Avengers #43

"Color Him... The Red Guardian!"

Words:

Roy Thomas

Pencils:

John Buscema

Inks:

George Roussos

Colors:

Stan Goldberg

Letters:

Artie Simek

this is an interesting issue, which of course has been retconned all sorts of different ways.   a Red Guardian appeared in WWII in the pages of "The Sub-mariner" Annual #1, which of course was after Steve Rogers was frozen.  this Guardian has a belt buckle he can use like Cap's shield, though it's not very good for blocking bullets at all, I'd think.

anyway, Quicksilver learns to "fly", Cap earns Hercules respect and Hawkeye finds out the Black Widow is in China.  he and Hercules head out, and get captured.  Hercules is fighting the Hydra in the psychotron, while Natasha and Hawkeye meet the Red Guardian, Natasha's thought to be dead husband.  of course, Hawk doesn't get that information right away, so there's some drama there.

the rest of the Avengers find Hawkeye's video taped message and ignoring his advice, they head off to China to rescue him.

nice little set up story, and we all know readers wanted to see Cap take on the Red Guardian. 

next: "The Valiant Also Die"