What If? #5

WHAT IF #5 WHAT IF CAPTAIN AMERICA HAD NOT DISAPPEARED IN WORLD WAR 2 ****

Turning Point : Captain America landed a solid hold on the rocket, and instead of falling into the freezing waters, disabled the bomb saving both him and Bucky.

Results :

We see as Captain America helps American soldiers ( including Sgt. Fury and his howling Commandos ) end the war. The watcher takes us through the fifties in flashback style, where we end up 10 years later in the middle of the 60’s.

LBJ invites him to the White House and offers him a job. There is a new terrorist organization called Hydra, and the government is creating a counter organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. . It is LBJs idea to have Captain America be the head of it.

Instead of taking the Job Cap Suggests Bucky Barnes be given the Job, since he fought along Cap without the benefiet of the super soldier serum.

Bucky does take the job, but quickly learns that it is he, not the aging Steve Rogers that should be wearing the costume of Captain America. He does, and Steve takes over as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. . Unfortunately Bucky does not fare so well when he faces Baron Zemo, and both Steve Rogers, and Sharon blames him for taking his childhood away and training him as a soldier.

So far this is the best of the What If books. What does it is the combination of creative paneling and pacing with the art, and a story that allows the characters to retain the depth they have in their regular series. I think ultimately the story peters out. It is a regular size story spread out to What Ifs double size format. It could have been shorter and tighter, but in the end, it was quite entertaining. Good times are to be had from this issue.