William Burnside (Marvel)

William Burnside is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

William Burnside

In 1941, he was 11 years old when he first saw Captain America appearing on the news and saw the man as an inspiration. (Captain America v1 #155)

By 1952, he graduated Summa Cum Laude in American history where he had done a thesis on Captain America. (Captain America v1 #155)

In late 1953, when the United States government summoned Captain America, Bucky showed 'Steve Rogers' the newspaper summons and, donning his costume, 'Rogers' admitted he was already preparing for a trip to Washington. Soon traveling to the atomic testing grounds at Frenchman's Flats in the Nevada desert, Captain America and Bucky witnessed a test of the USA's new Atomic Cannon, and Captain America informed that they had traveled there to protect the Cannon. The military colonel then introduced Captain America and Bucky to Jim Slade, the only weapons manufacturer who could produce the Atomic Cannon's firing pin. As Slade departed for Las Vegas to visit his girl, Captain America recognized a photo of Slade's girl as Lupa Lupoff, a notorious Communist spy, and he rushed off to Las Vegas with Bucky to stop Lupoff and her husband Arnold. Unaware that the Lupoffs had ordered their agents to stop Captain America's interference at all costs out of fear of their boss, the Executioner, Captain America and Bucky investigated Slade and when Bucky discovered Slade being poisoned, he jumped atop the car that the sickened Slade had been put into. Noticing Bucky's actions, Captain America jumped down to confront the agents inside the car. The agents immediately attacked Captain America, who easily dispatched the agents and interrogated one into revealing that the Lupoffs were taking Slade to Frenchman's Flats to get the secrets of the Atomic Cannon's firing pin. Cap then prepared to rush back to Frenchman's Flats before an A-bomb test could commence, but some of the Lupoffs' agents caught Cap in a dynamite blast. Nonetheless making his way to Frenchman's Flats, Cap arrived just in time to save Bucky from the Lupoffs. Revealing herself to be the Executioner, Lupa Lupoff murdered her husband Arnold for failing to stop Captain America before turning her gun on herself for also failing. Bucky then exclaimed that he had been told Captain America was dead, but Cap explained that his shield had taken the brunt of the dynamite blast. Jim Slade then sadly looked at Lupa's corpse, bemoaning that he had loved her, unaware that she was the Executioner, and Captain America reminded Slade that the important thing is that Slade had kept his mouth shut about America's secrets and thereby helped keep the country safe. He then suggested they all leave the scene before the A-bomb test occurred and, once at a safe distance, Cap, Bucky and Slade watched the bomb test with Cap commenting that the bomb was a glorious sight as long as it was on the USA's side in the struggle for world peace. (Young Men v1 #25)

Overview

Personality and attributes

He came to be known as the Captain America of the 1950's. (Captain America v1 #155)

He claimed that like all Americans that he worshipped Captain America. Burnside had worshipped the hero and joined his fan club where he read every word printed by him. (Captain America v1 #155)

Notes

• The character was created by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema where he made his first appearance in Captain America v1 #153 (September, 1972).
• He was then reinvented as a villain by Roger McKenzie and Jim Shooter where he took the identity of the Grand Director in Captain America v1 #232 (April, 1979).
• The characters true identity as William Burnside was revealed in Captain America #602.

Appearances

• Captain America v1: (1972)
• Young Men v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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