Story #2To Be Reborn!
Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Jack Kirby. Inker: Joe Sinnott. Colorist: ?.
Synopsis
Steve Rogers is called in to a police lineup to witness a trio of men injured while impersonating
Captain America. The police are concerned that the underworld is gunning for Steve Rogers and worry that these hapless imitations are putting their lives in danger. In a secluded section of town, the killer-for-hire
Sniper is demonstrating to a potential client his high-explosive gun and his expertise with the weapon. The client, impressed, hires Sniper to assassinate Captain America. A few days later another bogus Cap (this one advertising a judo studio) is being pursued across rooftops by hired gunmen. Injured, the phony Cap hangs by one arm from a window ledge. Spotting him from his own window, Steve Rogers leaps out, catches the unlucky man, and hooks his foot to an aerial wire to stop his fall. At this point Sniper fires an explosive bullet, snapping the wire and dropping the two toward the street. Steve manages to bounce from a flagpole and land with his impersonator on a rooftop, battered but alive. Sniper again takes aim but is shocked to see another Steve Rogers at a different window and fires in that one’s direction.
Nick Fury and
SHIELD agents burst in and capture the assassin, having placed the
LMD (Life Model Decoy) of Steve as a trap. The original two goons catch up to Steve at this point and the former Cap easily takes them down. Fury arrives to arrest the thugs, and tells Steve he can’t give up being Captain America
because he is Captain America. Steve realizes Fury is right, and thanks the SHIELD chief for straightening him out.