Captain America bursts out of the sewer where he and Diamondback were buried alive last issue. After giving details of the supervillain battle beneath the streets to the police, they head back to Avengers headquarters. In Washington, the Skeleton Crew arrives at the Red Skull’s office building and seeks medical help for the Voice whose throat was crushed by the Black Queen in the melee. Crossbones, Mother Night, and Machinesmith then helpfully review the progress in their search for their missing leader (bringing the reader up to speed). Crossbones remembers a psychic, Tristram Macawber, from the Bloodstone Hunt (issues #358-162), who may be able to assist them….
Cap and Diamond return to Avengers HQ where they grab a bite to eat and the larcenous lady plays cards with the crew while Cap meets with architect Eric Masterson about designing a new HQ….
A menacing Crossbones and Mother Night pay a call on Tristram Macawber and bribe and bully him into taking on their case. The hapless psychic concentrates on the Red Skull’s necktie and determines that the Nazi villain has been buried alive. Macawber leads the Crew to a remote area in New Jersey where he is overcome by the aura of death and collapses. They dig where he fell and uncover the entrance to an old fallout shelter. Entering, they find the frail and emaciated Red Skull, who asks to be taken home to die. When they arrive at the decaying mansion, Crossbones insists on taking the Skull first to see his trophy room, to revive his spirit. Looking over a gallery of uniforms, scale models of the Sleepers and other weapons, portraits of Hitler and the Exiles, and the head of the Ameridroid, the Red Skull revives slightly and requests to see Captain America one last time….
Soon, Cap receives a report of lights on at Skull House. He and Diamondback head there and cautiously enter the spooky premises. They are greeted by a hologram image of the Red Skull which lures them toward a trap door which they evade. A search of the house brings them to the trophy room where they are attacked by the Sleeper models. A furious battle breaks out with Cap and Diamond victorious against the maniacal machines. The hologram reappears and escorts the pair to the bedroom where they find the critically ill Red Skull. The villain reveals that he was ready to die but looking on the face of his longtime enemy has given him the determination to survive and recover to seek revenge. Cap and Diamond take their leave, with Cap finally certain, from seeing the inhuman expression in his eyes, that the original Red Skull is alive….