Captain America #385
Captain America #385 holds a meaningful place in Mark Gruenwald's long-running stewardship of the title as the issue in which Diamondback, Asp, and Black Mamba formally band together as B.A.D. Girls, Inc. — a mercenary trio whose formation grew directly out of years of Serpent Society continuity and Diamondback's romantic arc with Steve Rogers. The backup story 'Loose Ends' is the founding moment for that team, giving three long-established supporting characters an independent identity outside the Society that would carry forward through the Superia Stratagem and into Civil War-era Marvel. The lead story meanwhile bridges Cap's post-'Streets of Poison' recovery into fresh Watchdogs conflict, using Bernie Rosenthal's reappearance to sharpen the emotional tension between Steve's past and his present relationship with Rachel Leighton.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was written by Mark Gruenwald, whose continuous tenure on Captain America stretched well over a hundred issues and was defined by dense, interlocking Marvel Universe continuity. The lead story — 'Going to the Dogs,' Part 1 of 2 — was penciled by Ron Lim with inks by Danny Bulanadi, while the backup 'Loose Ends' featured breakdowns by Mark Bagley finished by Dan Panosian; Ralph Macchio served as editor. The issue lands at the tail end of the 'Streets of Poison' arc's immediate aftermath, functioning as a transitional chapter that seeds both the returning Watchdogs subplot and the Serpent Society fallout that would escalate into the Superia storyline beginning in issue #387.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Contains two stories: lead story 'Going to the Dogs' Part 1 of 2 (script: Mark Gruenwald; pencils: Ron Lim; inks: Danny Bulanadi) and backup 'Loose Ends' (script: Mark Gruenwald; art: Mark Bagley breakdowns / Dan Panosian finishes).
- The backup story 'Loose Ends' is the formation issue of B.A.D. Girls, Inc. — Diamondback (Rachel Leighton), Asp (Cleo Nefertiti), and Black Mamba (Tanya Sealy) formally establish their mercenary partnership after escaping Serpent Society retribution.
- The lead story reintroduces the right-wing extremist Watchdogs (who previously appeared in Captain America #350) and brings back Bernie Rosenthal, Cap's former girlfriend, as a plot catalyst when she is taken hostage.
- Rage and Sandman (Flint Marko) appear in cameo roles in the lead story; Anaconda and Rock Python make cameo appearances in the backup.
- The backup story's conflict is driven by remaining Serpent Society members — including King Cobra (Klaus Voorhees) and Puff Adder — retaliating against the departing trio, setting the stage for the Superia Stratagem arc beginning in #387.
- The issue was reprinted in Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 16: Streets of Poison (2015), which collected Captain America (1968) #372–386 and Annuals #9–10.
- An Australian price variant of the issue also exists, with the same interior content.
Cast · 22 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The Watchdogs are on a crusade against what they consider low moral material. One of them is Bernie's old pal, Mike.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).