CAPTAIN AMERICA #253 & #254

So, since we just wrapped up the entirety of the original INVADERS series last week, and since today happens to be Independence Day, the most patriotic holiday here in America, I figured I'd take advantage of the happy coincidence to dust off a couple of Captain America-themed posts from the early days of the blog which serve as a bit of a coda to the adventures of the Invaders.

In 1980/81, Roger Stern and John Byrne had an acclaimed and all-too-brief turn as the creative team on CAPTAIN AMERICA. And their final real story (not counting the retelling of Cap's origin they did an issue later) revisited the Invaders. I have to admit, it never really dawned on me how soon these issues came along after INVADERS ended! That series' final issue was cover-dated September of 1979, and this two-parter is from January and February of 1981. A mere fifteen months separated the conclusion of INVADERS and Stern's and Byrne's epilogue to the series!

(I suspect in part that's simply due to the fact that INVADERS feels like a Silver Age throwback to me. The artwork, the scripting style, even some of the plotting -- it's all incongruous with the Bronze Age that was in full swing alongside it. So even though I know when INVADERS was published, it feels like it was published about a decade earlier.)

So, without further ado, here are two posts that originally went up eight years ago, showing us whatever happened to the greatest heroes of World War II:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #253
CAPTAIN AMERICA #254

Okay, I actually do have one final bit of ado: I didn't reference it in the continuity notes for CAP 253, but you'll see it in a screenshot there: Jacqueline Falsworth (-Chrichton) mentions that her brother, Brian -- a.k.a. the Union Jack we just spent several weeks reading about -- died off-panel in a car accident after the war. Kind of an inauspicious end! Mind you, it makes sense that Stern and Byrne wanted the second U.J. off the table to tell their story of the mantle being passed. And yeah, it does add a bit of unfortunate realism to the proceedings -- not every hero goes out in a blaze of glory. But it still feels like a waste to see the character done away with via an offhanded remark like that.

See you in a week, when I reveal what's next on the schedule! (Though if you were reading the earliest INVADERS reviews last year, I already spoiled way back then.)

WHAT IF #4

"WHAT IF THE INVADERS HAD STAYED TOGETHER AFTER WORLD WAR TWO?"
Co-Conjurers of Cosmic Cacophany: Roy Thomas & Frank Robbins
Embellisher: Frank Springer | Colorist: George Bell
Letterers: Joe Rosen & John Costanza

The Plot: In April of 1945, the Invaders have gone their separate ways. Captain America and Bucky are presumed killed in action as they thwart Baron Zemo's attempted theft of a new Allied radio drone. Meanwhile, the Human Torch and Toro have taken the fight to Berlin, where the Torch kills Hitler in his bunker. Elsewhere, Namor battles the Japanese in the Pacific while Spitfire and Union Jack defend Winston Churchill from Nazi assassins. The group is summoned back together by their liaison officers, who reveal the deaths of Cap and Bucky. Namor and the Torches then fly to the United States for a meeting with recently inaugurated President Harry Truman, who explains that he had the press quash all coverage of Cap's death. Truman introduces Namor and the Torches to a new Captain America and Bucky -- the former Crusader called the Spirit of '76, and New York Yankees batboy Fred Davis -- and asks that they be allowed to join the Invaders.

Truman also adds the Whizzer and Miss America to the group, revealing that the Liberty Legion recently disbanded. Thus the new Invaders battle together and separately against the final remaining Axis power, Japan -- until the war finally ends. At that point, again at Truman's suggestion, the team re-christens themselves the All-Winners Squad and continues to fight crime in the United States. But eventually, the All-Winners decide to take a break. The Human Torch and Toro fly to Boston to visit the Torch's creator, Professor Horton -- but find that he has been imprisoned by his new android creation, Adam-II. Adam traps the Torch and Toro in a deathtrap with Horton, then departs on a mission. But former Liberty Legionnaire the Patriot comes to the aid of the Torches and Horton. As soon as he has freed them, Horton reveals that Adam-II is on his way to replace a congressional candidate with another android.

INVADERS #41

"BEWARE THE SUPER-AXIS!"
Editor: Roy Thomas | Writer: Don Glut
Artists/Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Chic Stone
Letterer: Diana Albers | Colorist: Carl Gafford | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: As the Invaders recuperate following their battle with Baron Blood at Idlewild Airfield, the Human Torch spots a rapidly-vanishing trail of mist in the air and takes off to follow it. The trail leads him to Chinatown, where he spots a shop called the House of Lotus. Recalling Golden Girl's mention of a Japanese spy named Lady Lotus, the Torch enters the building. Inside, Lady Lotus brings Master Man and Warrior Woman under her sway, then goes to the front of the shop to greet the Torch. She uses her mental powers on him as well.

Later, Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, Miss America, and the Whizzer are hanging out in a hotel room when a news bulletin announces costumed beings wreaking havoc at the Chicago rail yards. The heroes fly there in Namor's ship, and leap into battle against Master Man, Warrior Woman, U-Man, and Baron Blood -- collectively calling themselves the Super-Axis. The Invaders get the villains on the ropes, but the Human Torch arrives, attacking his friends. The Torch nearly kills Whizzer and Miss America before Namor douses his flame and Cap talks sense into him. The Invaders then move along to Chicago's Riverview amusement park, where the Super-Axis members continue to terrorize the populace.

As most of the Invaders rejoin the battle, the Human Torch flies Namor's ship back to New York and breaks into Lady Lotus's shop. Her henchmen hold him off as Lotus escapes into the night. Meanwhile, in Chicago, the Invaders defeat the Super-Axis and turn them over to the police. Following the fight, Cap, Namor, and the Torch leave the United States, returning to England to reunite with Spitfire, Union Jack, and Lord Falsworth.

INVADERS #40

"V...--IS FOR VAMPIRE!"
Concept/Editor: Roy Thomas
Writer: Don Glut | Artists/Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Chic Stone
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski | Colorist: Carl Gafford | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: In the caverns beneath the Falsworth estate, Baron Blood battles Union Jack and Spitfire. He defeats them, but Lady Lotus's telepathic summons stops him from finishing them off, and forces him to leave with her men. Union Jack and Spitfire come around and try to stop the escape, but they're too late.

Later, in the United States, the Invaders are en route from California back to New York when they receive a call from Union Jack, informing them that Baron Blood is loose. Meanwhile, Lady Lotus meets with Baron Blood and U-Man, reinforcing her control over Blood and giving him a mission to carry out. Later still, the Invaders peform a morale exhibition for soldiers stationed at Fort Dix. But when the base's commander informs them that a German aircraft was spotted entering New York airspace, the group heads for Idlewild airport to get Namor's flagship and search for it.

But at Idlewild, Baron Blood braks into the air traffic control tower, killing its operator and clearing a path for the German plane to land. The Invaders arrive and attack Blood, but he escapes after a brief skirmish, when the Invaders are forced to save two airmen whose planes collide due to the lack of a traffic controller. Later, Baron Blood returns to Lady Lotus's curio shop, where she introduces him to the Germans whose arrival in America he facilitated: Master Man and Warrior Woman.

INVADERS #39

"BACK FROM THE GRAVE!"
Concept/Editor: Roy Thomas | Writer: Don Glut | Artists: Alan Kupperberg & Chic Stone
Lettering: Tom Orzechowski | Coloring: Carl Gafford | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Captain America and the Human Torch arrive at the Santa Monica Pier to find U-Man standing over the defeated Kid Commandos. U-Man knocks out Cap and absconds into the sea with Golden Girl. Unable to pursue underwater, the Torch rouses Cap and the kids, then he and Toro take to the skies to search for U-Man. Meanwhile, the villain emerges from the water elsewhere, and brings Golden Girl to Lady Lotus inside a warehouse.

Lady Lotus awakens Golden Girl and entreats her to join forces and destroy America for its practice of interring Japanese citizens. Outside, the Torches find a suspcious plane and go to get Cap and the Kid Commandos. Meanwhile, in England, Brian and Jacqueline Falsworth, on a hunch from Brian, don their costumes of Union Jack and Spitfire to go patrol the Falsworth Estate. In America, Golden Girl refuses to join Lady Lotus, and resists Lotus's mental control. When U-Man and Lotus's men attack her, Golden Girl evades U-Man and knocks out all of Lotus's soldiers. Cap, the Torches, and the Kid Commandos arrive a moment later, and U-Man and Lady Lotus escape in an experimental plane, too fast for the Torches to follow.

At the Falsworth estate, Union Jack and Spitfire find Japanese soldiers in the cave where Baron Blood died, working to remove the boulder pinning a stalactite in the vampire's chest. The heroes intervene, but in the ensuing struggle, one of Union Jack's electrical zaps goes wild and inadvertently frees Baron Blood, who attacks the heroes.

INVADERS #38

"U-MAN COMES TO TOWN!"
Concept & Editor: Roy Thomas | Guest Writer: Don Glut
Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Don Heck | Inker: Chic Stone
Letterer: Jim Novak | Colorist: Carl Gafford | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, and the Whizzer stop a shakedown by a group of Nazi sympathizers at a munitions plant in New York. Afterward, Whizzer leaves for a meeting with the Liberty Legion. He stops a mugging on his way, and then reports to his teammates that he is taking a leave of absence from the Legion in order to support the Invaders while they're in the United States. Miss America immediately volulnteers to join as well, and the two depart Legion headquarters.

In Chinatown, U-Man finally meets his mysterious master, Lady Lotus. After demonstrating her power to mentally control him, she dispatches him to California to capture Golden Girl. Elsewhere, Captain America chats with Bucky via the radio in Namor's flagship. The Invaders have been asked to investigate a sabotage ring in San Diego, and Cap believes Namor, Whizzer, and Miss America can handle it alone -- so he and the Torch want to visit their former partners, Bucky and Toro.

Later, in California, Cap and the Torch bail out of Namor's ship as it travels on toward San Diego. Meanwhile, the Kid Commandos thwart a Japanese sabotage plot at the Santa Monica Pier -- but in the aftermath, they're attacked and subdued by U-Man, who triumphantly hoists Golden Girl over his head.

INVADERS #37

"THE LIBERTY LEGION BUSTS LOOSE!"
Editor: Roy Thomas | Writer: Don Glut
Artists/Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Rick Hoberg | Inker: Chic Stone
Colorist: Carl Gafford | Letterer: Irving Watanabe | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Beneath the Atlantic, Sub-Mariner watches as Iron Cross escapes with Professor Schnieder. Meanwhile, aboard Iron Cross's submarine, the Liberty Legion members defeat his Nazi allies. On the surface, Iron Cross knocks Namor's flagship out of the air, sending it into a splash landing. Meanwhile, Thin Man covers the hole in the damaged U-boat while Namor lifts it to the surface. There, Jack Frost creates a floating ice platform to hold the submarine.

Namor takes to the skies in pursuit of Iron Cross, joined in his chase by the Liberty Legion's flyers, Miss America and Red Raven, as well as the Human Torch.Iron Cross knocks Red Raven and Miss AMerica out of the sky, but the former is saved by his own wings while the latter is caught by the Whizzer. Meanwhile, Iron Cross knocks out Namor as well, leaving the Human Torch alone to face him. When Namor emerges from the sea and hits Iron Cross, the villain drops Professor Schneider. Namor flies down to catch him, while the Torch overheats Iron Cross's metal armor, burning the man inside and fusing the suit's systems. Iron Cross plummets into the sea.

The Invaders and Liberty Legion regroup, cramming aboard Sub-Mariner's ship with their Nazi prisoners, and take off for the United States. Meanwile, the Atlantean U-Man arrives in time to watch the heroes depart -- then he is summoned away by the mental voice of the mysterious Lady Lotus.

INVADERS #36

"CRUSHED BY THE IRON CROSS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Chic Stone
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: Carl Gafford | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The Liberty Legion confronts Iron Cross, who holds Miss America captive. Iron Cross easily defeats the team and then has his henchmen load them into a truck, along with his prisoner, Professor Schneider. Meanwhile, Whizzer, Captain America, the Human Torch, and Namor spot a train in trouble and stop to aid it. By the time they arrive at the site of the Liberty Legion's battle with Iron Cross, all participants are gone. But Namor is able to use Miss America's still-active distress signal to trace her location.

Meanwhile, Iron Cross and all his prisoners are aboard a German submarine, where Schneider deduces Iron Cross's true identity as his childhood friend, Helmut Gruler. Gruler threatens to kill the Liberty Legion if Schneider doesn't aid him in upgrading his armor, which Schneider himself had originally created. But at that moment, Namor's flagship arrives, and the Sub-Mariner disembarks to attack the U-boat. He battles Iron Cross underwater, and the submarine suffers collatoral damage. But in addition to the sub springing a leak, the impact also awakens and frees the Liberty Legionnaires. The group subdues Iron Cross's henchmen, while Cross himself boards the ship and grabs Schneider.

Iron Cross flees to the surface with Schneider, leaving Namor behind to deal with the sinking submarine and trapped Legionnaires.

INVADERS #35

"HAVOC ON THE HOME FRONT!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Don Heck
Embellisher: Rick Hoberg | Colorist: Carl Gafford | Letterer: Joe Rosen
Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: In Times Square, the Invaders discuss their return to the United States in search of a powerful flying Nazi saboteur. The group is briefly accosted by some admirers, but when the Whizzer arrives in search of their help, they listen to his story: recently, the Liberty Legion was asked by the FBI to investigate the sympathies of New York's German-American population. Miss America headed out on her own to a nearby German bar, where she witnessed the kidnapping of a scientist by two Nazi agents.

Miss America followed the Nazis and came into conflict with their master, an armored agent -- and the saboteur the Invaders were looking for -- called Iron Cross. Miss America held her own against Iron Cross for some time, but he eventually defeated her. However, summoned by her distress signal, the rest of the Liberty Legion arrived. Iron Cross took them all out as well, aside from the Whizzer -- who ran away in search of help.

His story finished, the Whizzer implores the Invaders to help, and they agree.

INVADERS #34

"HE WHO DESTROYS!"
Concept/Editor: Roy Thomas | Guest Writer: Don Glut
Artists/Illustrators: Alan Kupperberg & Frank Springer
Letters: Joe Rosen | Colors: Nel Yomtov | Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The Invaders are startled to read in the newspapers that the mighty Destroyer has defected to the Nazis. Then, even as they discuss the situation, a radio news report states that the Destroyer is attacking the London Bridge with a Nazi fighter plane. The Invaders set out to stop him. At the bridge, the Sub-Mariner and Human Torch disembark Namor's flagship to assist with rescue operations, while Captain America pilots the craft in pursuit of the Destroyer's plane.

The plane lands at a castle on the moors, where Union Jack and Spitfire bail out as Cap maintains a holding pattern. The sibling Invaders, having deduced that the "Destroyer" is an imposter, enter the castle, with Union Jack insisting that he must unmask the villain masquerading as his friend. So, while Spitfire searches the castle for the real Destroyer, Roger Aubrey, Union Jack battles his impersonator. Spitfire finds Roger, who explains that he was captured behind Nazi lines by Master Man, who now wears his costume. Meanwhile, Master Man defeats and reveals himself to Union Jack. Master Man's three henchmen, who had been knocked out by Spitfire, come around and flee the castle rather than face the Invaders. When Master Man sees their plane taking off, he leaps onto its wing with Union Jack captive -- but U.J. struggles free and leaps from the plane. Spitfire creates an updraft to slow his fall, and Roger catches him.

Later, back at Falsworth Manor, Captain America invites the Destroyer to join the Invaders again, but once more he refuses, though he allows that he would be willing to work with them if they ever need him, as an "honorary" Invader. Then, moments after the Destroyer leaves, Lord Falsworth presents Captain America with a message from President Roosevelt, summoning Cap, Namor, and the Human Torch back to America immediately.

INVADERS #33

"A TIME OF TITANS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators/Innovators: Alan Kupperberg & Frank Springer
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: George Roussos
Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The Invaders fight Thor to save Stalin, but when the Thunder God summons a rainstorm, the Human Torch is rendered useless. Namor grabs Stalin and carries him aboard his flagship, and the pair takes off for Moscow. The remaining Invaders hold Thor at bay barely long enough for him to lose track of Stalin, then he departs. The Invaders board Stalin's train and head for Moscow, while Thor uses his hammer to speak with Hitler. The Nazi leader transmits the location of the Kremlin to Mjölnir, and Thor flies off to complete his mission. In Hitler's headquarters, Doctor Olsen suffers a heart attack and dies, leaving his assistant, Hans, to work with Hitler.

Meanwhile, the Invaders have reunited in Moscow. When Thor arrives, Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Spitfire, and the Human Torch head out to challenge him. But Thor is too much for them, and makes it into Stalin's office. He blasts the premier with a lightning bolt. Elsewhere, Hitler orders Hans to bring trolls from Asgard to Earth -- but Hans, revealing himself as Victor von Doom, refuses and blows up Doctor Olsen's machine. Von Doom departs, leaving Hitler behind in the wreckage of his lab.

However, before leaving, von Doom transmitted to Thor's hammer the ravings of Hitler, revealing that he had manipulated the Thunder God. At the same time, Captain America deduces that "Stalin" is actually Union Jack in disguise. Realizing he's made a mistake, Thor withdraws the lightning from Brian Falsworth, restoring him to life. Thor then tells the Invaders that they must forget this encounter until such time as he is ready to walk once more among mortals. Thor uses Mjölnir to erase the Invaders' memories of their battle, and then returns to Asgard.

INVADERS #32

"THUNDER IN THE EAST!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators/Storytellers: Alan Kupperberg & Frank Springer
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: Carl Gafford
Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter

The Plot: As the Invaders tour a newly established American base in Britain, Nazi saboteurs sneak in and hijack three experimental Achilles tanks. The Invaders destroy two of the tanks, but at the insistence of base commander General Moore, leave the third intact. The tank has been promised to the Russians, and Moore asks the Invaders to deliver it personally to their premier, Josef Stalin.

Meanwhile, after viewing a performance of Wagner's "Gotterdammerung", Hitler returns to his headquarters, where a scientist named Olsen has opened a portal to the realm of Asgard. Olsen pulls Thor through the portal, and Hitler quickly convinces the Thunder God that the Allied forces have attacked the Germans, and that Germany needs Thor's help. Thor agrees to aid the Nazis.

The Invaders arrive in Russia in time to save a train carrying Stalin from strafing Nazi planes, after which they land. Just as they're about to present the tank to Stalin, however, Thor arrives to assassinate the Russian premier.

INVADERS #31

"HEIL FRANKENSTEIN!"
Guest Writer & Artist: Don Glut & Chic Stone | Inker: Bill Black
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski | Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas

The Plot: During some downtime at Falsworth Manor, Spitfire stumbles across an oversized Nazi officer's hat. Captain America appears and relates to her an early, untold Invaders adventure: the Human Torch and Toro went to the Alps to investigate possible Nazi activity. When they failed to report back, Cap, Bucky, and Namor followed. There, they found a mob of villagers who reported a monster sighting, as well as the Torches' arrival and disappearance inside the nearby Castle Frankenstein.

Cap and Bucky infiltrated the castle while Namor stayed in the village. Within the castle, the heroes found several Nazis, in league with a paraplegic scientist named Basil Frankenstein, his partner and lover, Doctor "Kitty" Kitagowa, and their creation: a lumbering behemoth of a monster. The monster overcame Cap and Bucky, and Frankenstein and Kitty made plans to transfer Frankenstein's brain into Cap's body. Meanwhile, they also drained the Human Torch's android energies to enlarge their monster.

When the castle lit up due to the latter procedure, Namor flew in to investigate. Together, the Invaders battled the monster until it was electrocuted, which shorted out the brain control device Frankenstein and Kitty had implanted. With its free will restored, the monster grabbed its creators and leapt off the castle, killing all three of them. When the villagers then prepared to destroy the castle, the Human Torch forced them to leave it standing as a memorial to the fallen monster, which he considered a kindred spirit.

INVADERS #30

"FIVE AGAINST THE FLYING DEATH!"
Guest Writer: Don Glut | Penciler: Alan Kupperberg | Inker/Embellisher: Frank Springer
Colors: George Roussos | Letters: Jim Novak | Editor: Roy Thomas

The Plot: Aboard Namor's flagship in the British skies, the Invaders battle the Teutonic Knight's "Flying Death" -- or der Fliegentod. When the craft blasts a building, Namor flies out to save it from toppling. Meanwhile, the Human Torch distracts the Flying Death from without, while Captain America, Union Jack and Spitfire board the craft. They easily dispatch its crew, but the Teutonic Knight appears, holding Doctor Barrow hostage. The three Invaders save Barrow and knock out the Knight, while the Torch takes out the Flying Death's final blaster. But the ship suddenly begins shaking. Doctor Barrow realizes the engine is disabled, and the Flying Death is about to crash.

The Torch helps Namor get the damaged building fused back together, but Spitfire arrives a second later, having bailed out of the falling ship. She enlists the pair to stop its fall, and then the Invaders turn the Teutonic Knight over to the British authorities. But their mission is not finished: having been informed by the Knight that Winston Churchill and Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery are in town for a secret meeting and are the targets of a Nazi kidnapping squad, the Invaders find the meeting spot and rescue the British leaders, capturing the squad as well.

Their mission now complete, the Invaders head home aboard Namor's flagship, content that the Flying Death has proved an unfeasible experiment for the Germans.

INVADERS #29

"ATTACK OF THE TEUTONIC KNIGHT!"
Guest Writer: Don Glut | Penciler: Alan Kupperberg | Embellisher: Frank Springer
Colorist: Françoise Mouly | Letterer: John Costanza | Editor: Roy Thomas

The Plot: Aboard Namor's flagship, the Invaders fly off on a secret mission. Union Jack explains that the group is out to find a Nazi villain called Komtur, the Teutonic Knight, which elicits exclamations of recognition from Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner.

One at a time, the three Invaders relate their respective encounters with the Teutonic Knight: Cap and Bucky fought him in late 1941 in the United States, when they were guarding a government warehouse. The Knight raided the facility and escaped with the plans for a saucer ship called the "Flying Arsenal". Not long after, the Torch and Toro were guarding a British scientist, Doctor Barrow, who held the secret of the Flying Arsenal's experimental engine. The Knight kidnapped Barrow and escaped the Torch and his ward. Then, later still, Namor found himself aboard an American ship near Africa with his friend, reporter Betty Dean, and a newly discovered element called Radium-X. The Knight attacked the ship and stole the Radium-X.

Union Jack then reveals that the Teutonic Knight has been terrorizing Britain aboard a flying craft, which the Invaders realize must be the experimental ship, constructed from the purloined plans, running thanks to Doctor Barrows' special engine, and powered with Radium-X. No sooner do they reach this conclusion, than the group comes across the ship involved in a dogfight with British planes.

INVADERS #28

"CALLING THE KID COMMANDOS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists/Artisans: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colors: George Roussos | Letters: John Costanza
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner burst into Agent Axis's underground lair. Teaming up with Bucky, Davy Mitchell, and Gwenny Lou Sabuki, the group easily defeats Axis's henchmen and sends the villain into retreat. Axis takes Doctor Sabuki hostage and boards his iron mole. The Human Torch gives chase, but loses track of the mole undergorund. However, when the vehicle emerges in a desert reservoir, Namor confronts Axis and rescues Sabuki. Captain America then arrives to fight Axis.

Meanwhile, Bucky, Davy, Gwenny Lou, and the recovering Toro finish off the henchmen. The Invaders return moments later with Axis captive and Doctor Sabuki rescued. Soon after, Bucky, Toro, Davy, and Gwenny Lou board Namor's flagship with Doctor Sabuki and set out for the Sandy Flat internment camp. En route, Davy and Gwenny Lou don costumes and christen themselves the Human Top and Golden Girl, respectively. At the camp, Agent Axis reappears and the kids defeat him, after which camp commander Captain Simms allows Golden Girl to depart with Bucky and company, while Doctor Sabuki remains behind.

Bucky and friends bring Axis back to the other Invaders, where the villain reveals himself as Namor in disguise, having pulled a fake attack in order to give the kids more credibility with Captain Simms. Then, as the adult Invaders return to England, Bucky, Toro, Golden Girl, and the Human Top opt to remain in the United States and fight on the homefront as -- the Kid Commandos.

INVADERS #27

"AGENT AXIS-- MASTER OF MURDER!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators/Storytellers: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: Aboard Agent Axis's "mechanical mole" machine, Bucky lets slip that Toro lies near death in a nearby hospital. Axis changes course to go kidnap Toro as well. At that instant, a young man named Davy Mitchell wanders into Toro's room. When the mole arrives, Davy is taken along with the young Torch.

Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner arrive at the Sandy Flat internment center, where they find Namor's parked flagship and learn of Bucky's kidnapping. Namor realizes that Bucky took a homing device from the ship before he disembarked, and sets about tracking the young man down.

Agent Axis and his captives arrive at his hidden underground lair, where he demands that Doctor Sabuki cure him of his multiple personality disorder. Sabuki agrees, on the condition that he be allowed to help Toro first. Some time later, Sabuki begins work on Toro, and removes the bullet. With Toro stabilized, Sabuki turns his attention to Axis. The villain has attached Davy and Sabuki's daughter, Gwenny Lou, to equipment that will kill them if Sabuki tries anything on Axis during the procedure. But when Toro awakens and blasts Axis's henchmen, a fight breaks out. The equipment is ruined, and in the process, Gwenny Lou and Davy are endowed with super-powers. A moment later, the Invaders burst into the room.

INVADERS #26

"DAY OF INFAMY...DAY OF SHAME!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: Joe Rosen
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Bucky leaves Doctor Sabuki's California home and takes Toro to a local hospital. There, a helpful nurse tells Bucky where Sabuki is interned. Leaving Toro at the hospital, Bucky travels to a Japanese detention center, where he runs afoul of the racist warden, Captain Simms. When Simms refuses to give Bucky access to Doctor Sabuki, Bucky goes rogue, fighting off Simms' military police, and goes in search of Sabuki.

Meanwhile, the Invaders return to Falsworth Manor, where they find that Union Jack's old friend, Roger Aubrey -- formerly Dyna-Mite -- has been restored to normal size and taken on the identity of the mighty Destroyer. Soon after, Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner depart London in a British bomber, bound for California to check on Bucky and Toro.

Back at the internment camp, Bucky finds Doctor Sabuki and his daughter, Gwenny Lou. Sabuki agrees to aid Bucky, but before they can leave, Sabuki's quarters are attacked by a trio of masked men and their leader, Agent Axis. Axis defeats Bucky and kidnaps Sabuki, bringing Bucky and Gwenny Lou along as well.

INVADERS #25

"THE POWER AND THE PANZERS!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

What's this? Didn't we just look at issue 23 last week?? Did we skip an issue?! No, Frantic Ones, you didn't miss a thing. Apparently INVADERS #24 was entirely and completely a reprint of a Golden Age story, without even a new framing sequence to explain it! Chalk up another casualty to the Dreaded Deadline Doom, I guess. We now rejoin our Scarlet Scarab epic, already in progress...

The Plot: The Human Torch and Sub-Mariner battle Scarlet Scarab near the pyramids, while Captain America, Spitfire, and Union Jack aid British forces against the German advance on Cairo. Sacrlet Scarab wins his battle and moves along to the front line, where he seeks audience with the Nazi general leading the charge. When the battle briefly stops, Cap and the others go in search of Namor and the Torch.

Scarlet Scarab offers to fight for the Nazis if they will leave Egypt when the battle is done. When the Germans agree, the Scarab charges out to battle the reunited Invaders. But when he spots the German general about to execute an old Egyptian man for defying the Reich, the Scarab turns on his new allies. With the Invaders fighting alongside the Scarab, the Nazis are driver into retreat. In the aftermath, the Scarab departs, declaring himself neither friend nor foe of the Invaders.

Meanwhile Bucky arrives in California with the injured Toro, seeking Doctor Sabuki -- but is shocked to learn that the doctor has been sent to a Japanese internment camp.

INVADERS #23

"THE SCARAB OF THE NILE!"
Writer & Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators & Illuminators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Consulting Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Captain America, Bucky, Namor, and the Human Torch stand by in a hospital waiting room as Toro undergoes surgery. The surgeon soon appears, stating that Toro is stabilized but still has a bullet near his heart. Only one doctor is proficient enough to remove the bullet: Sam Sabuki of California. Namor volunteers his flagship to ferry Toro quickly to the U.S.A., but Spitfire arrives just then to announce that the Invaders have a new mission. Bucky volunteers to take Toro in the flagship while the rest of the team goes with Spitfire, and the Torch ultimately agrees.

The Invaders are dispatched to British-occupied Egypt and deal with a terror group called the Sons of the Scarab, who are wreaking havoc there even as the German General, Rommel, advances toward Cairo. The group, joined by Union Jack, arrives in Egypt soon after, where they are immediately ambushed by the Sons of the Scarab. The villains escape, and the Invaders meet up with their liaison officer, Major Harrison, and an Egyptian civilian archaeologist, Doctor Faoul. The British believe that the Sons of the Scarab are hiding out in the pyramids, and they want the Invaders, advised by Faoul, to ferret them out. While Captain America, Union Jack, and Spitfire head to the front line to aid the British against Rommel's forces, the Human Torch and Namor go with Faoul to the pyramids.

The Torch and Namor dig their way into a hudden chamber, where a mysterious ruby scarab waits. Faoul grabs it, revealing, beneath his clothes, ancient Egyptian garb that marks him as a Son of the Scarab. The ruby gifts Faoul with incredible powers, as he brags to the heroes that his not simply a member of the Sons -- he is their leader. He holds his own against the duo and then takes off to assist the Nazis in driving the British from Egypt. Meanwhile, Captain America and the others struggle to hold the line againt Rommel's advance.