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I don't mean to argue, but I do not remember it that way.  I came in on the tail end of the fantastic Steve Engehart/Sal Buscema run on CAPTAIN AMERICA and I was very sad when Sal then Steve left the series.  (And Englehart did not leave on a high note, instead just opening up a can of worms with the whole "Snap" Wilson thing and leaving others to deal with it--a very misguided "everything you know is wrong" debacle that took decades to fix.)  And then for the next year, we had no less than four writers doing my least favorite work of their careers.  Frank Robbins did most of the art in that time, which (after falling in love with Sal Buscema's clean lines and storytelling) I did not care for.  But, if you missed him, Robbins immediately moved over to drawing Cap regularly in INVADERS--which I DID love!  (Go figure.)

Either way, CAPTAIN AMERICA was a big mess by the time Jack Kirby came in as writer/artist for the next two years and saved it--and gave us probably my favorite of all his solo work...just in time for the Bicentennial!  (It was a bit of a mess after Kirby left too.  Thank goodness Sal Buscema eventually came back, especially when he was finally joined by writer Roger McKenzie.)

One instance in which Kirby's lack of interest in the external Marvel universe continuity worked really well was his handling of the Falcon.  As you noted, Englehart introduced the extremely ill-conceived Snap Wilson backstory for the Falcon.  In his short run that followed, Tony Isabella felt like he had to acknowledge it.  But when Kirby took over, he just... ignored it. Ignored it completely.  He wrote the Falcon as though he was the same guy he'd been before the Snap Wilson retcon, and he never mentioned that retcon. 

I usually like Steve Englehart very much, but this was such a misstep.  I have often wondered, if he had stayed on the title, if he had a better plan for resolving that whole thing.

This might have been the first major "Everything you know is wrong" storyline, which has been done to death in recent years--an amateurish, disruptive, hollow, lazy way to write.  I hate this approach, but I suppose the first one or two probably astounded people.  I also hate big crossovers, and Englehart did the first big one with the "Avengers/Defenders War"--again, people probably loved the first one.

MARVEL PREMIERE #26 by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta

A reunion of THOR artists Kirby and Colletta on their version of the Greek God.

CHAMPIONS #6 by Jack Kirby & Frank Giacoia

Another Hercules-centric cover, with Kirby revisiting old friends Angel and Iceman too.  His first Black Widow?

Before Steve Ditko brought in Dr. Strange, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced their own Marvel mystic master DR. DROOM...who did not take off.  At some point, he was reintroduced as "Dr. Druid" and his "edited" early adventures were reprinted in this reprint anthology series, with new covers...two of them by Kirby himself.

WEIRD WONDER TALES #19 by Jack Kirby & John Verpoorten

Very powerful and dynamic--totally different kind of cover than we would have seen with DR. STRANGE.

WEIRD WONDER TALES #20 by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

Again, I would have liked to have seen at least a mini-series with this version of Dr. Druid.

FANTASTIC FOUR # by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

I suppose it was retconned later, but I really enjoyed this return of Marvel Boy as the crazed Crusader, starting with this powerful cover.

FANTASTIC FOUR #176 by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott (with John Romita)

I know he'd drawn him before, but Kirby's take on the Impossible Man here is one of the most "grabbing" covers I've ever seen!

FANTASTIC FOUR #180 by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott (with Marie Severin)

A fun "alternate" Fantastic Four.  Once again, I like his take on Tigra and Impossible Man, and I would definitely like to have seen more Kirby Thundra!

FANTASTIC FOUR #200 by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

At the time (I was 12), I found it strange that a big 200th issue of a team book would show only one member of that team!  Now, I find this to be a really strong, effective cover.  The 60-year subplot of FANTASTIC FOUR is the rivalry between Reed and Doom--they deserve at least one cover just the two of them!

NOVA #4 by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott

And, of course, a nice guest shot of Thor!  (More than a few covers by Kirby in the 70's guest-starred The Hulk or Thor!)

Hmm...I don't remember what happens inside, but it's a bit curious that a story called "War in Space" should have a New York-based cover.

And one more--another metallic costume!