Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Captain America 20XX (Danielle Cage) came back from her future at the end of last issue. She now describes to the US Avengers (Cannonball, Citizen V (Bobby Da Costa's new identity), Enigma, Iron Patriot (Toni Ho), Squirrel Girl and Gen'l Maverick the new Red Hulk) a traumatic event called Zero Day in her past when she was still a baby (that she also mentioned during her last visit in New Avengers #6).
Thanos the Mad Titan invaded Project PEGASUS to get 2 Cosmic Cube Iso-Gauntlets, apparently just to impress the cosmic powers-that-be. He killed half of Earth's superhumans, including Captain America (Steve Rogers). Black Widow then formed an Avengers Initiative who killed him with a combination of science and magic. We see him being stabbed by 4 magic swords wielded by Black Knight, Hulkling, Excalibur (Faiza Hussain) and Guillotine (Jeannine Sauvage).
Roberto asks if this is the Eternity War that she she mentioned in NAv#6, and Maker hinted at in NAv#17. But she says that comes later. And in fact in this timeline Zero Day has already passed and was avoided. (This was when Thanos' attack was predicted by Ulysses in the Civil War II Free Comic Book Day issue, after NAv#6.) So this is not her past. But this timeline's Dani Cage may still replace Captain America for other reasons, because she's met many copies of herself in that role in other futures.
She's come back and sideways to this timeline chasing a fugitive villain from her own world - the Golden Skull (who we also saw last issue). There are various rumours of his origin. He could be the son of eco-terrorist Green Skull, rebelling against his dad's beliefs. He could be the nephew of the Plunderer, carrying on his uncle's pirate-themed robberies. He could be a descendant of Sir William Taurey who fought Col Steven Rogers in the Revolutionary War. Whatever the case he spreads disaster and then takes anything of value from the rubble.
We look in on the Skull and 3 of his Pirates 'earlier' in 20XX. They are searching the ruins of a Latverian Embassy looking for Dr Doom's time machine. He intends to use it to reach a time and timeline not devastated by Zero Day where there'll be much more available to steal (and he also has the usual villain idea of ruling the world). Jolly Jack, a dim giant, asks if they'll finally get the reward he's always promising them. GS intends to give him his reward now, by pulling a gun on him ...
... but Dani-Cap intervenes and saves his life. But JJ is too thick to take the hint and attacks her anyway until she knocks him out. The other 2 minions shoot at her, but the bullets bounce off Dani's invulnerable body (inherited from Luke Cage). However Skull has found the time machine and uses it.
Danielle reminds Bobby's team of the firewall in time that she and her 20XX team had to find a way through to get here in NAv#5-6. Golden Skull got round it by changing to a different timeline. She emphasises that he's all about the money.
Da Costa calls in various branches of his AIM who have been listening in to the meeting. We see them dotted about the SHIELD Helicarrier Douglass hovering over Washington DC. The blue-suited Admin & Research have pulled up news items about robberies by pirates of bullion, tech and strangely garbage disposal companies. Science & Engineering in white figure that advanced 20XX tech would be totally incompatible with ours - but then their deductions from that don't make sense to me. Red-garbed Security & Tactics think he's going to hit a big-money target next - maybe Fort Knox.
Citizen V thinks not as he's already got gold. Cannonball thinks he may have used the gold to pay his crew. Cap says he never pays them - he suckers them in and then leaves them dead or captured. Bobby considers that Skull treats humans as just another resource to plunder. And that gives him an idea where the next strike may be.
He takes the team to the Wyne International Hotel where Bryce Wyne is hosting a charity function for billionaires. They arrive (without Dani) in black tuxedos and bow-ties (even the females). The do is being monitored by Golden Skull. Bobby tells Bryce why they are here. So Skull clicks a button ...
... and Bryce and all the guests remove their faces to stand revealed as robots. Skull enters with his pirate gang. And that's where we leave it.