Story #2One Year After
Writer: Ed Brubaker. Penciler: Mitch Breitweiser. Penciler: David Aja. Penciler: Rafael Albuquerque. Penciler: Howard Chaykin. Penciler: Butch Guice. Inker: Butch Guice. Inker: Mitch Breitweiser. Inker: Rafael Albuquerque. Inker: David Aja. Inker: Howard Chaykin. Colorist: Edgar Delgado. Colorist: Mitch Breitweiser. Colorist: Frank D'Armata. Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
A year after the death of Captain America, many are still affected by the loss:
Sharon Carter’s Lament – Sharon manages to break through the bitterness of her guilt to recall that she passed the gun she used to shoot Captain America to another mind-controlled operative of Dr. Faustus’. Tracking this man down, she uses a SHIELD device to break through his mental conditioning and recover the weapon—which is not an ordinary gun….
The Other Steve Rogers – 1950s Steve dreams of taking over as Captain America to save a world of his dreams—and old-fashioned world where people deserve to be saved.
The Youth of Today – Rikki Barnes does a little Internet research and deduces that Patriot of the Young Avengers is Elijah Bradley, grandson of the survivor of the second Super-Soldier experiment. Elijah is suspended from school for angrily demanding a tribute to Captain America. She suits up and follows him but he, in costume, intercepts her instead. She explains that she wants to be the new Cap’s partner and asks Patriot to introduce her to him. After a long conversation in which she reveals her other-dimensional origins, she confesses she feels out of place in this world. He invites her to meet with the other Young Avengers and make some friends.
Crossbones and Sin – In the HAMMER prison, Crossbones sees himself on a TV news special and laughs about killing Captain America. An angry guard TASERs him and promises to put him in the infirmary with his girlfriend. Realizing Sin is in the building, Crossbones overpowers the guards and fights his way to the infirmary where he has a reunion with his Sin, as tear gas fills the room. Sin utters, "The fools…don’t even know…."
The Avengers’ Dilemma – During a training session, Bucky, Clint Barton, and Luke Cage discuss attending that evening’s memorial vigil for Captain America. Norman Osborn has banned it but people are showing up anyway. Bucky plans to attend in uniform but Black Widow warns of trouble and danger to civilians—something Steve would not have wanted….
The Red Skull’s Delirium – Trapped in a mechanical body created by Arnim Zola, the Red Skull dreams of his ultimate defeat of Captain America….
The Vigilant – The Avengers plus the Falcon show up at the vigil for Captain America in civilian clothes. They are unaware that they have been spotted by Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers and Osborn, in his Iron Patriot guise, startles them by leading the crowd in a cheer for Cap, co-opting the ceremony and making himself the star. At this point Sharon runs up to the group and tells them that they can still save Steve….
Story #3In Memoriam
Writer: Roger Stern. Penciler: Kalman Andrasofszky. Inker: Kalman Andrasofszky. Colorist: Marte Gracia.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Bernie Rosenthal,
Steve Rogers’ former girlfriend, receives a visit from old pal
Josh Cooper at her home in Santa Fe. She recalls how she met Steve and slowly came to fall in love with him, and her discovery that he was
Captain America. After that everything changed: she knew she had to share her beloved with the Avengers and the nation, she was taken captive by the right-wing militia group, the Watchdogs, another friend
Mike Farrel became the villain
Super-Patriot and died tragically. Bernie was even there at the courthouse to show support for Steve, only to see him gunned down. Josh convinces Bernie that though they will never be heroes like Captain America, they can do what they can to help one another. Bernie and Josh hold a kaddish for Mike as a fireworks display honors the fallen superhero.
Story #4The Persistence of Memorabilia
Writer: Mark Waid. Penciler: Dale Eaglesham. Inker: Dale Eaglesham. Colorist: Paul Mounts.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In the aftermath of the death of
Captain America,
Joseph Paglino, owner of the world’s largest collection of Cap memorabilia, is auctioning off his prizes. When a snide interviewer suggests he is merely trying to cash in on the tragedy, he responds that it is not about taking but about giving. At the auction, a wartime photo of Cap is purchased by an elderly veteran and his police badge is snapped up by a decorated officer. Comic art by
Steve Rogers is bought by an opportunistic publisher who intends to use it in a comic book series portraying Captain America as a traitor. Other items go on sale: a peace flag, the Nomad uniform, and lastly, Cap’s
Avengers ID card, which is purchased by a young woman for two million dollars. The purchasers are satisfied with their acquisitions and the card is then delivered to its true owner—
Tony Stark. The slick publisher rushes back to the office with his prize—to discover the company has been bought out by a rival who wants to print the truth about Cap, the hero. The opportunist is then fired by the new owner—Joseph Paglino.
Story #5My Bulletin Board
Writer: Joe Simon. Penciler: Joe Simon. Inker: Joe Simon. Colorist: Joe Simon.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Joe Simon, co-creator with
Jack Kirby of
Captain America, relates how he established a bulletin board at the
Timely office to keep co-workers abreast of what they were doing with Cap (and to remind Jack of the details he was wont to forget). Also reveals why Cap’s shield was changed to round (to avoid a lawsuit from MLJ whose hero The Shield wielded a similar, well, shield).
Story #6Red Skull's Deadly Revenge!
Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Al Avison. Inker: Al Avison. Colorist: ?.
Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The
Red Skull escapes from prison and trains himself in archery as part of his latest criminal scheme. When
Steve Rogers and
Bucky Barnes hear of their enemy’s escape they don their costumes as
Captain America and Bucky and set out on the villain’s trail. The Red Skull recruits three thugs,
Brute Benson,
Duke Shores, and
Igor as his henchmen, but when Benson balks, the villains slays him with an arrow; now their first stop: City Bank! By a leap of logic, Cap deduces that his enemy will try to rob the bank and he and Bucky head there. The Skull fires an arrow with an attached rope to the second floor of the bank building to allow Duke and Igor access where they can cut through the floor and into the bank vault. Cap heads up the rope and mixes it up with them while Bucky stands guard outside—where he is an easy target for an arrow in the back. Cap vanquishes the thugs but when he spies his gravely wounded partner, he drops everything and rushes Bucky to a doctor, allowing the Red Skull to rescue his henchmen. Back at camp, Cap consults his notes and finds the address of the Skull’s last-known hideout. Heading there, he is captured by the villain and beaten unconscious; the Skull then looks in Cap’s wallet and discovers his secret identity as Steve Rogers. So with Cap a prisoner and Bucky in the hospital, the Red Skull carries out a reign of terror in the city without fear of the authorities. His crowning crime will be to disgrace the name of Captain America! Donning Cap’s uniform and hiding his face behind the shield, the villain offers to guard the Army’s top secret defense plans. Since the Army always believes a costumed man whose face is hidden, they agree to this, and when the plans turn up missing the next day, Cap is denounced as a traitor. When Bucky hears about this, he escapes from the hospital and heads to camp, where he discovers the Red Skull’s address in Steve’s notes. Heading there he rescues Cap and, after replacing Cap’s outfit at a costume shop, they head to the airport where they intercept the Skull and his goons. The villain falls to his (apparent) death from the wing of his escape plane, the secret plans are recovered, and Cap’s name is cleared.