Dawn’s Early Light

After learning the location where the Loyalist Forces of America are stationed, Captain America leads an army of SHIELD agents to attack their headquarters. After disabling the sonic weapons that defend the property, Cap and the army of spies launch their attack.

Meanwhile, the Falcon has been dispatched to Philadelpha the location of “Big Daddy”, the Madbomb that the Loyalists intend to detonate on the 4th of July. The massive weapon has been hiding in William Taurey’s office tower. Confirming that the Loyalist’s militia are stationed out in the building, Falcon leads the attack on the building.

As Falcon and the soldiers storm the building, the Loyalists attempt to activate the Madbomb. With powerful sonic waves threatening to drive him insane, the Falcon rushes to the self-destruct switch and tries to destroy the weapon. Suddenly, the outer walls of the tower shatter revealing Big Daddy to the world.

At that same moment, Captain America crashed William Taruey’s premature victory party. As SHIELD agents arrest those gathered, Captain America challenges Taurey to settle their centuries of family animosity in a duel.[2] However, the pressure is too much for Taurey who surrenders rather than risk being shot. That’s when the Falcon calls in to report that the Madbomb has been destroyed and America is safe.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Falcon, The Elite (William Taurey, General Heshin), Royalist Forces, SHIELD

Continuity Notes

1. William Taurey’s ancestor was loyal to the British Empire during the War of Independence and ran afoul of Steve Roger’s ancestor of the same name, who was a colonialist soldier. This was first revealed back in Captain America #194. However, the details of this conflict will not be seen until Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #6-7.

Topical References

• This story states that it takes place prior to the American Bicentennial. This should be considered a topical reference. Modern readers should interpret the event as a 4th of July celebration, but not one tied to any specific milestone.

• Also in this story, Sam Wilson states that he is a direct descendant of slaves. While this was entirely possible when this story was published in 1976, it would drastically age the character since most direct descendants alive today (as of this writing in June 2021) are in their 80s and 90s now and soon it will become impossible due to human mortality rates. As such, Modern Readers should ignore the “direct” part of the statement and instead accept the idea that Sam Wilson was descendant from former slaves.