Description

Blood & Glory                          Trade Paperback Lot
Featuring The Punisher versus Captain America!  Awesome!!
Writers: D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark
Artist: Klaus Janson
Colorist: John Wellington
Letterer: James Novak
Editors: Pat Garrahy, Ralph Macchio & Tom DeFalco
All Wrap-a-Round Covers by: Klaus Janson

In Blood and Glory, a conspiracy is afoot at the very top levels of government to circumvent the law to advance a secret agenda in Central America. When Captain America uncovered clues pointing to this conspiracy, he resolved to follow the trail to its source. To stop him, the conspirators turned to the vigilante known as the Punisher, convincing him that Captain America was secretly betraying the country he represented. Not long after, the Punisher would be staring through a gun sight – with Captain America as the target!

Story/Spoilers
In book #1, “We the People…”, Captain America and the Punisher find themselves fighting a personal war in South America where the U.S. has been sending defective weapons for the personal gain of a few high powered government agents. Somewhere in Texas, a well-armed militia-looking group approaches a warehouse. Inside the warehouse, another group of well-armed people engage in an arms deal until Captain America’s shield bursts through the open door, smashing the transaction. The thugs don’t take kindly to Cap’s interference and start shooting. During the fight, one of the thugs grabs a rocket launcher and shoots at Captain America a few times until the rocket launcher explodes. Just before Captain America cleans up the remaining villains, the secretive militia group swoops in and whisks everyone and everything away. Suspicious of everything, Captain America takes a sample from the broken rocket launcher. A news media transition informs us of tensions between the U.S. and a South American country called Medisuela, primarily because of the antics of its leader, General Navatilas. U.S. Attorney General Roger Mollech informs the press he is focused on bringing Navatilas’s crooked regime down, regardless of the political implications involved. Whisperings between him and his female aide tell us it is all insincere bluff for the media. In New York City, the Punisher has tracked down the same arms dealer Captain America encountered in Texas, only this time he is peddling narcotics. Unlike Captain America who pondered fighting for justice, the Punisher blows up the meeting, prepared to destroy everyone in it, while he thinks he is fighting a war, ready to kill with impunity. The arms/drug dealer escapes to the roof with the Punisher on his trail. A helicopter arrives to rescue the dealer, and Castle recognizes the military lingo they use, indicating the source behind this deal is much higher up on the political ladder than he originally thought. After a brief battle, Castle causes the helicopter to crash into a subway entrance, leaving the area in flames. The dealer escapes into the subway and onto a train with the Punisher on his trail. The Punisher eventually kills the dealer on the train, leaving his corpse for all the passengers to see. Committed to following the trail up as far as it goes, Castle ponders the reality he has accepted: he is fighting a war so others can go home – he has no more home, only the war. And he will fight it even on the steps of the Capitol building. In Medisuela, Attorney General Mollech’s aide converses and schemes with General Navatilas, confirming their partnership, though we aren’t sure the whole extent or purpose of this arrangement. Captain America is starting to discover it back in the states, as his investigation into the arms deal reveals the rocket launcher exploded on purpose – the arms dealers were intentionally selling faulty equipment to Medisuela. Not only that, but the supposed governmental militia group did not warehouse the stolen goods but took the equipment themselves. Similar to the Punisher, Captain America tells the people with whom he is working that he is doing it all for them and their wellbeing – though he is obviously more optimistic about it than Castle is. Captain America tracks the equipment trail to the militia, even assaulting their airplane in midair before parachuting out to safety. After he departs, we learn the militia is also in league with Mollech’s aide. The Punisher follows his end of the investigation to the same source, Mollech’s aide, who pretends to go along with him, posing as a whistleblower. A fake assault that ends badly further convinces Castle she is trustworthy, even when she says Captain America is behind the whole thing. A night shortly thereafter, Captain America and his buddy descend the steps of the Senate speaking of the conspiracy when Captain America notices a reflection on a roof in the distance, recognizing its significance immediately. Captain America throws his friend behind him, and the Punisher shoots him.

Features a Wrap-a-Round Embossed cover by Klaus Janson! Awesome!!

Next in book #2, “Eternal Vigilance”, Captain America is wheeled into an emergency room with Nick Fury on his heels. Despite the doctors’ urgency, Fury prevents them from operating on Captain America until proper security checks are run on all the staff involved. Alone with Fury and the Contessa, Captain America reveals what he has learned about the conspiracy and urges Fury to let him die. Later on a rainy night in Washington, DC, Jarvis and the Avengers bury Captain America in a state funeral, while Nick Fury dodges reporters’ questions about his culpability. In Michigan, a roadside diner watches the funeral, instigating mixed reactions among the patrons – some lamenting Captain America, some gripping that Vietnam veterans never got the respect WW2 veterans got. In the same diner, an undercover Punisher listens to a supposed whistleblower on the secret activities of the DEA, while some patrons cheer Punisher’s involvement with Captain America’s murder. Attorney General Mollech continues his conspiracy with General Navatilas of Medisuela; after their meeting, Mollech confirms his counter-plan with his rogue militia men to eliminate Navatilas and make America pay. The militia group starts to eliminate loose ends by attacking Punisher and killing the pseudo-informant. Steve Rogers comes out of hiding in time to join Punisher’s counter-assault on the rogue militia group. Once they take care of the militia group, Rogers confronts Castle about the conspiracy, which soon devolves into a reenactment of the Vietnam vs. WW2 veteran conflict from the diner earlier. Castle is more angry that Rogers did not fight Vietnam than anything else. Somehow Rogers convinces Castle it’s the reasons for going to war that is important – and they should team up for a just war against this conspiracy. Back in Medisuela, Mollech and Navatilas engage in a destructive orgy, allowing Mollech to continue his personal debasement. Undercover again, Captain America and Punisher investigate the faulty weapons pipeline, discovering that the US government is actually selling the weapons and drugs to Medisuela. Unfortunately, Mollech’s aide also learns they are on to them, leading to a trap in the Medisuelan jungle. Sensing the trap, Captain America pushes Punisher to safety before a bomb separates them. Captain America is taken hostage and about to be executed.

Features a Wrap-a-Round cover by Klaus Janson! Awesome!!

Finally in book #3, “Establish the Blessings of Liberty”, In a Medisuelan jungle, Punisher finds himself tracking the enemy in the jungle once again. Using Captain America’s shield, he takes down his enemies swiftly and brutally. He is at war again. Not far away, Captain America is strung up by General Navatilas’s men about to be painfully executed. Punisher gets the shield inside with a bomb, allowing Captain America to break away before they are assaulted by more of Navatilas’s men. Before the firefight can get far, the army’s weapons explode, proving to Rogers and Castle their suspicions about the American government weapons pipeline. Terror (the character) cleans up the mess after they leave, for his own purposes. Back in America, Mollech’s plans are starting to unravel, and his aide and militia associates are prepared to initiate their endgame, with or without him. Terror makes his way to General Navatilas, preparing his own endgame. While preparing their own final assault, Punisher and Captain America reflect on the situations that made them what they are, at least initially. Captain America became a symbol of American patriotism in order to stem the German Menace during WW2; Punisher became a symbol of living revenge for both losing his family and feeling betrayed by the government during Vietnam. The militia attacks Medisuela in helicopters, and Captain America and Punisher end up destroying the fleet by themselves, in part to save the innocent civilians. During the assault, other militia members infiltrate Navatilas’s hideout and execute him. Punisher takes them out, and Captain America clobbers the leader of the militia, who takes a suicide capsule forestalling capture. After the firefight, Captain America and Punisher meet Terror, who convinces them to leave Navatilas to him in exchange for information on Mollech and his aide. Back in America, Captain America and Punisher damage the plane Mollech and his aide are attempting to escape in before they can leave. Punisher kills the aide, and Captain America is about to kill Mollech for betraying the America for which Captain America has stood for decades, but Punisher warns him about taking that first step down the path of vigilante justice (i.e., murder): it is not a path from which he will be able to return. Captain America listens and lets justice rule out. Later, after Mollech has been arrested, Steve Rogers and Frank Castle meet one last time to discuss who they are and what they were. For one brief moment, they understand each other and stand together as equals.

Features a Wrap-a-Round cover by Klaus Janson! Awesome!!

Trade Paperback lot contains: Blood & Glory feat. The Punisher / Captain America (1992) Issues # 1-3.  Marvel Comics

Trade Paperbacks are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Publication Date: 1992
Format per: FC, 48 pages, TPB, 10.20″ x 6.65″
ISBN-10: 0871358867 (Issue #1) 0871358875 (Issue #2) 0871358883 (Issue #3)
ISBN-13: 9780871358868 (Issue #1) 9780871358875 (Issue #2) 9780871358882 (Issue #3)

Collectible Entertainment note: Trade Paperbacks 1,2,3 are Like New.  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Punisher and/or Captain America collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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