Steve Rogers is on a dinner date with Sharon Carter (Agent 13) when armed thugs invade the club, shoot stun gas in Steve’s face, and carry off Sharon. When the thugs arrive at the Island of Exiles, the Red Skull is enraged to discover that they did not recognize her escort as Captain America and kill him—but no matter, he will continue with his plans for Nazi world domination….
As his Chiefs of Staff are entertained by combat between two prisoners, Captain America arrives on the island. Dropping into the ocean from a SHIELD jet, Cap swims underwater, defeats deadly electronically-controlled kelp, commandeers an attack craft, evades enemy fire and lands on the island, fighting his way past numerous guards and only hesitates when he comes face-to-face with the Red Skull himself—long enough for a guard to knock him unconscious. While he is out, the Red Skull implants a small strip of nuclear tape on the back of Cap’s neck, bringing him under the villain’s control. As the Exile leaders quarrel over dividing the conquered Earth, Cap and Agent 13 escape from their cells with her concealed SHIELD technology and fight their way to the airfield. The Red Skull intercepts them there and Cap defeats the Skull in hand-to-hand combat, as a victory for freedom, while Sharon seizes a jet and they fly to safety—or so they think. The Red Skull still holds the detonator that controls the nuclear tape which Cap does not realize is attached to his neck….
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Review: This time it’s personal! Having defeated the formidable weapon last issue with the application of worry (and Sharon’s worry at that), Cap now must rescue his lady fair from the clutches of the bad guys! And Red Skull discovers that demanding unthinking obedience makes his followers into idiots (well, he says “human robots” but it’s practically the same thing). But he decides to go ahead with his plans anyway! Meanwhile, Cap fights electronically-controlled kelp because the Sub-Mariner isn’t available! Good thing Cap carries explosive pellets in his glove for just such an emergency! And for the second issue in a row, Cap and Skull debate politics while throwing punches! More fun…wait! Sharon has a flamethrower under one fingernail and a capsule of acid under another; I’d hate to be her manicurist!
Comments: Part three of a four-part story. Agent 13’s name is finally revealed to be Sharon Carter—to Cap as well as the readers. First real appearance of the Exiles Chiefs of Staff (they were seen in shadow at the end of last issue). For the third consecutive issue, Cap employs a device created by Tony Stark, this time an oxygen cylinder.
