FILE 116

Classification: Top-secret dossier

Creators: Compiled by various unidentified S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives

Users/Possessors: Sharon Carter, Regional Director Nelson

Aliases: The Monster File

First Appearance: Captain America I#208 (April, 1977)

Purpose: A collection of documents and photographs, it cataloged sightings of various freakish creatures throughout the world -- it was eventually learned that these monsters were the creations of geneticist Arnim Zola (see comments).

History:
(Captain America I#208 (fb) - BTS) - When the world experienced a rash of sightings of various menacing monsters, S.H.I.E.L.D. mobilized to locate and gather information on these creatures, and to apprehend or destroy them if possible. The organization cataloged these monsters in File 116, which Regional Director Nelson kept secured in his desk drawer.

   At some point, File 116 had to be updated with a new entry: a man-like termite as large as a horse, which Nelson referred to as a "Digger" (see comments).

(Captain America I#208) - In his office, Nelson showed two of his agents File 116 -- he was greatly concerned because with the addition of the "Digger," File 116 was only growing larger.

(Captain America I#209) - Nelson went to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter's apartment and showed her File 116, then assigned her to look into the case.

   Meanwhile, Arnim Zola was taking Captain America and Donna Maria Puentes to his castle as his "guests" -- having already encountered some of Zola's creations (e.g. Man-Fish, Doughboy), Cap realized that Zola was the source of File 116.

(Captain America I#213 (fb) - BTS) - Somewhere in the mountains of South America, a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives located and killed "Big Bird" with their weaponry.

(Captain America I#210 (fb) - BTS) - Under unrevealed circumstances, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents located another monster, and two agents lost their lives during its capture.

(Captain America I#210) - When Sharon Carter reported for duty in Nelson's office, Nelson mentioned the earlier incident that resulted in the deaths of the two agents. Nelson then gave Sharon a smaller copy of File 116 and sent her to investigate reclusive millionaire Cyrus Fenton (see comments), whom S.H.I.E.L.D. suspected of financing the creation of the monsters.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.

"Cyrus Fenton" would later be revealed to be the Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) in disguise -- the Skull had eliminated the real Fenton some time earlier.

Arnim Zola appeared to have been killed in Captain America I#212, when Donna Maria hurled an explosive chemical at him -- perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. believed him to be dead at the time, so they permanently closed File 116; however, Zola would be seen next in Super-Villain Team-Up I#17 (June, 1980).

It was never revealed just how many of Zola's creations were listed in File 116 -- the only one we know of for sure was the "Digger".
The "Digger" was never depicted -- what you see in the word-balloon in the second image of Regional Director Nelson's sub-profile is the extent of its "appearance" -- so I didn't do a sub-profile for it, but I always imagined it to look something like the Insect Man.

File 116 would seem to be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s version of the X-Files.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
File 116 has no known connections to:

Regional Director Nelson has no known connections to:

The "Digger" has no known connections to:

Regional Director Nelson

Nelson (first name unrevealed) was the director of a regional field office of S.H.I.E.L.D.; he kept File 116 secured in his desk drawer.

Captain America mysteriously disappeared, so Nelson launched an international dragnet to locate him. When two of his field agents reported that they had no success in finding any clues to locate the missing hero, Nelson angrily told them to push harder in their investigation, because they needed to get Captain America back (Cap had been abducted by agents of the Swine). Nelson then pulled out File 116 and informed the men that another monster sighting had been added to it, and they needed the more-experienced Cap to stop the spread of the monsters.

Some time afterward, Nelson went to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter's apartment and showed her File 116 -- he told her that someone was "playing Frankenstein with the world," and they had to put a stop to it. Nelson then assigned Sharon to investigate the case.

When Sharon later went to Nelson's office to report for duty, Nelson informed her that another monster had been discovered just that morning...and that he lost two good agents in its capture.

After handing Sharon a smaller version of File 116, Nelson sent her to investigate reclusive millionaire Cyrus Fenton, whom S.H.I.E.L.D. suspected of financing the creation of the monsters.

(Comment: Nelson hasn't been seen since this storyline -- considering his apparent age, maybe he retired after Arnim Zola was seemingly defeated, and File 116 was permanently closed.)

--Captain America I#207 (Captain America I#207-210

images: (without ads)
Captain America I#208, p6, pan4 (File 116, inside Nelson's desk drawer)
Captain America I#209, p7, pan3 (Sharon Carter looking through File 116; Regional Director Nelson (off-panel))
Captain America I#210, p10, pan5 (Regional Director Nelson handing Sharon Carter a smaller version of File 116)
Captain America I#208, p6, pan2 (Regional Director Nelson)
Captain America I#208, p7, pan1 (Regional Director Nelson (left), holding File 116, telling two unidentified agents about "Digger")

Appearances:
Captain America I#207 (March, 1977) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils/editor), John Verpoorten (inks), George Roussos (colors), Jim Novak (letters), Archie Goodwin (consulting editor)
Captain America I#208 (April, 1977) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils/editor), Frank Giacoia (inks), George Roussos (colors), Jim Novak (letters), Archie Goodwin (consulting editor)
Captain America I#209 (May, 1977) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils/editor), Frank Giacoia (inks), George Roussos (colors), Jim Novak (letters), Archie Goodwin (consulting editor)
Captain America I#210 (June, 1977) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils/editor), Mike Royer (inks/letters), George Roussos (colors), Archie Goodwin (consulting editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

First Posted: 03/22/2022
Last Updated: 03/22/2022

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