Captain America #339 (Fall of the Mutants)

Captain America #339 (March 1988)
Rating:  ★
America the Scorched!
Writer:  Mark Gruenwald
Artist:  Kieron Dwyer
Inker:  Tony DeZuniga

This issue is a little different because I actually remember when I didn't have this issue.  This particular issue ties in to X-Factor #25 (remember when Famine just disappeared during her fight against Marvel girl) and continues in X-Factor #26.  I remember reading X-Factor #25 and thinking for the longest time how much I wanted to find this issue because it was a tie in to one of my favorite X-Factor stories.  I figure it's got to be good right?  Well guess what: it's the one issue I rarely read word for word.  I hate it that bad.  There are just so many things wrong with it.  I'm usually a bit generous with rating a comic, but this one truly deserves 1 star.

I hate this issue so much, I'm not even going to tell you what happens in it other than Famine causes crops to wither, The Captain, Falcon, Nomad, and D-Man (seriously - the guy's code name is D-Man and his costume is a bad Wolverine ripoff) show up, knock some sense into her and then she vanishes.  That's it.  That's seriously all that happens in here.

The art is awful.  I think I actually prefer Bogdanove because he at least puts some effort into the details.  Dwyer also forgets that the yellow mask that covers Famine is just that - a mask.  It's not a second skin but apparently in Captain America it functions just like that.

I won't complain about The Captain too much, because I know that this is his book.  Steve Rogers losing his "Captain America" mantle was a long running story in his book.  Of course, I'm not sure how anybody would get fooled by The Captain who had a flag on his chest and threw a circular shield at people.  Seriously?  People wouldn't know that was Captain America?

I will, however, complain about his supporting cast.  Falcon is useless (moreso than Angel who at least can use his wings as a weapon much like a giant bird), Nomad is crap with his little throwing discs, and D-Man...well, you already heard my opinion on him.  The battle against Famine is crap.  All D-Man does is try to subdue the horse.  Seriously.  Why was he even in this issue?

Freedom Force makes a guest appearance...which actually makes no sense continuity wise.  They laugh about the X-Men dying in Dallas, but this issue takes place while the X-Men were still fighting the Adversary!  On top of that, Freedom Force actually parted ways from the X-Men on reasonably good terms.

This issue was a blatantly obvious attempt to get X-Men readers interested in Captain America.  And it failed miserably.  It had virtually nothing to do with Fall of the Mutants.  Heck, it had nothing to do with New York.  I honestly feel stupider for having read it again.  And yet, it's part of the story, so I'll read it next time I go through my back issues.  In 40 years, my IQ will probably hit single digits from this issue.

Famine goes crazy

See?  Told you Falcon was useless.

Seriously...what good is a Horseman of Apocalypse if a glorified gymnast can take her down?