In the bowels of Skull-House, escapees Falcon, Bernie Rosenthal, Nomad, and Arnie Roth are searching for an exit. What they don’t know is that the aging Captain America is looking for them. A mysterious door leads Cap right back to the Red Skull’s bunker. The elderly villain reveals that he has dosed the both of them with a deadly poison and they have three hours to live. The Skull tries to intensify Cap’s despair by showing him the prisoners—but they have escaped. Cap counts it a small victory.
Elsewhere Baron Zemo is filled with regrets for idolizing the Red Skull and obsessing over revenge against Cap. Mother Superior, embittered by her father’s rejection, attacks him….
Interludes: Dave Cox shows signs of coming out of his coma (issue #294-295). Telepathic Black Crow detects grim events in the air. The Avengers know something is wrong with Cap and head out to search for him….
The escaped prisoners emerge from a vent in Mother Superior’s church where they are attacked by the Sisters of Sin. Falcon and Nomad take on their foes while Bernie tries to protect the mind-broken Arnie. Suddenly Mother Superior and Baron Zemo, locked in combat, crash in through a high window. Mother defeats Zemo and heads off to seize the crown of evil from her father. Meanwhile, Cap and Red Skull continue to spar verbally—until the Skull hits a button that demolishes the house. The two longtime foes don their masks and have at it….