1. “The Origin of Captain America”
Creators unidentified.
Synopsis: Brief rehearsal of Cap's
origin, with portrait of the regular cast by Ron Lim.
2. “Call
of Duty” (Part 3 of The Von Strucker Gambit) 3/5
Writer: D.G. Chichester. Pencils: Mike
Manley. Inks: Rick Parker. Colors: Ed Lazzelarri.
Synopsis: [At the beginning of the
3-part story, three genetic experiments escape from Hydra's labs and
Baron von Strucker dispatches a trio of bounty hunters to recapture
or destroy them. The first pair of hunter and hunted encountered
Daredevil, the second met the Punisher and those two parts were
resolved.]
Captain America takes the call to head
to a genetics lab where a sinister figure has broken in. He arrives
to find the feral Cassandra Romulus, tearing into a guard. Cap fights
her off but must abandon the chase to apply first aid to the wounded
guard. This gives her the chance to enter the lab's morgue and make
off with two severed hands before escaping. Nick Fury arrives,
anxious to capture Romulus for her part in the deaths of 1500 SHIELD
agents....
Cap consults a Dr. Fishman to analyze
some tissue residue Romulus left on Cap's shield. It indicates that
she is part of a Super-Soldier project on Hydra's part—and the
stolen hands would be part of a cure. They do not know that Romulus
is perched outside the window, listening to their conversation—until
a bullet fired by Hydra bounty hunter Dakini propels her through the
window and into the room. She pleads with Dr Fishman to make her
human again while Cap heads out after Dakini. The hero and his quarry
end up sparring while hanging to a wire—which Romulus cuts sending
them to the alley below. Romulus, with the cure Fishman gave her,
appears and brutally injures the bounty hunter; Cap offers her the
chance to use her cure and get her life back. Fury is outraged that
Cap would let her go but he ignores the SHIELD boss and rushes Dakini
to the hospital....
Epilogue: Romulus returns to Baron von
Strucker at Hydra HQ and here it is revealed that the whole hunt for
the genetic experiments was part of a larger gambit to update Hydra's
data banks on Captain America, Daredevil, and Punisher. Strucker
praises Romulus or her convincing act of wanting to be cured and he
destroys the antidote; meanwhile we realize she wasn't acting....
3. “Brothers” 2/5
Writer: Mark Gruenwald. Pencils: Don
Heck. Inks: Rick Parker. Colors: M. Hands.
Synopsis: In jail, Bushmaster of the
Serpent Society (arrested in CAP #385) looks back over his life: Back
on the island, young Quincy McIver grew up in the shadow of his
delinquent older brother, John. When they grew older, John got Quincy
a job with a gang, unloading cocaine from a ship; they were caught
and Quincy, attempting to swim away underwater, lost all four limbs
to a police boat propeller. John, now calling himself Bushmaster,
walked out of Quincy's life forever. Shortly thereafter, Quincy was
approached by Seth Voelker of Roxxon Corporation, offering him a set
of prosthetic limbs to replace his lost ones. Quincy jumped at the
chance but after surgery he was horrified to discover they had given
him a serpent's tail instead of legs. Now he considers himself a
freak and when his lawyer enters to tell him he's free, Quincy has no
idea where to go or what to do....
4. “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” 3/5
Writer: Mark Gruenwald. Pencils: James
Brock. Inks: Don Hudson. Colors: Nel Yomtov.
Synopsis: Learning that King Cobra will
stand trial for his crimes, Seth “Sidewinder” Voelker muses on
their history: how he founded the Serpent Society, building a strong
criminal union, how the others betrayed him, leading to him turning
the reins of the organization over to Cobra, how he saved Diamondback
from execution for treason by the gang. Now he fears the Serpents'
reprisal and debates whether to set them free. On impulse he
teleports into the Vault and frees Cobra, transporting him outside.
Unable to take him any farther he considers them even. Then Cobra
debates matters in his head and decides that the safest alternative
is to surrender to the Guardsmen and return to prison, vowing revenge
against Sidewinder....
5. “Worth Fighting For” 3/5
Writer: Fabian Nicieza. Pencils: Larry
Alexander. Inks: Tim Dzhon. Colors: Nel Yomtov.
Synopsis: Trudging through the snow in
the Canadian north, Nomad (Jack Monroe) is pursued by wolves. It
looks bleak until another figure arrives, frightens off the wolves
with a shotgun and drags the unconscious Jack to a cabin. We learn
that the rescuer is a woman, a single mom with a young son Billy.
While they are ministering to Jack's needs, they discover baby Bucky
in a carrier on his chest. When he awakens, they exchange stories,
Jack on his way to Seattle, the woman on the run after killing her
abusive husband. Jack notes that he, she, and the wolves were only
protecting their own. They don't know if they can trust Jack but they
send him off with supplies and a map.