Cap’s gotta stop the infection.
Brian
Fighting Avenger: Plots and Plans
Thanks for all the support and well-wishes on Captain America: The Fighting Avenger.
I don’t mind telling you, it took some convincing when Nate Cosby first called me about doing an on-going Captain America book. Cap was one of those characters who simply didn’t do anything for me. But Nate’s approach to Cap in this series got its hooks in me.
He wanted to show Cap’s very earliest days. After the serum kicked in but before he had the experience and confidence to be the mythic Captain America we know.
I said “I’ll think about it” but I already knew the answer was, “Let’s do this.”
We were thinking we’d get 12 issues out of it — were we ever so naive and ugly? — but that our best bet would be to tackle it in 4-issue chunks. Both for ease of trade collection and to make sure the continuity never got too cumbersome.
We’ll never have a chance to share those issues with you, but I can share some broad stroke ideas of what we had in mind for them. What follows is the content of a rambling text document I sent Nate after a weekend of brainstorming. I believe he called it, “the single strangest pitch I’ve ever gotten.”
List of themes, characters, set pieces, and various elements we’ll play around with:
Operation: Rebirth – largely the same. Dr. Erskine, biochemical genius, engineers human enhancement virus, Army plans on using it make hundreds of “super soldiers” to end the two-front war in a matter of months. Steve Rogers is the first to accept the procedure, Erskine killed after administering it. Should Cap kill the saboteur?
Philadelphia Experiment – Teleportation experiment gone crazy due to Nazi saboteurs.
Isiah Bradley – Attempt to recreate Operation: Rebirth.
Nazi Antarctic space program – Stop them Nazis from rocketing weapons platforms into space!
Tesla Shields – don’t quite work, maybe involved with Philadelphia Experiment.
HYDRA HQ – mobile island.
Captain America’s Love Interest? Recurring character, pops up randomly. Do we make her Sharon Carter? Perhaps as an experienced OSS (or even SHIELD?) agent already kicking ass in Europe. She’s skeptical of Cap. Feels he didn’t “earn” his abilities and lacks experience. Grows to appreciate him as an asset and person. Develops slightly flirtatious back and forth.
Red Skull. Recurring villain, the main guy behind a lot of other projects. Flawed Nazi attempt to recreate Operation: Rebirth. Largely successful, but side effects include massive superficial deformity (the red skin and skull head) as well as dependence on an exotic/expensive chemical cocktail. Definitely a mad scientist, his focus is on biological agents.
Baron von Strucker. Recurring villain, founder of HYDRA; HYDRA recast an elite Nazi unit developing and deploying all the super crazy Nazi tech. Strucker is the head scientist here and a bit off his rocker. Rabidly jealous of Red Skull’s enhancements. Sometimes experiments on himself to get the upper hand on Skull. They’ve got a rivalry going on, each one trying to out-do the other, each one vying to use the Nazi movement for their own evil ends. Strucker’s focus is on the technological.
Plots and story lines and such!
One of the strengths of Atomic Robo is that we tell our stories non-linearly. Jumping around time between and during volumes goes a long way toward maintaining the illusion of a more fully realized world. I’d like to be able to do the same things with this Cap series. At the very least I’d like to be able to hop from one era of the war to another with each Volume. I think Cap’s first mission is a good place to start as it sets the tone for this whole “Cap before he was REALLY Cap” thing we’ve got going on. But I’d like the second volume to jump ahead a few years and then the third to come back to the early days. I can build a rough timeline to make sure everything lines up and then pick and choose which adventures to show in whatever order seems the most interesting so we never have to waste a single page on justifying moves from one set piece to another.
Volume 1:
#1: Cap’s first mission. Conventional troops very skeptical. Everyone thinks he’s just a “flag with legs.” Kinda given a hard time by troops, but takes it in stride. The mission goes bad, troops are in trouble, Cap takes action that saves everyone but puts him in tremendous danger. They back him up, together mission accomplished. — Fun Fact: we got news that we were being cut from 12 issues to 2 after the art was finished for this issue. I had a hell of a time figuring out how to get to a satisfying ending in one issue given where the first one left off.
#2: Reveal the mission was conducted in secret to test whether or not Captain America could be a reliable battlefield resource. Its success has emboldened the brass re: integrated special troops into the armed forces. Meanwhile, Cap has orders for a new mission. Elects to bring the squad from #1 with him. This is a more “visible’ mission with higher stakes. End on a critical moment, looks like Cap or troops or both are done for, with the reveal of Red Skull while he still looks like a human.
#3: Resolve cliffhanger. Wrap up mission. It’s basically a success, even though the Big Villain gets away (duh). Red Skull has retreated to his science HQ. Having witnessed his abilities in person, Skull is now obsessed with Captain America more than ever. Meanwhile, Cap and Co pursuing Red Skull. Getting through his defenses and troops. Only has snippets of Erskine’s formula (first mention of Cap’s origin) with his own work filling in the gaps. In a moment of madness and hubris, Skull doses himself with his hodgepodge formula. Close on Cap confronting Skull in his inner sanctum just after Skull supers himself up. — Fun Fact: this issue would have had a hilarious tie-in moment with the Thor/Cap FCBD 2011 issue you’ll see in a few weeks!
#4: Big damn fight with Skull and Cap’s troops hold back Skull’s troops while reinforcements from both the Allies and the Axis are trying to get there. Cap vs. Skull is a dead heat. Cap has more experience with the enhancements, but Red Skull seems to be stronger/faster…until the formula burns out. He barely gets away. Cap doesn’t chase, instead he helps to defend the Allied Forces from the Axis Forces. News of Cap’s exploits begins to spread among the conventional troops since so many saw him in action here. His legend is born. Now to see if he can live up to it!
Another storyline: 2 – 3 issues.
Nazis are launching a so-called “Sun Gun” from their secret base in the heart of Antarctica – basically it’s a huge mirror they put into orbit to use the sun’s rays to vaporize any target on the Earth with impunity. Gotta stop ‘em!
Another storyline: 1 – 2 issues.
Allied convoys are mysteriously sunk in the Pacific and it’s bringing the US advance on that front to a halt. Rumors abound. Cap is on one such convoy, gets attacked, he survives and discovers it’s a giant squid or octopus…with a Japanese U-Boat implanted in its “face” or “forehead” or something so the Imperial Navy can “pilot” it. Cap beats up the Japanese, blasts the sub out of the Kraken’s head, and it retreats to the safety of the deep Pacific. — This is where we would’ve had Cap meet Namor for the first time, which would eventually lead them to forming The Invaders about midway through the war. As a result, we’d have probably made this the second storyline.
Speaking of which, our Invaders were going to be…
Captain America
Namor
Blazing Skull
Spitfire
Union Jack
Another storyline: 1 issue.
Retelling Cap’s origin. Probably via flashback in the middle of another adventure, during downtime say. Maybe something Cap is thinking about while stuck in a trench with some troops under fire. The point here is that Cap is worried about his ability to live up to what the propaganda makes the troops think about him and we reflect that anxiety through his very earliest moments as Cap America. In the end, he figures it doesn’t matter if he feels like he’s a hero or not, he’s got lives depending on him, and he leads the troops to overcoming the Nazis.
Another storyline: 1 Issue.
Captain America captured by HYDRA. Cap plays Red Skull against Strucker, orchestrates his own escape.
Another storyline: 1 – 2 issues.
Red Skull tries a new version of his flawed super soldier serum. Either it doesn’t quite work right or it turns out Strucker secretly sabotaged it. Either way, it turns a platoon of test subjects into hideous vampires or zombies. And they’re killing their way to the Allied front! Cap’s gotta stop the infection.