Captain America (Sam Wilson) arrives in
Pleasant Hill and meets up with Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier; they
compare notes and set out to find Steve Rogers. They come upon a
teacher being threatened by the Blood Brothers; the two heroes jump
into action but the teacher—SHIELD Agent Avril Kincaid—shoots
down the baddies, revealing this was to trick the Brothers into
taking her to Baron Zemo. For the back-up plan she sends them to shut
off the security at the local museum, which they do (kicking the
butts of the Circus of Crime) and in a moment of quiet they try to
establish more of a camaraderie—then Kobik appears (the Cosmic Cube
as a little girl) and calls them to help Steve who is in danger....
At the bowling alley, the elderly and
powerless Steve Rogers is being savagely beaten by Crossbones; as he
realizes he might easily die, his mind drifts back to his comrades
Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes as his own career as Captain America, and
back to recent events: When the brainwashed villains in Pleasant Hill
recovered their memories and revolted, he ministered to Maria Hill
who was seriously injured in the explosion at City Hall. Hill tried
to justify the creation of this prison and confesses that she was
hoping to be brainwashed there too, to overcome the darkness that she
has had to live with for so long.... Steve asks Zemo to allow him to
get her medical attention. Baron Zemo agrees only if one of the other
hostages takes her place; he selects a young man from the group and
swiftly decapitates him with a sword. Zemo then dispatches Steve and
Hill, escorted by the priest Father Patrick. On the way to the
infirmary, they come face-to-face with the Wrecking Crew; Father
Patrick sends Steve and Hill to safety then vanquishes the bad guys
with no effort. At the infirmary they find Dr. Eric Selvig. As the
doctor takes care of the injured Hill, Steve questions him as to the
whereabouts of Kobik; Selvig suggests the bowling alley which she
loved. Steve ignites an oxygen tank to escape Father Patrick and
dashes off. We learn that the priest is really the Red Skull.
Arriving at his destination, Steve tries to convince the
near-omnipotent little girl to accompany him to safety when
Crossbones arrives and attacks....
Now the critically injured Steve
Rogers, about to die, has a reverie about all the people he's known
and loved and realizes he can die happy... but Kobik offers to make
him a hero again. Suddenly he is young an strong and he beats his
tormentor to a pulp. Sam and Bucky arrive to discover that the real
Captain America is back....
Story #2Presentation
Writer:
Joss Whedon. Penciler/Inker:
John Cassaday. Colorist:
Laura Martin.
Synopsis
By ?Rating:
Scenes of Captain America's WW2 mission against the German
army with a huge demonic looking tank are intercut with Cap attending a meeting
of marketing executives who telling Cap that the shield is not a good enough
symbol of his mission and that he should carry a massive weapon called the
Amerigun to win the publicity war against the enemy. Cap walks out, to their
surprise. And we see Cap kicking a massive bell out of a tower to wreck the
enemy tank while protecting the villagers—for which the shield is a perfect
symbol.
Story #3Catch Me If You Can
Writer/Penciler/Inker:
Tim Sale. Colorist:
Dave Stewart.
Synopsis
By ?Rating:
Largely wordless story has Captain America invading a Hydra
fortress and defeating every agent he encounters until he reaches a massive
vault; he uses and explosive to tear the door off and enters....
At this point a flashback shows Mrs. Rogers giving young
Steve something his late father wanted him to have....
Cap takes what he came for in his old army footlocker and
escapes. Later at home we see what he has recovered: a baseball autographed by
Babe Ruth.
Story #4Pas de Deux
Writer:
Greg Rucka. Penciler/Inker:
Mike Perkins.
Synopsis
By ?Rating:
Captain America, incognito as Steve Rogers, attends the
ballet, as he and Black Widow bicker (via earpieces) over the art form:
she can't believe he has never been to one and he explains that it was seen as
elitist entertainment. They are there to stop Laverian assassins from killing
the star ballerina/defector during the performance. Steve spots the assassins
and takes them down. After the show he tells Natasha that he has come to
appreciate the ballet with dancing closely akin to fighting.