Captain America: Sam Wilson 7 third, fourth & fifth stories

[Leoparis]

This is the 75th anniversary issue.
The first and second stories occur in regular continuity and do not require any particular analysis.

Third story "Presentation" by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
Synopsis: Public relations people brief Captain America on their new concept the Amerigun as they think a shield reads as "weak." Cap disagrees and tells them to "get him a shield". A flashback shows Cap and US army troops in Coignières in winter (snow) against nazi troops and his triangular shield getting destroyed.

Cap appears with his triangular shield and early mask/helmet (from CAC 1, leaving the neck uncovered). But the military action in France in Coignières (Parisian basin) with US army troops would place this after D-Day and shortly before the Liberation of Paris (Aug 44), which makes the snow impossible. The early look of Cap, the absence of Bucky and the PR people's concern with the shield would tend to place this in early 1941. Cap's request for a shield could be what led to giving him his round shield (in June per CA 255).

I think the author's intention is the transition from triangular to round shield so I'm going to place the story in that period. Maybe the action took place somewhere else, like during the invasion of Greece by Germany in April '41 or a commando action in France. Both are surprising as the US is not at war this early in 1941.

CAPTAIN AMERICA/STEVE ROGERS
M/S-H3 3 (20:3 - 20:5)-FB-FB "March 12, 1941"
CA 255 (16)-FB undated, attempted theft of bomb-sight in aircraft plant
TOS2-FB undated, crossing path with Emil Stein, early mask
**CASW 7/3-FB add here
**CASW 7/3 add here
CACORPS 1 "April [23] 1941" triangular shield, earlier mask

Fourth story "Catch Me if You Can" by Tim Sale
Synopsis: Cap (classic costume, belt with pouches) recovers an item from his youth from his Steve Rogers' army trunk in a Hydra base: a baseball signed by Babe Ruth. After recovering the item he escapes in a boat.
flashback: Steve's mother (looking very tired) calls Steve to give him a gift his father wanted him to have.

The flashback takes place after his father died, maybe Steve's next birthday.

I have no obvious idea where to place the present part (a time when Hydra keeps Steve Rogers' army trunk, after he revealed his identity in TOS 95?, also a time when Steve Rogers lives in his own apartment rather than in Avengers mansion). The baseball signed by Babe Ruth was in Cap's footlocker and shown destroyed in Avengers 277. I need to find if he ever lived in an apartment similar to the one shown. Failing this the footlocker's content is restored and returned to Rogers in Thunderbolts 105. And Rogers is seen burning memorabilia in CA7 11.

The silent story homages Steranko's silent sequence in NFAOS 1 and one wonders if the Hydra base is Hydra island from Strange Tales. If so, Rogers leaving his army trunk there would preclude the trunk being later in Avengers mansion since the island was sealed to prevent the spread of a deadly virus.

Or it could take place a bit later, closer to Steranko's run on Cap after his identity had been revealed in TOS 95. In which case, there should be a defeat of Hydra that would lead to Rogers recovering the locker for Avengers: Under Siege. (We do have two major Hydra defeats between CA 110-113 and A 275-277, one in DD 123 & another in CA 148.) Recovering his army trunk fits well with Captain America's actions in CA 113 to get his secret identity back. And he was sharing memories in CA 109.

Third possibility, it takes place after Thunderbolts 105 (and probably before burning memorabilia in CA7 11).

Given Tim Sale's inclination to revisit classic Silver Age series (as shown in the color series with Jeph Loeb), I go with Steranko's issues.

CAPTAIN AMERICA/STEVE ROGERS
CA7 1-FB (1926)
CA7 2-FB (1926) (grandfather & mother)
M/HOL 1994/2-FB (grandfather)
CA 282-FB (father)
CA 283-FB (father)
CA&FAL 13-FB (mother)
CA6 19 (7)-FB (after father died)
CA7 3-FB (1930) (after father died)
**CASW 7/4-FB (gets souvenir his deceased dad wanted him to have for birthday) add here
CA7 4-FB (1933)
M/S-H3 3 (3)-FB
CA3 27-FB
M/PROJECT 4 (6:5)-FB
...
A:EMH2 8
**CASW 7/4 add here
CA 110 (1 - 8:4)

ROGERS, SARAH
CA7 2-FB
CA 283-FB
CA&FAL 13-FB
CA6 19-FB
**CASW 7/4-FB add here
CA7 4-FB
M/PROJECT 4 (7:1)-FB

Fifth story "Pas de deux" by Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins
Synopsis: Captain America and Black Widow both undercover stop a Latverian assassination team from killing a defecting ballet dancer. Fury bts sends a team to pick up the assassins.

It's the first time Steve goes to ballet. "Fury" could be either senior or junior.

Since this is a spy mission, during the first Secret Avengers series would be logical. Cap & Widow team up in CA&BW 636-640 (Nov 2012-Feb 2013) and then in Avengers Assemble. Nick Fury joins SHIELD in Battle Scars 6 Jun 2012 and appears with Hill in SCRS2 5 (July 2012).
Fury leads in Secret Avengers vol 2 Apr 2013-Apr 2014 but Rogers is not involved in Vol 2.

CAPTAIN AMERICA/STEVE ROGERS
CA&BW 640 (18:6 - 20)
*CASW 7/5 add
AASS2 1-FB

BLACK WIDOW/NATASHA ROMANOFF
CA&BW 640
*CASW 7/5 add
AASS2 1-FB

FURY, NICK JR./"MARCUS JOHNSON"
BSCARS 6
M/NPO
SCRS2 5
*CASW 7/5-BTS add
HAWK4 5