Story continued from CAPTAIN AMERICA:
SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #6
In
1922, several figures meet on a battlefield of the recent World War. They are
Prince Wulf Fortunov of Latveria, billionaire Etien Argent, Wakandan engineer
Ika Agboje, and an underground artist known only as Ana. Fortunov, who has
brought Serbian assassin Gavrilo Princip with him, has a proposal. As Ana draws
a diagram resembling Captain America’s shield, Fortunov outlines a plan for an
Outer Circle manipulating the nations of the world, not as a conspiracy but a
game, with a hero at the center. The others are intrigued and agree to this
proposal. Princip denounces this madness, a small band of oligarchs plotting to
ruin the twentieth century. Fortunov then explains the Princip is not a witness
but the fifth member of the Outer Circle. Fortunov calls himself The Power, Argent
The Money, Agboje The Machine, Ana The Love, and Princip will be The Revolution,
working to tear the others down. And so begins the Century Game….
One
hundred years later, with the death of Princip, Winter Soldier James Buchanan
Barnes is The New Revolution. As they welcome the first new player since the
game began, Bucky pulls out his guns and starts shooting but they are protected
by some sort of invisible shield. He morphs his metal arm into a spike and
leaps up but The Machine wraps him in her metal tentacles and holds him in his
chair. They talk over business, rebuilding the Shadow Capitol, Steve Rogers has
a decryption key, only one Starpoint remains, and other matters….
Bucky
returns to his room and the cat. Ana visits him, explains a little more of the
Game and offers him a present, Rene Magritte’s final work of art: a sculpture
of a revolver with the barrel turned back toward the wielder. Bucky assumes it
is called Revolution and, rejecting the pessimistic implication, describes
himself as one who has a history of losing but always hoping for redemption.
The cat bites Ana and she advises Bucky to learn a lesson from the cat, a best
friend until she’s not….
Meanwhile
in London, Bucky contacts Dryad (Peggy Carter), the last Starpoint, explains that he is now part of
the Outer Circle, and wants her to help him flip the table….
Bucky
takes his place at the (literal) table and the next round of the game begins,
with Bucky saying, “Sharon Carter to Captain America….”
Story
continues in CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #7.