This issue we're back mainly with the Crazy Sues in WWII. The present-day action is restricted to a few pages of Slo-Mo Jones narrating the story to Alyssa Bryon.
Slo-Mo denies being the person who's been sending Alyssa messages about Operation Firefly. He tells her it's dangerous to investigate. Alyssa knows this, having been warned off by Loki, and warned to be careful by her unknown informant. But she intends to keep her promise to her now-dead grandfather (who was Young Avenger in WWII) that she would write his story.
Slo-Mo tells her that Captain Flame (Frank Cortez) was the essence of Operation Firefly.
Last issue we left the Crazy Sues platoon of special soldiers in their first mission on Guadalcanal 13th August 1942. An injured Slo-Mo saw Captain Flame overload after sending Japanese fire back to the enemy. Davey Drew and Jap-Buster Johnson were close to Cortez, and Drew seemed to be welcoming death (maybe because of the demon I think he's merged with).
This issue picks up when Slo-Mo has returned from hospital, to rejoin his squad still in the Pacific. Johnson died when Captain Flame exploded. Drew suffered major burns but is still on the team (maybe the demon helped his recovery), crazier than before.
The Crazy Sues have lost other team members while Slo-Mo was away, but the survivors are now a seasoned group. Captain Flame has apparently made a habit of going off unpredictably. The rest of the squad seem
The issue opens in the middle of a firefight, as another soldier bites the dust. This time it's Vagabond.
We don't see any more of this battle, but the next day they are shipped to Europe. It seems to be part of the Normandy landings, so this is D-Day June 6th 1944. They are to parachute along with others into a French town Sainte-Mere-Eglise. This was a real WWII event Operation Boston to secure the strategic position on a major road to prevent German reinforcements.
Apart from Slo-Mo Jones, Captain Flame and Davey Drew, other guys identified on the team are Blue Diamond, Flash Foster, Captain Strong, Invisible Man, Moon Man, Young Avenger, Taxi Taylor, Transisto-Mech, Merzah, Archie the medic and the Fin. And they're still commanded by Sgt Byrd (Flame and Strong aren't real captains, that's just their hero names). Byrd says Captain America is leading a ground force to try to reach the town as well.
Slo-Mo makes it to the ground, but some unidentified men don't. He finds Cortez, who's exploded again. Captain Flame has been the squad's most effective weapon, and he is sickened by all the killing he's done. Then they are joined by some of the others, including Merzah and possibly Young Avenger and Archie. But we don't see any more of that operation.
The scene skips to a celebration where a bunch of new recruits joins the squad. The only one named is American Ace, a pilot called Ace Masters. Captain America, Bucky, Human Torch and Sub-Mariner are on hand to welcome the recruits. (Whizzer is mentioned also, but I don't see him.)
Induction of recruits has been a regular occurrence, and Davey Drew can always tell who is going to die. He manifests a spectral demon's head overlaying his own in this scene.
Apart from Captain Flame and Davey Drew I can spot Slo-Mo, Young Avenger, Blue Diamond, Moon Man and Merzah at the party. Sgt Byrd, Flash Foster, Captain Strong, Invisible Man, Taxi Taylor, Transisto-Mech, Archie and Fin aren't recognisably there. We know Sgt Byrd, Archie the medic, Captain Strong and Flash Foster make it to a December 1944 episode in #1. Invisible Man, Taxi Taylor and Transisto-Mech are seen in the other WWII part of #1, later in June. But we'll have to wait until next issue to find out if Fin died in Sainte-Mere-Eglise.
Captain Flame tries to find a sympathetic ear in the similarly-powered Torch, but meets only a formal response. Masters strikes up a conversation with him, and Slo-Mo sees them leave the party. Jones follows them outside, and sees Cortez and Masters kissing.