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History

Not much is known about the past history of the man known as the Silk Stocking Strangler, who terrorized the San Francisco area in 1946. His first name was Frank and he was a writer who took pride in his sophisticated lyrical composition. He was dating a young woman who was a cabaret singer. When she developed the song "Let Me Be Your Sweetheart" her popularity soared, much to the chagrin of Frank who hated it for its simplicity. One night after a performance, Frank snapped during an argument and strangled his girl to death with her own silk stockings. Having gone completely insane from the experience, Frank went on a nightly murder spree, strangling women along San Francisco's waterfront, especially those who might be caught singing "Let Me Be Your Sweetheart".

After months of killing, Frank was dubbed the "Silk Stocking Strangler" by the media and frustrated police who could not capture him. After a few months of terror, the authorities called in Captain America and Bucky to help with the investigation. They first encountered the Strangler one foggy night on the Golden Gate Bridge while he was attacking a couple. The two heroes failed to stop the Strangler from killing the girl and escaping in the thick fog. Soon a police drag net was expanded along the waterfront which was briefly frustrated by a group of crooks who used the Strangler hysteria to throw off police investigations into their crimes, however they were quickly apprehended when Captain America deduced that they were impostors.

By this time, the police have rounded up three men along the waterfront, of them the actual Strangler. Seeking to flush the killer out, Captain America had the suspects all interviewed by the chief of police, with a pair of stockings on his desk to try and unnerve them. When Frank did not vocally react to the stockings, Captain America noted that he could not keep his eyes off them and was also whistling "Let Me Be Your Sweetheart". Correctly deducing that Frank was the Strangler, Cap and Bucky followed him back to his apartment. There, they got the aid of his neighbour to lure him out to attack by singing "Let Me Be Your Sweetheart". When the Strangler attack, Captain America and Bucky stopped him from killing the girl and chased him up onto the roof of the building. As the Strangler attempted to flee the scene he stumbled off the roof and suffered a fatal fall.[1]

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The Strangler used a pair of women's silk stockings to strangle his victims.

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