Steve Rogers dreams that he is Captain America, trapped for decades beneath the ice, watching the events of the world pass him by until he finally smashes his way out…then he awakens to the sounds of violence outside. Seizing his shield he leaps from the window and overpowers two muggers. Later that day, returning from work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard he spots a confrontation brewing between two gangs. When one group draws guns, Steve informs them that the neighborhood is safe while he lives there and reminds the gangleader (Tony) that his sister died violently. The leader orders his men to drop their weapons—with the warning that if Cap fails to protect his people, they will start carrying again. Tony then persuades his men not to mess with Captain America.
Later Nick Fury recruits Steve for a mission—investigating the death of an old friend, Inali Redpath. In Florida two days later, Cap meets with SHIELD Agent Samantha Twotrees and she shows him the remains of Inali, who taught Steve tracking. Evidence shows that Inali, a shaman, was trying to stop a tornado when it rammed two wooden posts through his body. Cap’s further examination shows that the dead man wasn’t Inali but his clone. On questioning, Twotrees tells him that the devastated building nearby was SHIELD’s human engineering facility. Cap drives off on his motorcycle; Twotrees contacts her boss to say that Cap has cut off contact with Fury and is headed his way.
Cap knows she was lying but before he can figure out how, he is brought up short by a blazing forest. Surrounded by a band of heavily-armed men, he faces their leader, who calls himself Barricade, and prepares for a fight….