Captain America (1968 series) #136

After Captain America and the huge gorilla (actually SHIELD biochemist Dr. Erik Gorbo) plummet into the enormous hole in the Earth, SHIELD personnel are stunned, certain that Cap is dead. Falcon, however, refuses to admit that all is lost and hatches a scheme to attempt a rescue. And Nick Fury knows this and distracts the distraught Sharon Carter from Falcon’s plan….

Meanwhile, as Cap and the ape plummet into the pit, their fall is suddenly slowed and halted by an anti-gravity beam wielded by…the Mole Man. Gorbo feels a kinship with the villain, as they are both outcasts because of their horrid appearance, and he determines to use this to his advantage later. Cap and the gorilla are captured by the Mole Man’s minions, on suspicion that the planned dumping of toxic waste into the pit is a deliberate attack on the underground world despite Cap’s protests; eventually Cap persuades Mole Man to send him back to the surface to dissuade them from the dumping program. The caged ape swallows the antidote and reverts to Gorbo’s form, telling Mole Man that Cap is an enemy after all, leading to Cap being attacked underground by the Subterraneans….

As all seems hopeless, the Falcon flies to the rescue on a rocket pack supplied by Tony Stark. The enraged Mole Man determines to fire a high-tech weapon to the surface to destroy SHIELD HQ but Gorbo realizes that Julia will die as well and he throws himself in front of the muzzle and takes the deadly blast himself. As Gorbo dies, he reverts to human and confesses that he lied to start a war. The Mole Man realizes it was all unnecessary and sends Cap and Falcon back to the surface in peace.