Tales of Suspense #78
In "Crescendo!", Captain America is in the midst of training when Nick Fury arrives with urgent intel on the shadowy organization THEM. A mysterious flying craft descends on Avengers Mansion, unleashing an android assault that tests the hero’s limits. As Captain America fights back, a hidden lab reveals a chilling sight: a hydroponic garden of androids under remote surveillance. With Fury insisting this is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s domain, the two barely hold the line—only for Fury to hand Captain America a Priority A-1 badge, hinting at future collaboration. Written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with art by Kirby and inks by Frank Giacoia, the cover by Kirby and Giacoia captures the tension of the moment in bold, dynamic lines.
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While Captain America is training, Nick Fury turns up looking for info on the secret organization THEM. A flying craft lands outside Avengers Mansion, and an android attacks. In a lab, members of THEM observe by remote camera while watching over a battalion of androids growing in a hydroponic garden. Captain America and Fury barely manage to stop the android. Fury tells Captain America it's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job and to stay out of it. But he gives Captain America a S.H.I.E.L.D. Priority A-1 badge to make getting in touch easier in the future.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).