Captain America #174
It’s Always Darkest…
Captain America and the Falcon — in disguise — have managed to infiltrate the underground headquarters of the Secret Empire. They have posed as two unemployed men looking for work in the hopes of learning why the terrorist organization has framed Captain America for murder and has been kidnapping the world’s mutants.[1] They are introduced to the leader of the Secret Empire, the enigmatic Number One. Number One is pleased that they were able to steal the electronic gyro from the Brand Corporation. With it, the Secret Empire will launch an attack on Washington, DC while the government is currently distracted by a massive political scandal.
The pair are then escorted to a room where they can stay for the night. There, the Falcon senses trouble for some unknown reason and, after changing into costume, the pair force open a vent and duck inside for cover. No sooner have they done this, the room is flooded with lethal laser beams. Moments later, Secret Empire operatives Linda Donaldson and others enter the room and find no bodies. Apparently, Cap and Falcon’s cover was blown thanks to the letter Cap left when they stole the electronic gyro. This is because the Brand factory boss, Mister Black, is also a member of the Secret Empire. As the alarm is sounded, Captain America and the Falcon end up fighting and destroying one of the Empire’s robots. Getting another strange hunch, Falcon leads Cap to a door that opens to the surface. This allows the waiting X-Men to enter the facility. It’s here that Professor X has been guiding the Falcon telepathically and suggests that Sam’s affinity with his pet hawk, Redwing, might be a mutant power.[2]
As the assembled heroes begin searching for the kidnapped mutants, back in New York, the smear campaign against Captain America presses on. To this end, Quentin Harderman has Moonstone appear on a daytime talk show to continue boosting him as a replacement for Captain America, who — they say — is a part of the government corruption that has recently been blowing up in the news.
By this time, Captain America and the others have found the missing mutants — Angel, Iceman, Beast, Havok, Lorna Dane, Mastermind, Unus the Untouchable, Mesmero, and the Blob — and are horrified that they have been hooked up to a machine that will drain their mutant energies. As they free the captives, Professor Xavier probes the minds of both Angel and the Beast to find out what how they got captured.[3] Their rescue efforts are interrupted when Number One and his minions find them. Due to the fact that the other mutants are still weak from their ordeals, Captain America, the Falcon and the three uncaptured X-Men have to fight on their own. When it looks like they are going to win, Number One orders Number 68 to blast the heroes with their atomic annihilator cannon. Presuming the blast killed his foes, Number One gloats that the entire United States of America will be the next to fall.[4]
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Secret Empire (Numbers One, Nine, and Thirteen, Gabe Jones, Moonstone, Quentin Harderman), X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel, Havok, Lorna Dane) Beast, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (Mastermind, the Blob, Unus the Untouchable), Mesmero
Continuity Notes
There is a lot going on all at once:
The Viper organized a negative ad campaign against Captain America in issue #163. This plot was co-opted by the Secret Empire who later went on to frame Captain America for murder in issue #169.
Meanwhile, mutants have been going missing since Avengers #111, Professor X, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl learned that the Secret Empire was responsible, as revealed last issue.
Falcon actually isn’t a mutant, even though this seems to be reinforced in Falcon #2, when he is attacked by a Sentinel. Avengers Annual 2001, however, clarifies the issue. Falcon’s link to Redwing was actually created by the Red Skull when he used the Cosmic Cube to manipulate Sam Wilson, as detailed in Captain America #186 and All-New Captain America #3.
This mental probe reveals that Angel was captured while the X-Men were being rescued by the Avengers in Avengers #110-111 and that the Beast was kidnapped following the events of Incredible Hulk #161.
I probably shouldn’t have to tell you that Cap and the others don’t die here. As revealed next issue, “Number 68” is actually SHIELD agent Gabe Jones in disguise and he shot Cap and the others with a non-lethal blast.
Topical References
This story makes multiple references to the Watergate Scandal in the present tense as it was a current event when this story was first published in 1974. However, this should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale. When this plot is recounted in later stories (particularly the Avengers Forever limited series) Watergate is replaced with a generic political scandal.