This is a feature called "A Political World," where we spotlight 20th Century comic book stories that came out back when comic books were not political at all, unlike comic books nowadays.

Today, based on a suggestion from reader Xavier G., we take a look at Captain America #130 (by Gene Colan, Stan Lee and Dick Ayers), where Captain America speaks out against the establishment.

In general, up until this point, the political comics that I've spotlighted have been a bit more...well....coherent. This one is a bit more all over the place, as Stan Lee even opens up the issue noting that Gene Colan went pretty much free form for this issue and Lee then tried to plug it together, so the themes are a bit all over the place.

However, the main scene is so well-handled that I figured it was still worth spotlighting.

Cap is just traveling the country when he is told that he is not allowed into a certain town. He wants to find out what's going on...

He discovers that it is a college protest, with the dean having barricaded himself in his office and the students trying to get to him...

Cap fears it will get violent, so he helps the dean escape...

He is then offered a chance to make a national TV appearance later that night. It is all part of a plan by a new villain, called the Hood, who wants to turn the country against itself, but Captain America refuses to play along....

So the Hood sends over a bunch of seriously fairly random super villains to attack Cap and Cap kicks their collective ass...

In the next issue, we discover that the Hood is secretly Baron Strucker!

So it was all some Nazi plot to mess with American free speech.

Fascinating stuff.

Thanks for the suggestion, Xavier!

Okay, folks, I'm sure you have suggestions for good political storylines from the "good old days when comic books weren't political," so drop me suggestions at brianc@cbr.com!