Captain America #325

Name: Captain America #325
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Jan 1987 · Marvel · 0.75 USD; 0.40 GBP; 0.95 CAD

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“Slugfest”

★ 1st appearance — Vagabond

About this Issue

Captain America #325 serves as the double debut issue of two characters who would go on to matter significantly within Mark Gruenwald's decade-long run: Ulysses X. Lugman — the Slug, Miami's morbidly obese drug-trade kingpin — makes his first full appearance here, and Priscilla Lyons, who would later take on the Vagabond identity, is introduced for the first time as well. The issue also functions as an early, pointed examination of a moral fault line that runs through the entire Gruenwald era: Nomad's drift toward lethal vigilantism forces Captain America to confront what distinguishes a hero from an avenger, anticipating the deeper ideological reckoning that culminates in the 'Captain America No More' arc beginning in issue #332. Published as the Copper Age's anti-drug consciousness was sharpening in mainstream popular culture, the story's Miami drug-lord setting grounds the superhero genre in street-level consequence rather than cosmic spectacle. The Slug in particular would prove durable enough to appear across nearly five decades of Marvel comics and eventually reach the screen in the 2025 Disney+ series Ironheart.

In "Slugfest," Captain America teams up with his former sidekick Nomad to take down the ruthless Florida crimelord the Slug—but as the fight escalates, Steve Rogers is forced to confront a troubling shift in Nomad's methods. Written by Gruenwald and illustrated by Neary, with inks by John Beatty and colors by Ken Feduniewicz, this 1987 issue captures a pivotal moment in Cap’s moral journey, all framed by Mike Zeck’s dynamic cover and Beatty’s sharp inks.

writer Gruenwald · artist Neary · inker John Beatty · colorist Ken Feduniewicz · letterer Albers · cover Mike Zeck, John Beatty

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NM $6 FN $9.98 FN · Newsstand $12.98 "CAPTAIN AMERICA" Issue # 325 (January1987, Marvel Comics) f. NOMAD $2.99 Captain America 1980s Comics (Marvel) You Pick Combined Shipping Volume Discount $4.25 1986 Captain America January 325 comic in great condition $60

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History

The issue was the nineteenth issue of Captain America written by Mark Gruenwald, who had taken over the title in 1985 and was building toward what fans and critics would come to regard as one of the defining long-game runs in the character's history. Interior art was handled by penciler Paul Neary and inker John Beatty, while the cover — depicting the confrontation with the Slug — was penciled by Mike Zeck and inked by Beatty, a pairing that had defined the book's visual identity during the preceding J.M. DeMatteis era and remained a trusted house style for key covers. Don Daley edited the issue (and, in a bit of Bronze/Copper Age self-referential fun, also appears as a named character in the story itself), with David Wohl as assistant editor; the issue shipped with a January 1987 cover date at a cover price of 75 cents. Gruenwald's stated inspiration for the Slug's extreme physiology was a real-world article he encountered in People magazine, which convinced him the concept was plausible rather than farcical.

Trivia · 8 facts

First full appearance of the Slug (Ulysses X. Lugman), Miami's drug-lord crime boss and long-running Marvel villain, co-created by writer Mark Gruenwald and penciler Paul Neary.
First appearance of Priscilla Lyons, who would later adopt the costumed identity of Vagabond beginning in Captain America #342.
Story title is 'Slugfest'; written by Mark Gruenwald, with interior art by Paul Neary (pencils) and John Beatty (inks), and a cover by Mike Zeck (pencils) and John Beatty (inks).
The issue was edited by Don Daley, who also appears as a named in-story character — one of Gruenwald's recurring meta touches during his run.
The central conflict pits Captain America's code against lethal force against Nomad's increasingly violent methods, a tension that seeds the 'Captain America No More' saga that begins with issue #332.
The Slug is established as the Kingpin's Miami drug-trade connection, positioning him within the wider Marvel organized-crime ecosystem from his very first appearance.
The issue has been collected in the Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 13: Justice Is Served, the Mark Gruenwald Omnibus Vol. 1 (2024), and was also reprinted in the Spanish Marvel Héroes series (Panini España, 2018).
The Slug was adapted for live-action in the 2025 Disney+ series Ironheart, portrayed by Shea Couleé, making this issue the source comic for an MCU character introduction.