The endgame has come. The Red Skull’s plans have come to this moment, and either he or his greatest foe is going to die… today. Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of Captain America #300 awaits!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #300

Writer:  J.M. DeMatteis
Scripting: Michael Ellis*
Penciler: Paul Neary
Inker: Dennis Janke
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Diana Albers
Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: 60 Cents
Current Near-Mint Pricing: $4.00
Release Date: September 4, 1984

Previously in Captain America: Over the course of the previous several issues, The Red Skull has systematically attacked Captain America on every level, negating the Super Soldier serum in his blood, targeting his friends and comrades and torturing them, even finally explaining the entire story behind how he became the living symbol of the Third Reich. He has even lured Cap’s friends (Nomad, The Falcon, Bernie Rosenthal, and Arnie Roth) to his lair in Skull House, then blown it to smithereens, finally driving Cap to violence, while the Skull’s lethal poison courses through both their veins.

It’s a fight to the death, between the oldest foes in the Marvel Universe… a fight neither man can win.

The driving force behind The Red Skull’s desire is his discovery that the strange gases that led to his resurrection and kept him from aging have been wearing off, leaving him wasting away. The Skull roars that he wants to go out fighting with his old foe, battling eternally like gods. “We’re not gods!” Captain America retorts, “We’re just TWO TIRED OLD MEN!” The Skull’s desire to fight to the death and beyond reminds me of the last Golden Age issue of Cap’s adventures, Captain America’s Weird Tales #74, which featured Captain America and The Red Skull battling in the bowels of hell itself, almost certainly an influence on this issue.

Having poisoned them both to feed his ego, The Skull is quickly overwhelmed by the rage and trained battle prowess of the hero, cackling that whether he wins or loses their fight, he has succeeded in dragging Captain America down to his level.

And Captain America almost agrees with him.

Believing his friends to be dead, Steve Rogers draws back a fist to finally smash his foe’s masked face… but is unwilling to compromise his values. Johann Schmidt rips off his mask, in tears, raging, demanding that the hero kill him, insisting that he die in combat, like a ~~K̶l̶i̶n̶g̶o̶n̶~~ warrior. The effort causes him to have a heart attack, and Captain America tries to comfort him in his dying moments.

Paul Neary is an artist that I greatly enjoy as an inker, but have some issues with as a penciler, but this sequence is absolutely perfect. The Skull’s last act is to scratch the Captain’s face, delivering as much pain as he can before he dies, while Captain America cradles him to ease his passing. The balance of compassion and evil is a wonderful encapsulation of DeMatteis’ take on these characters, and a fine ending to their long rivalry.

As you can see from the appearance of Jack “Nomad” Monroe (wearing a Bucky costume as part of the Skull’s mental torture), though, as good as their ancient faces look, everyone in the issue has long, skeletal faces and sharp features, which dulls the drama somewhat. I vividly remember reading Captain America #300 in high school, and it still packs a punch in the art and the devastating script of DeMatteis, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. This is the first “Final Battle of Ultimate Destiny” between Mister Rogers and Herr Schmidt, and one of the best, even with my minor art complaints.

* Michael Ellis, credited as the co-writer of the issue, does not exist. The name was taken from an episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, wherein the character was constantly referred to, but never appeared. His scripting credit here is used like the classic Alan Smithee director’s credit, after extensive rewriting of this issue’s story by either editor Gruenwald or editor-in-chief Jim Shooter left DeMatteis unwilling to take writing credit for the issue.

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