Saturday, December 16, 2023

Marvel Super-Heroes Fall Special #3 “Who Saves the Hero?” September 1990

 



Story by Danny Fingeroth and Art by Gary Hartle and Tony DeZuniga.

CBR runs an occasional series “Foundationed Deep” which talks about connections between characters so stuff like Bruce Wayne was the first Robin, Wolverine knew Captain America in World War 2 and had helped Peter Parker’s parents on a mission.

This is a story about how Dominic Fortune had met Captain America and how their lives interacted.  It’s a nice story and given that it doesn’t have a connection to the Steele saga it appeared 3 months before the final Web of Spiderman stories I decided to talk about it after that two parter.

The story opens with Captain America foiling truck hijacking and getting assistance from Dominic Fortune. Both Cap and Old Man Dom recognise each other having met a couple of times. 

And we flashback to the early 1930s and a gang of bullies are picking on scrawny Stevie Rogers and Davey Fortunov rescues him.  The bullies are scared of Davey and run off.

We then jump forward to 1940 and Stevie is watching newsreel footage of Dominic Fortune and recognises Davey Fortunov.  At the same time Fortune is being recruited by Phillips (who I presume was played by Tommy Lee Jones in Captain America: The First Avenger) for Project Rebirth. 

As Fortune is tested, there is a discussion about his suitability as a candidate for the project.   One thing discussed here is the fact that he is Jewish and how that would be a big propaganda win against Hitler, but that America might not be ready for a Jewish hero, not that anyone was prejudiced you know.  But ultimately his moral character is lacking, he gambles and is living in sin with Sabbath Raven, so we head to the next candidate.

Wouldn’t you know it Stephen Rogers gets the call up. As Steve is being tested, Dom is showing Sabbath where he was staying and wouldn’t you know it Nazi saboteurs try to kill young Rogers and Fortune comes to the rescue.  One of the soldiers commandeers Sabbath’s car (Sabbath is depicted with red hair rather than her usual black hair).

Sabbath goes to help Dom and after another Nazi attack Rogers goes back to help Dom and Sabbath.  The cavalry arrives and Rogers takes the supersoldier serum and becomes Captain America. 

We then see Sabbath and Dom watching a newsreel of Captain America and recognising Steven Rogers.

The story ends with Fortune chasing off another gang of bullies and Captain America finding him – the pair then catch up over a malted milk.

This is a nice little story that adds Dominic Fortune into the history of Captain America.

(I consider this the second story in the Secret History of Captain America Trilogy – the other 2 being Doc Savage/The Shadow – The Case of the Shrieking Skeletons and The Sting of the Green Hornet)

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