No Longer Alone!

Walking down an alleyway, Steve Rogers pauses to light up his pipe. A giant poster of Captain America catches his attention and suddenly Steve is flooded with feelings of loneliness. Suddenly, the ground begins to shake as something begins smashing its way closer and closer. Moments later, the Hulk comes tearing through the wall.[1] The gamma-spawned monster is being chased by the authorities.

Running for cover, Steve changes into Captain America so he can help contain the beast. While Captain America is getting the soldiers to stand down, Rick Jone arrives on the scene to try and calm the Hulk down.[2] When Cap tries to reason with the Hulk, Rick warns him to stay away as the Hulk is uncontrollable. Sure enough, when the Hulk recovers from the soldier’s attack he attacks the Star-Spangled Avenger. Rick intervenes, but the Hulk grabs him instead. When it becomes apparent that he won’t be left alone, the Hulk drops Rick and then leaps away.

Since Rick was injured by the Hulk, Captain America races him back to Avengers Mansion to get some rest and recover. As Steve Rogers broods over his current troubles, Rick wakes up and puts on Bucky’s old costume, and once again petitions Captain America to take over the identity. At first, Steve refuses and reminds Rick that the original Bucky died during the war and he can’t stand to see another young person die like that. After Rick points out that Steve isn’t the only one who has lead a hard life, Steve reconsiders his decision.[3] That’s when the alarms begin going off in Avengers Mansion, alerting them of danger elsewhere.

Going into cation, Captain America and the new Bucky follow the signal into the sewers where they find a team of Hydra operatives. Attacking the terrorists, Cap is distracted because he keeps on worrying over Rick getting himself hurt or killed. Getting overwhelmed by superior numbers, Steve orders Rick to flee down a tunnel. Cap is captured moments later and brought to Hydra’s new leader, Madame Hydra.[4] She explains that she and her operatives are attempting to poison the city water supply. She then orders a Hydra agent wearing a strength-enhancing power-vest to eliminate the Star-Spangled Avenger. Captain America fights back and the two go smashing through a wall into another tunnel.

Meanwhile, Rick has gotten away from the Hydra agents pursuing him and doubles back for Steve. He arrives to see what appears to be the power-vest-wearing Hydra agent claiming that he destroyed Captain America. Pleased, Madame Hydra tells him to keep Cap’s shield. Furious to hear this, Rick attacks. As it turns out, Captain America defeated the Hydra agent and was wearing his disguise. With his cover blown, Cap strips off the Hydra uniform and joins the battle. In the ensuing melee, a sewer main is ruptured causing the tunnel to rapidly flood. Madame Hydra and her operatives flee deeper into the sewers while Cap and Bucky escape to the surface.

There, Rick apologizes for screwing things up and figures he blew it as Bucky. However, Captain America is impressed that he survived his baptism of fire. Although Rick doesn’t think he’ll ever measure up to the original Bucky, he vows to never stop trying.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Hulk, Hydra (Madame Hydra)

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place between Incredible Hulk #106 and 107.

2. Rick Jones has often been the Hulk’s sidekick keeping him out of trouble since Bruce Banner was transformed into the Hulk while trying to save Rick’s life. See Incredible Hulk #1.

3. Lots of Rick Jones and Bucky drama on display here:

   • The original Bucky was James Barnes who was Captain America’s sidekick during World War II, first appearing in Captain America Comics #1.

   • Circa 1945, it appeared that Bucky died trying to disarm a drone armed with a bomb, as depicted in Avengers #4.

   • What nobody knows at the time of this story is that Bucky survived and was later transformed by the Russians into an assassin called the Winter Soldier. See Captain America (vol. 5) #14.

   • Rick became a sidekick to the Avengers in Avengers #1 and underwent training by Captain America after he was revived in issue #4 of that series. Rick aspired to replace Bucky. The last time he suggested taking on the mantle was in Avengers #7. Seeing Rick in Bucky’s costume deeply upset Steve at the time as he was still coming to terms with Bucky’s death.

   • Rick later drifted away from the Avengers in issue #17 of their series because he was jealous he was overlooked for membership in favor of Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch. He started chumming around with the Hulk again in Tales to Astonish #68.

4. Madame Hydra’s real name is not revealed here. She is identified as Ophelia Sarkissian in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #12.