An early morning in Manhattan sees Captain America and the Falcon rushing along a crowded street. Why the hurry? Cap, blinded up until a few hours ago (see last issue) wants to see his beloved New York once again. As he stands drinking in the sights, a crowd gathers and begins asking questions and requesting autographs from the veteran hero; Falcon makes excuses to the disappointed fans as Cap stands in a reveries. He thinks back to his own childhood but only gets as far back as that day in 1941 when Steve Rogers was ushered into the secret lab to take part in Professor Erskine’s Super-Soldier experiment. Drinking the serum, bathing in the Vita-Rays transformed him into a powerful warrior…whose first mission, sadly, turned out to be the capture of Erskine’s assassin. Chosen to be Captain America, Steve became the embodiment of his nation and its ideals. His mind quickly ranges over his career:
--Fighting in the most dangerous missions of World War 2
--Gaining a partner in Bucky Barnes who learned his secret identity
--Facing murderous villains such as the Red Skull, with Bucky and as part of the Invaders
--The death of Bucky and his own disappearance in ice for decades
--The choice of his successors, William Naslund (the Spirit of ’76) and Jeff Mace (the Patriot)
--The rise of the imitation Steve Rogers who became the commie-baiting Captain America of the 1950s
--His discovery and rescue by the Avengers
--His partnerships with first Rick Jones then the Falcon
--His struggles against a revived Red Skull and 1950s Cap
--and his recent blinding and recovery
Through this all, he suddenly realizes, he has no memory of his life before that day in 1941 when he drank the Super-Soldier Serum. So who is Steve Rogers?