Captain America: Red White & Blue 12th Story

[Leoparis]

Currently this story is placed just before CA 217, Jan 1978.

Since the story itself says nothing about when it happens, I would have taken it as a contemporary story.

There are clues as to when it did not happen, though.

It must occur some time after the end of Cap and Falcon's long partnership, from this dialogue:
"Captain America's no racist. He was even partners with a black man for a long time."
"Ha! That guy was a sidekick. What was his battle cry again? 'Save me Cap, same!'"
"The Falcon is a hero, fool!"

Falcon chronology:

Spoiler:

CA 215
CA 217
CA 218
CA 220/2
M/TU 71
DEF 62
DEF 63
DEF 64
CA 230
IH2 232
CA 231
A 183
A 184
A 185
FF@ 14
IM 125
CA 237
A 186
A 187
A 188
M/PRM 49
A 189
A 190
A 191
A 192
A 193
A 194
CA 261
M/TU 114
CA 272
CA 275
CA 276/2
CA 277/2
CA 278/2
M/S-HCOC 1
DPSECSECWARS 1/2-BTS
M/S-HCOC 2-BTS
M/S-HCOC 3-BTS
IH2 278
IH2 279
CA 282-FB
CA 282
CA 284

At the start of CA 217, they are still very much partners. The Falcon accepts to train the SHIELD super-agents, which he still does in 218. In 220/2 he has a solo story. In M/TU 71 he teams with Spidey to save a poisoned Cap. In Defenders 62-64 he joins the Defenders for a day, then disappears, kidnapped by the Corporation and rescued by Cap in CA 230-231. From a Marvel denizen standpoint, I would assume they're still partners at this point. This rescue of the Falcon by Cap seems alluded to by one of the comments. With Falcon joining the Avengers for A 183-194, I would still assume they're partners (and that brings us past the 70s). They're still operating together in public in CA 261. In CA 275 he starts a political career, signaling a possible end to his superhero career (although he still shows up in costume in M/S-HCOC 1, and IH2 278-279). We get to the first time people would know for sure that Cap & Falcon aren't partners anymore when Cap takes on a new partner in the form of Jack Monroe/Nomad in CA 282 (regular until CA 309).

The only other possible clue are the Detroit workers. They bear the tag "Mitso Motor." This sounds like a Japanese name, close to Mitsubishi (first plant in Illinois in 1988) or Mitsuoka Motor. Japanese constructors started operating plants in the USA in 1980s, 1990s or 2000s.

I could not think of a specific period during those decades when racial tensions were high in the Marvel universe (although they must have been, just like in the regular USA). (They were shown to be high in the 1970s.) I take the story as contemporary with other stories in the anthology, particularly CA:RW&B /15, which shares the thematic content of accusing Cap of being racist. The rant of the African-American pastor could logically occur after the fifteenth story. However the rescue of KKK members does not come up either in the pastor's rhetoric nor in the workers' arguments so I'll stick to the publication sequence.

CAPTAIN AMERICA/STEVE ROGERS
T 271
*CA:RW&B /12 move from here
CA 217
...
CA:RW&B /7
*CA:RW&B /12 move here
CA:RW&B /15
HOOD 4-BTS

The 7th story occurs in France in 1944. Cap accompanies American soldiers in a mountainous village against German soldiers. These circumstances and the mention of soldiers walking back to camp place the story after the landing of American troops in France. The architecture could mean this is in the Alps after the Provence landing. American troops reached the mountains on August 19, 1944. During this time Rogers was also active in the Liberation of Paris and then active with the Resistance. The VI corps progressed north through mountains areas until the end of November before reaching the plains of Alsace. Though its current placement will be revised, finding a proper place requires to complete the review of 1944 issues.

[dimadick]

It must occur some time after the end of Cap and Falcon's long partnership, from this dialogue:
"Captain America's no racist. He was even partners with a black man for a long time."
"Ha! That guy was a sidekick. What was his battle cry again? 'Save me Cap, same!'"
"The Falcon is a hero, fool!"

Or at least after the press stopped covering the Falcon's adventures. Some of his subsequent adventures involve SHIELD and other covert organizations.

Falcon chronology:
CA 215
CA 217
CA 218

CA 215 is mostly a flashback issue. Cap reminisces about his past, and realizes that he has forgotten almost everything about his life before the Super Soldier Project in 1941. He resolves to find out "Who is Steve Rogers?", a question which is not answered until CA 247. At that point he finds out that many of his "memories" prior to 1941 were memory implants created by the United States Army. He supposedly regains his real memories during this issue.

In CA 217, the Falcon takes a job with SHIELD. He agrees to train the SHIELD Super-Agents (Blue Streak/Don Thomas, Marvel Boy/Wendell Vaughn, Texas Twister/Drew Daniels, and Vamp/Denise Baranger). De facto end of the Falcon's partnership with Cap.

In CA 218, the Falcon is still training the Super-Agents. Sharon Carter tells Falcon that Cap was seen kissing another woman, Veda. Meanwhile, Cap is seeking answers about his past. The Falcon and Cap do not directly interact.

CA 220/2

In CA 220/2, aspiring super-villain Mortimer Freebish kidnaps Redwing. The Falcon goes to retrieve his pet, and easily defeats the villain.

M/TU 71

In M/TU 71, Cap is comatose. He has been exposed to a deadly toxin from a flower. The Falcon searches for the one responsible, in hopes of getting an antidote for the toxin. Falcon teams up with Spider-Man/Peter Parker. The one who poisoned Cap turns out to be Plant-Man/Samuel Smithers. The two heroes steal the antidote from Plant-Man and manage to cure Cap. Nick Fury thanks Spidey.

DEF 62
DEF 63
DEF 64

Falcon is one of several heroes who join the Defenders for a Day. They fight against a rival group of villainous Defenders. In DEF 64, Valkyrie is overcome by warrior madness. She attacks both friends and foes. Falcon is defeated by Valkyrie, and quits the team in disgust.

One of Falcon's fellow Defenders in this storyline is Marvel Man/Wendell Vaughn. One of the villainous Defenders is Plantman/Samuel Smithers.

CA 230

In CA 230, the Falcon is held prisoner in Alcatraz by the Corporation. A fellow captive is Bruce Banner, as the Corporation use him to lure Jim Wilson into a trap. Cap launches a rescue operation with the help of Marvel Man and Vamp. Vamp turns out to be a double agent, working for the Corporation.

The issue reveals that Jim Wilson is the Falcon's nephew.

IH2 232

In IH2 232, Corporation agents Vamp and Moonstone/Karla Sofen have knocked out the Hulk. Hulk soon wakes up and seeks a rematch. Hulk eventually defeats Vamp, while Moonstone flees the battle.

Falcon is rescued thanks to the Hulk. Curtiss Jackson kills his own teammate, the senator Eugene Kligger Stivak. From 1977 to 1979, Stivak was one of the main villains in Corporation-related stories. This ends his storyline.

CA 231

In CA 231, Cap returns to New York City for the first time in a while. He seeks the Falcon for a reunion, but he is instead recruited for a mission by Peggy Carter. The Grand Director/William Burnside has been inciting crowds into murderous frenzies, and has Sharon Carter under his control.

A 183
A 184
A 185

In A 183, Cap invites the Falcon to join the Avengers. Falcon suspects that he is only recruited thanks to tokenism, as he will be the team's only black member. He reluctantly takes the offer. Falcon does not take part in the Avengers' battle against the Absorbing Man/Carl Creel.

In A 184, Cap and the Falcon join the still ongoing battle against the Absorbing Man. The Falcon is still grumbling about tokenism, but Cap asks him to take life among the Avengers seriously.
*In his first interaction with Henry Peter Gyrich (the man who wanted him in the team in the first place), the Falcon acts mockingly as a stereotypical slave. Gyrich does not get what the Falcon is implying.

In A 185, Cap introduces the Falcon to the rest of the Avengers. Hawkeye is angry, because the Falcon gets the team's only open seat. Hawkeye was interested in rejoining, and he feels that the Falcon is displacing him.

Most of the rest of A 185, covers the adventures of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Transia. The other Avengers are not involved.

FF@ 14

FF@ 14 has the Avengers noticing that there is a huge surge of pulsating energy in New York City. They investigate, but fail to penetrate a mystic barrier set up by the Salem's Seven.

IM 125

In IM 125, Iron Man/Tony Stark is in Avengers Mansion. He gets some hand-to-hand combat training from Captain America. After a recent hacking of his armor, Tony feels that he can not rely on it for his next mission.

CA 237

In CA 237, Cap learns that Sharon Carter has committed suicide, while under the lingering influence of Doctor Faustus/Johann Fennhoff. Afterwards, Cap disappears for weeks. The Falcon is worried about him, and tries to convince the Avengers that they should search for Cap. Cap then re-appears, informing him that he has made some changes in his life.

Cap is starting a new career as an artist. He has moved into an apartment building, and is attempting to befriend his neighbors. Cap meets his landlady, Anna Kapplebaum. Cap recognizes her as one of the people whose life he had saved during World War II.

A 186
A 187
A 188

In A 186, Iron Man has taken a leave of absence to deal with personal matters. Since he was the Avengers' leader, the team needs to decide on a temporary replacement. Cap takes the job.

Quicksilver summons the Avengers to Transia, as he has lost the Scarlet Witch and needs help. Henry Peter Gyrich tries to keep the Avengers on United States soil, as he wants to prevent an international incident. He gets on everyone's nerves. The members eventually responding to Quicksilver's call are the Beast/Hank McCoy, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Falcon/Sam Wilson, Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers, and the Wasp/Janet van Dyne. The Vision stays on monitor duty in the Avengers mansion, much to his frustration.

In A 187, Wonder Man/Simon Williams rejoins the team. He takes part in the mission to Transia. The team fights and defeats Chthon (who was possessing the Scarlet Witch's body) and Modred the Mystic. Django Maximoff dies of a heart attack. Bova volunteers to take care of Modred, who suffers from amnesia,

In A 188, the Avengers visit Attilan, in order to leave Quicksilver there. The team learns that Crystal/Crystalia Amaquelin is pregnant. An envious Scarlet Witch feels that she would like to have a child of her own.

On their return journey, the team flies over the Soviet Union. They learn about a disaster at a local nuclear power plant, and decide to intervene. The Falcon is quite unhappy. While the team was discussing what to do, nobody asked for his opinion. He feels that his teammates do not care about him.

The team fights the Elementals. During the encounter, the Falcon is the only one to realize that the Wasp is knocked out. He tries to rescue her on his own, and is easily captured. Wasp effortlessly escapes, and alerts the others that the Falcon needs help. Beast and Ms. Marvel eventually trap the Elementals within radioactive material.

The Soviet government decides to keep the events of this battle a secret.

M/PRM 49

The supervillain the Silencer/Count Barzon assassinates editorial writer Sigjid Roskoff. The Falcon investigates the case. The Silencer uses a decoy of himself in order to fake his death. The Falcon realizes who the real Silencer is, and arrests him.

A 189
A 190
A 191
A 192
A 193
A 194

In A 189, the Falcon returns to the Avengers, following a solo mission. Several reservist Avengers recently helped in a battle against Arsenal, and some are still lingering in the Avengers mansion. The Falcon is insulted by an angry Hawkeye. Yellowjacket/Hank Pym uses a quinjet to retrieve the Wasp and the Defenders, who were stranded in Las Vegas following a mission.

Also in this issue. Scarlet Witch does not want to resume active duty with the Avengers, and Henry Peter Gyrich is angry because of her attitude. Hawkeye has financial problems and a gets a job as a company's chief of security. He fights and defeats Deathbird/Cal'syee Neramani. Hawkeye kisses the captured Deathbird against her will. Gyrich threatens to disband the Avengers.

There are two subplots involving Hawkeye. He hates the Falcon, and he uses a photo of the Falcon for target practice. Hawkeye is still not over his infatuation with the Scarlet Witch, despite the fact that she is married to another man. The issue reveals that he habitually sleeps next to a photo of Wanda.

In A 190, the Avengers appear at a Senate hearing, which has to decide whether they are a security threat. The team's lawyer is Daredevil/Matt Murdock. After a monster attacks the city, the Beast convinces Gyrich that the Avengers are the only ones who can stop it. Daredevil joins them for the mission.

Iron Man and Vision defeat the monster. But it was apparently under the control of the Grey Gargoyle/Paul Duval, who appears and turns Daredevil and Iron Man into statues. The issue has a cliffhanger ending.

In A 191, the Grey Gargoyle defeats the Avengers and then steps away. He wants to reclaim his old penthouse apartment, and his equipment. He finds out that the apartment has a new tenant, and his equipment has been thrown away. He is quite furious, but is easily defeated by the Scarlet Witch.

The Senate decides to remove some of the state-imposed restrictions on the Avengers, although Iron Man decides against making any radical changes. The Scarlet Witch insists on staying out of the active roster, something which displeases the Vision.

Following this issue, Gyrich fades into the background for a while.

In A 192, Iron Man/Tony Stark and Wonder Man/Simon Williams are in Pittsburgh. Tony is considering the acquisition of a steel plant that used to belong to Simon. He needs his advice on the matter. They face new supervillain Inferno/Joseph Conroy. He was mutated by a piece of Mjolnir which the careless Thor Odinson lost, and he wants revenge against the people who tried to murder him.

Back in the Avengers mansion, the Avengers are planning to convince a number of their reservists to rejoin the team. The Falcon nominates Hawkeye, but the team no longer has any contact information about the archer. The only reservist who everyone agrees they should invite is Wonder Man.

In A 193, Inferno forces corrupt businessman Vince Paretta to confess to his crimes. Feeling that he has already completed his purpose in life, Inferno commits suicide. The Avengers don't have much to do with the issue's main plot.

The issue ends with an unresolved subplot. Inferno leaves behind a piece of Mjolnir which could be claimed by someone else. And it can mutate its owners.

In A 194, Wonder Man officially rejoins the team. He has some free time to devote to heroics, as his acting career is not going well. The Vision is feeling lonely without the Scarlet Witch. Falcon decides to quit the team, as he feels uncomfortable with them. He explains that he is more at home when facing street-level crime.

Three minor subplots of the issue. Iron Man is currently single, and he is attempting to woo Ms. Marvel. Jocasta is attempting to befriend her teammates, but they keep giving her the cold shoulder treatment. Beast and Wonder Man start hanging out together in their spare time, and they would later bee depicted as best friends.

CA 261

Cap and Falcon (in their civilian identities) go out for drinks with a civilian friend. They encounter a group of muggers and easily defeat them. A clearly intoxicated Cap vows to never again overuse alcohol.

Afterwards, Cap investigates the activities of Nomad/Edward Ferbel. The Falcon has no further involvement in this tale.

M/TU 114

Spider-Man encounters the vigilante group Young Watchers, but suspects that they are actually thieves. His investigation leads him to Harlem. The Falcon gets a bit territorial, as he is the self-proclaimed protector of Harlem. Falcon insists that "nobody cares about the fates of African-Americans in the ghettos".

Further investigation reveals that the group was bankrolled by the crime lord Stoneface. Some of the Watchers are criminals pretending to be heroes, while the others are genuinely altruistic. The two heroes defeat Stoneface, but the benevolent Watchers decide to continue their vigilante activities. Falcon sides with them, though Spidey claims that he does not trust vigilantes.

CA 272
CA 275
CA 276/2
CA 277/2
CA 278/2

In CA 272, the Falcon request help from Cap. Jim Wilson has been shot by unidentified criminals. Falcon eventually finds the shooter (Raymond Curtis), while Cap fights and defeats Vermin/Edward Whelan. The Falcon announces his plan to run for congress, hoping to make a difference.

In CA 275, Cap is in SHIELD headquarters. He converses with Gail Runciter over their recent encounters. Arnie Roth is in SHIELD's sick ward, while Vermin remains in captivity. Shortly after, the Falcon officially his candidacy for congress. A reporter from the Daily Bugle points out that Sam Wilson is a former criminal, and privately tells Peter Parker that Wilson is "slime".

Towards the end of the issue, there is a riot between neo-Nazi protestors and anti-Nazi protestors. Cap gives a speech to calm down the crows. Based on what he says, Bernie Rosenthal deduces that Cap is her boyfriend Steve Rogers.

In CA 276/2, the Falcon is struggling between the personas of social worker Sam Wilson and criminal Snap Wilson. Years ago, the Red Skull/Johann Shmidt had supposedly erased the Snap persona. Now, Snap's personality seems to have re-emerged.

In CA 277/2, the Falcon gets a new origin story. The honorable Sam Wilson persona has been his core personality for most of his life, long before the Red Skull met him. The Snap Wilson persona "was a personality manifestation of Samuel Wilson as a troubled young man". In other words, the Falcon used to have a split personality.

In CA 278/2, the Falcon is seemingly helped by a priest to come to terms with his past. Afterwards he continues with his political campaign. But he learns from his sister that this priest was actually out of town. The Falcon wanders whether the priest was a manifestation of his own mind, or something else entirely.

M/S-HCOC 1

Death and Grandmaster kidnap nearly every known hero on planet Earth, to use them as pawns in a contest. Falcon is one of the kidnapped group, but does not get to do much.

IH2 278
IH2 279

In IH2 278, the Hulk has just defeated the U-Foes. Bruce Banner fully controls the Hulk's body, and plans to petition for amnesty. He uses Daredevil/Matt Murdock as his lawyer. The Hulk and a small army of heroes gather in Washington D.C.

The city is attacked by Krylorian spaceships, and Hulk defeats the invasion fleet. The President of the United States offers an official pardon to the Hulk. The Hulk is unaware that he was deliberately cast as a hero by the person who commanded the spaceships, the Leader/Samuel Sterns.

In IH2 279 there is a ceremony to honor the Hulk in New York City. Nearly every superhero on planet Earth takes part in the celebration. The Hulk feels alone, because Betty Ross seems to be avoiding him.

CA 282-FB
CA 282
CA 284

Falcon is not part of the main plot in CA 282. Captain America and Gail Ranciter have been captured by Viper/Ophelia Sarkissian in Hartsdale, Illinois. Nick Fury sends Nomad/Jack Monroe to rescue them.

The Falcon turns up in a subplot in New York City. Bernie Rosenthal asks Falcon to rescue Cap. He refuses, as he has made a campaign promise to stop acting as a superhero. His only help for Bernie was bringing her in contact with Nick Fury.

CA 284 does not have much action. Cap and Bernie throw a party for their friends. Afterwards they enjoy some bonding time. Cap quits flirting in order to respond to a hostage situation. Bernie feels frustrated.

After looking through this period in the Falcon's career, there are few moments where he interacts directly with Cap. And even fewer moments where a shared adventure would get publicity.

The only other possible clue are the Detroit workers. They bear the tag "Mitso Motor." This sounds like a Japanese name, close to Mitsubishi (first plant in Illinois in 1988) or Mitsuoka Motor. Japanese constructors started operating plants in the USA in 1980s, 1990s or 2000s.

Mitsubishi has been constructing automobiles since 1917. The subsidiary known as Mitsubishi Motors was formed in April, 1970. In 1971 it forged an alliance with Chrysler. The Mitsubishi Galant was exported to the United States, under the brand names "Dodge Colt", "Dodge Challenger", and
"Plymouth Sapporo".

"In 1982, the Mitsubishi brand was introduced to the American market for the first time." (With the company having abandoned the practice of rebranding the cars under American brands).

In 1985, Mitsubishi Motors and Chrysler formed a shared subsidiary, called Diamond-Star Motors. In 1986, this subsidiary established a production facility in Normal, Illinois. Construction was completed in March 1988.

I could not think of a specific period during those decades when racial tensions were high in the Marvel universe (although they must have been, just like in the regular USA). (They were shown to be high in the 1970s.)

I have an out-of-universe explanation for this.:
* Marvel introduced the Sons of the Serpent in 1966, as a xenophobic organization. They were used to tell tales about racism and xenophobia involving the Avengers (in the 1960s) and the Defenders (in the 1970s). The organization disappears completely in the 1980s, and is not reintroduced until 1990.
*Marvel introduces various African-American and African heroes, villains, and supporting characters in the 1970s, through titles starring Luke Cage and the Black Panther. By 1978, Cage ceases to be a solo character (through his partnership with Iron Fist). This has been perceived as a sign that "blaxploitation's popularity faded". By 1986, Cage's title is cancelled. In the 1980s, Black Panther is mostly out of focus. He receives a single miniseries at the end of the decade, and a few stories in anthology titles. Many of the heroes' supporting cast and foes fade into obscurity
*Marvel introduces both black and Hispanic characters in the 1970s, through anthology stories involving White Tiger/Hector Ayala. Ayala lost his sub-series in 1977. He was used for a few years as a supporting character for Spider-Man. In 1981, there is a storyline where Ayala's family is slaughtered, he gets badly defeated, and he permanently renounces his heroic career. He was not reintroduced until 2002.
*In the 1980s, Marvel seems to have actively de-emphasized many of its "minority" characters. There were few opportunities to tell tales about ethnic tensions.

[Leoparis]

CA 261

Cap and Falcon (in their civilian identities) go out for drinks with a civilian friend. They encounter a group of muggers and easily defeat them. A clearly intoxicated Cap vows to never again overuse alcohol.

Afterwards, Cap investigates the activities of Nomad/Edward Ferbel. The Falcon has no further involvement in this tale.

Your very detailed post left me wondering what point you were trying to make so I take the opportunity to highlight the salient points:

I don't know if you are missing this page (I mention this as reprint or translated editions sometimes cut pages and I learned never to use them) but on page 6 of CA 261 Cap & Falcon travel by road from Brooklyn to Avengers Mansion on the 8th Avenue. All New Yorkers seeing them would naturally think they are still partners. As you stated, from this point they have no public appearance together for a while and Sam's launch of his political career (CA 272-275) marks an unofficial public end to their partnership. You also acknowledged that Japanese production facilities in the US is a late 80s phenomenon.

Race issues in Marvel stories were mostly a phenomenon of the first half of the 1970s, not the late 1970s. There are no clues placing the story in the 1970s and no reason not to place it on the date of publication. Racial tensions happen to be a topic in another story of this anthology placed around publication time, CA:RW&B /15.

In addition the topic of a reverend attacking America's symbols and values is taken from Jeremiah Wright's sermon "The Day of Jerusalem's Fall" given in the wake of 9/11.

My point: Since the placement before CA 217 cannot be correct, in the absence of specific clues and given the contemporary setting, a placement when it was published circa 2001-2002 stories is a natural non-polemical solution.