As Captain America Steve Rogers
lies in a coma in the hospital, Spider-Man drops in via the window and offers
to watch over Steve while Sharon Carter goes home to get some rest. After she’s
gone, Pete unmasks and starts talking to Steve, unburdening himself….
In Hell, Mephisto dispatches a
female demon called Frenza to capture Victor von Doom and the Red Skull to deal
with Steve Rogers, his archenemy. The two denizens of Hell hate one another so Mephisto
suggests making it a contest, the first one to retrieve these souls will be
granted a boon by the Lord of Hell. Red Skull airs his grievances, believing he
was destined for heaven, he accuses Mephisto of playing some kind of supernatural
trick to have him sent to Hell; Mephisto laughs at the delusions of Nazis and
points out that Frenza has already left for their mission….
Elsewhere, Torvoz the Preacher is
being pursued by a pair of small green demons who intend to bring him to
Mephisto. Then Steve and Doctor Doom arrive to rescue the Preacher, with Steve
objecting to Doom’s killing his opponent; both Doom and Veratok insist that
some demons are too far gone to save. Torvoz is introduced to Steve and he
hails Steve as the promised Messiah, which honor Steve declines. Torvoz
suggests they go to the Midland Fires for the next stop in his journey….
Back in the hospital, Spidey
shares his concerns about the Armageddon mission, worried that the heroes are
succumbing to anger, rather than justice. He insists that Captain America would
have been the one to lead them on the right path and he wants Steve back….
Torvoz leads the other to his camp
where he is greeted enthusiastically by his followers. Steve and Doom enter a debate
over their purpose; Steve questions why he was sent here and points out that
Doom was a world dictator himself. Doom still insists he is the only one
qualified to rule Earth but he also disagrees with Mephisto’s aims and wants Veratok
to be the ruler of Hell as she will rule with compassion as well as justice.
But they both have a concern…but they are interrupted by Torvoz who promises
they will be able to recruit a larger army but he reveals they will also need a
weapon….
Red Skull announces his plan: he
assumes Frenza will be defeated by Steve and Doom who will confront Mephisto
where they will be destroyed so Red Skull can challenge the weakened Mephisto and
take over. His Nazi minions salute him with a “Sieg heil.”
At the Devil’s forge, Steve/Doom’s
party encounter burning chains in a magical trap which are impervious to Doom’s
spells but Steve is able to break through them. They are challenged by Bartand
the Smith, a winged giant with a massive axe. Torvoz demands his help, Bartand responds
by swinging his axe which Steve is able to catch, surprising both of them. As
the Smith spars with Doom, Steve swings the axe and drops part of the ceiling
on Bartand. Then they are interrupted by the demon Frenza, who reveals she is
Doom’s long ago lover Valeria who Doom sacrificed to Hell to gain magical powers and
she has vengeance in her eyes….
For the special marvelite in you