Captain America #133
Published and © by Marvel, January 1971
Title: “Madness in the Slums!”
Synopsis: MODOK creates a powerful, humanoid Bulldozer to tear down slums in an attempt to discredit Captain America.
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciler: Gene Colan
Inker: Dick Ayers
Review: Stan Lee’s scripts are not known for their subtlety, and this story about race, poverty and power is no exception. It’s definitely trying hard for that patina of relevance that helped define the early Bronze Age. But Lee’s stories also trade in universal truths. MODOK’s use of manipulation to radicalize and misdirect the poor’s outrage takes on a prescient resonance today. The villain is an odd choice for this story, but the character is rawer in this early appearance. And, while lacking consistency, Gene Colan and Dick Ayers’ MODOK is quite terrifying. All told, a unexpectedly strong outing.
Grade: B
Cool factor: MODOK is actually kind of cool in this one.
Not-so-cool factor: Wait. What? MODOK? Really?
Notable: Origin of MODOK. … Captain America and the Falcon become partners. … There is dispute over who inked this cover, with different sources listing Sal Buscema, Frank Giacoia or Joe Sinnott as the inker.
Character quotable: “Whenever people suffer – wherever they are downtrodden – they are ripe for exploitation! So long as slums – and poverty – and racism exist – I will have a breeding ground for my own form of evil!” – MODOK, Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing
Editor’s note: This review was written Feb. 24, 2024.
