Godwulf tells Captain America how this future came to pass: in 1983, Brand Corporation—a subsidiary of the sinister Roxxon—developed the Nth Projector, which could open holes to alternate dimensions. Godwulf was one of a team of commandos on Operation: Purge, using the projectors to send all America’s superheroes to their deaths in another world, paving the way for Roxxon to conquer the nation. The ensuing chaos led to a world war and a devastated America in which small pockets of humanity have survived. Godwulf introduces them to his Redeemers: Sage, Swashbuckler, Gentle Sam, Big Man, and Iron Butterfly. The immediate threat: Deathlok’s creator Harlan Ryker has rebuilt himself as a cyborg called Hellinger, who is scheming to use his army of mechanized super-soldiers to exterminate humanity and rule. He explains how he had hidden Deathlok in the past to keep him out of Ryker’s clutches and has now brought him back to serve as symbol to rally the humans to fight back. Cap appeals to the reluctant hero to remember his lost humanity that his clone died to recover. Cap volunteers to serve alongside Deathlok in the coming battle.
Interlude 1: At her parents’ house, Bernie is unable to sleep, frustrated that Steve’s life as Captain America has come between them. Sister Nancy advises her to go to bed, realizing she must really love this guy.
Interlude 2: Nomad spends the rest of the evening talking to Scarlet, the young woman he saved from robbers. She leans over and kisses him—and he passes out from the drug in her lipstick, as she prepares to carry out her orders.
Hellinger awaits, meditating on the weakness and futility of the "fleshlings," then the heroes begin their attack, flying aircraft in an assault on the villain’s base. Entering the complex they find themselves trapped in a maze, from which the Redeemers are whisked away two by two until only Cap and Deathlok remain to confront Hellinger. In his lair, the sinister overlord triggers his secret plan—and Deathlok shoot Cap in the back, as Hellinger has regained control over his creation’s computer brain. The wounded Cap is encouraged by the fact that Deathlok did not fire a fatal shot with his laser and appeals to him to remember the sacrifice of his clone. Deathlok slowly recalls his humanity as Luther Manning and blasts Hellinger apart with his laser, finally destroying the instrument panel that controls his mech servants. As the freed Redeemers gather, Deathlok volunteers to help rebuild the world. Captain America then expresses his gratitude, calling him Luther, not Deathlok.