Late one night at a college in Madison,
Wisconsin, the Buckies (Bold Urban
Commandos) terrorize a dorm for international students, setting the lawn on
fire and playing the part of redneck racists. They then link up with their
secret partner, the masked hero known as Super-Patriot, and vanish into the
night….
Steve Rogers then arrives at the same college to pay a visit
to fiancée Bernie Rosenthal who is attending law school there. When word comes
of the attack on the dorm, Bernie takes her friends over to see so Steve can
show up separately as Captain America.
The foreign students recognize him as wearing the costume of the thugs who
terrorized the place. Other onlookers assume Cap is connected with the Buckies
and scattered fighting breaks out. Meanwhile the police make it clear Cap is
not welcome in their investigation. As Steve again, he shares his worries with
Bernie over these reactionary bigots who are smearing him by association.
Bernie mentions that the Super-Patriot is going to appear at a charity rock
concert in Milwaukee….
Interlude: An IRS agent looks into Steve Rogers’
million-dollar windfall (issue #312) and decides to keep digging….
Steve and Bernie attend the concert headed by Willie Nelson
to raise money for the homeless; Super-Patriot makes a stirring speech from the
stage which goes over well with the audience. Steve changes to his Cap outfit
ands seeks out S-P backstage. They repair to the parking lot where Cap warns
him that he knows he is working with the Buckies. Patriot taunts Cap offering
to confess to anything if Cap defeats him in battle. When Cap doesn’t snap at
the bait, Super-Patriot decides to force the issue by attacking Cap with his
torch-sword. There follows a grueling battle lasting nearly an hour where Cap
is unable to gain any advantage over a foe with greater strength and stamina;
soon the Super-Patriot calls off the fight in order to return to the concert.
As he drives off with Bernie, as depressed as she has ever seen him, she
decides to postpone the talk about ending their engagement….
Epilogue: The dogged IRS agent, after studying Steve’s
military records, suddenly realizes that Steve must be Captain America….