I: Feature Story: "He Who Holds the Cosmic Cube"

Pages: 10

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Don Heck
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: "The Keeper of the Cosmic Cube"

Villain: Red Skull, AIM, "The Keeper of the Cosmic Cube", Wolfgang

Death: Wolfgang

Gadgets & Technology: Neuro Brain-Tap, Stun Gas Emitter

Synopsis: (Continued from TOS #79)

While on his way to a police precinct to witness questioning of captured Red Skull assassins, an explosion occurs over his head up in the sky. He traces an escape capsule as it falls from the source of the explosion to its crash landing in the river. He jumps in the water and rescues an AIM agent from suffocating inside. The agent is pulled ashore and babbles about the Skull turning against AIM now that he has the power of the Cosmic Cube within his reach.

Meanwhile, the Skull solidifies his power over AIM and the Keeper of the Cube, an AIM agent who is acting as courier of the powerful object. He issues mental commands through Neuro Brain Taps that he had placed on the Keeper during a prior meeting. The Skull commands the Keeper to bring the Cube directly to him at his private lair. He also wills his assistant Wolfgang to kill himself, thanks to a Neural Brain Tap placed on the palm of his hand.

Cap goes into hot pursuit of the Keeper's jet. He leaps from a SHIELD rocket onto the back of the AIM jet and forces entry, then wrestles with the agent in the cockpit. He pulls on the eject lever and together they parachute down to the shoreline of Red Skull's private island.

The Skull and Cap face each other for the first time in over 20 years. Cap tries to heckle him so the Skull will lose his temper and give him a fighting advantage, and it works until the villain turns the table and declares that it was he who commanded Baron Zemo to kill his partner Bucky. This catches Cap off guard enough to allow the Skull to use his Stun Gas Emitter to knock Cap out cold.

The Skull takes the Cosmic Cube from the Keeper and immediately uses its power to consign the AIM agent to another dimension. As he begins to toy with the Cube's immense power, Cap rouses himself for battle against a seemingly invincible foe....

(Continued in TOS #81)

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Captain America from
Tales of Suspense #59-81

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.