The Battle-Axis
have captured the Invaders (Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch) and
their allies (Miss America, Whizzer, Blazing Skull, Silver Scorpion) and sealed
them inside glass tubes. The heroes try to talk their way out and learn that
Aarkus (the original Vision) is aiding the bad guys because they control the machine
that can return him to his home dimension; the Golem (Jacob Goldstein) is helping
his natural enemies because they have his brother Jonathan Gold prisoner.
Doctor Death explains his scheme to use the oscillotron to cause earthquakes to
destroy the American West Coast and he adds the detail that his own allies don’t
know: there is a cache of poison gas buried in the desert and the earthquake
will release it, killing millions and forcing the USA out of the war, allowing Germany
the break it needs to defeat Russia. The good guys try to break free so
knockout gas is pumped into the tubes. It takes longer to affect the Human Torch
who burns his way out but he is seized by Volton and clobbered, followed by
Aarkus freezing him and replacing him in the tube. Dr. Death gloats that he will gain the recognition
that was denied him for helping to create the Human Torch….
Dr. Death and some
of the others go to another part of the lab to pick up the final component of
the oscillotron; on his way out, Dr. Death tells Jonathan Gold that his brother
is there, in his Golem form, which shocks and angers Gold. Back at the tubes,
Cap and the others tell Volton (guarding them along with the Golem) that he is
the android stolen by Dr. Death, explaining his lack of memory, the fact that he
wasn’t burned when touching the Human Torch, and why he doesn’t shave. Volton
refuses to believe it until he stabs himself through the hand with a shard of
glass from one of the broken tubes. While he is distracted, Cap escapes and
moves past Volton to regain his shield, hurling it to smash open all of the
tubes. The freed heroes join the fray: Silver Scorpion knocks out Volton with a
dart. Cap reminds the Golem of what the Nazis are doing to his people and he
switches sides. The heroes invade the main lab and a big brawl breaks out.
Torch melts the handle of the oscillotron; Dr. Death heads to the machine to
start it manually, Dr. Gold tries to stop him and is gunned down by Sky Shark.
Seeing his brother die, the Golem goes berserk and smashes all of the guards.
Dr. Death hits the secret button and is electrocuted by the angry Volton—who won’t
let them turn off the machine. Namor smashes the oscillotron but Miss America
sees that some poison gas has been released. Aarkus, freed from the bad guys’
control by the destruction of the Dimension Smasher, opens his own gateway home
and draws all of the poison gas with him where it will be neutralized. The
Battle-Axis members surrender and the heroes rush to the surface to ensure
there is no threat from the gas. Cap calls Dr. Jonathan Gold a hero though
Blazing Skull is a bit more skeptical….