Taking AIM Part 4: Into the Breach

This story continues from Captain America #441…

On the island of Boca Caliente, Advance Idea Mechanics have been trying to recreate the Cosmic Cube.[1] To this end, they resurrected MODOK to assist them in doing so.[2] Unfortunately, this plot has failed and the energies needed to create the cube now threaten to destroy the entire island. As Captain America and MODOK fight it out, a young boy that Cap had befriended along the way gets caught in an explosive energy build up.

Nearby, the Avengers are weathering the maelstrom created by the energy generator. When it finally abates it has stripped away the top layer of the entire island revealing it to be an artificial construct made entirely of metal. That’s when they spot a huge shaft of energy suddenly shoot up into the sky.

Back near the epicenter, MODOK witnesses as the energy shoots into the sky. He is intrigued by this phenomenon as it is punching a hole in reality in order to access the dimension where the energies used to create the Cosmic Cube exists.[3] Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, MODOK flies up into the sky in order to examine this personally. While in the ruins of the AIM facility, the Red Skull is found by one of his spies. Seeing that his operative is afraid, he tells her to get out of his sight while he continues his mission and his destiny. Captain America also recovers from the explosion and goes looking for the little boy who has been helping him since arriving on Boca Caliente. He’s surprised to discover that the boy wasn’t actually human at all, but a Super Adaptoid.

Elsewhere on the island, the Avengers begin evacuating the citizens of Boca Caliente in order to get them off the island. They are soon joined by the Falcon who offers to lend a hand.

Meanwhile, Captain America learns that the Super Adaptoid was one of many such units that were posing as average citizens of the island in order to protect the Cosmic Cube facility. When it was caught in an early flare from the facility, the Adaptoid fully learned what it was like to be human and came to envy it. However, with the energy now out of control it fears that it will all be for nothing as the Earth is utterly destroyed. This is overheard by Superia, who also wishes to save the Earth and offers to fully heal Captain America so he can stop the destruction of Earth.[4]

Back on the shore, the Avengers continue evacuating the islanders and soon obtain assistance from Cap’s allies Jack Flag, Free Spirit, and Diamondback.

Back at the facility, Superia offers Cap the chance of being cured in exchange for owing her a favor. However, Captain America refuses the deal and knocks the needle full of life saving serum away. That’s when the Red Skull arrives and takes the needle an injects himself so he will survive. He then blasts Superia and teleports away, vowing to live to fight another day.[5]

With the immediate threats out of the way, the Super-Adaptoid has come up with a means of sealing the breach that is threatening to destroy them all, if only they can get close enough to it. This is an effort on both Cap and the Adaptoid’s part as both are incredibly weak due to their ordeals. As they make their way up to the breach, the evacuation is complete and the Avengers and Cap’s allies head for the facility to lend a hand. By this point, Cap and the Adaptoid have reached the breach and the android uses its powers to turn itself into a seal that contains it. With the breach close, the energy suddenly cuts off and a weakened Captain America falls from the catwalk. He is saved from the deadly fall by the Falcon who takes Cap back to his allies. There, the Black Widow congratulates Cap for saving the entire world. He corrects her, saying all he did was help someone find their dream.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Giant-Man, Quicksilver, Hercules, Black Widow, Falcon), Super-Adaptoid, Free Spirit, Jack Flag, Diamondback, MODOK, Red Skull, Superia, Fabian Stankowicz

Continuity Notes

1. AIM created the first Cosmic Cube in Tales of Suspense #79. However, the powerful device ended up out of their hands and gaining sentience and transforming into the entity known as Kubic in Captain America Annual #7.

2. Up until this point, MODOK was dead after he was assassinated by the Serpent Society who were hired by AIM to eliminate their former leader. See Captain America #313. He was resurrected by AIM last issue.

3. It’s been explained that the energies used to create Cosmic Cubes comes from another dimension and meted out by the enigmatic Beyonders, as explained in Fantastic Four #319 and Annual #23. Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #6 states that this dimension exists outside the known multiverse.

4. In Captain America #373 Cap was caught in a meth lab explosion that reacted dangerously with the Super Soldier Serum in his veins forcing him to eventually purge it from his body in issue #384. By issue #425 of that series, Cap’s health begins to go into decline. Cap will eventually be cured of this condition in issue #445 of Captain America. Since Iron Man #314 and Captain America #438, Cap has been forced to wear a suit of life support armor in order to keep himself alive. However, in Captain America #440, he was injected with a serum by Superia in order to temporarily restore him to his peak.

5. Although it appears as though Superia dies here, she survived this attack and will be seen again in New Avengers #9.