Marvel 1975.10 - Captain America #190

Captain America and the Falcon #190

Title: Nightshade is deadlier the second time around!

Writer: Tony Isabella

Artist: Frank Robbins

Villain: Deadly Nightshade

Guests: Val de Fontaine

Deadly Nightshade is in control of every male agent, including Eric Koenig, who stood up against her last issue. She explains that the Yellow Claw turned men into werewolves for her to play with in Captain America #164, but she's always had the power to control men and give them illusions. In the case of Captain America and the Falcon she can give them illusions, but she can't control them. Cap guesses that he can't be controlled because of his super serum, and the Falcon can't be controlled because of this psychic connection with Redwing. Whatever the reason, Captain America and Redwing now have to battle against all of SHIELD.

They also have to fight against this cheesy looking robotic gunslinger, the Wild Bill Robot. I'd completely forgotten about him, but I followed the editorial note and checked Strange Tales #142.

Jack Kirby! That says it all. He liked drawing crazy robots. There we see Wild Bill going crazy on the splash page, shooting everyone in sight. That was nine years ago. Obviously he's been refined since then and only fires at his required targets. (Am I referring to a robot as "he"? Sorry, folks).

Val de Fontaine (or to give her full name, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine) escapes from the SHIELD operatives defending her. She reads Nightshade's file and suspects that bright light is her weakness. She broadcasts a message telling Cap and the Falcon to run into the solarium. SHIELD has one of those? Maybe Nick Fury needs an occasional tan. Cap and the Falcon run into the solarium, followed by the SHIELD agents. When the bright lights shine on them, Nightshade's mind control is broken, and she surrenders.

Will she be punished as a juvenile? She's only 18.

An electric blast that the Falcon received in the fight has had an effect on him. He realises that he's two people in the same body. One is Sam Wilson, the law-abiding social worker who fights as the Falcon. The other is Snap Wilson, a ruthless career criminal. He sees himself facing a life sentence in prison.