Schrodinger's CapWolf: Epilogue

Captain America #408
“Dark Dawn/Joyride”
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciller: Rik Levins
Inker: Danny Bulanadi/Don Hudson
Letterer: Joe Rosen/Dave Sharpe
Colorist: George Roussoss/Ariane Lenshoek
Editor: Mike Rockwitz
Group Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The saga of CapWolf couldn't be contained in a mere six issues!*

(* - Well, I mean, maybe it could have without those backup features showing Diamondback's brainwashing by Crossbones. Or the occasional page about the traumatized Dennis Dunphy, aka Demolition Man or D-Man, that I've skipped over in these recaps in an attempt at brevity.)

Either way, there's one more issue to put the finishing touches on this story.

We open with CapWolf and Moonhunter arriving in the lab just as Nightshade administers the cure she fabricated and tested on herself (off-panel) to the white werewolf from previous issues. Turns out he is John Jameson, whose disappearance set this story in motion.

Just as Nightshade's about to inject Cap, a twisted version of the hero crashes through the wall, sporting a buzzsaw-like shield. It's one of the evil doppelgangers from the “Infinity War” event back in 1992, a plot organized by Adam Warlock's darker half, the Magus.

Nowadays, if Cap's regular title didn't fit into the crossover-du-jour, we might get a three-issue “Infinity War: Captain America” series. This issue seems like a bit of editorial tidying up that acknowledges the story, which I believe the good Captain was a part of in other titles.

CapWolf deals with the intruder while reverting back to a less hirsute version of himself, dispatching him rather brutally once Doctor Druid informs him the foe is not technically alive.

Then it's on to goodbyes for our odd assortment of characters and the un-wolfed-out, half-naked residents of Starkesboro. Jameson admits he acquired the moongem at Dredmund's behest, in hopes of becoming a hero like back in his astronaut days, before folks like Spider-Man and the Avengers stepped onto the stage. He decides to resign as Cap's pilot.

In the Falcon-centric backup story “Joyride” (which comes after the Crossbones-Diamondback interlude in the original issue), we find that none other than Zack Moonhunter hopes to fill the vacancy. I've made some cracks at Moonhunter's expense these last few weeks, but I'm kind of curious to see where else he turns up.

After a meeting of active and reserve Avengers, Cap informs Falcon he's continuing his leave to look for Diamondback and D-Man, who, unbeknownst to everybody but the readers, was jumped by his own dark duplicate in this issue. Falcon agrees to come along, setting up a showdown with the Red Skull's Skeleton Crew in the next issue.

So, 29 years of waiting and I've reached the end of “Captain America: Man and Wolf.” Did it live up to my expectations? Almost exactly.

This was a crazy, only-in-comics romp (can you imagine a movie or even Disney+ series where a character whose primary spheres are military and political turns into a werewolf for half the story?). It had an even odder assortment of characters than I anticipated. And it all sprung from Cap's recent and distant history, which I did not know a whole lot about.

Maybe the implications weren't far-reaching and it wasn't a “landmark” story, but the strangeness of the concept is enough to give this cult-favorite status. As much as I enjoyed it, I'm glad it hasn't been revisited so much that it's been worn out.

Apologies to any Diamondback or D-Man fans out there who are disappointed I didn't include them. I was glad to see D-Man pop up as a testament to the serial nature of the storytelling, but those scenes didn't impact the CapWolf story. The stuff with Crossbones and Diamondback was downright disturbing, not necessarily bad, but a different tone than the overall offbeat CapWolf tale.

Thanks for coming along on this journey with me. I hope you've had as much fun with it as I have.

Let me know if there are any other oddball issues or stories you think I should check out.