Captain America (1968 series) #157

Captain America has been summoned to a secret meeting with the Police Commissioner at a small precinct house in Hell’s Kitchen. On the way he is ambushed by a trio of thugs working for the Cowled Commander. Easily defeating his foes, Cap makes it to the appointment; there the Commissioner asks him to uncover the identity of the Cowled Commander, the sinister figure who is behind the spate of corruption charges against seemingly honest cops, including Sgt. Muldoon. The Commissioner excuses himself to make a phone call; moments later, the building is rocked by an explosion. Meanwhile, Muldoon conceives a scheme to try to prove his innocence (more on this next issue). Elsewhere, Sam Wilson again bickers with the lovely Leila and changes into the Falcon to pay a call on gang boss Morgan. While the Falcon is threatening him over his criminal activities, Morgan gets a call that Captain America has been killed in an explosion. Falcon arrives at the scene to find a devastated building and a distraught Sharon. He joins in the search for survivors but they find nothing. Falcon spies someone on the roof across the street and swings up there to confront the Viper, a former ad exec turned criminal in the pay of the Cowled Commander. The two battle and the villain manages to nail Falcon with a poisoned dart. Suddenly Captain America arrives: having escaped the blast, he remained in hiding to smoke out his assailant. Cap overcomes the Viper and demands the antidote to Falcon’s poison but Viper demands his freedom in exchange for the vial. Cap agrees and the villain prepares to leave, tossing the vial onto the roof. When Cap bends to retrieve it, Viper pierces him with another poisoned dart and makes his getaway.