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BERNIE ROSENTHAL

Real Name: Bernadette "Bernie" Rosenthal

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Attorney; former junior partner at Sullivan & Krakower, student, glassblower, pottery class instructor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Annie Brennan, Armand, Avengers (Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Hercules/Heracles, Mockingbird/Bobbi Morse-Barton, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Hank Pym, Starfox/Eros, Vision, Wasp/Janet Van Dyne), Sammy Bernstein, Arthur Bennett, Black Crow (Jesse Black Crow), James Buchanan Barnes, Joshua Cooper, Dave Cox, Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, Mike Farrel, Dr. Faustus (Johann Fennhoff), Diana Nicholis, Nick Fury, Anna Kapplebaum, Edwin Jarvis, Jack Monroe, Peter Parker, Paul (her roommate), Steve Rogers, Arnold Roth, Mr. Sims (Brooklyn Heights butcher), Blake Tower, USAgent (John Walker), Sam Wilson, Barry Wing

Enemies: Dead Ringer, Mother Superior (Sinthea Shmidt), Primus, Red Skull (Johann Shmidt), Sisters of Sin, Vermin (Edward Whelan), Watchdogs

Known Relatives: Sammy Bernstein (husband, divorced), Irv Rosenthal (father), Rosalie Rosenthal (mother), Jeannie Rosenthal (sister), Nancy Rosenthal (sister), David Lipschitz (cousin)

Aliases: "Bern" (nickname used by Steve Rogers, Joshua Cooper and Mike Farrel)

Base of Operations:  Santa Fe, New Mexico;
                                   formerly Madison, Wisconsin;
                                   formerly 569 Leaman Place, Brooklyn Heights, New York;
                                   formerly Long Island, New York

First Appearance: Captain America I#247 (July, 1980)

Powers/Abilities: Bernie Rosenthal possesses no known superhuman abilities. A gifted and creative artist, she successfully worked as both a glassblower and pottery teacher. In her twenties, she decided to go back to college to study law. Rosenthal turned out to have a natural aptitude for the subject. She became one of the nation's top attorneys. At heart, Rosenthal is a loyal, fun loving and independent woman who knows what and who she wants.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Auburn

History:

(Captain America I#271 (fb) - BTS) - From a young age, Bernie loved pro wrestling. She became a big fan of the regular TV matches, over the years feeling the bouts became a reminder of her happy years as a child, enjoying the sport with her father.

(Captain America I#312 (fb) - BTS) - As a child, Bernie always dreamed of being a lawyer after becoming a fan of Perry Mason reruns. She even followed several pre-law courses as an undergraduate at Cornell University where she met Mike Farrel, until she gave up on law school when the opportunity presented itself to take over a glass shop.

(Captain America I#275 (fb) - BTS) - At a relatively young age, Bernie met Sammy Bernstein. They fell hopelessly in love and got married, though they soon realized they weren't that well suited for one another. After an undisclosed amount of time, they filed for divorce.

(Captain America I#306 (fb) - BTS) - A trained glassblower, Bernie took over a store space in New York's Greenwich Village, calling it Rosenthal's Glass Menagerie, where she sold her creations.

(Captain America I#252 (fb) ) - Bernie earned a reputation as one of the most talented glassblowers in the New York metroplex.

(Captain America I#247 (fb) - BTS) - Bernie had stayed in touch with her old college friend Mike Farrel. When she learned that an apartment was available in his building, she decided to move to 569 Leaman Place in Brooklyn Heights.

(Captain America I#247) - Mike Farrel introduced Bernie to Joshua Cooper, another Leaman Place tenant.

(Captain America I#248 (fb) - BTS) - Bernie invited Mike and Joshua to dinner to celebrate her move, promising to surprise them with a special recipe for spaghetti.

(Captain America I#248) - Just before dinner was ready, Steve Rogers returned to 569 Leaman and was introduced to Bernie. The two shared an instant attraction, as Rogers decided to join them for the evening. After the meal, they chatted the night away, covering topics like Bruce Springsteen's latest work and Bernie's love for Elvis Costello. Their pleasant visit was interrupted by a news report on the radio about a strange flying object in the area (the Dragon Man, sent by Machinesmith). Steve rushed out when he spotted the Dragon Man's approach, bowling over Bernie who was dumbstruck by Rogers' behavior even though Dave and Joshua assured her this wasn't unusual for him.

(Captain America I#249) - Joshua and Bernie went to check on Mike who, as a fireman, had been rushed to put out one of the burning brownstones in the neighborhood (set ablaze during Cap's confrontation with the Dragon Man). After the fire was under control, the three friends met up. When Bernie expressed worry about Steve's safety, Joshua joked that Rogers had a one-woman fan club. Still, this started Rosenthal thinking about the special connection she already felt to this man she only met hours ago.

(Captain America I#250) - Steve and Joshua helped Bernie move the rest of her furniture and belongings. It took most of the afternoon and ended with the three of them discussing politics. They were joined by an excited Mike Farrel who held a newspaper announcing Captain America would be running for president as a third party independent (in reality, this was a shrewd ploy by the party's chairman Samuel T. Underwood). Bernie thought it would be a wonderful idea, figuring it would be great to have a president you could trust in power.

Looks at picture of Sharon and Steve

(Captain America I#251) - Bernadette surprised her new neighbor Steve Rogers one morning, finding him behind his drawing board after he just pulled an all nighter finishing an art assignement. She offered to make him breakfast, while Rogers took a shower and got himself cleaned up to go into the city and deliver the work he'd just completed. She used the opportunity to check out his apartment, noting that Steve's taste in music was more like her father's, with records of early Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey featuring prominently. She also spotted a picture of Steve with Sharon Carter. Hoping it was just his sister, she asked him about it only to realize it was his recently deceased ex-lover. Hoping to lighten the mood, she turned the subject to her cooking and her work as a glassblower before mentioning the latest supervillain prison break. Alarmed that Mr. Hyde had escaped a week after his partner the Cobra, Steve almost rushed out to look for the villains. Instead, he decided to stay with Bernie, finish his eggs, get some rest and then go to the city as planned.

Steve and Bernie going to a musical

(Captain America I#253) - Bernie agreed to go see a revival of the musical Oklahoma! with Steve, though he showed up late (he'd stopped to halt a mugger as Cap). After the show, they went home for a coffee at Steve's which allowed Bernie to probe into his eclectic, anachronistic tastes. Rogers deflected the inquiries by simply stating he was an incurable nostalgia buff. As the tone of the evening turned more romantic, Steve and Bernie were about to kiss when the phone rang. The Avengers' butler Jarvis called to inform him a coded message from lord Falsworth had arrived at Avengers Mansion. Realizing the Union Jack was in desperate need of his assistance, he told Bernie he had to leave for England immediately for personal business. When he wouldn't tell her any more details, a hurt Bernie lied and said it was alright... after all, an old boyfriend of hers was coming to town anyway. As soon as she left his apartment, she regretted this childish lie, wondering what was wrong with her to act this way.

(Captain America I#254) - With Steve Rogers away in Great Britain (to help fight Baron Blood), Bernie volunteered to help their landlady Anna Kapplebaum look after his place. When Anna openly suggested she felt Bernie and Steve would make a lovely couple, Rosenthal quickly rebuffed the notion, assuring Kapplebaum they were just good friends and besides, who could ever have a relationship with a man who suddenly drops everything to fly to England. As Bernie answered the phone, Kapplebaum couldn't help but wonder to herself if maybe a June wedding was too soon.

(Captain America I#258) - Minutes after Bernie and Steve returned to 569 Leaman Place after a romantic evening in the city, the building next to them was struck by an arsonist (the supervillain Blockbuster, hired by an investor who wanted to buy up the land and build luxury condos and hotel casinos). Not wasting a moment, Steve rushed out to help the tenants, telling Bernie to dial 911. When the firefighters arrived, Bernie spotted her friend Mike. She told him Steve was inside and Farrel, though annoyed by righteous amateurs like Rogers, promised Bernie he'd keep an eye out of for him. Bernie watched helplessly as the firemen and Captain America saved as many people as they could, though in the process Farrel's colleague Samuel Douglas died. Bernie and the other tenants of 569 Leaman Place tried to console him by having dinner together. During the course of the meal, Bernie gathered from Steve's stories that the woman in the photograph she spotted in his apartment a while back had also burned to death.

(Captain America Annual I#5) - Bernie and Steve were riding their bikes through Central Park on a sunny day. Even though Rosenthal hadn't been on one since her college days, she took to it in stride while Steve had considerably more difficulty avoiding the many pedestrians. When he overheard a news bulletin on a passerby's ghettoblaster reporting on a case he was working on, he faked a bike accident and managed to sneak away.

(Captain America I#267) - Bernie spent the evening with Steve, hoping to reignite their romantic spark after weeks of missed connections. She even tried to kiss her would-be lover, only to find he was so preoccupied he didn't even bother to kiss her back. Frustrated, she veered up and even though Steve tried to explain his mind was on "private matters" that happened earlier today (at a rally, a disgruntled youth tried to shoot him), Bernie took this as even more proof he was shutting her out. Hurt, she left his apartment.

Bernie tells Steve that she loves him

(Captain America I#268) - Hoping for a quiet evening out, Bernie took Steve to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, figuring that the movie would appeal to his nostalgia for late 1930s serials. However, after the movie Rogers still didn't quite enjoy the feature. After all, even though he was portrayed as the hero, this "Indiana" fellow committed quite a few immoral acts. Overcome by the moment, Bernie sighed and replied that being old fashioned was one of the things she loved about Rogers. When he didn't immediately reply in kind, both people endured a terrifyingly awkward silence before driving home. On the way back to Brooklyn Heights, Steve assured Bernie that he did care about her very much. Some time later that night, Bernie and Joshua were alarmed when they heard a scream from Steve's apartment (caused by the telepathic Chorus). They rushed in to check on their friend, but he turned them away, claiming he was feeling fine.

(Captain America I#269 (fb) - BTS) - Bernie turned to Anna Kapplebaum to discuss how Steve's odd behavior was affecting their fledgling relationship.

(Captain America I#269 - BTS) - Anna hosted her tenants for a lavish Saturday brunch, feeding Steve, Mike and Joshua her famous waffles. When Steve wanted to help her washing the dishes, Anna declined the offer but did ask him to stay in the kitchen to discuss Steve's troubled relationship with Bernie, because she felt close to both of them. However, Steve Rogers had very little to say about the situation, admitting he wasn't sure about the depth of his feelings for her and if those feelings were even mutual.

(Captain America I#269) - As if on cue, Bernie popped in for a visit with Anna, only to find Steve and their other friends there. Bernie and Steve had a brief heart-to-heart, with both lovers apologizing for what they perceived was wrongful behavior on their part. Steve offered to drop by Bernie's place later just to talk before an emergency once again forced him to rush off, leaving behind a thoroughly confused Rosenthal to wonder if this was what they meant by "instant karma".

(Captain America I#270) - Later that day, Steve came back to 569 Leaman Place to have that talk with Bernie. They went for a stroll on a delightful evening in March before returning home and sitting down on the steps of their brownstone to discuss their feelings. Bernie quickly took the initiative, assuring the awkward Steve that she didn't expect him to say he loved her, after all his actions proved that. However, before they could kiss Steve's childhood friend Arnold Roth suddenly showed up. Steve, shocked to see his buddy was now a potbellied, middle aged man, introduced him to Bernie, claiming Roth was actually a friend of his father's. Bernie decided to give the old friends some privacy, going up to wash her hair and reminding Steve he shouldn't let a little doubt throw away all they could possibly have.

(Captain America I#271) - On their regular date night, Bernie had Steve bring a pizza while she got ready for the scheduled All Star Wrestling show, featuring the match between Jumpin' Jack Flash and the mysterious Mister X. Bernie was shocked when during their confrontation, Flash seemingly died by X's hands. She was so distraught, she even sent Steve away, which only inspired him to look into what looked like a murder as Captain America. He was on hand to rescue Bernie a few days later from getting hit by a car. She  revealed to him that seeing Flash die made her lose all of the hope, pleasure and positive feelings she'd derive from pro wrestling as a child. After bringing Flash's killer to justice, Steve surprised his lady with an anonymous vase of flowers left at her door, an act that rekindled Bernie's faith in humanity.

(Captain America I#275) - Returning home from grocery shopping with Steve and Anna Kapplebaum, they were shocked to see a giant Nazi swastika spray painted on the doors of the local community temple Beth-Ohr. Anna took this particularly hard and went up to see Rabbi Kessler who told them a group of vandals had broken in during the night, assaulting the caretaker, toppling pews, smashing windows and stealing the torah. Hearing this, Kapplebaum became furious, reminding everyone the announced Neo-Nazi rally on Long Island was to blame for all this. Some days later, Bernie, Josh, Mike, Anna and Steve joined other anti-Nazi protesters in a rally opposing the Long Island congregation. Right before the two opposing groups met, Bernie was surprised by the presence of her ex-husband Sammy Bernstein. The others were stunned to hear of his existence and allowed the two former spouses some time to reconnect. Later, when the rally turned violent and Sammy committed acts of violence, Bernie watched how Captain America seemingly appeared out of nowhere to calm the angry mob down. When she felt his words sounded familiar, she suddenly realized that Steve Rogers was in fact Captain America.

(Captain America I#276) - After the rally, with Sammy taken away by the police, Bernie approached Captain America. When their eyes met, they both knew that Bernie knew his secret identity but she kept walking. For most of the day, Steve and Bernie tried to avoid each other, but that night they finally decided to have a heart-to-heart about their situation and the feelings they shared. However, before they could kiss a SHIELD agent in plainclothes dropped by to collect Steve claiming there was "trouble at the office". A resigned Bernie told Steve to go deal with the problem, watching him drive off.

(Captain America I#277 - BTS) - Captain America was eventually captured by Baron Zemo (Helmut) who announced his plans to destroy Steve Rogers' life. In order to do so, he had Arnim Zola's android creation Primus take on Steve's form. Primus was sent out to replace Rogers in the real world, fully aware of everyone close to the Captain because of Zemo's undercover surveillance.

(Captain America I#277) - Bernie was pleasantly surprised to see "Steve" when she came home to 569 Leaman Place, having figured he might be away for days or weeks. "Steve" assured Bernie that wild horses couldn't keep him away from her. As they shared a hug, he told her that he had big plans for them.

(Captain America I#278 - BTS) - While the real Captain America fought his way free from Zemo's Castle, rescuing his friend Arnie Roth and liberating Zola's mutate hordes in the process, Primus was courting Bernie. They went for a drive with "Steve" listening to everything Bernie had to say, making her feel like she was 17 again before they spent the night together.

(Captain America I#278) - Bernie and "Steve" were continuing their romance the next day at a diner in Brooklyn, with the android telling Rosenthal he could sense she was "a woman whose soul is as beautiful as her body, and whose words are full of intuitive wisdom". Their lovefest was broken up by the arrival of the real Captain America who ordered Primus to get his hands off Bernie or else he'd rip them off.

Bernie with Primus (Captain America I#279) - At first, Bernie had trouble believing the costumed man was actually Cap, especially when Primus claimed that this Cap was actually the shapeshifting supervillain the Chameleon. After a brief, tense struggle the superstrong android knocked Cap for a loop. When he spotted the fear in her eyes, he realized it no longer made sense to pretend he was Steve Rogers. Watching "Steve" revert to the alien looking android form caused Bernie to faint. He grabbed her limp form and, using Doughboy's powers, transformed into a makeshift airship before Captain America could grab him. Primus took Bernie to a cabin at Camp Arrowhead in Lakewood, New Jersey. There, he explained his tragic origins to her and that he and Zemo had been planning to conquer the world by replacing mankind with hybrids based on Zola's work. Primus had decided to convince Zemo of his worth by killing the Baron's greatest enemy, Captain America. Bernie wouldn't hear any of this, but soon realized the android was powerful, yet acted like a confused, emotional child. He then explained why he took her: without Zemo's guidance, he was lost and he needed someone to help him make sense of the world. He even offered to change his shape to please her, like he had done last night. Just then, Captain America (having traced them thanks to a gadget made by Iron Man) attacked the cabin. The fight went poorly for Cap, who was too busy trying to reason with Primus. In the end, he was down for the count and moments from death when Bernie jumped Primus and desperately tried to hit him. Her act stunned the emotionally immature android, who was hurt when Bernie called him an unfeeling, inhuman monster. Sobbing, he decided he needed to think on what Bernie and Cap had told him, before shifting into a rocket form and taking off. Bernie then went to check on Steve, leading to the couple sharing a loving embrace.

(Fantastic Four I#250) - Bernie and Steve were having lunch at an Italian restaurant in Manhattan, with Bernie prodding Steve about the recent revelation he was indeed Captain America. Before he could answer, Cap sensed an imminent threat and moved Bernie out of the way of a piece of concrete that came crashing through the windows. In the distance, he spotted a giant brawl going on (caused by a misunderstanding involving the Shi'ar Imperial Guard's Gladiator) and decided to go help out as Captain America. Bernie was left behind in the restaurant, thinking that as astounding as her boyfriend might be, she would be needing a lot of time to adjust to their new relationship.

(Marvel Team-Up I#128) - Bernie and Steve were visiting a local New York City street festival one night, simply enjoying each other's company and forgetting about his dual identity as much as possible. They ran into freelance photographer Peter Parker, who Steve had met when he was doing illustrations for the Daily Bugle. Steve officially introduced Bernadette to Peter and they spent some time together, having fun at the festival. However, when the maddened rodent-like villain Vermin showed up to feed on the fair food, both Peter and Steve decided it was time to intervene. Steve asked Bernie to go home and wait for him there, even though she'd hoped he would let the police handle the case for once. Watching him run off to get changed, Bernie told herself she would be waiting.

(Captain America I#281) - Bernie and Steve went to the movies to watch highlights from vintage World War II newsreels showing Captain America and Bucky in action. Bernie was thrilled by watching Cap in action, though Steve was more contemplative, since the footage reminded him of everyone he had lost in those days. Later, after Bernie had stepped in some dog poo and had to clean her shoes, they went home, unaware they were being followed by Jack Monroe (the Bucky of the 1950s). Once back at 569 Leaman Place, Bernie reflected on her attacking Primus a while ago, jokingly wondering if she shouldn't perhaps also don a costume and fight crime as "Bernie the Hebrew Wonder". When she still wasn't able to cheer him up, Bernie forced the truth out of Steve: he was worried that she might have slept with Primus when he was posing as him. Bernie denied this as she went in for a kiss. However, they were interrupted when Jack Monroe knocked on the door. Steve, unaware Monroe had been surgically altered back in the fifties to resemble the original Bucky, thought they were playing another cruel trick on him and savagely assaulted him. When Bernie managed to calm him down, Monroe was able to tell his troubled backstory. Sensing they had a lot in common, Steve officially welcomed Jack to the modern day.

(Captain America I#281 - BTS) - Steve and Jack decided to go out on a midnight patrol together, with Monroe dressed in his Bucky costume. They were intercepted by the Constrictor, who was working for Viper, who attacked them and kidnapped Cap as per his orders.

(Captain America I#282) - Bucky returned to Bernie's place, telling her of Steve's kidnapping and feeling pretty sorry for himself. Bernie, though scared out of her mind, wasn't having any of Monroe's self-pity and decided to go save her boyfriend all by herself if need be. She first went to meet with Cap's old partner Sam Wilson, in hopes of getting the Falcon involved. However, because he was running for office and one of his campaign promises was no more superheroics, he declined to help. He did put Bernie and Jack in touch with Nick Fury of SHIELD, who was well aware of the crisis and explained that Cap was being held by Viper after he had "blundered in". This angered Bernie, who reminded the SHIELD director that getting kidnapped isn't the same as "blundering in". In the end, Fury allowed Bernie to stay at SHIELD headquarters while Monroe, now dressed as the new Nomad and SHIELD agent Dum Dum Dugan mounted a rescue. Watching them go, Fury told Bernie the hardest thing to do was wait.

(Captain America I#284) - Bernie decided to throw a party for all of her and Steve's friends, including Josh Cooper, Mike Farrel, Anna Kapplebaum, Arnold Roth and even her ex-husband Sammy Bernstein. Steve and Jack Monroe showed up a little later, after having broken up a domestic squabble on the way home. During the party, Bernie introduced Steve to Josh's new girlfriend Diane and looked on disapprovingly when Rogers almost hurt Sammy when he was foolish enough to sneak up on him from behind as a surprise. The party a great success, Bernie and Steve fell into each other's arms at the end of the night once everyone had gone home and Jack Monroe was out like a light on the couch. They shared a laugh when Steve tried to imitate the dance moves from Yankee Doodle Dandy, a movie they both loved. Just as they were about to share an intimate moment, with Steve getting ready to tell Bernie he loved her too, the movie was interrupted by a newsreport about a violent hostage situation at the same address Cap and Nomad had been at earlier in the evening. Feeling obligated, Steve rushed out to deal with the situation, leaving Bernie behind with the snoring Nomad, leading her to exclaim "How's that for romance?"

(Captain America I#285) - Steve and Bernie were enjoying a quiet, romantic evening together and were about to make love when their neighbors Josh and Mike barged into the room with some pizzas. Quickly realizing their presence wasn't exactly wanted, they offered to leave but the pizza apparently smelled so good Bernie and Steve asked them to stay. Just as the four friends enjoyed the food and one another's company, Steve got a call from Edwin Jarvis, informing him he'd gotten word from the hospital that Jeffrey Mace, a former Captain America, was at death's door. Bernie, aware of what was going on, covered for Steve hastily making an excuse for why he had to run out.

(Avengers I#233) - Bernie was wondering why Steve was acting so aloof and distant, though he assured her it was "personal business". No longer content with that reply, she intended to press on but their conversation was interrupted when Cap received an Avengers priority summons. The Wasp informed him of a crisis as the Baxter Building, forcing him to leave Bernie behind while he joined his teammates to deal with the current crisis (Annihilus using a Null-Field to merge the Negative Zone with the positive matter universe to destroy both).

(Captain America I#286) - Bernie was excited to introduce Steve to her parents and sister when they would be spending the weekend with them at their house on Long Island. However, on the drive there Bernie almost crashed into a man wearing a strange costume that Steve recognized as Deathlok's. Because the incident occurred near a Brand Corporation facility, which had claimed ownership of the deadly cyborg in the past, Steve felt he had to look into this as Captain America. Despite Bernie's protests, he took off with the man who claimed to be Luther Manning, assuring Bernie he would join her at her parents' place as late as the next morning.

(Captain America I#287) - Bernie caught a lot of flack from her parents who were understandably annoyed that Rogers had bailed on her. Only willing to entertain their griping for so long, Rosenthal eventually flipped out and told her relatives she was going to bed. Her younger sister Nancy watched Bernie go and realized that she must really be in love to act this passionately.

(Captain America I#288) - Bernie waited up for Steve, right until the crack of dawn, wondering if their relationship had any future because it was proving harder and harder to love both men--Rogers and Captain America. Her musings were interrupted by her sister Nancy who urged her to get some sleep and not stay up, sitting there "like a worried momma". As they went upstairs, Nancy rhetorically stated that her sister must really be crazy about this guy. Rosenthal could only agree.

(Captain America I#289/2) - Bernie had trouble getting back to sleep because she kept worrying about Steve. When she finally managed to doze off, she had a vivid dream in which she was the United States' super soldier: Bernie America, the Sentinel of Liberty. In her dream, she experienced all sorts of adventures, from fighting Zemo to hanging out with She-Hulk and Wasp at Avengers Mansion right before the evil Mo-Skull appeared on his quest to conquer the galaxy and open a chain of Pizza Huts all across the Milky Way. After Mo-Skull's defeat, Bernie shared a passionate moment with her civilian boyfriend, the soft spoken Steve. Moments later, Bernie woke up when her sister Nancy came into her room to tell Rosenthal she had a visitor. Rushing downstairs, she was overjoyed to find it was the next morning and Steve had come after all.

(Captain America I#290) - Bernie accompanied Steve to Avengers Mansion where she watched him work through one of his regular workout routines as Captain America. Afterwards, they shared a kiss and went up to the kitchen for some refreshments. While they talked, Bernie swatted away what she thought was a bug near Steve's face, unaware she'd almost hit the Wasp. On the way home, they briefly discussed Cap's most recent time travel adventures with Deathlok and how he had single-handedly prevented the nightmarish future from coming true. Steve felt it was an awful lot of power to be responsible for the course of human history, Bernie agreed with him and admitted that this kind of talk really creeped her out.

Bernie teaches pottery (Captain America I#292) - Spending a quiet day together, Steve told Bernie of the repeated run-ins he had with a giant, black bird (a mystical manifestation courtesy of Black Crow). Bernie suggested that it might be related to his recent fight with the Scarecrow, but Steve dismissed the notion because Scarecrow's flock was normal sized. Hoping to lighten the mood, Bernie pretended to be "the awesome Rosenthal bird of Brooklyn Heights", prancing around the room like a bird, ready to pounce on Steve who acted all helpless. Just as the mood turned romantic, Jack Monroe returned home from clothes' shopping for his upcoming job interview. When it became clear he hadn't bought anything close to practical, Bernie offered to pick out something for him after her pottery class at the Greenwich Village Small Arts Center. Getting ready to leave, she left the boys with the notion that maybe it was time for her and Steve to get married so Jack could have the apartment to himself. Three weeks later, Bernie went to pick up Steve who was at Bennett Advertising discussing the latest ad campaign he was working on. Bernie invited the recently divorced Bennett for their Christmas Eve dinner party, promising she'd be making lasagne. A little while later, Bernie and Steve were walking in New York City when all of a sudden they found themselves trapped in a weird, dreamlike world in which they briefly met the Black Crow before everything returned to normal. Alarmed, they still continued their daily routine until weeks later, at Christmas, the incident seemed almost forgotten. However, during the dinner party Steve, Jack and Bernie were all drawn to the Brooklyn Bridge as part of the Black Crow's mysterious rituals. After they'd passed the ordeal, an overjoyed Bernie asked Steve to marry him. Cracking a smile, Captain America kissed his girlfriend.

(Alpha Flight I#10) - Steve and Bernie were just coming from 569 Leaman Place when they passed an unassuming man with dark hair. Steve momentarily thought he recognized him, unaware it was actually Guardian (James MacDonald Hudson), the leader of Alpha Flight.

Bernie wants to marry Steve

(Captain America I#294) - Fearing for Bernie's safety after concluding that Baron Zemo was once again on the loose and looking for him, Steve decided he couldn't marry her. When he tried to tell her why he wasn't able to keep his promise of marriage, Bernie would have nothing of it and pointed out to him that life means taking risks, which would be something a hero like Steve should be good at. Convinced that he really was doing the right thing by getting married, Steve and Bernie kissed for a while until there was a knock on the door. Bernie answered to find a delivery man who handed her a package. Excited, Bernie opened it up to find, to her horror, it contained a scowling bust of the Red Skull.

(Captain America I#295) - Bernie took Jack Monroe to the movies, but had to calm him down when he got startled by all the heavy sound effects that barraged him from all sides during the action flick. As they left the theater, he had her promise not to tell Cap about his freak-out. Bernie swore she wouldn't breathe a word, while they greeted Steve who was waiting outside for them. Briefly catching up, Rogers couldn't help but mention the Red Skull bust Bernie had received. A fired up Rosenthal declared that it meant nothing, not even Hitler's ghost would prevent her from marrying Steve. However, she did notice that her fiancé appeared tired and haggard, almost as if he was looking 5 years older (which was true, a Red Skull controlled Jack Monroe had been poisoning Cap's food to counteract the Super Soldier Serum's regenerative properties). He didn't have time to rest, though: after checking the messages on his answering machine to find a desperate call from Arnie Roth, Steve, Bernie and Jack rushed out to Roth's place to find "Arnie" (actually a robot left behind by the Skull) in his wrecked apartment, the Skull's likeness smouldering on the walls. Bernie looked in horror as "Arnie" melted into a small audio device that played a pre recorded message, inviting Captain America to meet the Red Skull before destroying itself. While Cap and Nomad went to the address mentioned in the message, Bernie returned home. Some time later, she was abducted by Mother Superior.

(Captain America I#296) - Bernie was brought to Skull House and imprisoned along with Cap's other captured allies the Falcon, Nomad and Arnie Roth. At the height of the Skull's game of tormentuous psychological warfare, she was shown to Cap to throw him for a loop. Distracted, the already severely aged Captain America was vulnerable to Mother Superior's tranquilizer dart. As he fell down, Superior, Zemo and the Skull rejoiced, because it meant their hour of vengeance was at hand.

(Captain America I#297) - While Superior, Zemo and the Skull tortured Captain America and Nomad with sophisticated illusions of World War II, Bernie, Falcon and Arnold Roth remained in the Skull House prison. There, Rosenthal tried her best to comfort Roth, who remained completely unresponsive. Falcon, concerned about Bernie's well being, wondered how she was holding up. Bernie admitted she wasn't feeling her best.

(Captain America I#298) - Bernie and Falcon welcomed back Nomad to their holding cell after the WWII simulation had failed to break Cap's spirit. Joining forces with Falcon, Nomad quickly found a way out of their prison. Bernie supported the catatonic Arnie as they escaped.

(Captain America I#299) - Following a long trek through the catacombs of Skull House, Bernie, Nomad, Arnie and Falcon reached a church. Thinking themselves safe for the moment, they were alerted by the slowly recovering Arnie who alerted them to the Sisters of Sin who immediately attacked them. Bernie tried to keep the rambling Arnie safe, who kept mumbling about how bad women were. The fight was interrupted by the arrival of Mother Superior and Baron Zemo who had been locked in a power struggle over who was more fit to be the Skull's heir. In the end, Superior used her mental powers to seemingly fry Zemo's mind.

Falcon stops Bernie from getting herself into danger because she loves Steve

(Captain America I#300) - Falcon and Nomad used the confusion following Superior's victory over Zemo to guide Bernie and Arnold to relative safety, away from Skull House. Bernie was ready to go back in and rescue Steve, but Falcon restrained her, allowing Nomad to go in on his own. Once inside, he quickly located the aged, decrepit Steve Rogers who himself had just seen the Red Skull die of old age. After helping him up, Nomad watched in awe as the now ancient Rogers carried his old enemy outside in his arms.

(Captain America I#301) - Moments after Rogers carried out the Skull, the Avengers arrived, horrified to find their charter member had aged so much. Annoyed at their reaction, Bernie urged the Avengers on to find a cure for Steve's condition. They listened to Rosenthal and took her, Nomad and Cap back to Avengers Mansion where a battery of tests was conducted to help determine the cause and the possible reversal of the Skull's aging poison. Through it all, Bernie was at Steve's side, assuring him she'd love him irregardless of his age. When the Vision had finally come up with a way to reverse the artificial aging process, Bernie watched with bathed breath and was horrified to find that Mother Superior and the Sisters of Sin had chosen that exact moment to attack Avengers Mansion. Bernie was helpless when during the procedure, the villains entered the treatment area. However, when the dust cleared she was overjoyed to find her fiancé returned to his prime while Superior and her followers had been turned into children.

(Captain America I#302) - Bernie went to see Steve at 3 in the morning, amazed to find he was still up. She filled him in on the status of Arnie Roth who was still at the sanatorium after the Skull's psychological torment. Before the meeting could turn romantic, Jack Monroe stumbled in. Happy to see his partner, Cap asked if he would join him in trying to locate the villain Machete (Ferdinand Lopez) who had eluded him earlier that evening. Bernie watched them go, hoping her fiancé would return safe and sound.

(Captain America I#303) - Bernie had waited up for Steve to return at her own place, though she'd fallen asleep on the couch. When she heard familiar noises upstairs, she rushed to see if Steve was okay. While Cap and Nomad were indeed fine, Rogers was heartbroken because he had lost his shield. Bernie tried to comfort him, but could do little to defer him from going out once again to try and get his prized possession back.

(Captain America I#305) - Worried after not hearing anything from her fiancé all day, Bernie went up to Steve's apartment to check on him. As she was knocking on the door, Rogers' roommate Jack Monroe returned home. Examing the apartment, they found a note on Steve's drawing board to inform them he'd rushed off to Great Britain, telling Bernie not to wait up.

Bernie at tht Glass Menagerie (Captain America I#306) - Bernie was working at her shop, the Glass Menagerie, when she was surprised by Arnold Roth. Recently recovered from the Skull's mental torture, he announced he was going to follow his doctor's advice to leave the city. Roth told Bernie he would be moving in with his uncle Wayne. Stunned by all this, Bernie could do little else than wish her friend all the best before seeing him off. Watching him go, she couldn't help but note he seemed ever so forlorn.

(Captain America I#307) - With Cap still in the United Kingdom, Bernie dropped by the apartment to deliver his mail. She got a little annoyed when she saw Jack Monroe lounging about and told him it was difficult to get a job if he slept away half the day. Fired up by her words, Jack went out and got a part time job at a grocery store. At the same time, Bernie got some rough news. The landlord was raising the rent on her store 300 percent, which is something she had no hope of covering. Feeling guilty about telling Jack to get a job while she herself might be out of work as well, Rosenthal decided to apologize to Monroe. However, Monroe was in no mood to talk later that night (after he'd been fired from his job after leaving to fight Madcap). Irked, Rosenthal left Monroe alone. As soon as she left, Jack decided to move out, packing up his belongings and leaving 569 Leaman.

(Captain America I#308) - Bernie went back up to Steve's place the following day to find Jack had cleared out all his clothes and personal items. She briefly wondered if their minor altercation had anything to do with this rash move on Monroe's part.

(Captain America I#309 - BTS) - Feeling the 300 percent rent increase on her store was insurmountable, Bernie decided to close the Glass Menagerie.

(Captain America I#309) - After weeks abroad, Steve Rogers returned to 569 Leaman Place late at night and couldn't resist checking if Bernie was still up. Pleased to find she was, the lovers had a joyful reunion, even though she told him about being forced to close her shop. Paying that little mind, hearing about work made Steve remember he had an ad job due last Friday and immediately phoned Arthur Bennett. Annoyed, Bennett told Rogers he had already given the assignment to another. After hanging up, Rogers noticed Monroe was gone and was all ready to go out looking for him. For once, Bernie persuaded her man to stay in and enjoy himself for a while.

(Captain America I#310) - Steve Rogers, excited about starting a new career as a comics artist, helped Bernie clearing out the final pieces from her store. Steve met Bernie's business partner Annie Brennan and her boyfriend Armand who were planning to reopen the store in Vermont on their own. Steve saw them off and then went to work drawing the sample comics pages his publisher had requested. Proud and excited, he showed his work to Bernie later that night, who was still having trouble adjusting to her new reality as an unemployed, young woman. Rogers tried to comfort his fiancée, but she wasn't having any of it, preferring instead to just be with him.

(Captain America I#311 - BTS) - Ready to turn a new leaf, Bernie decided she needed to go back to college. Because of her interest in justice, she began studying to take the law school admission tests.

(Captain America I#311) - Excited to be drawing Marvel Comics' officially licensed Captain America title, Steve kept talking while pencilling away, distracting Bernie to no end who was studying for her law school tests. She briefly joined him at the board, sharing in the irony that he was now getting paid to draw his own life. Before she could return to her studies, Steve showed her one of the letters from young children addressed to Cap he'd brought from his meeting with Marvel editor Michael Carlin. Moved by one particular letter asking for help, Bernie urged him to call and find out whether the request was genuine or not.

(Captain America I#312) - Bernie was discussing the great number of universities she'd applied to. Just then, a postman knocked on the door to deliver a signed check intended for Steve Rogers. Turned out the US military had discovered it owed Rogers well over a million in unpaid wages after he mysteriously vanished in the line of duty since the early 1940s. Not wanting to keep the money for himself, despite Bernie's reasoning that he had really earned it himself, Rosenthal assisted her lover in using the money to help set up and finance a national telephone hotline service that would allow ordinary Americans to call on Captain America for aid.

(Captain America I#313) - So nervous to find out how she did on her law school admission exam, Bernie couldn't sleep and decided to sift through the tons of messages that had come in on Cap's hotline after only a few days. She tried to sort them as best she could, but Rosenthal realized that her fiancé needed a fulltime support crew to properly handle all the incoming traffic. When she confronted Cap with her findings, he wholeheartedly agreed, admitting that he hadn't expected the sheer volume of calls. Before he could discuss the matter further, he listened in on an incoming call from New Jersey that was abruptly cut off. Suspecting foul play or even a hacker, Cap hurried to check on the source.

(Captain America I#314) - Bernie got her L.S.A.T. scores in the mail, overjoyed that she had a composite of 43, meaning she was eligible to get into any law school she wanted, provided she could afford tuition. When she told Steve, he was pleased as well, but even though she wanted to go and celebrate the news with their friends, he instead pointed out he had to be on call as Captain America, looking out for the Nighthawk of Earth-712 who was loose on this Earth. As soon as he got a lead on him, Cap left Bernie behind, more than a little disappointed.

Once again ignored by Steve because superheroics is more important (Captain America I#315) - Bernie went up to see Steve in his apartment, just as he was getting ready to go out as Captain America. Even though she desperately needed to speak with him, Rogers seemingly cared very little for her apparent distress and left before she could unburden herself. With a "sorry, sport, can it wait till I get back?" he was out the window. Bernie, visibly saddened by this, sat back and fumed quietly.

(Captain America I#316 (fb) - BTS) - Figuring she would only be able to dedicate herself to her studies away from New York and Steve Rogers' double life as Captain America, Bernie Rosenthal decided to enroll at Madison University in Wisconsin.

(Captain America I#316) - Bernie broke the bad news to Steve when they finally got together after weeks of missed connections. She lovingly, but honestly, told him of her reasons for going to Wisconsin. Before Cap had time to process all this, he was surprised by the unexpected arrival of Hawkeye and Mockingbird in plainclothes. Bernie was introduced to them as good friends, even though she suspected that they were in fact costumed heroes. The foursome went out for an impromptu night on the town. Enjoying dinner at a local restaurant, Cap spotted a paper announcing a wrestling match featuring the Armadillo, a misguided Mexican mutate he had encountered a few weeks earlier. Remembering Bernie's love for the sport, Steve arranged for her, Clint and Bobbi to go see the show. While Bernie entertained their out of town guests, Cap went backstage to check on the Armadillo.

(Captain America I#317 - BTS) - When Bernie Rosenthal decided to go back to school to study and become a lawyer, she made plans to leave 569 Leaman Place to move to the university campus. Her boyfriend Steve Rogers, not sure if he was able to cope with Bernie leaving, decided to move out as well and wrote Kapplebaum a note to give her his one month notice. Startled, she told Josh, Mike and the other tenants.

Bernie's goodbye to Steve (Captain America I#317) - Mrs. Kapplebaum said goodbye to Bernie and Steve as the moving company was clearing out her apartment. For a moment, Anna hoped their dual move meant they were going to live together at Bernie's university but she was saddened to hear this was not the case. She nevertheless wished them well, calling the two her "kinder" (German for children). Later that day, she attended Steve and Bernie's going away party thrown by Josh and Mike. She commented to Bernie's father that his daughter had been a model tenant. Later that day, Bernie threw a going away party, which was crashed by Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse. Bernie greeted her new acquaintances warmly, showing them around. Not too long afterwards, they recruited Cap's aid to help them fight the menace of the Death-Throws. By the time he got home, Steve discovered the party was not only over, Bernie's place was completely empty, only a note saying goodbye was left. In it, Bernie explained her reasons for leaving without saying goodbye. She closed with saying that she hoped they'd still feel the same for each other once she graduated.

(Captain America I#323 - BTS) - In Wisconsin, Bernie moved into an old, ramshackle mansion with five other law students. She gave herself a new look and desperately tried to forget about Cap.

(Captain America I#327 (fb) - BTS) - In spite of herself, Bernie started clipping newspaper articles on Captain America's exploits, keeping them in what she called her secret stash.

(Captain America I#323) - Bernie read a newspaper story about Cap allegedly killing someone, making her wonder if it might be true. Before she could wonder about it too long, her roommate Paul dropped in to ask if she wanted to go over the material for the upcoming criminal law test. Figuring it was an excellent way to get her mind off Steve Rogers, she agreed.

(Captain America I#327) - In the Midwest to investigate the continued threat of the Buckies who were harassing foreigners (bankrolled by the Super Patriot/Jack Daniels), Steve Rogers decided to pay Bernie a visit. She welcomed Steve to her Wisconsin home, introduced him to Paul and her other roommates before catching up in private. Right after she showed him her secret stash, Paul came in to tell them there had been another firebombing on campus. He wondered if they wanted to go and check it out, but Bernie (correctly expecting Captain America wanted to get involved) made an excuse for Steve to stay behind. Catching up later at Bernie's dorm, Steve told her about his recent dealing with the Super Patriot and his connection to the Buckies. When Bernie mentioned the Super Patriot would be appearing at a nearby, massive concert called Americaid later that week, Rogers decided they needed to go there and check things out. He arranged for tickets through his hotline and took Bernie who stayed in the crowd while Rogers went backstage as Captain America to confront the Super Patriot. They fought for an hour, a confrontation that left Steve thoroughly demoralized because he felt the Patriot was better than him in every way. Afterwards, Bernie tried to cheer him up, while thinking to herself that with him so down and out, this wasn't a good time to tell him she wanted to break off their engagement.

(Captain America I#332 - BTS) - Desperate to talk to someone after the government gave him 24 hours to either work for them or abandon his Captain America identity, Steve decided to give Bernie a call. The phone was answered by her roommate Paul, who informed him she was in class at the moment. Steve didn't leave a message.

(Captain America I#336 (fb) ) - Some time after handing in his costume and shield to the presidential Commission on Superhuman Activities, Steve visited Bernie Rosenthal at her Wisconsin dorm to discuss what had happened. He showed her the court order forbidding him to ever wear a costume with the colors red, white and blue as well as calling himself "Captain America". Eager to put her knowledge of the law to practice, Bernie spurred Steve on to fight this out in court. However, Rogers didn't want to oppose the president, fearing it would give people yet another reason to distrust the government. Understanding but annoyed, Bernie had Steve swear he would still fight this as hard as he could because if he gave up and took this lying down, she'd lose all faith in Captain America. Rogers promised her he would fight, as soon as he'd figured out how.

(Captain America I#355 - BTS) - When her youngest sister Nancy ran away from home and went missing after a fight with her parents, Bernie got so desperate she contacted Steve at Avengers Mansion to see if he could help out. Even though he reminded Rosenthal this wasn't his usual area of expertise, he promised to look into the case. 

(Captain America I#357) - After battling Mother Superior and the Sisters of Sin as a teenager only to find Nancy wasn't with them, Steve called Bernie to give her an update. Slightly embarrassed, Bernie replied that it was okay, Nancy wasn't really missing after all. She'd just decided to go with her boyfriend to follow the Grateful Dead on tour and had forgotten to tell anyone.

(Captain America I#380 (fb) - BTS) - Bernie graduated from law school suma cum laude, with a specialization in criminal law. Even though she'd been dating Paul for a while, she decided to break it off, leave Wisconsin and return to New York to be closer to her family. When she returned to 569 Leaman Place, her old landlady Anna Kapplebaum was so thrilled to see Bernie again, she decided to host a welcome home party in her honor. Anna, ever the matchmaker, decided to invite Steve Rogers too.

(Captain America I#380) - Steve was dumbstruck when he arrived at the party and discovered the guest of honor was Bernie. Sensing the old lovers needed time to catch up, Kapplebaum arranged for them to go for a walk. What followed was an awkward, though polite conversation on what happened in their lives since last they met. Rogers was glad to hear that Bernie planned to help put criminals in jail, even though she still had to pass the bar in New York. When it came to romance, Cap couldn't bring himself to tell Bernie he'd been seeing the semi-reformed supervillain Diamondback.

(Captain America I#382) - Bernie was catching up with her old friend Mike Farrel, revealing that seeing Steve again caused her old feelings for him to flare up again. Next to getting a job at a law firm, she was determined to win him back. All Farrel could offer in the way of advice was telling her not to wait for Steve to make the first move. When Bernie went into the kitchen to help clean up, she noticed a memo in Mike's handwriting, reminding him to be "at the dog pond at 8". Unaware he was getting a dog, Bernie asked him about it only to see Farrel hastily making up an excuse about going with a friend (in reality, Farrel had joined the ultra militant Watchdogs organization)

(Captain America I#385) - Bernie went to see Cap at Avengers Headquarters for a surprise visit, when she was with Steve in his new, spartan living quarters she couldn't help but notice a picture of a woman on his desk (Rachel Leighton, Diamondback). Undaunted, she offered to take Steve furniture shopping to help him decorate his new place. When he tried to politely decline, she simply told him she'd do all the shopping herself. A little while later, she met with Mike Farrel, who was having serious doubts about joining the Watchdogs but couldn't tell anyone. Sensing her friend was in distress, especially when a shady character suddenly showed up and told her to leave so he and Mike could discuss business, Bernie decided to inform Cap. Through a complicated turn of events, both Captain America and Bernie ended up at a Watchdogs raid. Rosenthal was taken hostage, allowing the vigilantes to get away from the angry Avenger. Meanwhile, Mike figured Bernie had betrayed him when he saw all the police cars surrounding the scene of the crime.

Bernie captured by Watchdogs (Captain America I#386) - Bernie was taken to the Watchdogs' Lodge and presented to their leader, Top Dog. At first, he planned to simply let her go because the organization wasn't out to hurt innocent people like her, but when he heard she was friends with wayward member Mike Farrel, Bernie was taken in "protective custody". There, she remained until Captain America and his unwanted ally USAgent (John Walker, formerly Jack Daniels aka Super Patriot) showed up to defeat the Watchdogs and free Bernie and the other prisoners. To everyone's surprise, a remorseful Mike Farrel showed up, told Cap he was a member of the Watchdogs and wished to be arrested to pay for his crimes.

(Captain America I#427 (fb) - BTS) - Bernie got a job as a junior partner at the New York law firm of Sullivan & Krakower.

(Captain America I#393) - Bernie visited Avengers Headquarters because she had something important to tell Cap. However, because Steve was meeting with Rachel Leighton in the back, Jarvis told a little white lie and insisted Cap was in a meeting and couldn't possibly be disturbed. Slightly irked, Rosenthal left, but not before informing the butler he really should tell Cap to call his old girlfriend as soon as possible.

Bernie meets Steve's new gf Rachel (Captain America I#394) - Bernie returned to Avengers Headquarters, but even though Jarvis offered Cap to tell her he was once again unavailable, Steve decided to meet her. Excited to see him, Bernie immediately shared her news: she'd gotten a job at one of the best law firms in New York. Cap's mood noticeably changed the minute Bernie asked when they were going out to celebrate. As if on cue, Rachel Leighton showed up, embarrassing Cap to the point of merely introducing her as his "executive secretary", while saying Bernie was an "old friend". A chilly Bernie told him to leave out the "old" part while shaking Leighton's hand. Cap was seemingly unaware of the immediate dislike the women had for each other, though Bernie rushed out as fast as she possibly could.

(Captain America I#395) - Bernie called Steve at Avengers Headquarters to set up that lunch date to celebrate her new job. Steve finally came clean and told her he was involved with someone else. Correctly guessing it was his "executive secretary" she met the other day, Bernie joked that she must be really jealous if he wasn't allowed to have lunch with an old friend. Rosenthal even suggested Steve would bring her along if that made him feel better. Dodging the matter, Steve told Bernie he'd get back to her.

(Captain America I#404) - Bernie Rosenthal, hoping to find Captain America home, decided to visit Avengers Headquarters at 8.00 in the morning on a Saturday. She found Donna Maria Puentes behind the reception desk, who had already checked her identity as a visitor with level 4 clearance. She informed Bernie that Cap wasn't in, according to the status board he was "on a mission". Just then, Jarvis and the brain-addled D-Man came into the lobby, on their way out for a walk. Bernie decided to join them for a stroll through Central Park.

(Captain America I#405) - Bernie and Jarvis had just gotten D-Man to the park when the Avengers' butler suddenly realized he was due back for a stockroom inventory. Bernie offered to stay with D-Man to finish his walk, promising to have him home before dinner. As Rosenthal carried on a rather one-sided conversation with the unresponsive former pro-wrestler, a thug stole her purse. With D-Man no help, Bernie ran after the crook herself.  By the time she got back, without her purse, D-Man had wandered off as well. Entertaining the slight hope the might have found his way back to Avengers Headquarters, Bernie called the Avengers, only for Donna Maria Puentes to tell her D-Man hadn't been in.

Bernie loses D-Man (Captain America I#406) - Bernie continued her search for the missing Dennis Dunphy, questioning everyone from hot dog vendors to police officers if they'd seen the slow moving, red headed giant of a man. No one had spotted him, which made Rosenthal feel terrible about herself.

(Captain America I#427 (fb) ) - Bernie's former husband Sammy Bernstein was desperate to reconnect with Rosenthal, feeling they were made for each other. Bernie wasn't interested, but Bernstein turned out to be persistent.

(Captain America I#426) - When Bernie learned that Captain America was moving back to Brooklyn Heights, setting up shop in the old costume store, she decided to drop by and see him. Steve wasn't in, but Bernie met with Rachel Leighton. After the two awkwardly recalled their initial meeting, Bernie handed Rachel her business card. Realizing Rosenthal was an attorney, Leighton wondered if she could ask her a few questions about criminal law. Bernie willingly agreed, after all any friend of Steve's is one of hers.

(Captain America I#427) - Bernie met with Rachel Leighton in her office at Sullivan & Krakow to discuss Leighton's alleged legal problem. She was amazed when Leighton revealed she was worried she might have killed Snapdragon during a fight, leaving her behind face down in three feet of water. After hearing her story, Rosenthal suggested they could go for a plea of temporary insanity, though she'd have to look into the criminal law of Boca Caliente, the island nation where the fight occurred. Before she could agree whether or not to take Rachel Leighton's case, Sammy burst in, demanding to know why she kept avoiding him. Furious at being interrupted while with a client, Bernie once again told him it would never work out, even threatening to call security if he didn't leave. As he left, Bernstein warned her that she was making a big, big mistake and that he'd be in touch. When Sammy was gone, Leighton told Bernie to call on her services should he remain a problem.

(Captain America I#431) - Still wracked with guilt over having caused Snapdragon's death, Rachel went to see Bernie to find out if she'd made any progress. Rosenthal informed her that Boca Caliente's justice system is entirely different from the United States. Should Rachel return there, chances are she'd be executed on the spot or possibly even used by the A.I.M. controlled authorities to use against Captain America. As long as there weren't any charges filed against her in the US, Bernie advised Leighton to let the matter rest. When Leighton admitted to Rosenthal that the guilt was consuming her, Bernie not so subtly told Rachel she needed a therapist more than a lawyer.

(Captain America I#438 (fb) - BTS) - Worried about Mike Farrel, Bernie hired a private investigator to find her old friend. When he did, she decided to visit the address he gave her all by herself. She was promptly kidnapped by the Super Patriot (Farrel in disguise) and his new ally, the mutant Dead-Ringer.

(Captain America I#439) - Waiting for Cap to rescue her (he was tracking her via a concealed radio), Bernie kept Mike and Dead-Ringer talking as long as she could, though she was thoroughly disgusted when she learned he kept a collection of severed fingers in order to get his powers to work. Rosenthal attempted to sow some seeds of discord between the two allies in crime, hoping to get her old friend Mike to side with her. When it became clear Captain America's arrival was imminent, Bernie stayed out of the way as Dead-Ringer assumed the form of the murderous Death-Stalker, planning to kill Captain America and take over his form permanently. Farrel couldn't allow that and grabbed Dead-Ringer, completely forgetting that as Death-Stalker, his touch was lethal. Using the confusion to strike a decisive blow against  his enemy, Cap ended the fight. Bernie was with Mike in his final moments, begging her forgiveness for making such a mess of things. Instead, Rosenthal assured him he'd saved her life.

(Captain America I#443) - With only 24 hours left to live, Captain America visited as many of his old friends as possible. He looked in on Bernie who was in court, arguing a case. Watching her made Steve wonder if he had anything to do with steering a glassblower to pursue a career in law or if she would have done so anyway. As he flew off, he made a mental note to call her that night, if he had the chance.

Spreading Mike Farrel's ashes (Captain America I#600/3 (fb) - BTS) - Bernie eventually moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico where she bought a gorgeous, native house that she decorated herself. She kept in touch with Steve's exploits as Captain America on occasion.

(Captain America I#600/3 (fb) ) - Following the "Civil War" in the superhero community, that ended with Captain America surrendering to the authorities, Bernie felt she had to be there. She travelled to New York and was part of the crowd that witnessed Captain America getting shot to death just as he was being led out of the court house.

(Captain America I#600/3) - Some time after Cap's death, Bernie welcomed Joshua Cooper to her home in Santa Fe. The two old friends reminisced about their days together at 569 Leaman Place, how Bernie became Cap's girlfriend and no one even knew. They also discussed Mike Farrel and his strange, sad ending, with Bernie revealing to Cooper that an autopsy had revealed Mike was suffering from a brain tumor that could have caused his uncharacteristic behavior. Preferring to only remember their dear friend for all the good he did, Joshua and Bernie drove out to the New Mexico desert at night to spread Farrel's ashes and say goodbye to their beloved comrade.

Bernie defending James Barnes (Captain America I#612) - Bernie Rosenthal was asked by Steve Rogers to help defend Bucky Barnes, the new Captain America, when he was put on trial for his crimes during his time as the Winter Soldier. Rosenthal outlined a legal strategy, insisting that whatever they did, Barnes himself shouldn't take the stand. If he was forced to go into details of the atrocities he had committed, the case was already lost. What they needed, according to Bernie, was to control the media's take on the case and make the public want Barnes released and back in action again. In private, Rosenthal told Steve he should be realistic: the only way they were going to have a shot was to convince the jury Bucky was mind controlled as the Winter Soldier and even that would only get them to reasonable doubt. Still, she promised to do her best while Steve insured her he was making sure they got the world's premiere expert on mind control to testify (at the same time, Falcon was "recruiting" the criminal psychologist Dr. Faustus). Later that night, she went on cable news outlet BNN's popular talkshow Barry Wing Live to discuss the Bucky Barnes case. She insisted that Barnes is an original American hero who, if nothing else, was a victim of the circumstances.

(Captain America I#613) - Bernie and Steve Rogers met with Dr. Faustus in her office. He was willing to act as a witness for defense, provided it would lead to a full presidential pardon. Rogers managed to secure Faustus' cooperation by promising to declassify SHIELD intel that proved Faustus was crucial in preventing the Red Skull from killing the United States president, an act that was sure to guarantee him some leniency. On the day of the trial of James Buchanan Barnes, Bernie was confronted by a proverbial bomshell: district attorney Blake Tower introduced a new piece of evidence: a three month old video interview with Sin, daughter of the Red Skull, who claimed that the Winter Soldier was never mind controlled at all. He had willingly served the Skull, all the Russians did was change his allegiance. Later that day, back in her office, Bernie and Steve discussed Sin's claims. While Rogers was sure the word of a deranged woman wouldn't hold up in court, Bernie wasn't so sure. She insisted that Steve had SHIELD locate Sin before she could make matters even worse.

(Captain America I#614) - Bernie continued her defense of Barnes, easily dismissing and discrediting most of Tower's key witnesses like Alexander Lukin's Russian operatives. She was even able to parlay Norman Osborn's shocking claims that SHIELD director Steve Rogers had destroyed all the evidence of Barnes' crimes by wondering just how many times Osborn had been diagnosed as suffering from delusions. She even brought out Dr. Faustus who, with great success, testified on behalf of Barnes. Moments later, one of Sin's operatives who had been sitting in the audience, pulled out a gun and opened fire. Barnes and Rogers easily overpowered the man who claimed he was carrying another video message from Sin. The judge summoned Bernie, Rogers, Buchanan and Towers in his quarters where they watched the message. To their amazement and shock, they watched Sin show them the captured Falcon and Black Widow strapped to a bomb somewhere in New York. The judge couldn't allow Barnes to go out and help Rogers, who promised he could find and free their friends on his own.

(Captain America I#615) - After saving Black Widow and Falcon from Sin's explosives stashed in the head of the Statue of Liberty, everyone went back to court so Bernie Rosenthal could continue her case. In the end, she was overjoyed to hear the judge's ruling: James Barnes was sentenced to twenty years, but the judge commuted to time served, meaning he was free to go. However, seconds later Rosenthal got another shock when Russian ambassador Arkady Jadnoski served Barnes extradition orders: the Winter Soldier had already been convicted in absentia of crimes against the state.

Comments: Created by Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks).

It's interesting to see Bernie's development over the years, going from Cap's girlfriend to an independent woman, switching from blowing glass to becoming a lawyer. But while DeMatteis made her a fixture of the book, Mark Gruenwald wasted little time getting her out of the book. Bernie returned during Gruenwald's later years on the book but was treated as a one note character often disappearing for months. she appeared somewhat aimless. One wonders how things might have turned out if her creators Stern and Byrne had continued on Captain America for a bit longer. Stern did get a chance to write Bernie in Captain America I#600 in which he did a more than admirable job recapping her history with Cap and her friends from the Brooklyn Heights years.

Bernie Rosenthal received profiles in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#14 and Captain America: America's Avenger#1.

Thanks to Loki for the improved main image. Thanks to David A. Zuckerman for correcting a typo.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Bernie Rosenthal should not be confused with


Rosenthal family

The Rosenthals

Bernie was excited to introduce Steve Rogers to her parents and sisters. She made arrangements to stay with her folks on Long Island over the weekend. The Rosenthals were excited to meet Bernie's new beau. Her mother Rosalie had been cooking for two days and even Bernie's sibling Jeannie had cleaned her room. However, Bernie eventually showed up without Steve (he was forced to go on a mission as Captain America). Irv and Rosalie were visibly disappointed and even joked when a firetruck passed by with its sirens blazing that it must be Bernadette's boyfriend arriving at last. Fed up and emotionally hurt, Bernie ran off, while her sister Nancy noted that if she reacted this emotional she must really love the guy. A few hours later, right around dawn, Nancy spotted Bernie sitting in the living room, waiting for Steve to arrive. She told her to get some rest and not stay up worrying about a man like a momma. In the morning, when Steve had arrived at the Rosenthals, Nancy came to Bernie's room to wake her up. Months later, Nancy had a falling out with her parents and went with her boyfriend to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. However, because she forgot to tell anyone, Bernie and the rest of her family thought she was missing. Bernie even contacted Captain America to look for her.

-- Captain America I#287 (Captain America I#287, 288 (Nancy), 289 (Nancy), 355 (Nancy, BTS)


images: (without ads)
Captain America: America's Avenger#1 p47, pan1 (main image)
Captain America I#251, p11, pans5-6 (spots Sharon Carter and hopes she's a sisters)
Captain America I#253, p7, pans2&3 (sees Oklahoma! with Steve Rogers)
Captain America I#268, p5, pans3,4,5,6 (tells Steve Rogers she loves him)
Captain America I#279, p10, pans2&3 (romanced by Primus)
Captain America I#289, p16, pan5 (dreams she's 'Bernie America')
Captain America I#292, p5, pans3&4 (teaches parttime pottery and wants to get fulltime married )
Captain America I#294, p16, pan4 (really wants to marry Steve Rogers)
Captain America I#300, p16, pan6 (truly loves Steve)
Captain America I#306, p5, pans1&2 (in her glass store)
Captain America I#315, p9, pans6,7,8 (ignored by Cap once again)
Captain America I#317, p6, pan2 (and Steve Rogers say goodbye)
Captain America I#386, p3, pans2&3 (kidnapped by the Watchdogs)
Captain America I#394, p12, pans4&5 (meets Rachel Leighton)
Captain America I#406, p8, pan4 (blames herself for chasing off D-Man)
Captain America I#600, p55, pan1 (and Josh Cooper spread Mike Farrel's ashes)
Captain America I#612, p18, pans6&7 (defending Bucky on Barry Wing Live)
Captain America I#287, p11, pan2 (The Rosenthals)


Appearances:
Captain America I#247 (July, 1980) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#248 (August, 1980) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#249 (September, 1980) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#250 (October, 1980) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#251 (November, 1980) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#252 (December, 1980) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#253 (January, 1981) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#254 (February, 1981) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#258 (June, 1981) - Chris Claremont & David Michelinie (writers), Mike Zeck (pencils & inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America Annual I#5 (October, 1981) - David Michelinie (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dave Simons (inks), David Anthony Kraft (editor)
Captain America I#267 (March, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#268 (April, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#269 (May, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#270 (June, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty & co (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#271 (July, 1982) - David Anthony Kraft (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils), John Beatty & co (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#275 (November, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#276 (December, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Fantastic Four I#250 (January, 1983) - John Byrne (writer, pencils, inks), Jim Salicrup & Tom DeFalco (editors)
Captain America I#277 (January, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)

Captain America I#278 (February, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#279 (March, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Marvel Team Up I#128 (April, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Kerry Gammill (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Captain America I#281 (May, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#282 (June, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers I#233 (July, 1984) - Roger Stern & John Byrne (writers), John Byrne (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#284 (August, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Kim DeMulder (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#285 (September, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Kim DeMulder (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#286 (October, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#287 (November, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#288 (December, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#289 (January, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#290 (February, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Steve Leialoha (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#292 (April, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Ed Baretto (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Alpha Flight I#10 (May, 1984) - John Byrne (writer, pencils, inks), Dennis O'Neil & Linda Grant (editors)
Captain America I#294 (June, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#295 (July, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Brett Breeding (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#296 (August, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Sam DeLarosa (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#297 (September, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Roy Richardson (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#298 (October, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Roy Richardson (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#299 (November, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Roy Richardson (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#300 (December, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#301 (January, 1985) - Michael Carlin (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#303 (March, 1985) - Michael Carlin (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#305 (May, 1985) - Michael Carlin (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#306 (June, 1985) - Michael Carlin (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#307 (July, 1985) - Michael Carlin (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#308 (August, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#309 (September, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#310 (October, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#311 (November, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#312 (December, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#313 (January, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#314 (February, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#315 (March, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#316 (April, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Mike Carlin (editor)
Captain America I#323 (November, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#327 (March, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#332 (August, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Tom Morgan (pencils), Bob McLeod (inks), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#336 (December, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Tom Morgan (pencils), Dave Hunt (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#355 (July, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rich Buckler (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#357 (September, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Al Milgrom (pencils & inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#380 (December, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#382 (February, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#385 (May, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#386 (June, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (ink), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#393 (October, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Larry Alexander (pencils), Bud LaRosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#394 (November, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (pencils), Bud LaRosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#395 (December, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (pencils), Bud LaRosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#404 (Early August, 1992)  - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Blevins & Larry Alexander (pencils), Danny Bulanadi & Ray Kryssing (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#405 (Late August, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (pencils), Steve Alexandrov (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

Captain America I#406 (Early September, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (pencils), Bud LaRosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#426 (April, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Captain America I#427 (May, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Captain America I#431 (September, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Captain America I#438 (April, 1995) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi & Scott Koblish (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#439 (May, 1995) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi & Scott Koblish (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#443 (September, 1995) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#600 (August, 2009) - Roger Stern (writer), Kalman Andrasofszky (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America I#612 (January, 2011) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America I#613 (February, 2011) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Butch Guice, Stefano Gaudiano & Rick Magyar (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America I#614 (March, 2011) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Butch Guice, Stefano Gaudiano, Mark Morales, Tom Palmer & Rick Magyar (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America I#615 (April, 2011) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Butch Guice, Stefano Gaudiano & Rick Magyar (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)


First Posted: 08/09/2015
Last updated: 08/03/2015


Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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