Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #5
Published August 1941
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 68
Editing Joe Simon
Notes Some info added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.

Cover Details - "Ringmaster's Wheel of Death"

Characters Captain America; Bucky; V: the Ringmaster; images of Betty Ross, Red Skull.
Genre superhero
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Syd Shores
Notes Some info added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Captain America: The Classic Years (Marvel, 1998 series) #[nn] (June 1998); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

1 page Captain America foreword, introduction, preface, afterword "Captain America Contents "

Characters Captain America; Bucky; Villains: Captain Okada, the Ringmaster.
Synopsis Illustrated contents page listing the various features w/synopses of many stories.
Genre superhero
Pencils various
Inks various
Letters typeset
Notes Found on the inside front cover. Most info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

12 page Captain America story "The Ringmaster of Death"

Characters Captain America [Steve Roger]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]; Betty Ross; Sergeant Duffy; General Blaine [D]; Defense Commissioner Newsome [D]; Villains: The Ringmaster and his Circus [Tommy Thumb, Zandow the Strong Man, Omir the Snake Charmer, Trapeze Trio (I).
Synopsis Steve and Bucky decide to visit the circus for some fun, but its Cap and Bucky that face the Ringmaster's Wheel of Death and its purpose: to allow the villain to place America into a steel vise of terror, using vicious mobsters as his personal Gestapo!
Genre superhero
Script Joe Simon, Jack Kirby (signed)
Pencils Joe Simon; Jack Kirby (signed)
Inks Joe Simon (signed)
Notes Pencils credits from Greg Theakston. Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #5; in Captain America: The Classic Years (Marvel, 1998 series) #[nn] (June 1998); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

15 page Captain America story "The Gruesome Secret of the Dragon of Death"

Characters Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]; Sergeant Duffy; General Haywood; Commander Phillips; Marie; Villains: Captain Okada, Toshio [I, D for both].
Synopsis Captain America and Bucky investigate the disappearance of the patrol Boat "Winfield" with its crew, and discover a sinister villain responsible that has his HQ inside a monstrous sea serpent.
Genre superhero
Script Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
Pencils Joe Simon; Jack Kirby
Inks Joe Simon
Notes Pencils credits from Greg Theakston. Much info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #5; in Captain America: The Classic Years (Marvel, 1998 series) #[nn] (June 1998); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

1 page All-Winners Quarterly advertisement "Big, All New Smashing Comic Book"

Characters The Human Torch; Toro; the Black Marvel; the Sub-Mariner; Captain America; Bucky; the Angel.
Synopsis Illustrated promotional ad for the features appearing in All-Winners Quarterly #1. Sale date listed as May 10, 1941.
Genre superhero
Letters ?, most typeset
Notes Sequence and all info added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

10 page Captain America story "Killers of the Bund"

Characters Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]; the Sentinels of Liberty; Heinrich Schmidt; Bob Schmidt; Villains: the Nazis [Hans, Fritz, others].
Synopsis When a Nazi Bund beats up a man of German descent [because he won't join up], Captain America and Bucky attack the Bund camp and Cap is captured. Bucky races back to the city and enlists the aid of the Sentinels of Liberty to help rescue Cap and round up the rogues.
Genre superhero
Script Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
Pencils Joe Simon; Jack Kirby
Inks Joe Simon
Notes Pencil credits from Greg Theakston. Much info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-08.
Reprinted In Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #5; in Captain America: The Classic Years (Marvel, 1998 series) #[nn] (June 1998); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

1 page Sentinels of Liberty advertisement "Captain America Wants You"

Characters Captain America; Bucky
Synopsis Illustrated promotional ad for Cap's Sentinels of Liberty, whose goal was to have 100,000 members by July 4, 1941.
Genre superhero
Script ??
Letters ?; most typeset
Notes Sequence and all info added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

2 page Captain America text story "Captain America and the Ruby Robbers"

Characters Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]; Jerry Briggs; Mr. Briggs; V: Muggsy.
Synopsis Jerry has just attended his first meeting of the Sentinels of Liberty, but wishes someday to acutally see Captain America in the flesh. However, when his father finds out where he has been, he forbids his son to attend any more meetings because he believes that Cap is a fake. Both are in for the surprise of their life when Cap does appear.....to stop the theft of a large ruby.
Genre superhero
Script Stan Lee
Pencils Joe Simon; Jack Kirby
Inks Joe Simon
Letters typeset
Notes Much info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-08.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

6 page Captain America story "The Terror That Was Devil's Island"

Characters Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky [Bucky Barnes]; Tom Jason; V: Pepo Laroc (I)
Synopsis Steve and Bucky visit a POW at Devil's Island, but are alarmed at his physical condition and obvious fear of the prison's commandant. So, Captain America and Bucky decide to get to the bottom of the situation as only they can.
Genre superhero
Script Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
Pencils Joe Simon; Jack Kirby
Inks Joe Simon
Notes Pencils credits from Greg Theakston. The last half of page 6 is an illustrated ad for Marvel Mystery Comics #21, depicting its cover with text. Much info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Captain America: The Classic Years (Marvel, 1998 series) #[nn] (June 1998); in Essential Captain America (Marvel, 2000 series) #1 (2000); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

5 page Headline Hunter, Foreign Correspondent story Meet "Headline" Hunter -- Foreign Correspondent

Characters Headline Hunter [Jerry Hunter]; Ambassador Jordan; Mr. Billings; Mr. Crawford; V: Mr. Cooles.
Synopsis Hunter is called to the American Embassy in London to investigate the theft of the Ambassador's briefcase which contained the food contract between America and England. If it isn't recovered within 24 hours,the Nazis will learn the locations of Allied convoys and sink them.
Genre crime
Script Stan Lee (signed)
Pencils Charles Nicholas
Inks Charles Nicholas
Notes Much info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

4 page Tuk: Caveboy story "in Weird Stories From the Dark Ages"

Characters Tuk; Tanir; V: Bonzo [D].
Synopsis Tuk makes haste to save his friend Tanir from the evil clutches of Bonzo.
Genre barbarian
Script Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
Pencils Reed Crandall ?
Inks Reed Crandall ?
Notes Last appearance. The main splash MAY have art by Simon and Kirby. Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).

8 page Hurricane, Master of Speed story "The Miser and the Counterfeit Millions"

Characters Hurricane [Harry Kane]; Villains: Horace Flinthart [D], Nick.
Synopsis Hurricane sees a connection between a retired financier giving millions away to charity and the fact that the Master of Speed is getting counterfeit bills from every bank he seeks to get change from.
Genre superhero
Script Stan Lee?
Pencils Charles Nicholas
Inks Charles Nicholas
Notes Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-3-09.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America (Marvel, 2005 series) #2 (2008).