Captain America (1) #139-142 (1971)
Writer: Stan Lee(#139-141) Gary Friedrich #142)
Penciler: John Romita
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Letterer: Artie Simek

Captain America is asked to go undercover to investigate strange disappearances in the NYC police department. Working the beat as a rookie street cop, Rogers uncovers a plot by the Grey Gargoyle to try out a new stone formula that requires Element X. Soon Captain America and his partner Falcon team up with S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop the Gargoyle from stealing the world's supply of Element X from a its mountain fortress facility.

• Continuity Notes
• Fury cover appearance on #141 with Sharon Carter (in stone!)
• Appearance by Dum Dum and Sharon Carter.
• Sharon Carter is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s psyche squad and has a PHD in metaphysical psychology(!)
• The helicarrier (the original) is destroyed. A second is ready at story's end.
• Plan D refers to the helicarrier's self destruct sequence. Its life capsules detach from the hull of the ship and unite to form a ring before landing.
• Captain America's bike somehow survives the explosion and is picked up by Cap in issue #161
• Reprinted in Essential Captain America 3

Review
Silly Silver Age fun with the full Captain America cast, including Fury, Dugan and rather woeful Sharon Carter. Fury does nothing more then cameo for the first few issues, but he soon rounds out the cast and joins the action as the setting switches to the Element X facility. Some great shots of the helicarrier, here called the 'heli-cruiser', including its evacuation in light of a self destruct order. The dialogue has some real groaners, including Cap's "Don't go feminine on me, honey" and everyone going batty over Fury's order to go to "Plan D". Well worth a read, although the helicarrier's demise is rather undramatic.

Rating