Captain Britain (1st series) #4

Issue Date: 
November 1976
Story Title: 
<BR>Hour of the Hurricane! (1st story)
Staff: 

Chris Claremont (author), Herb Trimpe & Fred Kida (artists) I. Watanabe (letterer), Marie Severin (colorist), Larry Lieber (editor)

Brief Description: 

Brian Braddock works out in the university’s gym as Captain Britain and manages to change back into Brian only a split-second before Jacko Tanner and his friends enter. Jacko mocks Brian as a wimp and Brian can barely refrain from becoming violent. Outside, he meets Courtney Ross, who invites him for breakfast. However, at that moment, the university grounds are attacked by the villain Hurricane, who lays waste to the buildings. Brian makes an excuse to leave Courtney’s side and attacks as Captain Britain. However, Hurricane’s control over the wind means Cap is outmatched, as he becomes caught in a literal hurricane controlled by the villain. As Cap sinks down unconscious, the laughing villain flies away.

Full Summary: 

Early morning over London. A private time, as a young physicist turned superhero hangs poised, fifteen feet above the floor of Thames University’s gymnasium. Brian Braddock works out in his guise as Captain Britain, relieved to get into action again, even if it is only against the odd balance beam and parallel bars. The ease with which he’s adapted to life as a superhero is frightening, considering that he has only done this for a month.

He somersaults up in the air. In mid-jump, he hears a nose from outside – someone’s about to enter and it wouldn’t do to find Captain Britain in a gym reserved for Brian Braddock. Cap touches the amulet around his neck and changes in midair. It is powerless Brian Braddock who lands gracelessly, just as Jacko Tanner and some of his friends enter.

Tanner helps Brian up but can’t resist taunting him, as he asks whether Brian intends to try out for the Olympics team. A delicate chap like him might have been hurt. Brian angrily turns away, ordering Jacko to take his hands off him. Unimpressed, Jacko keeps on mocking: Such hostility from their resident mild-mannered genius. Brian warns him to stop taunting or one of these days …
He’ll do nothing, Tanner shoots back. He’ll merely turn on his heel and walk away. Brian does just that and Tanner calls after him that his problem is that he’s as predictable as he is gutless.

Outside the gym, Brian broods about Tanner’s words. He realizes that they all must think he’s a coward because he won’t fight them, but none of them know what happened to Brian’s parents or the vow he made to them because of that.
He is broken out his pensive mood when Courtney Ross calls out to him and joins him. Grabbing his arm, she invites him for breakfast and Brian happily accepts.

The two of them start off the university grounds, blissfully unaware that this beautiful November morning is about to end. Suddenly, a costumed flying figure crashes through one of the buildings’ roofs. He announces that he is Hurricane and that he is here to destroy Captain Britain!

Debris falls from the roof and Brian utters a warning cry at Courtney. The flying Hurricane gloats at the destruction he is wreaking, courtesy of his armor and his thrusters. Next, he tries out his wrist-blasters to destroy a car. He reverses the effect to create an irresistible suction. While Hurricane causes even more destruction he keeps on ranting about he fools at the institute who called him a madman. They will mock him no more, now that he is master of the raging hurricane!

Brian leaves Courtney on the periphery of the university grounds, claiming he’s going to help people trapped in the wreckage. He ducks behind a piece of debris, touches the amulet and turns into Captain Britain. The next moment, he draws his quarterstaff and using it as a pole vault he jumps up to his foe’s level. Making a feeble joke about the weather, he kicks the surprised villain, who falls to the ground.

However, his armor caught the brunt of impact and, the next moment, Hurricane trains his wrist-blasters on Cap and fires, tossing him right into the debris. Nearby are Jacko Tanner and his cronies, wondering what Captain Britain is doing here. Trying to save their worthless hides and wondering why he’s bothering, Cap thinks caustically.

He’s diverted for only a moment, but that’s enough. The next moment, a thirty-foot high hurricane is moving into his direction, with the laughing villain standing in its vortex. Brian uses his staff as a pole again and manages to jump into the eye of the storm. But Hurricane trips him and Brian lands within the vortex after all. Moments later, Captain Britain lies on the grounds, defeated, while the laughing villain flies away.

Characters Involved: 

Brian Braddock / Captain Britain

Courtney Ross, Jacko Tanner, Jacko’s friends (Brian’s fellow students at Thames University)

Hurricane

Story Notes: 

This story was published by Marvel UK.

The 2nd story in this issue is a b&w reprint of the second half of Fantastic Four (1st series) #111, the 3rd story reprints the second half of Strange Tales #160.

Issue Information: 
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