Captain America on a motorcycle crashes
into a Hydra hideout where they are holding SHIELD Agent Whedon
prisoner. Cap defeats the Hydra Agents and learns from Whedon that
they were planning to bomb the UN Peace Initiative. Dum Dum Dugan and
more SHIELD Agents arrive to clean up matters, the Initiative having
been canceled and the delegates sent back to Embassy Row. From the
baddies' confidence, Cap suspects that Embassy Row was the target all
along and departs....
Reaching a rooftop where he can keep
watch over Embassy Row, Cap encounters Crossbones, hired by Hydra to
bomb the neighborhood. Crossbones also introduces his
assistant—Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, disguised as a brick
chimney. 'Bones leaves Cap in Creel's hands and goes to set the bomb.
Cap dodges and dances around his foe and manages to wreck his
wrecking ball; Creel responds by turning to steel and doubling his
efforts to kill the hero. Cap topples him with judo and holds his
shield to the villain's throat; Creel grabs hold of some wires and
becomes a being of electricity. Cap topples a water tank on him which
takes a lot of fight out of Creel. He tries to absorb Cap's shield
but Cap turns in time for the baddie to touch his bare shoulder,
turning the Absorbing Man into a normal human who can be flattened
with a punch from Cap....
Cap catches up to where Crossbones is
priming the bomb to go off and they spar with 'Bones explaining how
he is an artist of murder and terror. Cap also learns that the bomb,
once primed, cannot be defused—and that Creel doesn't know he is a
party to mass murder, thinking this is all for a heist. As the bomb
is nearing detonation, Crossbones escapes as the angry Crusher Creel
returns to battle Captain America. Cap tries to explain about the
bomb but doesn't know if he is getting through to Creel—until Creel
touches Cap's shield. Having absorbed the unique alloy of Vibranium,
he enfolds the bomb in a bear hug and it explodes harmlessly. Creel,
unharmed, turns into vapor and blows away, intending to avenge
himself against Crossbones and Hydra. And Cap realizes that one man
can always make a difference.