Trouble Bubbles as Red Skull's swastika surprises Israeli gum chewer

There's always something to chew on in the Israeli papers. Not always so appetizing, either. Red Skull, the Marvel comix nemesis of Captain America, has unnerved unsuspecting consumers.

According to wire reports, a young woman was incensed after she unwrapped the imported bubble gum she had purchased at the corner store and found swastikas.

An Israeli woman was astounded to find a tattoo-sticker of a Nazi soldier inside a pack of bubble gum she had bought at her local store, Maariv daily reported recently.

"A surprise awaits you," said the "Roll Bubble Gum" pack, showing a picture of a pink wrapper alongside what it said was the sticker, which showed a Nazi officer in uniform and wearing a swastika armband.

Some suggested that the sticker was of "Red Skull", which is the name of a Marvel Comics villain, who is the enemy of Captain America.

Marvel featured three Red Skull villains in its comics, the first two were Nazi agents and the third a communist.

The newspaper quoted Orna Gutman, 23, as telling its website the pack's label was in Arabic and English and stated the gum was made in China but did not name the importer.

This is quite a contrast to last summer, when one group of Reform activist teens in Jerusalem raised Jewish awareness among summer visitors with their "Bazooka Jew" bubble gum campaign, complete with trading cards.