Out with the old, in with the new, then back again. John Walker - New Captain America

Long before Steve Rogers died and a revealed-not-to-be-dead Bucky Barnes took up the shield as Captain America, John Walker was given a chance. Walker had been introduced in earlier issues as Super-Patriot, a new patriotic hero for a new America. John would eventually take over as the hero USAgent, an identity created by Steve Rogers during Walker's Captain America run.  

Confused? This posting isn't going to help, sorry.

I remember when all this happened but I wasn't interested in Captain America at the time - Steve Rogers or John Walker. The impression I got about Walker was that he seemed to be a poor man's Guy Gardner, from DC Comics' Green Lantern. All mouth and no brains.

Now that I've read this issue I realize there was more to Walker than I thought. He wanted to do the name Captain America proud. Studying and watching countless videos of Steve, analyzing all his moves and techniques.

Throwing the shield seemed to be his biggest obstacle. I can imagine that's no easy feat, I can barely throw a Frisbee.

Since there is a new Cap, there has to be a new Bucky, so here he is!

I know it's the 80's and all, but was this the best idea? Maybe I'm looking at it with PC glasses but a black guy named Bucky sounds wrong. Lemar does eventually become known as Battlestar, but that wasn't much better.

Bucky's name wasn't the only problem, his costume just didn't seem to work either -as the Blob loudly announces. Of course taking fashion tips from the Blob is like taking diet tips from the Blob.

I really enjoyed this bit cameo by Mystique, Destiny, Blob, Avalanche and Pyro and it made sense. It's during the time when the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants was the government mutant team Freedom Force. This scene added to the feeling of the book being part of a bigger, shared universe.

If Freedom Force made an appearance you know that Val Cooper couldn't be far behind. She seemed to be the government liaison for both Freedom Force and the New Cap and Bucky.

Val is like Henry Gyrich, another government agent, always popping up when and where you least expected. In Gyrich's case not for the better either, he was swarmy and had his own agenda. Val for the most part seemed to be on the side of the good guys.

After lunch its time for some team building exercises. Though Walker and Lemar are old friends and have worked together before, this is the first as Cap and Bucky. Seems more practice is going to be needed.

Walker still can't get the hang of throwing the shield and have it return to him.

Enter Taskmaster, sometimes villain, mostly villain combat trainer. He claims to have photographic memory and the ability to recreate any movement he's seen, even only once, which he likes to call "photographic reflexes".

Walker questions his ability to teach, so Taskmaster sets out to school him.

I'd say he did a really good job if it, and great visuals too.

The government has brought Taskmaster in the help Walker learn how to properly throw and retrieve his shield.

More great visuals, you can almost hear the musical montage as the scene plays out.

I thought this was a really solid introduction issue. Nice to see that becoming a hero, especially such an iconic one like Captain America isn't easy. John Walker may not have been Cap long, but he certainly made an impression and continues to make one as USAgent.

Captain America #334
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Art team: Tom Morgan/Dave Hunt