Captain America #361

Nov 5

Nov 5 Captain America #361

The Bloodstone Hunt Part 5: Lair of the Living Mummy

Continuing their hunt for the fragments of the Bloodstone, Captain America and Diamondback explore an Egyptian pyramid. While searching they accidentally trigger a trap door and fall into a pit filled with venomous snakes and insects. Protected by his chainmail armor, Cap tosses Diamondback back up to safety and then frees himself before the trap door closes. After checking to make sure Diamondback is okay, Cap turns his back for a moment and she suddenly disappears without a trace.

Meanwhile, Baron Zemo and Batroc’s Brigade arrive outside the pyramid. Zemo is determined to recover the Bloodstone fragment this time, particularly since Diamondback stole two of the three fragments they had already collected.

He sends Batroc, Zaran and Machete to go and recover the fourth fragment. However, the pair begin squabbling over how their leader saved Captain America’s life earlier when they were attacked by sharks. When it is suggested that Batroc has a romantic interest in the Avenger, he gets angry and attacks his own men.

Back inside the pyramid, Captain America looks around for clues as to what happened to Diamondback. He uncovers a secret passage way and finds her in the company of the Living Mummy, who is treating her wounds. Thinking she is being attacked, Cap races to her rescue. Diamondback recovers just as Cap strikes the Mummy in the throat with his shield, causing it to stagger. She explains that the monster was actually treating her wounds and when it is speaking to them, Diamondback recognizes the language as Egyptian. Taught how to speak it by Asp, her Serpent Society teammate, Diamondback clears everything up. They discover that the Mummy has the fourth fragment and how it hopes to collect all of them to restore his long lost humanity.[1] Captain America convinces the Living Mummy to hand over his fragment, promising to return with all five once he has stopped Baron Zemo’s plot.

Outside, Baron Zemo grows impatient and curses his injured neck for forcing him to hire subordinates to the searching for him.[2] When his clairvoyant Tristram Micawber — knocked out during their earlier encounter with Captain America — wakes up, he warns Zemo that two others are seeking out the Bloodstones. However, before he can reveal who they are he passes out again, much to Zemo’s growing frustration.[3] While above them, John Jameson circles the area waiting for word on Captain America. He takes the time to look at the Bloodstone fragments but they start reminding him of his time as the Man-Wolf and he decides to put them away as that was a part of his life that he wants to put behind him.[4] Little does he know that he has a stowaway on board his ship, a man in a white skull mask who has been following Captain America and the others since the left Bermuda.

Back on the ground, the Living Mummy opens a passageway out of the pyramid. Once outside, Cap and Diamondback are attacked by Batroc’s crew. Calling John, the pair scramble up a collapsible ladder back up to the Quinjet. However, before they can make it on board, Baron Zemo’s ship divebombs toward them with guns blazing, breaking part of the ladder and putting Cap and Diamond at risk of falling to their deaths.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Diamondback, Crossbones, Baron Zemo, John Jameson, Batroc’s Brigade (Batroc, Zaran, Machete), Living Mummy, Tristram Micawber, Bloodstone (corpse)

Continuity Notes

As detailed in Supernatural Thrillers #5, the Living Mummy was once N’Kantu, an African slave who was forcibly mummified by his Egyptian masters and cursed with eternal life.
Zemo suffered a broken neck when he led the Masters of Evil on a siege of Avengers Mansion. See Avengers #273-277.
This would be Crossbones and the Red Skull. Crossbones was seen following everyone last issue. The Red Skull is revealed to be his employer in Captain America #364.
When John Jameson uncovered the Godstone on the moon it transformed him into the Man-Wolf during full moons starting in Amazing Spider-Man #124. He was seemingly cured of this condition in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #3. He will become the Man-Wolf again in She-Hulk (vol. 2) #10.

Night of the Scourge Part 4: Augmentation

The Scourge of the Underworld has blasted open the sealed wall to the Power Broker’s lab only to find a second door barring his path. Determined to eliminate the Broker — aka Curtiss Jackson — he sets up more explosives to get through.

On the other side, Jackson and Pricilla Lyons — aka Vagabond — are trying to figure out their next move. Becoming desperate, Jackson decides to throw caution to the wind and decides to undergo his own strength enhancing process, even though it has a 50% chance of leaving him deformed in the process. Strapping himself in to the machine, he orders Pricilla to fire up the process at full blast.

Outside the lab, US Agent — who had been sent to save Jackson — is buried under a ton of rubble after Scourge collapsed the ceiling over his head. Left for dead, the Agent is far from and begins struggling to pull himself from the rubble.

By this time, Scourge has blown open the second door just as Jackson feels his body starting to change. Needing more time, he tells Pricilla to make a distraction. Stripping down to her Vagabond costume, she tries to distract Scourge but he dismisses her as no threat. When he turns to shoot Jackson he discovers that he is gone. Following the Power Broker into an adjacent room he finds him Curtiss lurking in the shadows and prepares to shoot.