Captain America: Operation Rebirth

Captain America (1968) #445-448

by Mark Waid

He was the greatest hero that ever lived. But now the legacy of Steve Rogers had come to an end - the serum that coursed through Captain America's veins killed him. Now, 47 years later, Captain America is brought back to life to do battle with evil.

Collects Captain America (1968) #445-448

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Reviews

[Nicolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Marvel Premiere Classic hardcover, the 62nd of the series, collected the first Mark Waid / Ron Garney run on the original Silver Age Captain America series that took on the numbering from the Tales of Suspense title.

It included the two storylines, “Operation: Rebirth” and “Man Without A Country.” This was notable as a last-ditch effort during a dark period in Marvel Comics history when bankruptcy loomed near.

It was a final effort because editorial wanted to keep this title, and several others produced in house. Sales were slipping for titles that were not “X-Men” and mutant adjacent. Ownership wanted to outsource it to an independent studio and ride on the red-hot sales of Image Comics.

However, sales continued to slide, and thus this title became part of Rob Liefeld’s portion of the “Heroes Reborn” relaunch.

Waid and Garney’s first arc was a great story. Before the duo took over the title, Captain America was dying in sales and the story. The last storyline had the super soldier serum deteriorating in the Captain’s blood, and gradually killing him.

The story began with a funeral, at least it did with the original trade paperback of Operation: Rebirth that I read, this one had an additional issue added as a prologue. You see tubes going in and out of a body, implying a blood transfusion. It exploded into a splash image of Captain America breaking out of an ice prison like those years ago where he was frozen after the war. He arose from an operating table disoriented and confused; his last memory was of dying.

This story had Captain America joining forces with a most personal nemesis. Someone desperate enough to restore the Captain’s health for his help. Before this mastermind was revealed, a liaison relayed their orders. This agent turned out to be a familiar female friend for the Captain. More than friends really and had a major falling out with him.

It was a high paced, high octane, cloak and dagger adventure. Like the physicality of a Jackie Chan movie combined with a Tom Clancy novel.

The fallout from this story led into “Man Without A Country” storyline where Steve Rogers had to discard the colors of Captain America because of the consequences of his actions, even if those action led to saving the world from peril.

I believe Waid and Garney’s take on the character was a great attempt to make it modern and relevant. There was more gray in Captain America’s decisions, rather than stark black and white. Before this take, the title relied on novelty events where the Captain turned into a werewolf or wore Stark-designed armor.

Waid returned Captain America to his basics, hence the “Operation: Rebirth” title and reference to the original Golden Age story. Turned him more of a secret agent, and Garney abetting with his dynamic artwork that had that 90’s flair but without its worst excesses.

This is an excellent collected edition that contains the first two storylines of the Waid and Garney collaboration. It is also arguably their best work on the character together.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun throwback for Cap.

This is Mark Waid's first major story with Cap and it has him return from everyone thinking he died. Of course he didn't but this time Sharon is back and not only that, he was brought back to life thanks to none other than RED SKULL. Seriously? Cap's main baddie saved him and now Cap must team up with him...can't get worse than that.

Overall very enjoyable. Watching Cap having to team up with Skull but keep his humanity and try his best is always entertaining. Sharon being pissed at Steve seems offbeat but I wonder fully why. While not great, it's still really solid with fun cartoony art. A 3.5 out of 4. I'll bump it to a 4.

[Alec Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty solid title. I didn't expect much going in, because the last several marvel comic books I've read haven't been up to snuff, but this one had solid artwork, decent writing, and it was paced pretty well.

[Eduardo Moya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I read it as a recommendation from my uncle (a die hard Marvel fan) and enjoyed it quite a bit

[T. Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great action. Forgot how fun this book is. It certainly could use a more viable narrative, but whatever, love seeing Cap smash Skull.

[Adam Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writers are given rules for crafting powerful fictional stories. One good suggestion to ask yourself what's the one thing your character would never do and then to make them do it. Another is to ask what the worst thing thing that could happen to your character and then make him experience it.

Mark Waid does both of these with Captain America in this short book that covers Waid's first run on Captain America in the 1990s from Issues 444-448 and 450-454. The first five issues cover the titular story, "Operation: Rebirth" which sees Captain America forced to do one thing he would never do: team up with the Red Skull.

In Issue 444, terrorists have kidnapped several dignitaries including the President and will terminate them unless Captain America shows up. The problem is that Captain America was last seen deathly ill due to complications from the Super Soldier formula and disappeared. The Avengers come to the scene to try and manage the situation. When a young FBI agent wonders what's so special about Captain America, the Avengers give him an earful. Hercules is part of the team at the time and declares that even on Mount Olympus, Cap is admired. "On Olympus, we measure wisdom against Athena, speed against Hermes, Power against Zeus. But we measure courage...against Captain America." It was touching to see Quicksilver rush to Cap's aid after all the trouble that Quicksilver and Hawkeye made for him in the early days of the Avengers during the era of "the Old Order changeth."

The Avengers try to cover up Cap's apparent death as long as possible, but in order to clear his good name, they let the truth out and then the Skull and his allies act, restoring Cap's health so that Captain America can help the Skull fight an even greater evil: Adolf Hitler, whose mind is still alive and seeking to obtain the Cosmic Cube which could allow him to reshape reality.

Cap meets up with his long thought dead girlfriend Sharon Carter, who is bitter and angry, feeling betrayed by Rogers but willing to ally with him to stop Hitler. The story is suspenseful, clever, and filled with some great twist. In the climatic story in Issue 448, Waid really captures the spirit of Captain America and what Cap is all about.

The second story arch has the worst thing possible happening to Captain America: he's stripped of his uniformed, exiled from the US, and has his citizenship revoked. The last part has credibility problems as Waid has the whole thing by President Bill Clinton in fell swoop. In "Man Without a Country," top secret information known only to Cap and President Clinton falls into the hands of a dangerous terrorist. Clinton suspects cap of betraying America in order to secure his regeneration. As a conservative, I suspect Clinton of having sold the secrets for an illegal campaign contribution. It turns out were both wrong.

However, Cap has to clear his good name and save the world from the madman who somehow stole information from his head without a country, without his mighty shield, or his trademark costume. Once again, we're given another great adventure story that shows the heart and spirit of Captain America.

Really, the story arch was done with Issue 453, but Volume 1 of Captain America was coming to an end and after giving Cap some of his best stories ever, Waid was to leave the series so the failed Heroes Reborn saga could come along for Captain American Volume 2, so Issue 454 is a one-shot wrap up of Volume 1. Sharon disappeared at the end of "Man Without a Country" and knowing she's alive, Cap's determined not to leave her behind again even it means going to a corrupt state where Sharon's journey into Hell began. The issue and its ending tell you everything you need to know about Cap.

What Waid did in this volume that made these stories well is that he really gets Captain America. Waid didn't change the times, he didn't have the villains act less ruthless or cruel. We know that's the real world. What he did was let Cap be Cap, the guy we all love and root for. There's enough good to say about the writing.

There were only two downsides. I never read a lot of 1990s Comic books, the weak art in this book suggest I didn't miss much. It lacks the beauty of a Jack Kirby, a Curt Swann, or a Gene Colan, or the more realistic style of today. While there are a few highlights, it's mostly bleah.

The other is that Sharon Carter is a somewhat grating character in this book. You get that even she doesn't really think Cap deserves the scorn she's heaping on him, but she's doing it anyway because he's convenient. Only in the last story did I even get any sympathy for her.

Still, I can forgive that and a lot more for a truly great Cap run by Mark Waid that shows that even in the 1990s, it was possible to put out a decent comic book.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immediately just to clarify, Operation: Rebirth is NOT in any way related to Heroes Reborn. So don't get confused. 1996's Heroes Reborn was a return of several beloved Marvel icons, including Captain America, to the 616 Universe after a very stupid (and poorly received) attempt to modernize some aging super heroes. Instead, Operation: Rebirth begins right after Steve Rogers dies in the 616.

The Super Solider Serum inside of Steve's body was deteriorating. For a brief period of time, Captain America had to operate inside a suit of armor built by Tony Stark as he had lost his super strength. Ultimately, Cap also lost his life.

The general public is aware of all this. In fact, there was a very public funeral at Arlington held for the World War II veteran. What the populace doesn't know is that the casket is empty! That's because soon after Steve Rogers died, someone stole the body!

The story opens with Steve Rogers in return to his super strong form thanks to the Red Skull! Why is the Sentenil of Liberty's greatest foe helping him to the point of fantastic resurrection? It's because someone has gotten their hands on that blasted Cosmic Cube and altered reality. AGAIN! The Third Reich is still in power in this new world, having never lost the second world war. Normally, the Red Skull would be okay with this; if he was the man in charge. Instead, the leader of these Nazis is none other that Adolph Hitler himself, the Hate Monger!

With this story taking place in 1995, that would put ol' Adolph in his late 80s. Suffering from dementia and extremely paranoid, the Hate Monger fears being deposed. Armed with nukes and ready to use them, this new reality stares down the barrel of World War III. With his arch-enemy on one side and a blast from his past on the other, Captain America must find the Cosmic Cube and change history back or it will be up to only the Watcher to prevent a global nuclear apocalypse!

This trade paperback collects issue #445-448 of Captain America. Mark Waid was the writer and he does an amazing job as usual. True, I feel like I've read this story before what with Cosmic Cube changing the world and all that. But as I said before, this book collects material from 1995 and some of those stories came AFTER this tale. So I can't fault Waid for a lack of originality. (I might accuse Nick Spencer with his Hydra Cap storyline of it...)

The artwork was my biggest complaint. Ron Garney seems to be a student of the Rob Liefeld School of Over-Exaggerated Comic Book Art. But I don't think he was an honor student as it wasn't that bad. But just enough to get on my nerves. I will admit that Garney's Red Skull is perhaps one of the most menacing versions of the villains that I've ever encountered. But I don't want to give too much praise for a Nazi...

A good story, though I've read it before. The artwork was very 90s but not my least favorite of the era.

Cap and Red Skull- a match made in hell.

[Ondra Král · Rating 3 out of 5]

Příjemnej Capův příběh, klidně mohl být roztáhlej na víc sešitů. Chtě nechtě se pořád nabízí srovnání s modernějším Brubakerem.

[Kevin Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Wordwizard]

Kind of a weird storyline. Apparently nineties comics were just Like That.

[Joshua K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waid excels at spy stuff, its actually some of his most underrated areas, in my opinion. This Captain America book is some great high octane spy stuff that really lets Garney cut loose on art.

[Phillip Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good starting point

This book tells a complete story about the ‘rebirth’ of Captain America. The story starts with Captain America seemingly dead as this allows for an introduction of sorts to his background. It does a good job of setting the character and the important aspects of his character: we get the people most important in his story, we get some of his history and we get a good view of his character and how others see him. This really is a good place to start the cap story as you get the background without it being an origin story and with it being a more modern example of the medium (less wooden dialogue and some action packed frames).
Cap is one of my favourite characters and this story does him justice. It is a well written story be Mark Waid (who also has a fantastic run on my favourite character Daredevil) and the art is action packed (although some of the character models aren’t to my liking, they are a little two ‘noir-ish’ for me).
Without spoilers, the story is about what makes Captain America who he is; the people he is involved with, his past and his values. Cap has to reclaim the title of Captain America, and what it stands for. It’s good old fashioned story telling that has Cap as the patriotic, heroic protagonist he is meant to be.
In all a good story that nails a great character.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the mid 1990s, when I liked Cap but never read his book. I did know of Cap's degeneration due to a break down of the Super Soldier Serum, but never knew how he recovered. In an age where Iron Man was replaced by his teenaged self, Doom and Reed Richards were possibly brothers, and Spidey was having clone issues it was nice to see a reasonable (in the terms of the comic world at least) to see how Steve Rogers was able to come back from the edge of death. It was also nice to see some more background on Sharon Carter, especially when she has played such a vital part around and after Steve's actual death. This also set a new standard of having Steve work side by side with the man who has plagued him for decades, the Red Skull. When the Skull saves Cap in order to save the world from a foe that threatens both of them. In the second story, the ramifications of Steve's partnership with the Skull come to a head when he is forced to work in opposition of the country he deeply loves in order to clear his name of being a traitor. Waid handles these characters well and make both tales enjoyable and offer a great insight into the life of both Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this really a 4-star book? Well, to me it is, but you might not see it the way I do. However, if you had read these stories as I did when they were first published (in the dark, dark days of the mid-1990s), you too might be guilty of an unreasoning affection for them. There was so much bad stuff coming from Marvel in those days, truly awful, mediocre books, that Captain America became a kind of shining beacon to those of us still bothering to read superhero books. Mark Waid and Ron Garney were quietly doing terrific work and it was like finding an oasis in the desert. Of course Marvel quickly destroyed that oasis by firing those two creators and replacing them with Rob Liefeld.

Anyway. I know the book is kind of loud and garish at times. I get that Ron Garney was still finding his way as an artist (that first panel featuring Sharon Carter-oy vey). But I don't care. I love these stories anyway. Go take a look at some of the other stuff Marvel churned out during the era in question and see if you don't agree with me.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid, fun roller coaster ride. The first issue - the Avengers pontificating over Cap's awesomeness - was a bit much, but the rest was well paced, with solid character beats. Garney's figure drawing is sometimes funky (Sharon's hair often being awkward), but he really captures the straight-forward momentum of Cap in action well.
+++++++++++++++++++++
I pulled this one down for a reread, and it holds up pretty well. Looking back, there's a lot of "Cap punching through battalions of generic troops" and Cap really gave the Red Skull too much rope for any sort of real world logic. But it's fun, fast-moving, and packed with solid story twists. Garney's art is inconsistent, but he gets those iconic Cap shots perfect and has a good sense of movement across the page. I did enjoy the President describing holding Cap's shield as being like holding Babe Ruth's bat.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, pure popcorn super heroics. Mark Waid has always had a great grasp of the iconic characters, he understands what makes them tick, and in just 4 issues worth of story here ( originally published in Captain America 445-448) we get not only a great 'summer blockbuster movie' of a story but a look at the Cap/ Red Skull/ Sharon Carter/ Bucky dynamic.
It's fun, nice dialogue, and very dynamic art. Although I like the art, it compliments the fast moving script, it does reflect the era it comes from, the 90's. Quite a few splash pages, and ridiculous hair on Sharon Carter. Ron Garney is a talented artist though, and this was easily the better end of 90's art.

It's what comics should be, fun.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of disappointing. There are some good ideas, story-wise, but the pacing is a bit too frantic for them to properly shine. And the artwork just screams 1990's with what appears to be a strong Liefeld influence, but better drawn than that would imply. Granted, this was written before the whole decompressed storytelling thing really got going, but, really, this story needed more room to breathe than it got. I expect better from Mark Waid, but this was likely early in his career, so I suppose some allowance is in order. I really can't, in good conscience, recommend this to any but the most die-hard fans of Cap or Waid or Marvel. All have produced or inspired better work. This isn't the worst I've read, by any means, but it could have been so much better ...

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

90s art styles and I really don't get along -- I know Ron Garney is a good comic book artist but the colors and ink style not to mention everybody's muscles and hair -- made this hard to enjoy as much as I'd have liked. The storytelling choices also veer to the big and loud, and while there are a few cool issues in here, a lot of it is just over-the-top and silly. Mark Waid's super-masculine interpretation of Steve Rogers was a little hard to take seriously, too. This is is a nicely put-together collection, though, and worth reading for the mouthy, about-to-go-over-the-edge superspy Sharon Carter, who is much more interesting than she's been in recent comics.

[Terry Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid work by Mark Waid and Ron Garney at a time when Marvel Comics had truly lost their way with the company's flagship characters. At the time, this series was praised to the high heavens. In rereading it, I find it to be less than spectacular, but still quite good. If you like Cap, you'll enjoy this collection - which repairs quite a bit of editorial damage to Steve Rogers in the years before (including the infamous handoff of Cap, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four to Image.

[Kurt Rocourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the definitive Captain America stories. There are not many comics that help define who Captain America is. This is one of those books. Having to deal with the Red Skull gaining access to a power that could change the world Captain America takes on the threat head on. The twist being there is another threat greater than the one already in front of Captain America.

[Farhad Shawkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved some parts of it...a new beginning in a way for some characters (trying to keep this spoiler free). Captain America against (?) one his arch nemesis the Red Skull. But the overall storyline disappointed, despite some good work by Mark Waid. Does keep me interested though to see what happens next.

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cap has to become the reluctant ally of the Red Skull to save America from neo-Nazis in possession of the Cosmic Cube; then, it’s an international espionage when Cap is framed for treason. As someone who hasn’t read a lot of the earlier Cap comics, I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was brisk, and Waid clearly has a deep affection for the character. Aces all around.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super 90's art, but Waid is a great writer so I don't mind it too much.

This is a great story for people who know the basics of Cap mythos. I didn't realize that Sharon had "died" at some point. Skull is a real bastard.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on Captain America. The style of some of the art did not appeal to me, and some of the plotlines seemed a bit outrageous, so I gave it 4/5 rather than the full marks Cap stories usually earn from me. But I did enjoy it!

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My BIL discovered it among the comics in his basement and gave it to my son to read. Guess who got to it first?

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK, but not particularly amazing story that has Captain America and the Red Skull fighting lots of people. Its most notable element is its inclusion of iconic elements.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mark Waid plays with action figures.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[Oliver Hodson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, a completely fogettable cap story. I have almost completely forgotten it. It wasn't so bad or annoying, but just no memorable moments.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An o.k. story. The art is very 90s.