America Chavez: Made In The USA (2021 series) #2

Last issue America Chavez returned from Los Angeles to Washington Heights in New York because her adoptive Santana family were attacked. She saved them with the help of Spider-Man (the Peter Parker version) but a note indicated the attack was because of her. And a mysterious hooded person is watching.

This issue continues to be split between current events and flashbacks to America's adoptive childhood. Last issue we saw her washed ashore 13 years ago on an NY beach and taken home by the Santanas. She was initially uncommunicative.

Again I'm going to list the 2 strands separately. This time I'll start with the flashbacks.

10 years ago older Alberto Santana caught America Santana fighting in the schoolyard with a boy named Camilo. She says that he said that the family tree she presented to the class wasn't real. She now shows it to Berto and he's shocked to see instead of the Santanas she drawn 2 mothers Amalia and Elena Chavez in the Utopian Parallel with a Grandma and something called the Demiurge. She claims that when the Santanas found her on the beach she couldn't remember her past, but now her memory's come back.
Javier and Cecelia Santana take America to a therapist. She tells her that her real moms were heroes who sacrificed themselves to save everyone in the Utopian Parallel, and she's going to grow up to be like them. But she doesn't remember how she got from there to here. Javi and Ceci have to admit they know nothing about America's real parents or her earlier life. But then they see their daughter concentrating and levitating.

6 years ago young teen 'superhero' America 'on patrol' catches Camilo extorting money out of a kid. She defeats him and his associate but a policeman asks if her parents know what she's doing. Officer Thompson takes her home and we learn it's the 3rd time he's 'apprehended' her. The parents are angry. Dad says people like them need to keep to the straight and narrow. Mom says other cops wouldn't be so easy on her as Thompson. America retorts that the cops don't care about this neighbourhood so she needs to be out there helping people. She says her real moms would understand.

3 years ago America returns home from an adventure to find a baby shower for the newborn JJ. The usual argument picks up. Ceci says she doesn't care about the family. America says she's a hero, she cares about *everybody*. Javi tries to mediate and be reasonable. It ends with America walking out and changing her name from Santiago to Chavez.

In the present AC tells Spidey that the Santana's adopted her after she came from the Utopian Parallel. They catch 2 looters trying to break in to the Santanas' bodega. Later she catches up with the her family sheltering at Aunt Marta's house, including Berto's unnamed wife and their little son JJ who she hasn't seen since he was a baby a couple of years ago. Ceci brings up the note which she believes means America is to blame for the attack. Javi defuses the tension by taking her to inspect the damage at the bodega.

At the bodega (surprisingly undamaged after the fire in the building last issue) Javi tries to build bridges with America. He says he knows that the family was part of the reason she left. But Chavez is too interested in playing detective. She looks through the CCTV and sees a person in a hoodie enter and stand around for an hour before scattering some things on the ground. And when she checks America finds some Indigo Lanes tokens.

On the way to the Indigo Lanes Arcade in Jones Beach (where she came ashore last issue) America phones her best bud PI Kate Bishop (Hawkeye) in LA to run what she's doing past her because she thinks it's a trap. Inside the empty arcade she sees the hooded figure (and last issue's voiceover returns saying that America's world is about to be rocked). Our heroine chases Hoodie who leads her outside then starts flying. (The voiceover says they have a lot in common.) Chavez follows them out over the ocean to an island, despite her power glitching temporarily. When they land the foe activates a device and America is KO'd by 'lightning'. (The voiceover says that America won't recognise it but they're home in the Utopian Parallel.) And we see that the foe has stars on their wrists like America did when she was found.