Captain America Comics #5
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeCaptain America Comics #5 holds a dual landmark status in Timely Comics history: it marks the first appearance of Fritz Tiboldt, the Ringmaster of Death, a Nazi-circus-master villain whose son Maynard would later become the Silver Age Ringmaster of the Circus of Crime, making this the origin point of one of Marvel's most durable villain lineages. The issue also contains what many sources have long cited as Stan Lee's first full sequential comic book script — the 'Headline Hunter: Foreign Correspondent' strip — cementing the issue's place in the biography of the man who would eventually reshape the entire company into Marvel Comics. Beyond those milestones, the 'Dragon of Death' story sends Cap and Bucky into the Pacific to face a Japanese antagonist for the first time in the series, reflecting the increasingly global scope of Timely's wartime storytelling just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Collectively, these threads make issue #5 one of the most creatively loaded entries in the entire Golden Age Captain America run.
In "The Ringmaster of Death," young Jerry’s growing admiration for Captain America is tested when his father bans him from the Sentinels of Liberty, convinced the hero is a fraud. But the moment the truth is revealed—when Captain America himself appears to thwart a daring robbery of a massive ruby—their disbelief turns to awe. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s dynamic art, this 1941 classic captures the spirit of wartime heroism with a touch of personal wonder, all wrapped in a striking cover by Jack Kirby and Syd Shores.
In "The Ringmaster of Death," Steve and Bucky trade their usual patrols for a night at the circus—only to find themselves trapped in a deadly game orchestrated by a villain who turns the big top into a stage for terror. With the Ringmaster’s Wheel of Death spinning and mobsters at his command, the duo must outwit a scheme designed to crush America’s spirit.
In "The Gruesome Secret of the Dragon of Death," Captain America and Bucky dive into a chilling mystery when the patrol boat Winfield vanishes without a trace. What they uncover beneath the waves is a nightmare: a villain hiding within the belly of a colossal sea serpent, plotting something far deadlier than mere piracy.
In "Killers of the Bund," Captain America and Bucky take on a Nazi-aligned group targeting a man of German descent, only for Cap to be captured during the confrontation. With time running out, Bucky races back to the city to rally the Sentinels of Liberty in a daring rescue mission.
In "The Terror That Was Devil's Island," Steve and Bucky uncover a chilling mystery while visiting a prisoner on the infamous island, where the man's haunted eyes and trembling fear point to something far worse than imprisonment. With the commandant's presence looming, the duo springs into action, determined to expose the truth behind the terror gripping the prison.
In "Meet 'Headline' Hunter -- Foreign Correspondent," Jo Hunter, a sharp-eyed reporter with a knack for uncovering secrets, is summoned to the American Embassy in London to track down a stolen briefcase—its contents a vital food contract between America and England. With just 24 hours to recover it before Nazi spies learn the locations of Allied convoys, Jo races through the war-torn city, using wit and courage to stay one step ahead.
In "The Miser and the Counterfeit Millions," Captain America investigates a puzzling pattern: a reclusive financier donating vast sums to charity while the Master of Speed keeps encountering identical counterfeit bills at every bank he visits. The mystery deepens as the hero connects the philanthropist’s sudden generosity to the strange currency flooding the city.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 19 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $4.99–$20 2 listings
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
Published under the Timely Comics banner, the issue carries a cover date of August 1941 and was released to newsstands in May 1941, written and drawn primarily by the Joe Simon and Jack Kirby studio that had launched the series just a few months earlier. A teenage Stan Lee — already contributing text-story filler to the title — graduated to full sequential scripts here with the five-page 'Headline Hunter' backup, penciled and inked by an artist credited in some records as Charles Nicholas and in the careful scholarly reconstruction by historian Michael J. Vassallo as likely Harry Fisk. The cover itself carried pencils by Kirby with inks by Syd Shores, while Al Avison also contributed inking work to interior stories. Simon served as both editor and co-writer throughout this period, keeping the book on a relentless monthly schedule.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Fritz Tiboldt, the Ringmaster of Death — a Nazi circus master who uses his 'Wheel of Death' to target U.S. military officials near Camp Lehigh; he is the father of the more familiar Silver Age Ringmaster, Maynard Tiboldt, who debuted in Incredible Hulk #3 (1962).
- First appearance of Headline Hunter (Jerry Hunter), a globe-trotting foreign correspondent created and scripted by Stan Lee — his debut as a full sequential comics scriptwriter, in a five-page story drawn by Charles Nicholas (or possibly Harry Fisk, per Golden Age art scholar Michael J. Vassallo).
- First time Captain America faces a Japanese antagonist, in the 'Gruesome Secret of the Dragon of Death' story set in the Pacific near Honolulu, where a disguised submarine poses as a sea serpent.
- The issue reveals a previously unestablished detail about Captain America's costume: the wing ornaments on his mask are sharpened steel and can be used as weapons.
- Final appearance of Tuk the Caveboy, a prehistoric backup feature that had been running in the series.
- Written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (lead stories), with cover art penciled by Kirby and inked by Syd Shores; Al Avison also contributed inks on interior stories.
- The lead 'Ringmaster of Death' story was first reprinted — with some art alterations to satisfy Comics Code Authority restrictions — in Fantasy Masterpieces #5 (October 1966); multiple later collected editions followed, including Captain America: The Classic Years (1990 and 1998), Essential Captain America Vol. 1 (2000), Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America Vol. 2 (2008), the Golden Age Captain America Omnibus (2014), and Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Simon & Kirby Omnibus (2019).
- The issue also features a 'Killers of the Bund' story in which Bucky rallies the Sentinels of Liberty fan club to rescue a captured Captain America from a domestic Nazi Bund operation, illustrating Timely's ongoing use of the comic as propaganda against real-world fascist organizing on American soil.
Cast · 21 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces #5 (1966), Captain America: The Classic Years #1 (1990), Captain America: The Classic Years #1 (1998), Essential Captain America #1 (2000), Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America #2 (2008), Golden Age Captain America Omnibus #1 (2014), Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Simon & Kirby Omnibus #[nn] (2019), Marvel Origins #10 (2023)
Key issues in Captain America Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.