Captain Britain #6

Week Ending Nov 17, 1976
Cover Price: 10 pence

Characters: Captain Britain / Brian Braddock, Hurricane, various Heathrow airport personnel and pilots

Content Note: violence at an airport and involving fuel, mention of 9/11 in my commentary, deathtrap involving a jet

The cover is concerning and (spoilers) a good teaser of what’s going to happen.

Yeah, this is set at Heathrow airport. I expect it would go down very differently these days.

They did casually mention last issue that Hurricane’s base was at Heathrow, which I kinda skipped over, and didn’t realize that Heathrow isn’t, like, a neighborhood as well (I’m a Yank, cut me some slack). This time they’re clearer that the hideout is “on the fringe of Heathrow/London Airport”. And as one would expect from last issue’s cliffhanger, we jump straight to them fighting.

I feel like this being next to an airport deserves more attention from the get-go, but that may due to the changes caused by, well, today’s anniversary (9/11/2001, the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City). We’re not going to get into that, but the airport security theater that resulted seems relevant.

We do have a nice bit of nonsense technology in the background of the first and third panel.

As Cap is blown out of the warehouse, he thinks that Hurricane’s power is like nothing he’s felt. Which, uh, really? You’ve already fought him before and he just about destroyed the university.

We get an aerial shot that gives us an idea of the distance between the “North Field Factories” and the airport itself, plus some references to things, I’m assuming at least partially, happened in other Marvel comics.

I guess having your base at an airport would cover a lot of weird noises? But I’d really expect them to vet who they rent to. Anyway, the cover happens and naturally the airport is now concerned. Cap is also concerned – Hurricane’s armor is invincible, but Cap is faster and more agile. He’s hoping to wear him down. He manages to get a hit to Hurricane’s backpack, which makes both Hurricane and his windblasts go wild.

Hurricane says it’s a momentary advantage, but thinks that he “must work fast – heat factors are already rising out of control.” Brian has figured out that the backpack is his weakness, but gets caught by surprised and blown around, dropping his quarterstaff.

And… he got blown onto an active runway, with a plane coming right at him to take off. Hurricane uses his suction blasts to pull the aircraft, under full power, down at Cap. Who decides, instead of, say, running to the side, to run underneath it.

Why do people always do things like that? You can turn a whole lot faster than the vehicle chasing you can. Run to the side! But I digress…

It works, but now Hurricane flies over him and uses his suction trick to pull all the air out from around Cap. Which I’m not sure would work as described? More air would just come fill the void?

Hurricane admits that Cap came close to winning as Heathrow’s fire brigade and security forces come to take care of the plane. Hurricane blasts them away and kidnaps Captain Britain. Dude may be a little obsessed with him at this point, or maybe it’s just that Cap’s name is on the cover.

We get a NASTY cliffhanger deathtrap. Holy Shades of Batman!

Wow.

The problem with these weekly issues is that each story is short (7 pages). These had Fantastic Four and Nick Fury stories on top of these. That’s a lot of action for just 10 pence!

Credits: writer: Chris Claremont, artists: Herb Trimpe & Fred Kida, letterer: I. Watanabe, colorist: Marie Severin, editor: Larry Lieber. Cover credits (via the GCD): pencils: Ron Wilson, inks: Frank Giacola, letterer: Irving Watanabe

I will go back and add icons to this and the previous issue! I liveblogged issues 5-7 on Discord and want to get them up here before the thread gets buried.

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