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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Seeing Red (first story)
first story:
‘I’m ready!’ announces a muscular, well-built man who has an uncanny resemblance to a certain Steve Rogers. He stands in a spotlight, naked save for a his briefs. ‘Proceed at will!’ he calls out, and five more spotlights appear, lighting up the area where five men dressed in the costume of Captain America stand. They throw their shields towards the blond man, who leaps into the air, and grabbing some gymnastics rings, he flips himself over, and drops towards one of the “Captain Americas”, landing at such force, right on the man’s back, that he breaks it. The “Captain America” crumbles to the floor. ‘Whoa! He’s going all out!’ another of the “Captain Americas” thinks to himself. ‘Two!’ the blond man declares as he lunges at another, knocking him back.
‘Well, if that’s how he’s playing it, that’s how I’m playing it!’ the “Captain America” decides as he peaks towards the Steve Rogers look-alike, only to be smashed into the floor head-first, and tossed away with ease - right into another of the “Captain Americas”, pushing him towards a wall of spikes, but he manages to dodge the spikes, only for the Steve Rogers look-alike to somersault through the air, right towards the final “Captain America“. ‘How can anyone jump like that?’ the fifth “Captain America” wonders, before telling the near-naked powerhouse ‘Uh, look, I don’t like the way you’re -’, only to be lifted into the air, and his body slammed down onto the Steve Rogers look-alike’s knee, breaking yet another spine, while the fourth “Captain America“ attempts to sneak away.
‘And that I believe is all five!’ the Steve Rogers look-alike grins, before noticing that number four escaped the spikes. ‘Congratulations’ he tells him. ‘No, wait a minute, mister! The boss said all you wanted was sparring partners! He didn’t’ say anything about -’ the fourth begins, before the near naked man slams one of the shields into his face. ‘About killing you? Strictly an oversight on his part, I assure you!’ His now blood-covered body stands over the motionless “Captain Americas” and he laughs uncontrollably. ‘My time, Elron?’ he calls out to a small man who approaches him with a towel and a lighter, lighting his cigarette. ‘Two minutes, forty three seconds, sir’ Elron replies.
The Steve Rogers look-alike decides that either he is improving, or the Taskmaster is running out of trained hirelings. He turns to leave the training room and tells Elron to see about arranging opponents for Friday. ‘After disposing of this refuse, of course’ he adds. Looking down at the bodies, Elron covers his mouth and mumbles ‘Yes, Sir!’
After a cold shower, a massage and a change of attire, the Steve Rogers look-alike enters his large office, which looks out to the Capitol Building. ‘An exhilarating way to start the day, the taking of a handful of lives’ he tells himself, deciding that it really gets the heart pounding and the juices flowing. ’What a land of opportunity America is. How right I was to make my base here in the most affluent, most decadent nation on Earth’ he decides. Hands behind his back, he stands at the large window, and looks out to the Capitol Building, as he does every day. He calls it the very seat of America’s government. He laughs, for if political power was his only goal, it would be so easy to steal it while the posturing politicians were engaged in their petty bureaucracy.
The well-dressed look-alike has farther-reaching ambitions, now that he has become and American dreamer. ‘I now embrace the American dream for what it is - the realization of one’s personal ambitions by whatever means necessary. ‘My American dream is no less than the denial of everyone else theirs!’ he announces, adding that to achieve it, hew will have to enslave every American citizen and destroy America itself. He takes his seat behind his empty desk and admits that is a lot for one man to accomplish in his life time. ‘For any other man, perhaps. But how many other men are on their second lifetime with an infinite more ahead of them?’
Deciding to get to business, he knows it is time to touch base with his lackey, in the President’s Commission on Superhuman Activity. A large video screen drops down from the ceiling, and now shaded in a reddish shadow, the Steve Rogers look-alike greets Douglas Rockwell, and asks him for his report. The nervous Rockwell replies that there is still no sign of Steve Rogers, that he did not return from the Arctic with Battlestar and the new Captain America. ‘It’s possible he perished in battle with Flag-Smasher’ Rockwell explains. ‘Unlikely’ comes the reply. ‘I thought so, too, Sir’ Rockwell claims, adding that he is investigating a report that Rogers was sighted in New York City yesterday.
At that moment, in New York City, ‘Any Times left?’ Steve Rogers asks a newsagent. ‘Sold out’ the newsagent replies. ‘I guess I’ll take a Bugle’ Steve remarks. The newsagent tells him that the Bugle has more pictures of the craziness, anyway. ‘You don’t look like you were affected much’ Steve points out. ‘You live in New York City, you see a lot of strange things’ the newsagent replies. While a mother and her baby prepare to leave a bakery with some treats, Steve thinks to himself that it looks like things are pretty much back to normal here, and that mutants are being blamed for it all, as usual. He supposes somebody has to be the scapegoat. ‘I doubt even New Yorkers are ready to believe it was demons from another dimension that plunged the city into chaos’ Steve decides.
At a pretzel stand, several young kids dressed in baseball uniforms are waiting for their pretzels. ‘My dad beat up one of those demons, he did!’ one of the kids exclaims. ‘Oh, yeah? Well my dad beat two!’ another kid boasts. Cap thinks to himself that is a shame mutants always get blamed for these things, and wonders if he could recruit a mutant or two into the new Avengers he wants to form, as it would give the mutant community an image boost. Steve knows that before he can devote his full attention to the team, he has some personal matters to resolve with the Commission on Superhuman Activity in Washington. He remembers that when he was first forced to turn in his uniform, he was convinced the whole government was against him, but now believes it is just one or two high placed officials who have a grudge against.
Suddenly, a small truck hurtling down the street is in trouble, as the driver finds his brake is out again. ‘I - I can’t stop!’ he shouts as other cars swerve so as not to collide with the truck. Steve reminds himself that he hoped to have the matter settled over a week ago, but with one emergency after another cropping up, he couldn’t. Steve then notices the truck, and drops his newspaper as the newsagent hands over his change, and tearing out of his trench coat, he leaps into action. ‘A-a-a mutant!’ someone calls out. ‘Who is that guy? Kinda looks like Captain America!’ another civilian exclaims. ‘You nuts? Cap wears red, white and blue!’ another points out.
Steve tells himself that this has been his uniform for the past several months, but he still strikes confusion into the hearts of his public everywhere. ‘No time to worry about it now. I’ve got a runaway truck to stop!’ the Captain declares as he throws his shield to the wheel of the truck, where it locks in, bringing the truck to a screeching halt - but it slides towards the three baseball kids. ‘It - it’s gonna -’ one of them gasps, before the Captain lunges at them and pulls the three of them to safety. However, the woman from the bakery steps on to the road, ‘No - my baby!’ she shrieks as the truck slides towards them, only the stroller strikes against a baseball bat that one of the boys dropped, and she falls backwards out of harms way, only  the baby flies out of the stroller and into the air. ‘Weeeeee!’ the baby cries out, smiling. The Captain rushes towards them, and catches the baby. Also falling to the ground is the box containing the pie that the woman purchased - and Cap manages to catch that, also. ‘You see that?’ someone calls out. ‘Oughta go out for the Yanks!’ another declares. ‘My baby!’ the woman gasps. ‘And yer apple pie, too!’ someone else points out. ‘Whew!’ Cap sighs.
Meantime, at the Fort Meade Special Powers Compound, in the medical centre, ‘He’s right this way, Sir’ someone calls out to Head Commissioner Rockwell, who marches into a ward where Johnny Walker a.k.a. Captain America is recuperating. ‘Mr Rockwell! We were expecting you. I’m Doctor Mannheim, and this is -’ Dr Mannheim begins as he prepares to introduce Rockwell to his colleagues, but the abrupt Rockwell marches past Lemar Hoskins a.k.a. Battlestar and exclaims ‘Never mind that! How is Walker?’, while Battlestar thinks ‘Strutting jerk! I’m not even worth a “hello”!’, while Doctor Mannheim explains that the patient is doing surprisingly well, considering the ordeal he went through. ‘The exposure and frostbite have apparently done no damage’ Dr Mannheim announces, adding that Battlestar believes that it has to do with the cellular augmentation process both of them underwent.
‘If he’s doing so well, why is he unconscious?’ Rockwell demands. One of the medical staff begins to explain that they gave him a sedative, but Walker opens his eyes ‘I’m awake’ he proclaims. ‘Splendid’ Rockwell announces, telling the medics that they can leave now, until he calls them back, as he wants a word with Walker alone. Battlestar remains in the room as them medics depart, while Rockwell tells Walker that Battlestar reports he had considerable trouble with that Flag-Smasher terrorist. ‘Yes, Sir. He got the better of me’ Walker admits. Rockwell asks the handsome hero if he is aware that the Commission sanctioned Battlestar to bring in the original Captain America. Walker replies that he knows, and remarks that he believes such an action was both unnecessary and insulting. ‘I could have prevailed given the chance’.
But, Rockwell tells Walker that seems highly unlikely, and points out that the fact of the matter is, Rogers succeeded where Walker failed. ‘So what’s the bottom line? You’re taking the uniform from me and giving it back to him?’ Walker asks. Rockwell tells him that they have not made a decision yet, before asking one last question: ‘What happened to the shield?’, to which Walker replies that it was taken from him, but that he will get it back, if it is the last thing he does. As he leaves the room, Rockwell replies that he is sure that will not be necessary, and order Walker to stay put. ‘We want to be able to find you when we’ve decided what to do with you’ he explains.
Lemar goes over to Johnny and points out that no one else was there, that they can’t understand how it was. ‘I’m telling you, the Commission jerks you around about this, I’m sticking with you. We can walk out on this stupid gig. Break out on our won like all the independents do. We’ll make them sorry they let us go!’ Lemar exclaims, putting a hand on Johnny’s shoulder. John looks at Lemar and tells him to remove his hand, and points out that if Lemar hadn’t called for help and brought the old Cap in, he could have handled it himself. ‘But…’ Lemar begins, before turning to leave the room, and telling John that they will talk about this some other time, leaving him to get some rest. But Battlestar realizes that this is a no-win situation, for if he hadn’t gotten help, John would have been dead. Battlestar knows that ever since Walker’s folks died he has lost his grip on reality. ‘Now he thinks I - his only friend - betrayed him. He’s got nobody, nothing! What am I supposed to do?’ Lemar wonders.
The door closes, and in the now darkened room, the phone rings. Walker looks at it, and picks it up. ’Yes?’ he asks. A voice on the other end informs Walker that he knows where his shield is. ’Meet me in the Smith Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, by midnight tonight’ is all the voice adds, before the caller hangs up. Wearing only skimpy briefs, Walker gets out of bed and goes to the closet, where his Captain America costume is stored. He slowly gets dressed, despite his injuries, and then sneaks out of the room, unnoticed by medical staff nearby.
Washington DC, later that night, most of the members of the Commission on Superhuman Activity have gathered. Sitting around a meeting table, Head Commissioner Rockwell sits at one end, while the glamorous Dr Valerie Cooper sits at the other. Rockwell announces that he doesn’t think they can put off making a decision about Walker until January, not without undermining the political credibility of the Commission itself. ‘Yes…and we do want to be carried over into the new administration intact…’ someone else suggests. Rockwell decides that they should review the case against Walker, and asks Henry Peter Gyrich what the latest news on the Watchdog affair is. Gyrich replies that out of the ten dead and three permanently disabled by Walker’s assault, only four families have filed suit for damages. ‘Our lawyers think it can settled out of court easily’ he adds.
Turning to Valerie, Rockwell enquires as to Walker’s one time associates, Left-Winger and Right-Winger as they are now known. Val announces that despite burns to 90% of their bodies, both men are off the critical list and have regained consciousness long enough to be questioned. Valerie reveals that although there are other eyewitnesses placing Walker at the scene, neither of the men will verify or press charges against him. Val adds that the investigators cannot determine if Left-Winger and Right-Winger will not speak out of fear of further reprisals, or what. Rockwell remarks that it seems the legal problems Walker has caused are not as severe as their estimated. Raymond Sikorsky points out that the fact remains that Walker is a loaded bomb, and even if he waltzes through his current difficulties, it is only a matter of time before he does something that the Commission cannot whitewash.
Raymond continues, suggesting that despite the President’s vote of confidence in Walker, they need to cut him loose, and the sooner the better. Adrian Sammish announces that he agrees, and points out that Walker was less than effective in the Flag-Smasher affair. ‘Had we not allowed Battlestar to call in Steve Rogers -’ Sammish begins, until Rockwell interrupts, ‘“We” allowed it, Adrian? I don’t remember being consulted on that particular decision’. Rockwell adds that as a matter of fact, he did his part to see that Rogers remained out of it. Rockwell raises his voice and states that Rogers is contemptible slime, and if the laughable excuse for a President hadn’t butted in, Rogers would still be behind bars.
Later, night has fallen, and as Sammish and Wesley Werner leave the building, a figure skulks around in the shadows behind them. Sammish tells Werner that Rockwell has really gone around the bend, and that the Commission is going to have to do something about him. ‘In his own way, he’s as far gone as Walker!’ Sammish adds. The figure skulks into the building, past security, and avoiding security cameras, until he reaches Commissioner Rockwell’s office. He opens the door, to find Rockwell at his desk, speaking to his superior over the video-phone. ‘Are you telling me you have outlived your usefulness, Rockwell?’ the Steve Rogers look-alike, still cloaked in red shadows, enquires.
‘NO!’ Rockwell exclaims, explaining to his superior that his hands are tied, that he is just one man out of seven, that he can’t do anything more without the rest of the Commission questioning the purity of his motives. ‘All I’m saying is - ULP - I’ve got to go!’ Rockwell exclaims as he senses someone behind him, and quickly slams the phone down, spinning around, he finds the Captain standing over him. ‘Who were you talking to, Mr Commissioner? That didn’t look like the President. Do your fellow Commissioners know of these conversations?’ The Captain enquires, smirking. ‘Wh- wh- wh- wh-’ Douglas mutters, before shouting ‘This is an outrage, Rogers! You have no business here! How did you get in? You’re trespassing. I’ll have you -’ Douglas begins, but the Captain slams his shield on the desk and explains that he let himself in, and that he has come to return the shield that their man lost.
Douglas gets up out of his chair, while Steve remarks that while he is here, he would like Douglas to explain a few things to him. ‘Why did you let me go a few days ago? Who is that you report to? What is your personal stake in my career?’ Steve asks. Ignoring the questions Rockwell shouts at Cap, telling him to get out. ‘I don’t have to explain anything to you’ he adds, before a buzzer on his desk sounds. Rockwell looks at it nervously, and Cap points out that his private phone is ringing. ‘Aren’t you going to answer?’ Cap asks. ‘Why is he calling now? Must know I’ve got a visitor!’ Rockwell thinks to himself, before picking the phone up and saying into the receiver ‘Sir, I can’t ta-wwAWWKK!’ he suddenly convulses as a gas pours from the mouthpiece of the receiver. Rockwell gasps for breath, while his skin shucks inwards, and he falls to his desk, his face now completely red, and a horrid voice laughing down the phone line.
‘Good Lord…no!’ Cap gasps as he looks on, shocked. He checks for a pulse, and discovers that Rockwell is dead. He knows that the red dust sprayed from the phone receiver is the stock-in-trade of the Red Skull. But, Cap also knows that the Red Skull is dead, that he died in his arms. ‘Who could be imitating his tricks?’ Cap wonders. Examining the receiver, Cap locates the spray capsule that was hidden in the mouthpiece. He wonders when it was installed, and whether the Commissioner was aware of it. Cap realizes that this is the second time in a matter of days that he has been reminded about the Skull, for the Flag-Smasher claimed he learned the Skull was financing his terrorist organization. Fixing the phone receiver, Cap tells himself that this doesn’t prove anything, before locating an odd button. He presses it, and the screen switches on.
‘Aha! The direct line!’ Cap tells himself, but all he sees on the screen is an empty chair with a skull insignia on it. But Cap decides that this doesn’t prove anything more than there being a copycat killer on the loose. Dialling a number, he hopes he can call in some old favors and get the phone line traced.
Elsewhere in Washington at that moment, Walker arrives at the Smith Building, and the bellhop lets him go right in, while a security guard motions to an elevator, informing Captain America that it will take him to the penthouse. Arriving on the penthouse floor, a woman at the reception desk motions to a door down the end of a corridor, and informs Captain America that Mr Smith is expecting him.  Opening the doors, Walker finds himself in a meeting room, which is empty. ‘Smith?’ he calls out.
A panel in the wall opens, and the Steve Rogers look-alike appears. ‘So good of you to come, Walker. Very punctual, too’ he remarks. ‘Call me Captain America’ Walker tells him. ‘No. I don’t think I shall. I can only bring myself to call the original by that name’ he explains. Walker strides towards the mysterious man, and declares ‘Look, I don’t know who you are, or how you seem to know so much about me, but if you lured me here to play some kind of game -’ he begins, to which the look-alike exclaims ‘A game! Splendid idea!’, and he calls out ‘Gentlemen’, and several more panels open, as five colorful men appear in the room, and he remarks that Mr Walker must recognize the uniforms of most of these individuals. He runs through the men - an Ultimatum agent, a Resistant, a member of the Sweat Shop, a Scourge of the Underworld and a Watchdog.
The mysterious man announces that he has been behind them all. ‘I’ve been behind all of your misfortunes to date!’ he reveals to Walker. ‘Who…are…you?’ Walker asks, confused. Stepping into the light, the mysterious man introduces himself as Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. ‘Rogers…?’ Walker asks, wide-eyed and shocked. “Rogers” turns away from everyone, and informs his elite troopers that Walker is all theirs. The five armed men raise their right arms in salute, while Walker shouts ‘Come back and fight me…you…’, but as a panel closes behind “Rogers” he simply calls out that if he survives these people, he will consider it. ‘Good luck. You’ll need it’ “Rogers” grins.
‘COME BACK HERE’ Walker booms as he leaps across the boardroom table, his actions cause the Watchdog and the Ultimatum agent to both open fire. ‘Watch we’re you’re shooting, Ult!’ the Watchdog exclaims, while Walker dodges their bullets. ‘Without his shield, he’s an easy target!’ the Scourge boasts as he opens fire, too. The Watchdog steps back, ‘I’m not getting near that crossfire’ he thinks to himself, while the Ultimatum agent notes that Walker moves so fast, he cannot get a bead on him. Walker drops down, and kicks his legs out, slamming them into the Scourge, who falls backwards. Walker drops to the floor and holds up one of the chairs, using it as a shield from the Watchdog who opens fire, ‘Give it up, Captain A - all the fancy moves in the world aren’t going to help you walk outta here in one piece!’ he boasts.
The Resistant tells the others to hold their fire, ‘I’ll show the flag-man what we think of his jury-rigged shield!’ he exclaims as he unleashes his mutant power of flame towards Captain America. ‘You got it, Rust! Give me time to reload!’ the Watchdog exclaims, while Rust’s flames melt away part of the chair. Walker throws it towards the Watchdog, who is unable to move in time, as the burning chair lands on him. The Sweat Shop operative tips the large boardroom table onto its side, ‘Wing-Ding ain’t the only one who can use props!’ he exclaims. ‘Watch this!’ he shouts as the table falls onto Captain America. The Sweat Shop member then stands on the upturned table and boasts that he has pinned Captain America.
Turning to his comrades, the Sweat Shop agent asks them if they can nail “this sucker” as he calls Walker. ‘Just go easy on my size 12’s, okay?’ he adds, when suddenly, Walker’s powerful fists slams up through the table, ‘Party time!’ he exclaims with a deranged look on his face as he peers through the broken table.
Meanwhile, outside, Steve Rogers skulks about in the shadows, and evades notice of a security guard as he sneaks into the parking garage beneath the Smith Building. He makes his way through the parking lot, and then up the stairwells, eventually entering one of the levels, he makes his way through the brightly-lit corridors, a voice is soon heard on the intercom: ‘Welcome, Captain. I’ve been expecting you. Please proceed to the room at the end of the corridor’ the voice calls out. ‘Great. Here I thought I’d entered unnoticed. So much for stealth!’, deciding that he may as well play along at this point. He enters the door at the end of the corridor, and a voice exclaims ‘You are such a good soldier’. Steve finds a large monitor in the room, and the mysterious man appears on it, surrounded by a red haze. ‘So, Captain have you guessed which of your many enemies is behind all this, yet?’ he enquires.
‘It’s obvious you want me to believe it’s the Red Skull’ Cap replies. ‘Very good. But I take it you don’t believe that, eh?’ the mystery man asks. ‘No. The Red died in my arms. I held his lifeless corpse’ Cap explains. An image of Cap holding the dying Red Skull in his arms appears on the monitor, and the mysterious man asks ‘Did it look a little something like this, Captain?’ to which Steve frowns, stating that he is not in the mood for games. ‘Tell me who you are. Don’t tell me who you are. It doesn’t matter’ he exclaims, adding ‘What matters is you’re responsible for the Head Commissioner being dead. And I’m taking you in’ Cap tells him.
‘Oh, you do take the fun out of everything, Captain! Or should I say Steve Rogers? Very well - I admit it! I’m the Red Skull. Oh, yes, and I’m also you! See?’ he calls out as the red haze vanishes, and the mystery man reveals himself to Steve. Unimpressed, Cap replies that video images can be faked. ‘That they can’ comes the reply, while Cap frowns and wonders who this guy is, and which of his enemies know so much about him. ‘Okay, whoever you are. The bottom line. You know who I am. You went through some trouble to fool me into think you’re the Skull. You expected me to come after you. What is it you want?’ Cap asks. The look-alike smiles and replies ‘I want you to die, of course’, before adding that he wants Cap to know a few things first.
‘Most important, as I’ve told you. I am the Red Skull. Your greatest enemy brought back to life. How I cane back, I’m not foolish enough to divulge. Why I am not wearing my traditional mask? I have a new agenda now. What worked in wartime Germany is inappropriate for decadent America’ the Red Skull explains. Images appear on the monitor, as the Red Skull explains that in America, the face of a handsome Aryan is much more versatile.
Flashback images show on computer screen, narrated by the Red Skull:
The Red Skull informs the Captain that his replacement is a man named John Walker, who, before assuming the role of Captain America was known as the Super-Patriot. The Red Skull reminds Cap that he met Walker, as the Super-Patriot, where they brawled in a parking lot, and Walker got the better of him, before revealing that he not only pulled a few strings to have Captain America’s finances investigated, and for Walker to take over his job as Captain America. The Red Skull explains that Walker was a motivated young man, and took his training quite conscientiously, but on one of the first times he was sent on a field mission, he proved somewhat more aggressive than the original. ‘Do you remember Professor Power?’ the Red Skull enquires, revealing that Walker beat him to death.
‘But that was a taste of things to come’ the Red Skull remarks, explaining that he ordered his Watchdog group to kidnap and murder Walker’s parents, causing him to go really wild, slaying nine of the Watchdogs and injuring others, before going after his two former friends, Left and Right-Wingers, believing them culpable in his parents’ death, he killed them too, apparently.
Present:
Cap frowns as the Red Skull explains that the point of all this was the devaluation of the image of Captain America. ‘When all of Walker’s activities become known - and I’ll see to it that they are - it’ll not only tarnish the concept of Captain America…but it’ll give the administration something of a black eye for letting such a man on the loose!’ the Red Skull smiles, adding that he has orchestrated the downfall of both the original Captain America and his alter ego, ‘Exceptional work for an enemy you thought dead all this time, eh?’ he boasts. Cap turns his back from the monitor and states that he has heard enough, as he takes his leave, entering a corridor, he wonders if what he was just told is true. ‘I still can’t believe he’s the Skull - he just doesn’t act like him’.
As he enters another room, Cap decides that the revelation about the Super-Patriot being the new Captain America is entirely possible, and wishes he could talk to his replacement, then he would known in a moment if it were indeed him. ‘What about all the atrocities he allegedly committed?’ Cap wonders, determined that hr will not leave the building until he gets some real answers, even if he has to search every nook and cranny. As Cap enters another room, he finds it torn apart by bullet holes, and the room in tatters thanks to a battle - ‘Eh? My uniform! Super-Patriot? All those bodies?’ he thinks to himself as he sees the motionless Watchdog, Scourge and others lying around. Huffing to catch his breath, John Walker looks up at the Captain and declares: ‘Steve Rogers…so you decided to come out of hiding and face me like a man!’
Meantime, back at the Commission building, ‘Good Lord - can that really be Douglas? His face - I think I’m going to be -’ Sikorsky exclaims, wiping the sweat from his brow with a cloth as he watches Rockwell’s body being taken away on a stretcher. Wearing a pink dress suit, Valerie comes up to Raymond and tells him to take it easy. ‘Just be glad you weren’t the one who found him’ she adds. The senior officials enter Rockwell’s office, which is being searched from top to bottom by police officers. Raymond wonders who could have done such a horrible thing, to which Valerie explains that the rapid mummification of his victim’s faces is the trade mark of the Red Skull, Captain America’s old enemy. Raymond asks if the Red Skull is dead, recalling a brief from the Avengers a while back. ‘In any event, someone has adopted his stock-in-trade and used it on poor Douglas’ Valerie points out.
‘But why him?’ Sikorsky enquires. ‘The head of an agency keeping tabs on all persons with superhuman capacities in the entire country is bound to make a few enemies’ Val points out, adding that they can only hope there are no further such incidents. Raymond Sikorsky looks worried, while Val announces that when the police have concluded their investigation, she is going through every file, every drawer and every scrap of paper in Rockwell’s office. ‘Somehow I have a feeling Douglas knew his killer…let him in his office!’ she reveals.
Back at the Smith Building, Walker lunges towards the Captain, ‘If you thought that your lackeys would wear me down so you could come along and finish me off, guess again!’ he shouts, while Cap recognizes the voice of the man in his old costume, ‘It’s Super-Patriot’s! Then he is the one who replaced me!’ Steve tells himself, before wondering why he is here ‘And why does he think I had anything to do with those men he apparently killed?’ he asks himself, before raising his shield and slamming it in to Walker’s side. ‘Hold on a second, mister - I think you’re labouring under a misconception!’ Steve shouts, while deciding that he had to use his shield to defend himself as the Super-Patriot is easily ten-times stronger than him. ‘One solid blow, and it would be all over for me’ Cap knows.
As he flips backwards to avoid another lunge from Walker, Cap realizes what is going here - that the mystery man with his face claming to be the Red Skull must have convinced Walker that he is the real Steve Rogers. ‘Walker thinks he’s fighting him!’ Cap understands, while Walker declares that he should never have let Cap off the fist time they fought. ‘I won’t make that mistake again!’ he exclaims. Cap tells Walker to listen to him, and declares that he is not who he thinks he is. ‘That man who you must have spoken to before, he’s not -’ Cap shouts, but Walker raises a fist, ‘Shut up and DIE!’ he shouts, before crying out in pain as his fist strikes Cap’s trusty shield. Cap drops down and kicks a leg out, to trip Walker up, deciding that he is too battle frenzied to reason with. ‘That’s okay, I guess. This is one fight I don’t want to reason my way out of!’ Cap tells himself.
‘This is one I want to win!’ Cap knows, dodging yet another lunge from Walker, whose fist breaks up the floor. Using his incredible strength, Walker tears up part of the floor, and Cap realizes that he is as strong as ever. Walker then hurls the flooring towards Cap, who flips up into the air just in time, ‘Close, but not close enough’ Cap thinks to himself as the flooring shatters. But as Cap drops back to the floor, he can hear Walker rushing up behind him. He knows he has to move, but Walker surges forward and tackles Cap before he regains his footing. They head straight to the wall in front of them, with Walker forcing Cap through it, although Cap is able to raise his shield, they burst through into the next room, scattering parts of the wall everywhere. Walker holds a firm grip around Cap’s waist, while Cap tries to break Walker free.
Cap manages to land on Walker, who still retains a tight grip, although his right arm gives a little slack, enabling Cap to twist around and slam his elbow into Walker’s face, slamming his head against the floor. Cap gets up, and television monitors around the room begin to show images of Walker as Captain America, brutal images, like smashing, maiming and killing his opponents. Cap doesn’t think the images are fake, deciding that the bleeding bodies in the next room look like the same man’s handiwork. ‘My God…how he’s stained the image I’ve spent decades building! Captain America was never intended to be a killer! Never!’ Cap thinks to himself, while wondering why the man with his face is showing him this images. ‘To distract me? To invigorate Walker?’ but Cap isn’t sure.
Cap spins around and holds his shield up to block a kick from Walker, who grins, and as blood trickles from his mouth, he declares ‘You’ve been holding me off pretty good, Rogers - thanks to that shield of mine!’, asking him whether he would care to toss it aside and fight him like a man. ‘Or do you need it to hide behind?’ Walker asks. Without hesitation, Cap tosses the shield to the ground, deciding that he shouldn’t do this. ‘But ever since that day we first fought…’ he reminds himself. ‘C’mon!’ Walker calls out. ‘…when I failed to beat him - I’ve felt my fighting edge had gone dull’ Cap recalls, before telling Walker ‘Let’s do it!’, and Walker lunges forward, but Cap manages to smack him backwards.
Cap’s thoughts are thinking about the overall situation, deciding that the travesty with the Commission was a worse body blow, as he allows himself to be stripped of his rightful title and uniform - allowed it like a good soldier. ‘I’ve had to fight the good fight without them. I’ve had to swallow my pain and anger and re-create myself as the Captain’ Cap thinks, deciding that was his way to harden himself, to use adversity to help regain his fighting edge. As Walker falls to the floor, Cap knows that everything he did has paid off, and that he can put his all on the line and see if he still has what it takes to be called Captain America. His face now bleeding further, Walker has a deranged look on his face as he exclaims ‘Pretty good, Rogers. Pretty good. But now it’s my turn!’, and he surges forward, slamming both fists into Cap’s face, knocking him back.
But as he comes in for a second attack, Walker finds himself on the receiving end of Cap’s foot - right in his stomach, as Cap kicks Walker backwards. Walker tries to drop down and slam a fist into Cap’s face, but Cap rolls away just in time, and yet again Walker strikes the floor. Cap retaliates and slams his own fist into Walker’s face, drawing more blood. Walker lunges for him, but Cap flips backwards, landing close to some machinery. Walker roars as he rushes forward, only for Cap to duck, and Walker’s fist to strike the machinery, resulting in an electrocution - but his super-enhanced body is able to withstand it, and he tears some wires out with him, when he then wraps around Cap’s neck after Cap ducked away from the machinery.
Cap drops to his knees, ‘You are dead, Rogers!’ Walker exclaims as he tightens his grip. ‘You’ve tormented me for the last time’ Walker declares, while Cap has a plan to break free, he needs to put all his strength behind it, reaching up, he slams his fists against Walker’s head, causing Walker to roar in pain, while Cap breaks free of the wires. ‘Thank Haven - he’s down. I’ve knocked him out. I’ve won. I’ve reclaimed a part of myself’ Cap tells himself, but stepping away from Walker’s fallen body, he knows that he has one more foe to fight. ‘Show yourself, coward! I know you’re watching this! Probably videotaping it for prosperity! Come out and face the challenge!’ Cap calls out.
The television monitors suddenly turn blank, and Cap decides that his mysterious foe has the stupidity and the guts to meet his challenge. Walker begin to stir, while a panel in the wall opens, and the Steve Rogers look-alike appears, clapping his hands, he congratulates his old foe on a good show. ‘But, then again, I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. I’ve learned to never underestimate you!’ the look-alike remarks. Cap walks over to him, deciding that his foe looks unarmed. ‘But no doubt he’s got some trick up his sleeve’ Cap supposes, wondering if he should just slug his foe and be done with it, only, he has come this far and wants to hear what he has to say.
Standing about a foot away from his look-alike, Cap can see that he is not wearing a mask. ‘It’s chilling - we’re identical! But there’s something in those eyes -’ Cap thinks to himself as he closely examines his look-alike. ‘If you didn’t expect him to kill me, what was the point of arranging that little tournament?’ Cap enquires. The look-alike replies that the point is that he can get anyone to do his dirty work for him now. ‘I need never soil my Aryan hands again’ he grins. ‘Anyone but me to do your dirty work’ Cap replies. ‘Correct, old enemy. Anyone but you’ the look-alike replies. As Walker begins to get up, the look-alike’s back is turned to him, and he announces that he believes Cap will one day be the last free man on Earth.
‘You see, Captain, I’m going to prevail this time. I’m going to stamp out freedom, justice, democracy - all of your idiotic little ideologies’ the look-alike explains, adding that Cap is going to watch him do it, as he has learned from the errors of his past life. ‘I no longer need put all my eggs in one basket. I no longer live from one grand scheme to the next’ he adds, stating that it has taken vast preparation, but now he has countless schemes going at once, all over the world, all designed to bring him closer to his ultimate goal. While Walker crawls towards the shield, lying on the floor, still unseen by the look-alike.
‘Furthermore, you’re never going to be able to prove that I’m behind anything - though you’ll know it to be true’. The look-alike adds that he is no longer an easily identifiable foreign agitator, but a disarmingly handsome American business man, turning the wondrous free enterprise system against itself. ‘I want you to know I am here. I want you to know what I am up to. I do so like torturing you, don’t you see?’ the look-alike calls out, before adding one last thing before he takes his leave - ‘I want you to know that I will tire of torturing you some day and decide to kill you. It could be now, next week, or twenty years from now. I can’t tell. But, rest assured, one day you will die by my hands!’ the look-alike grins wickedly, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, Cap wonders why his doppelganger is now inhaling.
Suddenly, the look-alike falls backwards, as Walker throws the shield at him, slamming it in to his back - and in doing so, he puffs out his cigarette, sending the red dust of death into the air. Cap covers his mouth, while the look-alike coughs and splutters, managing to knock Cap back with a punch, before he spins around, screaming, his face torn apart, now all that remains is a red skull. Cap picks up the shield and supposes that the impact of the shield must have caused him to bite down on the dust activator, giving him a face full, while noting that he has not died from it. Fallen back to the floor, Walker calls out ‘Which…one of you…Rogers?’, while the look-alike rushes away to the open panel in the wall.
‘Can’t let him get away’ Cap thinks to himself, tossing the shield, managing to wedge before the panel closes. Cap slides under and rushes into the corridor, supposing that his foe could not have got far, but looking around, the corridor is empty. ‘I guess he can. This place is like a maze. No telling where he is now’ Cap tells himself, deciding that this is pointless, he knows he needs to see to Walker, so goes back into the meeting room, and handing Walker the shield, tells him that he owes him one. ‘I tumbled to the fact that his cigarette holder was his weapon, but possibly not in time to save myself from a face full of red dust’ Cap tells Walker, who asks ‘How do you know it was him I was aiming for, Rogers?’
Cap just replies that at least now they will be able to tell their faces apart. ‘Was he…the Red Skull?’ Walker enquires. Cap replies that he is beginning to think so, before asking Walker if he will come with him to see the Commission. ‘I want to know which of us gets the shield?’ Cap asks.
An hour later, Valerie Cooper and the men of the Commission on Superhuman Activity are seated in the hearing room, with the Captain and Captain America standing before them. Cap stands freely, while Walker stands rigid, arms at his side, shield strapped to his left arm. Cap addresses Valerie as “Madame Commissioner” and tells her that he doesn’t know whether a search warrant would help, as his look-alike might be too cagey to lave anything incriminating lying around. ‘Still, I’d have my people keep the Smith Building under surveillance if I were you’ Cap suggests to her. Valerie announces that they went through the former Head Commissioner’s office and found a number of suspicious items, including the private video-phone.
Valerie continues, explaining that the Commission cannot link Rockwell’s activities to anyone in particular just yet, but they do have certain reasons to believe that he stepped over his authority in certain matters, ‘Such as your case’ she tells the Captain. Valerie points out that while it is true the government owns the name, uniform and shield of Captain America, the majority of the Commission decided that it is Steve Rogers who made that name, uniform and shield mean something. ‘In light of your continued service to the American people, Mr Rogers, we would like to extend the you the honor you are due…and perhaps make up for any inconvenience this Commission may have caused you’. Valerie then informs Walker that it is the will of the Commission on Superhuman Activity that he steps down as Captain America and return the shield and uniform to Steve Rogers.
Cap smiles and tells Valerie that, with all due respect, he appreciates what she has told him, but that he does not want the uniform, shield and name back. ‘I have learned these past months that I can serve my ideals, the ideals of this great country, even without the uniform’ he announces, adding that he has learned it is the man that counts, not the clothing. ‘I’ll be in touch’ Cap remarks as he turns and walks away, leaving Valerie surprised and Walker confused.
Walker rushes out of the chamber, following Cap down the corridor, ‘Rogers! Rogers! Wait a minute’ Walker exclaims. Cap turns to him, surprised to see his successor. ‘Who’s kidding who?’ Walker asks. ‘You may not have come up with the name or stitched the uniform together. But you created the role of Captain America - his code of conduct, is reputation, his legend’ Walker points out, adding that he has had enough of people who expect him to be exactly like Steve Rogers. ‘I’m not. I’ll never be. I have my own way of serving this nation that I love, and it’s not the way of Captain America’.
Walker continues, pointing out that the Commission will take away from him the uniform anyway, and that he has no idea what they will do with him after that. ‘Come on, take the darn thing back - to prevent them from getting yet another poor slob to try to do the job you do so easily’ Walker asks Cap. Cap asks Walker if the Commission put him up to this, but Walker replies that the Commission isn’t very good at putting anyone up to anything. ‘Point taken’ Cap replies.
And, sometime later, in his private quarters on Avengers’ Island, Steve Rogers strips off the black uniform that had been a gift from a now departed friend, and slowly, almost reverently, puts on the colors that represent the country he loves as much as life itself. When he is done, he walks to a full length mirror, and lifts his gaze to greet the image that peers back at him - CAPTAIN AMERICA! Sentinel of Liberty. Star Spangled Avenger. Living Legend. He has been called all this and more. A huge smile spreads across his face. Tomorrow, he will be called these names again. He’s back. He did it his way. And it feels right.


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Changing of the Guard
Washington DC, yesterday afternoon…inside a large auditorium, the press community have come out in full to listen and film a very important occasion. Standing at a podium on stage is the glamorous Valerie cooper, Acting Chairperson of the Commission on Superhuman Activities. Standing at each of her sides are Captain America and…Captain America. Behind them, seated at a table, are Valerie’s colleague in the Commission, Raymond Sikorsky, and the partner of one of the Captain Americas, Lemar Hoskins a.k.a. Battlestar. Valerie introduces herself to those in attendance, and points out that they will have doubtless noticed there are two men standing beside her, both dressed in the uniform of the embodiment of the fighting spirit of their nation. ‘You’re probably wondering what this means. Well, that’s why we’ve called this press conference’ Valerie explains, uttering a little laugh, she clears her throat and tells herself that she is so nervous that she could die. ‘Why did Rockwell have to go leave me in charge of the Commission?’ Val wonders.
Continuing, Valerie explains that the man on her right is the original Captain America, appointed by Franklin Deland Roosevelt back in 1940. ‘Sure looks good for a sexagenarian, huh?’ Valerie remarks, while telling herself to can the ad-libs and stick to the script. Motioning to the bulkier man at her left, Val explains that he is the man the Commission chose to replace the original when a misunderstanding on the part of the Commission made it difficult for the original Cap and the Commission to work together. Valerie announces that the new Captain America would like to make a short statement. ‘Whew’ she thinks to herself as her speech comes to an end. John Walker a.k.a. the new Captain America thanks Valerie and steps to the podium. ‘My fellow Americans. It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve you these past months in such a prestigious capacity as Captain America’ Walker states.
Walker declares that he has given the role his best shot, but he has come to the conclusion that he is not as suited for the job as the American people deserve, and have a right to expect. ‘And so, now that the Commission has settled its differences with my predecessor, I’ve volunteered to step down and surrender the uniform and shield to its rightful possessor. The one and only original Star-Spangled Avenger!’ Walker announces. As he hands the mighty shield to Steve Rogers, cameras flash in a frenzy. Rogers thanks Walker as he takes the shield, while Walker continues, ‘Don’t worry though, I intend to find another way to serve his country. Once you get patriotism in your blood -’ he begins, when, shockingly, five bullets are shot into his chest, and John Walker falls backwards.
‘WALKER?’ Captain America exclaims. ‘Johnny!’ Battlestar gasps. Captain America orders Battlestar to see to Walker, and announces that he is going after the gunman. Battlestar leaps over the table and drops down beside his friend, while Sikorsky looks on, confused. At the rear of the room, someone in an orange and purple costume rushes out the door. ‘Somebody stop him!’ someone calls out. ‘He-he’s got a gun!’ another exclaims, while somebody points out that he is dressed like a Watchdog. ‘How’d he get in here?’ another asks. ‘Clear a path! Coming through!’ Captain America orders the press as he leaps off the stage in pursuit of the gunman. ‘Look at that leap!’ someone shouts, impressed.
Battlestar holds Walker up, ‘Hang on, man - an ambulance will be here any minute! You’re going to be okay!’ he tells his friend, while Sikorsky covers his mouth when he sees the blood pooling around Walker. The media suddenly gather around Captain America, ‘Do you have any idea who -’ one of them asks. ‘A word with -?’ another exclaims. ‘Would you please?’ a third asks, but Cap just orders them to get out of his way. The doors burst open, and he finds two bodies lying on the floor, both with gunshot wounds. He wonders which way, before hearing footsteps. ‘Everyone stay back, or you may be hurt!’ Captain America warns everyone as he rushes down the corridor, ‘You’re not going to get away, gunman! Bank on it!’ Cap calls out. The Watchdog agent just swears at Cap.
A security guard suddenly comes between the Watchdog agent and the exit, ‘Hold it right there or I’ll -’ he shouts, before receiving two bullets in his chest. The guard falls to the floor, and as Cap checks his pulse, discovers him that he is dead. ‘That’s another you’ll pay for, mister’ Cap thinks to himself. ‘Move it, fats!’ the Watchdog operative exclaims as he pushes a man out of the way. As Cap gets to the exit, he pushes the door open and wonders if the Watchdog has escaped, before seeing him rushing down the stairs at the front of the building. ‘He’s no match for me in the stamina department’ Cap tells himself. Observing the surrounding area, Cap realizes there are many bystanders, and knows he has to disarm the Watchdog quickly.
However, the Watchdog takes hold of a woman and aims his gun at her face. ’Okay, hero-man! Stay right where you are, or this check gets ventilated!’ the Watchdog exclaims. ’Nooo! Please!’ the woman begs, when, suddenly, a bullet is shot into the Watchdog’s head, and goes right out the other side. The woman runs to safety, while Cap stands at the top of the stairs, and a familiar man dressed all in white shouts ‘Justice is served, Watchdog!’ before rushing away, his gun still smoking. ‘That second gunman - he didn’t say what I thought he said, did he?’ Cap wonders, before realizing that the explosive bullet, the gun, and the slogan he shouted are all the earmarks of the Scourge of the Underworld. ‘But I thought he was dead!’ Cap recalls. ‘First the Red Skull, now Scourge! Are all my old enemies coming back to haunt me?’ he wonders, while watching Scourge leap into a car that speeds off, Cap decides he won’t be able to catch the car.
The title “Death of a Hero” appears on television screens all around the Unite States of America, on the current affairs show “Nightline”. Newsreader, Ted Koppel appears on screen and reports that Washington was rocked today by the assassination of Captain America. ‘Not the original, whose identity remains a closely guarded secret, but his erstwhile successor, a young man named John Walker’ Ted explains, adding that Walker had not had an easy time in the months since his appointment to the role, and that it was at the very press conference where he announced he was the designated replacement, was marred by assailants who revealed his true identity on national television.
Ted continues, stating that now, in Walker’s second publicized appearance, he was shot dead by an alleged member of the Watchdogs, a nationwide vigilante group. Images recorded at the shocking assassination are displayed on screen, before Ted announces that, joining them by live satellite link-up is the original Captain America, Chairman of the renowned Avengers, who has recently resumed the role of America’s Star-Spangled hero. ‘Captain, you were there at the scene. Do you think that the gunman intended to hit Walker, or could he have been aiming at you?’ Ted enquires. Frowning, Cap states that he believes Walker was the target. Cap reveals that Walker had several encountered with the Watchdog organization, the last of which left both his parents and several vigilantes dead. ‘I have yet to run into them’ Cap adds.
Ted asks Captain America if he thinks revenge might have been the motive,3that the gunman meant to avenge his fallen comrades, but Cap states that they may never know, explaining that the alleged murderer was himself shot to death by a still-unidentified assailant. Ted points out that moments before he was shot, Walker alluded to serving the nation in another capacity. ‘Do you have any idea what that was to be?’ he enquires. Cap replies that Walker had not discussed that with him, before Ted asks about Walker’s partner, Battlestar. ‘Do you plan on taking him under your wing, so to speak, in light of the tragedy?’ Ted asks. Cap reveals that he has worked with Battlestar on one occasion, but that at present there have been no discussions as to Battlestar’s future as his partner, or with the Avengers. Ted then thanks Captain America for his valuable time, and Cap ends the transmission.
Cap sits in his chair at a communications station, ‘Death…the ultimate theft of a man’s freedom. It’s been no stranger to me all these years…Dad, Mom, Bucky, Sharon, Dennis…but somehow it seems to be rearing its hoary head with greater frequency the longer I live’ Cap thinks to himself. He reminds himself that he didn’t know John Walker well, and much of what he did know he was outraged by. ‘But I would never have wished him dead…I would never have denied him his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, even if his acts denied others theirs!’ he tells himself, wondering why it is that when a hero dies, it is for good, but the villains always come back? ‘Enough brooding’ Cap decides, knowing he has a lot of work to do if he wants to get the Avengers back on their feet. ‘I hardly know where to start’ he tells himself, deciding to scan the files and update himself with Avengers activities during the interval he was on leave.
Suddenly, Cap comes across a file he finds very interesting, which reads:
SHIELD directive 5019. 6-18-88.
From: Agent Jack Rollins
NSC Liaison H. Peter Gyrich
Nicholas Fury terminated as Director of SHIELD after evidence of treachery discovered. If Fury makes any attempt to contact Avengers, detain him and report it to SHIELD central at once. Fury armed and dangerous.
‘What’s this? I can’t believe it! Nick a traitor? I’ve got to check this out!’ Cap tells himself, but finds that SHIELD’s phone line has been disconnected. He proceeds to call some of the branch offices, but has no luck with them, either. He wonders what is going on, before realizing that he knows who to call, and ringing an operator, places a person to person call to Peggy Carter, in Roanoke, Virginia.
The next afternoon, across from SHIELD’s central headquarters building in midtown Manhattan, Steve Rogers is wearing a long brown trench coat as he sits across from Peggy Carter. Cap tells Peggy that it is great seeing her, and that he is embarrassed to think how long it has been since they have had time to chat. Peggy thinks that the last time they spoke was at her sister’s memorial service. ‘Yes…I guess it was’ Cap agrees. Cups of coffee in their hands, Peggy tells Cap not to dwell on that, as they have so much else to catch up on. ‘Yes. When you intimated on the phone last night that SHIELD was defunct, I could scarcely believe my ears’ Cap remarks, before announcing that he did some checking, and sitting in his in box was a copy of the United Nations resolution that dissolved the organization.
Cap asks Peggy what happened, pointing out that the UN document gave the what, but not the why of it. ‘What could possibly have prompted Nick Fury to dismantle the world’s foremost intelligence agency?’ Cap enquires. Peggy replies that she thinks only Nick, Dum Dum and perhaps Gabe know the answer to that, for all she knows is that every single SHIELD operative was given a pink slip and a hefty severance check. Peggy announces that the rumor is, something big happened aboard the SHIELD satellite, something involving the board of directors itself. She adds that the other thing she heard is that almost a third of SHIELD’s rank and file perished on the satellite, including some agents she had worked with quite closely. ‘More death!’ Cap exclaims, informing Peggy that he was musing on the subject last night.
Gazing out the window of the diner, Steve asks Peggy where Nick is now, when suddenly, he exclaims ‘Correct me if I’m wrong - but isn’t that Nick’s car driving by?’ he asks. Peggy looks at the car, and confirms that it is. They both rush out of the diner after Steve leaves some money on the table, and run down the sidewalk, with Cap thinking to himself that he still can’t believe it - SHIELD gone. ‘For years, Nick’s little spy group was almost as much a part of my life as the Avengers’ Steve tells himself, but as he and Peggy round an alleyway in pursuit of the car, only a brick wall at the end of the alley can be seen. Steve cannot begin to list the number of missions he undertook for SHIELD, in spite of the fact he never officially joined the organization. As they get closer to the wall, Peggy exclaims that she can hear the door behind the hologram wall closing. ‘Quickly!’ she tells Steve, and as they leap through the hologram, they make it into the facility before the door closes.
Cap ditches his trench coat, and they sere Nick’s yellow car, parked up ahead. ‘Looks like we’ve just missed him’ Cap remarks, while Peggy suggests that he can’t have gone far. Peggy tells Cap that she is curious as to why he stopped working with SHIELD in the past few years. ‘Was it my sister Sharon’s death…? Falling out with Nick? Or what?’ she enquires. As they walk quickly through the darkened facility, Cap explains that it was a combination of factors, adding that, for one thing, it finally dawned on him how ridiculous it was for the nation’s most recognizable hero to be working for the world’s most covert organization. Cap adds that Nick also seemed less inclined to use freelance help of late, before pointing out that he had forgotten how huge this place is, and tells Peggy that it is conceivable that they may never run into Nick.
Peggy suggests that they start at Nick’s office, as he may be here to clean out his desk, when suddenly, a light is shone on Cap and Peggy, and a voice calls out ‘Ahem! You yahoos looking for something?’. Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones stand together and look at Cap and Peggy. Nick holds a cigar in his hand as he tells his friends that if they are here to place their bid on this prime piece of New York real estate, he has to let them know that they are up against Donald Trump. ‘Nick! Gabe! Dum Dum!’ Cap shouts, as he and Peggy smile with delight. They rush over to their friends, and Nick tells Cap that it is long time no see. ‘How’s tricks?’ he asks him. ‘You know, Nick, I thought I had it bad - forced to give up being Cap, having the Avengers fall apart in my absence. But I’ve got to hand it to you, the mess you’ve made of your status quo tops mine!’ Cap exclaims.
Gabe smiles, while nick replies, ‘Yeah, I always did make you look like a piker’, and Dun Dum throws his arms around Peggy, lifting her into the air. ‘How ya been?’ he asks her. ‘Fine! Till you crushed my ribs!’ Peggy smiles. The quintet start walking through the SHIELD facility, and Cap tells Nick that, all kidding aside, he wants to know what has happened. ‘And don’t tell me its classified information, either. SHIELD isn’t around to classify it!’ Cap exclaims. Nick tells Steve that there was a dispute with upper management, and no way to resolve it without bringing his pride and joy organization down around their ears. ‘That still doesn’t tell me much’ Cap points out. Nick tells Cap that SHIELD got too big for its own britches, and he couldn’t keep his one good eye on it all anymore. ‘There was corruption and treachery way up over my head. And I was too blamed busy to save it!’
Nick informs Cap that in the months since the house of cards collapsed, he has been taking it pretty easy, going around to the zillion or so SHIELD branch offices across the world and personally seeing to it that all computers have been data-purged and that all weapons have been slagged, all high-tech hardware auctioned off and all the real estate has been sold. ‘I wasn’t kidding about Trump’ he adds. They all enter a room with high-tech computers, and Cap points out that Nick was always one to see things through to the end. Nick just declares that he is glad it is over. ‘Why anyone expected a chump like me to run the world’s biggest espionage outfit I’ll never know!’ he exclaims, while wondering whether all the computer mainframe data got dumped like he asked, or whether it is still chock full of secret intelligence.
Gabe turns on the lights to the room, while Dum Dum switches the computer on. ‘Since when did you get s blamed computer-knowledgeable?’ Fury asks Dum Dum, who replies ‘The Gaff taught me, Nick. Rest is soul’. Looking around the room, Cap recalls how, for the last few years, he wasn’t even allowed neat restricted areas like this, and now it is just hardware collecting dust. ‘Ahem’ Dum Dum mutters when he holds up some cobwebs, while Nick hands Gabe a disc, explaining that it has the virus programme, he asks Gabe if he knows what to do with it. ‘Just plug her into the system and stand back while she goes through program after program, gobbling up all the data in sight. Nothing purges cleaner’ Gabe smiles. As he starts to leave the room, Fury tells Peggy, Gabe and Dum Dum to see to it that all their classified files are wiped clean, as he and Captain America are going to go deep six the armoury.
‘Hey, save some of the fun stuff for us, huh?’ Peggy calls out. ‘Sure, lady, sure’ Fury calls back, before Peggy, Dum Dum and Gabe turn to the console and start getting to work. Dum Dum asks if Fury was so worried about all this classified stuff falling into the wrong ands why didn’t they wipe it out before they closed this place down last month? Gabe explains that they weren’t able to get a virus that could outwit all of the safeguards installed in the mainframe until yesterday. ‘Oh, figures’ Dum Dum mutters, while, down the corridor, Cap asks Fury what happens once he is done with the mop-up. Fury replies that he can’t say, adding that he has a lot of options, and the CIA would take him back in a minute. Fury reveals that he actually has a hankering to get a private detective’s license, when suddenly, the lights go out.
An instant later, the lights turn back on again. Fury supposes that Dum Dum just hit a wrong switch somewhere, while Cap wonders if it is a problem with the virus program. ‘Maybe - but whatever it was, I’m sure Gabe, Peg and Dum Dum can handle it’ Fury replies, unaware that back in the control room, his three friends are lying motionless on the floor, while the console is smoldering. Cap and Fury enter SHIELD’s central main armoury, where all their heavy-duty peace-keeping weapons were stored when not in use. ‘Which, come to think of it, wasn’t that often’ Fury remarks, smiling as he holds up a plasma-bazooka. ‘Gonna be a pity to atomize such a piece of work’ he tells Cap, who replies that he was never that enamoured of guns. Fury motions to one of the early Mandroid armor proto-types, ‘Ain’t worth spit in combat. But sure is handy for hauling scrap metal’ Fury explains, suggesting they take the armor for a final spin before destroying them.
Cap agrees, and shortly both men are wearing the bulky Mandroid armor, using them armor’s capabilities to carry the various weapons into the adjoining room, where pile of weapons has started to accumulate. Fury tells Cap to dump the weapons anywhere in the room, explaining that the room is an adamantium lined atomic furnace, and that it is used to disposes of obsolete weaponry. As he drops more weapons in the room, Cap tells himself that it is a relief to keep these guns off the black market, and that when it came to lethal weaponry, SHIELD had few peers. Cap then tells Fury that this seems like a waste of good metal, and asks what happens to it once the furnace melts it down. Fury explains that the liquid metal pours down the drain-pipes in the center of the room and collects in concrete vats below. He adds that SHIELD knew the value of recycling non-renewable resources, the same as anybody else.
‘Just making conversation, Nick’ Cap mutters, when he suddenly hears a noise - and an instant later, the doors to the furnace room slam closed - with Fury trapped inside! ‘If this is Cap’s idea of a joke, I’m gonna -’ Fury begins, before the computer announces that the furnace has 45 seconds until ignition. Cap wonders what is going on, realizing that the furnace door slammed shut with Nick inside, and he can hear the computer voice reading the countdown as well. Fury starts banging on the door, telling himself that the manual override box will not budge. ‘Hey, Cap! Open up out there!’ he shouts. Cap knows that he has to find some way to override the door’s locking mechanism. The timer is down to 36 seconds, when suddenly, something fires a blast of energy at Cap.
Captain America turns around and sees another proto-Mandroid, firing from both arms, it walks towards Cap, who dodges the attack, but as the armor he wears amplifies his movements, his reactions are throwing him off balance, and he falls to the floor. As the timer announces 19 seconds, Cap knows he has to get out of the crazy contraption, and manages to wrangle himself free. But with ten seconds left on the clock, he is anxious to free Nick somehow. The proto-Mandroid fires more shots at Cap, who leaps to safety, making his way over to a control panel, the computer announces that there are zero seconds remaining. ‘Nick! My God - NICK!’ Cap thinks to himself, unsure which instrument on the panel shuts the furnace down - but as the doors slide open, all that remains in a pile of ash in the center of the furnace. ‘Oh, Nick…no…NO!’ Cap exclaims.
However, Captain America doesn’t have long to mourn his friend, as the proto-Mandroid continues to attack him. He dodges a blast, then somersaults into the air to avoid another. ‘Wretched machine! Who activated you? Who’s controlling you?’ Cap calls out as the machine purposely comes after him into the furnace. Cap falls to the ground and rolls under the proto-Mandroid, right out of the furnace room, he presses buttons on the control panel and the doors slam closed, with the proto-Mandroid trapped inside. The computer voice sounds once more, counting down the seconds until ignition. Cap rushes out the armory, knowing he has to find the others, hoping that he is not too late to save them, too. Thinking to himself that this is a nightmare, and that Nick can’t be dead, Cap runs into more trouble as he rounds a corner, and is confronted by more of the proto-Mandroids.
The proto-Mandroids unleash various forms of energies at Cap, who ducks to the floor and covers his face with his shield. He then somersaults across the room, diving through the air to avoid the energies emitted by the robots. Cap wonders who could be behind this - AIM? Hydra? - when suddenly, he notices loose grenades lying on the ground, and throws one of them towards the proto-Mandroids, causing them to explode. He protects himself from the blast with his shield, and carries on down a corridor, only to be attacked by robotic tentacles which emerge from a wall. ‘Now this is getting ridiculous!’ Cap thinks to himself, as he is picked up by the tendrils, which are actually attached to a large robot that was part of the wall itself. ‘Who in the world is a master of robotics? Ultron? Doctor Doom?’ Cap tells himself, as the tendrils tighten around his neck, he struggles for breath, when suddenly, the robot is blown up from behind.
‘NICK!’ Cap exclaims as he sees Fury, holding a weapon in his hand, standing nearby. ‘You’re alive!’ Cap declares. ‘So I noticed’ Fury replies, before Cap asks him ‘How?’. Recalling recent events,Fury explains that he spent most of his time trying to open the main door, he then decided to try another way out. With four seconds remaining, he leapt through the iris-shaped opening called a blast shutter inside the furnace, which holds the recording instruments. When the furnace destroyed the weapons, he was safely behind the machines in the other room, sealed off as the iris closed when the blast went off. The two men carry on down the corridor, taking down various tendrils and weapons that attack them, while Fury tells Cap that it was just a matter of making his way through the maintenance ducts. ‘I swear, Nick - sometimes I think you’ll outlive me!’ Cap declares.
As they rush to the mainframe room, Fury asks Cap what is the scam with the screwy hardware, but Cap tells Fury that he hasn’t the slightest, and asks if it could be a malfunction caused when Gabe and the others activated the virus disc, but Fury replies that it can’t be, as a virus can’t do this. But as they enter the mainframe room, the doors slam shut behind them. ‘Whatever it is, pal, it knows where we are!’ Fury exclaims. Cap tells Fury that he has fought a number of robotics experts and asks whether Fury has, but Fury tells Cap to forget about that and look at Gabe, Dum Dum and Peggy. They rush over to their friends and help them off the floor. Cap reports that Peggy and Dum Dum are in shock, but breathing.
Fury guesses that something in this room did it, and believes it was the mainframe itself. He raises his weapon and fires it at the console,’ Eat heat, silicon sucker!’ Fury exclaims, and an instant later, the mainframe explodes. Fury tells Cap that they should get out of here, and they help their friends out of the room. Cap asks Peggy and Dum Dum how they are doing, to which Dum Dum replies that his legs feel like cold slabs of beef. Making their way down the corridor towards Fury’s car, Fury points out that as soon as he slagged the mainframe, the techno-attacks stopped. Fury supposes that somebody was in their system siphoning data when Gabe loaded the virus program, and whoever it was panicked and started sending crazy electronic feedback all over the facility, trying to get them to shut down.
As they load into Fury’s car and speed out of the facility, with Fury confused at how the mystery hacker was able to activate the Mandroids, as they are not hooked up to the main system. Cap informs Fury that he knows someone who has control over all things mechanical, a fellow known as the Machinesmith. He adds that he will be exasperated to learn Machinesmith is back among the living.
An hour later, Cap and Fury stand in a hospital room, at Peggy’s bedside. Cap informs his friend that the doctors say she will be back on her feet in a day. He adds that if she happens to be looking for gainful employment in this post-SHIELD era, she should give him a call. He points out that a person with Peggy’s skills would be perfect to run the Avengers’ communication facilities. Peggy smiles and tells Cap that she may take him up on the offer. Outside in the corridor, Cap tells Nick that it is great to see him again, despite it all. ‘It goes without saying that there’s a place in the Avengers for you, too’ Cap adds as they shake hands. ‘Me? Work under a green-horn like you? Don’t make me laugh’ Fury replies.
At that moment, at a different hospital, ‘We’ve come for John Walker’ Val Cooper tells a hospital employee as they enter the morgue. ‘Of course, come this way, Ms Cooper…Mr, uh, Star. You know, heh…heh…we don’t get all that many super heroes here!’ the man exclaims, looking at Battlestar, who just frowns and tells him to can the cute stuff, ‘Unless you want me to stuff that awful rug you’re wearing down your throat!’ Battlestar warns him. ‘Right. Of course. Step this way’ the employee tells them, leading them to the cabinet where John Walker’s body is being stored. But as he pulls the drawer out, ‘What?’ he utters. ‘Oh!’ Valerie exclaims, shocked. ‘The -? Johnny’s body! It’s gone!’ Battlestar declares as he and Val stare into an empty cabinet….


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Refuge
New York Harbor - the gateway to American, land of opportunity, home of the brave and free. Across from the famed Statue of Liberty, a new addition to the harbor thrusts out of the sea - Avengers Island, the floating headquarters of the mightiest team of super human champions in the free world. On this brisk December day, four brave and free Americans get the chance of a lifetime - the opportunity to try out for membership in the Avengers!
The mightiest of all Avengers, Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America announces ‘Into position everyone! Ready - begin!’ Instantly, the four super-powered beings leap into action. ‘WHOOPS!’ exclaims Robbie Baldwin a.k.a. Speedball of the New Warriors as he crashes into Joey Cartelli a.k.a. the Blue Shield, who warns him to watch where he is going. Fabian Stankowitz a.k.a. Mechanout is lifted into the air by Gladitrix, and he warns the beefy woman to put him down, otherwise she will be sorry. ‘Hey, I’m shaking in my little pink booties, pal!’ Gladitrix replies, although of course she is not wearing pink booties.
Standing on a platform as he watches the four wannabe-Avengers, Captain America wonders if it wasn’t such a good odea to invite everyone who inquired about membership in the past six months to try out at the same time, as it is pretty obvious that these people haven’t the slightest notion of what team-work is. Suddenly, Mechanout extends metal rods from his arms and legs, enabling his body to rise above Gladitrix, as he tells her not to say he didn’t warn her. ‘Bite my exhaust, babe!’ he adds as he releases some gas down up on the startled woman.
Gladitrix begins coughing away, while the Blue Shield anticipates that it will take a while for Mechanout’s gas to penetrate his force field, which will give him enough time to pin the lady wrestler to the mat. But as the Blue Shield leaps up behind Gladitrix, an instant later he is tossed brutally out of the gas cloud, thinking to himself that it seems Gladitrix is not as incapacitated as he might have hoped. ‘Look out!’ he calls out as he soars towards Captain America, who ducks, enabling the Blue Shield to pass over him, ‘Sorry!’ he exclaims, before Captain America announces that he has seen enough, just as Speedball bounces past him.
Captain America grabs Speedball by the ankle, before calling out to Mechanout, who is blasting away at Gladitrix, ‘I said cool it!’ Cap remarks. Stankowitz apologizes, explaining that he had a temporary malfunction in his right audio-receptor. ‘The audition’s over?’ Joey wonders, before Captain America declares that he doesn’t think that last exercise was a fair indicator of their individual combat skills. He is about to announce what he would like to do, when suddenly Michael O’Brien announces over the Island’s intercom that there is a “yellow alert”.
Cap wonders what is going on, and exit’s the large training room with the others in two, excusing himself as he goes to check in with security, he tells the other four to stay where they are until he gets back. ‘Will do, Cap!’ the Blue Shield replies, while Speedball exclaims that if he makes it into the Avengers it will be so “rad”, while Gladitrix asks the Blue Shield if he thinks it is a legitimate emergency, or another kind of test.
Nearby, at the security compound, Captain American enters and asks Michael what is going on. Michael replies that he isn’t sure, but that there is some sort of energy discharge moving straight towards the island. Michael motions to the blips on the radar and remarks that the odd thing is the energy seems to blink on and off, and every time it blinks on, it moves ten miles closer. Cap asks O’Brien what part of the island it appears that the energy will reach first, to which O’Brien replies that it will reach the Eastern beach front. ‘Oh, great! That’s right near the training compound!’ Cap thinks to himself as he races from the security compound back to where he came from.
At that moment, three super powered beings arrive on the island, transported there by the phenomenal Darkforce, wielded by Laynia “Darkstar” Petrovna. Major Mikhail Ursus a.k.a. Ursa Major in his bear form tells Darkstar in their native Russian that she can rest now, as they have arrived. Darkstar’s brother, the brash Nicolai Krylenko, better known as Vanguard motions to the four people on the snow-covered beach and points out that they are not the Avengers they faced last time. Major Ursus replies that apparently the Avengers change their membership with great frequency.
Mechanout motions to the new arrivals, and Speedball exclaims that he recognizes them as the Soviet Super Soldiers. ‘Russians?!’ exclaims Gladitrix, remarking that this is either a very clever test, or else a full-scale attack on the Avengers. She adds that, either way, they should show Captain America they can handle this themselves. ‘ATTACK!’ she screams. ‘What is this?’ Ursa Major asks as Mechanout fires a blast towards him.
‘Let’s move it, Speedy!’ Gladitrix exclaims as she tosses Speedball towards the Soviet Super Soldiers. ‘YEOWW!’ exclaims Robbie as he bounces of Vanguard’s heaving chest. ‘Brash youth! You think to bowl over Vanguard?’ the powerful Russian exclaims. Mechanout calls Vanguard a “lousy Red” and threatens that he will teach him a lesson. Darkstar fires some Darkforce towards the Blue Shield, who blocks it with his shield, while Ursa Major growls at Gladitrix. Gladitrix calls Ursa Major “Yogi” after the cartoon and warns him that if he attacks the Avengers, then someone is liable to make a rug out of him and throws him to the ground.
The Blue Shield is pleased that Darkstar’s energy cannot get through his force screen, when suddenly Darkstar uses the Darkforce to wrap around him like a vice. Mechanout blasts Vanguard, who informs him that his blasts are useless against him, as his mutant body deflects all energies, however, as one blast bounces off him, it strikes Darkstar who was hovering in the air nearby. As Darkstar falls to the ground, the Blue Shield finds himself no longer tied up by her powers.
Vanguard, always protective of his sister, calls out to her, and smacks Mechanout with his hammer, warning him that if he has caused him to harm Darkstar, then he shall pay. Mechanout is propelled across the snow - straight into the Blue Shield, smacking him hard. Darkstar comes to, and Vanguard asks her if she is hurt. ‘No…’ Laynia replies wearily, while Gladitrix is busy straddling Ursa Major, when suddenly, Speedball cries ‘Look out below!’ as he bounces into Gladitrix, knocking her from Ursa Major. This enables Ursus to get back to his feet, and looming over Gladitrix, he declares that the tables are now turned, he remarks that they will now see if she can withstand as much as he did.
‘The bear speaks! I thought he was their pet!’ Gladitrix thinks to herself, when suddenly, a voice booms: ‘Hold it right there, Major!’ - it’s Captain America, who tosses his shield towards Major Ursus, smacking his hand away from Gladitrix. ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA!’ everyone cries in unison. The Blue Shield struggles to push Mechanout off of him, ‘Get off me!’ Joey exclaims, but Stankowitz replies that he can’t, as he has lost all power. Captain America asks what is going on here, and the Super Soldiers approach him, with Vanguard exclaiming that they come in peace. Darkstar informs Captain America that they were attacked the moment they arrived, so they have no choice but to defend themselves.
Captain America asks the trio what their business is here, to which Vanguard announces that they wish to defect to America. Darkstar begins to sob, while a surprised Captain America exclaims ‘You what?!’, before asking the Super Soldiers to give him a moment while he takes care of some things, and turns to the four Avengers candidates. The Blue Shield has finally managed to get Mechanout off of him, but Speedball is still bouncing about. Captain America informs him that he can stop now, while Speedball thinks to himself that he is making a doofus out of himself.
‘Yes…sir!’ Robbie exclaims as he hit’s the ground, then rolls up towards Cap, before standing to attention and saluting him. ‘At ease, man’ Cap remarks, before informing the four wannabes that he has to cut their auditions short in light of the unscheduled arrival of the Super Soldiers. Cap adds that before he has the four of them escorted back to Manhattan, he wants them to know that he saw a lot of raw talent in them all, but that it needs a lot more honing before they are ready for a place in the Avengers, so he suggests they go home, practice all they can to fine-tune their fighting styles, and then call him in another six months or so if they think they have really gotten it down. ‘Fair enough?’ he asks. ‘Yeah.’ Speedball agrees.
Meanwhile, in the Washington D.C. headquarters of the governmental Commission on Superhuman Activities. Lemar Hoskins, better known as Battlestar, stands before the powerful humans in the Commission on Superhuman Activities and asks what happened to John Walker’s body. The sultry Dr. Valerie Cooper tells Battlestar that there is no need for belligerence or alarm, and informs him that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of his friend’s body from the morgue are not as mysterious as they first appeared.
Valerie goes on to say that Super-Patriot’s next of kin, his sister Kate, requested to have John’s body cremated, and the matter was expedited when the two of them were questioning eye-witnesses to the murder. ‘”Assassination” you mean, when public heroes are killed by crackpots who want to stop the good they do. It’s called “assassination”!’ Battlestar exclaims. General Lewis Haywerth of the CSA agrees, adding that as the man they appointed to replace Captain America, Walker proved himself a hero several times over.
Another of the CSA remarks that if Walker had lived then he is certain they would have worked out some alternative service that would have benefited everyone. Valerie then tells Battlestar that if he would like to, they can discuss his own career options. ‘Not now, lady. Not now’ a forlorn Battlestar replies as he walks away from the CSA.
Later that day, back at Avengers Island, Captain America tells Laynia, Mikhail and Nicolai that before he speaks with the state department about their request for political asylum, he needs to know a little more about their reasons for wanting to defect, reminding them that when they last met, the Super Soldiers were working for the Soviet government itself. Vanguard informs Cap that they are heroes of the Soviet people, not the Soviet government, explaining that however from time to time, the government’s and the people’s interests are one and the same.
Darkstar adds that in circumstances like that, they allow themselves to be persuaded to work under the directive of the Kremlin. Major Ursus, in his human form, reveals that after they rendered their services, the Kremlin would not let them be, and tried to coerce the three of them into enlisting in the state’s new team. ‘Bah! It was a mistake to come here!’ Ursus exclaims, muttering that an arch-American like Captain America will never trust them as they are Soviet’s, and that they will be as persecuted here as in the motherland. Mikhail adds that he has a mind to re-assume his bear’s form and walk right out.
Vanguard tells Ursus to calm himself, pointing out that they have only been here three hours, and has not given their host sufficient chance to extend to them the virtues of this free society. Darkstar asks Captain America if she can impress one thing upon him, and tells him that they love their country, that they did not want to leave, but that the Kremlin was marshalling over greater forces for their capture. Laynia asks how much they would be able to accomplish as heroes if the greatest portion of their energies was devoted to eluding the authorities. Captain America tells the trio that he is going to contact the state department to get the process underway, before remarking that before anyone can accept the defections of such powerful ex-government operatives as themselves as legitimate, they are going to be called upon to prove themselves many times over.
Later, Captain America finds the Avenger’s butler, Edwin Jarvis, and asks him to prepare guest rooms for the Super Soldiers, adding that since none of their operational technology is here anymore, the trio can have free run of the mansion, though asking Jarvis to inform him if any of them stray from the building or try anything suspicious. Cap adds that he will be in his quarters if needed.
Shortly, Cap is in the communications room and contacts Raymond Sikorsky, informing him that there is something he would like him to look into. ‘Well, what else are government liaisons for?’ Raymond asks. ‘Ever hear of the Soviet Super Soldiers?’ Cap asks. ‘Yes…’ Raymond replies nervously. After Cap explains the situation to Raymond, he thinks to himself that it is time for the next item on his agenda, and remembers that he wanted to get a memo out to his network of volunteer computer hot-liners and brief them on what his new status quo is, adding that it is gratifying how many stuck with him through his travail, when suddenly, the monitor lights up again, and Peggy Carter appears. ‘Central communications here!’ she exclaims.
Captain America asks Peggy what is going on, and Peggy replies that two corroborative reports of an unidentified person shooting balls of energy near Rangely, Maine, and asks if she should alert the rest of the Avengers. Cap replies ‘No’ and explains that he will investigate himself, adding that if it turns out to require more than just his presence, then he will contact her. Cap asks Peggy to have maintenance ready a Quinjet, and soon he arrives in the hangar bay, thinking to himself that hiring a SHIELD veteran like Peggy to handle Avengers telecommunications was one of the smartest movies he has made since taking over. As the Quinjet departs Avengers Island, Cap thinks to himself that he is determined to make the Avengers ready for the 90’s, no matter what it takes, before deciding to concentrate on the case at hand, he accesses the crime-files to see which energy-projectors are currently at large.
Meanwhile, in their guest quarters, Darkstar lies on a bed and reads a copy of Glamour magazine, while Vanguard and Major Ursus are watching television, where outgoing President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, remarks that his administration has left George Bush with solid foundations for dealing with their Soviet rivals. Vanguard begins laughing, but Major Ursus tells him to be quiet, as he wishes to listen to this. Nicolai replies that he cannot help himself laugh, for whenever he sees Ronald Reagan, he can only think of how Yuri Petrovich used to emulate Reagan. Darkstar corrects her brother, “imitate” she tells him, not “emulate”.
Mikhail folds his arms across his chest and frowns as he watches Reagan remark that their INF Treat is a success, barring Soviet subterfuge or cheating during the on-sight inspection process.
Reagan adds that they should continue SDI development which has already helped bring “the great Russian bear” quietly to heel, at the conference table in Helsinki. Mikhail is outraged, and shouts, before exclaiming once more that they should have not come here. ‘The overweening presumption of the superiority of the capitalistic system enrages me!’ Mikhail exclaims as he lifts his chair and prepares to smash it into the television. But Vanguard leaps up, ‘Ursus! No!’ he exclaims, before reminding his friend that they are guests here.
Suddenly, the door opens and Captain America enters. Vanguard and Ursus look concerned, so stop squabbling, and put the chair back down and act nonchalantly. Cap approaches them and informs them that he has spoken with the state department, and that what they told him was to test their powers to make sure they are who they say they are. Vanguard protests, pointing out that Captain America has already seen in them in action, early today against those candidates. ‘Look. Do you people want to stay or not? All right. Then do not argue with me!’ Cap remarks, surprisingly abrupt. Turning to lead the Soviet Super Soldier’s out of the guest quarters, Cap adds that he observed little of that fight earlier, but not enough, so this time, they will do a thorough job. The Super Soldiers just look at each other, concerned.
Soon, Captain America and the Super Soldiers approach the training facility, explaining that it is still under construction, but that it will be sufficient enough. Vanguard wonders why Captain America’s speech suddenly sounds more formal than before, but he has no time to investigate his suspicions as they enter the training facility, and Captain America motions across the room, introducing the Super Soldiers to the men who will help him administer the test - his fellow Avengers - Iron Man, the Vision, and Thor! Captain America informs the Super Soldiers that they will engage each other in simulated combat, and that the Super Soldiers are to demonstrate all of their various super human capabilities.
‘A test - bah!’ Major Ursus thinks to himself as he tosses his robe to the ground, before transforming into his bear form, ‘To think that any other man alive could mimic the unsurpassed power of Ursa Major - is insulting!’ he thinks to himself, before declaring ‘We are ready…Americans!’ Captain America then turns to his fellows, ‘Avengers, attack!’ he exclaims as they leap into action. Iron Man fires a repulsor ray at Vanguard, while Thor tosses his hammer at Ursa Major, and the Vision becomes intangible as Darkstar blasts him with Darkforce energies.
Ursa Major notices Thor’s hammer careening towards him and realizes that he should not let it hit him, so he ducks. This causes the hammer to pass over him, but it smacks against the wall, and rebounds towards Darkstar. Ursus calls out to Laynia to warn her, so the beautiful blonde turns quickly, blocking the hammer with her Darkforce energy and thanking her friend for the warning. Vanguard continues to block Iron Man’s energies, asking the armored Avenger if he has forgotten that his mutant might enables him to deflect all energies directed against him.
Captain America tosses his shield, and it smacks into Darkstar from behind. Vanguard throws his hammer and sickle at Captain America, asking him where his honor is. ‘Attacking my sister from behind!?’ he exclaims, shocked. Captain America simply replies that combat knows no honor, and leaps backwards, catching Vanguard’s powerful weapons in his hands, adding that combat only knows skill, strength and resourcefulness, before laughing wickedly.
Meanwhile, just outside Washington, there is a knock at Battlestar’s door. ‘Lemar? It’s Val Cooper!’ Valerie exclaims. ‘Yeah?’ Lemar replies, giving the Valerie permission to enter. Stepping inside, Val sees that Lemar is packing. ‘Observant, aren’t you?’ Battlestar mutters sarcastically. Valerie tells Battlestar that she cannot speak for the rest of the CSA, but that she is really sorry about how everything turned out. Valerie reveals that she looked into the mix-up at the morgue, and informs Lemar that it seems Walker’s sister contacted General Haywerth directly, and arranged everything through him, before telling Battlestar that they were serious about making him a good offer for his services, and that there is no need for him to leave.
Valerie tells Battlestar that his record is even better than Walker’s, and that what the CSA had in mind for him was to work with Freedom Force for a bit - Battlestar interrupts, ‘Thanks - but no thanks’ he tells Valerie, informing her that without Walker around, he doesn’t want to be here either. Val asks Lemar what he intends to do, ‘You’re not going to retire are you?’ she exclaims. Battlestar replies that he is thinking of going back to his native Chicago and serving the community there, before they shake hands, and Battlestar bids Valerie goodbye. ‘I always considered you one of the good ones’ he tells her.
Back at Avengers Island, Thor smashes Ursa Major in the face, while Darkstar fends off the energies of both the Vision and Iron Man, while thinking to herself that her back feels like it is broken, and that she thought this was supposed to be a training exercise, but she is being ganged up on. Laynia decides that she must, as the saying goes, pull no punches, and surrounds Iron Man in the Darkforce. ‘Blinded!’ Iron Man exclaims, while the Vision flies towards Laynia, boasting that she still has to reckon with him. Iron Man falls to the ground with a massive thud as Darkstar continues to aim the Darkforce at the Vision.
The Vision plunges into the ground while Darkstar remarks that he is solar powered and that she will have to see to that, when suddenly a beam of light bursts from Iron Man, distracting Laynia, and enabling some mechanical equipment to rise from the ground and ensnare her. ‘Oh!’ she exclaims, shocked, before asking how this happened. The Vision approaches her, explaining that he has an affinity for all things mechanical, while Darkstar thinks to herself that she doesn’t recall the Vision possessing these kinds of powers, ‘Wait - I know!’ she thinks, before the Vision places his hands on her head and exclaims that he shall short-circuit her neurons, causing Darkstar to scream. The Vision takes flight as he motions to the unconscious Darkstar and declares that she is done with.
‘Your animal strength is nothing!’ Thor exclaims as he punches Ursa Major again, causing blood to fly from the bear’s mouth. Thor then raises his hammer high and causes a bolt of lightning to strike Ursa Major. ‘The great beast is down!’ Thor exclaims, examining the smoke rising from the bear’s chest as he falls to the ground.
Captain America smashes his shield into Vanguard, while holding his weapons at bay and remarking that without them, he has nothing to focus his mutant power through. ‘You barbarians! Why are you doing this?’ Vanguard asks. ‘Why, Vanguard?’ Captain America snaps as he whacks Nicolai with his own hammer. ‘Because you are traitors to the motherland!’ Captain America adds as Nicolai falls to the ground. Cap drops Vanguard’s weapons, declaring that he doesn’t need them to finish Vanguard off. Vanguard coughs, before looking up and exclaiming ‘Just realized - you’re not Captain America! You’re -’ he is interrupted, ‘I am your executioner!’ Captain America exclaims as he smashes Vanguard with his shield once more.
‘Finished comrade?’ Iron Man asks with a Russian voice. ‘Da!’ Captain America replies. Iron Man calls out to someone called Fantasia, informing her that she can restore them to their true guises. A long-haired woman materializes next to the “Avengers”, who are indeed, not the Avengers. ‘Yes, so it is the Supreme Soviets who can claim this victory, not the American Avengers!’ exclaims Red Guardian, flanked by the Crimson Dynamo, Perun and Sputnik. Fantasia reminds Red Guardian that they cannot claim victory until they escape unnoticed, as the Avengers must be blamed for this atrocity. Otherwise, their efforts have been wasted. Red Guardian orders Fantasia to cloak then in invisibility so they can retreat to their hidden vessel.
Two hours later, ‘What a waste!’ Captain America thinks to himself, for by the time he got to Maine, there was no sign of the culprit tearing up the country-side. Cap wonders if it was a wild goose chase, and if so, why - what was the point and who was behind it? He enters the guest quarters to check on his guests, only to discover that they are absent. ‘I thought I left Jarvis and O’Brien strict instructions not to let them leave the building!’ Cap thinks to himself, before wondering if perhaps their defection was a ploy to gain access to the island so that they could steal secrets, and the emergency in Maine could have been designed to make him leave them unguarded.
Cap goes over to an inter-com and calls out to O’Brien, announcing that they have a code-red, as the Soviets have escaped. O’Brien replies that Captain America better come to the training compound quickly, as there has been some trouble.
Within moments, Captain America rushes in and sees Darkstar, Vanguard and Major Ursus lying on stretchers, with medics tending to them. Cap asks O’Brien what happened, to which Michael replies that he doesn’t know, but after he noticed they were gone, he searched the whole island for them, and found them here, like this. Cap asks if they are alive, to which O’Brien replies that they look pretty bad….