In 1964's Avengers #4, wherever Cap goes, people get all weepy to see him returned to them. Even though the Avengers didn't seem to recognize Captain America, the rest of the world seems to have never gotten over his loss. Which brings us to an interesting point. Was Cap ever actually missing??
See, the thing is, Captain America first appeared in comics in 1940, punching Hitler in the face! Which is pretty bold, considering we wouldn't enter WWII for another year.
That's for Poland and France!
The good Captain continued to be a big seller throughout the War, and then, after 1945 sales began to decline.
An attempt was made to bring back the comic in 1953 as "Captain America: Commie Smasher" but the book folded by 1954. Maybe the McCarthy Hearings made Cap seem more paranoid than timely?
So, when The Avengers find Cap in 1964, and he was MIA since 1945, somehow everyone overlooked the fact that Cap and Bucky were alive and well as late as 1954.
I'd like to wish a happy Veteran's Day to all our service-men and -women who HAVEN'T been frozen in a block of ice for the last 20 years! Your sacrifice is appreciated.
This was all addressed by Steve Englehart when he took over the book in '72. He told about the second Cap and Bucky who the Americans created in the '50's to fight in the Cold War, since the true Cap was missing.
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