Captain America #366

Jun 28

Jun 28 Captain America #366

Remote Control

Following his battle with the Sub-Mariner, Captain America has brought Namor back to Avengers Headquarters. There, Hank Pym examines the Controller’s control disc that was implanted on the back of Namor’s neck.[1][2] Unfortunately, he has no way of removing it without harming their ally unless they can get their hands on another one of the devices to examine its inner workings.

Meanwhile, the prime movers of the Acts of Vengeance conspiracy are engaged in a meeting that ends with its parties going off to consider proposals for their next course of action. As everyone heads out, Magneto asks their mysterious benefactor if the original Red Skull is among them, as his sources told him that the Skull was dead.[3][4] The mystery man everyone thinks is a mere lacky confirms that this is indeed the original Red Skull, giving Magneto much to think about.

The Red Skull takes the magic door that returns him to his secret hideout in the Smith Building, across from the Washington Capitol. He rightfully suspects that his fellow conspirators might conspire against him and comes up with a plan to ensure he is prepared for such an eventuality. He is surprised to see that Crossbones is waiting in his office. Asking for a status report on the Controller’s mission, Crossbones informs him that the Controller succeeded in enslaving the Sub-Mariner. However, the power hungry mind-controller has also decided to go against orders and seek out Thor in order to steal his strength as well. Annoyed by this, the Skull orders Crossbones to find the Controller and bring him in.

Later that evening, the Controller — disguised in a trench coat and hat — has tracked Thor down to Queens where the thunder god is locked in battle with the Juggernaut.[5] When Crossbones arrives to bring him back in, the Controller refuses to leave without planting one of his control discs on Thor. To show the Controller how pointless this is, Crossbones takes one of the discs and puts it on the tip of one of his arrows and fires it from his crossbow. The device ends up striking the back of the Juggernaut’s helmet and shattering into pieces. This still doesn’t dissuade the Controller. Seeing that he has no other choice, Crossbones orders the Voice — who can control people with verbal commands — to force the Controller to follow his orders.

By this time, Captain America has been outfitted with a device that can track the signal given off by the Controller’s control discs. He arrives in the area just as Crossbones, the Voice, and the Controller are leaving in a VTOL jet parked on a nearby rooftop. Hopping off his sky-cycle, Cap hitches a ride on the plane to see where it is going. However, his landing is not very graceful, prompting Crossbones to order the Controller to go check it out. When the villain opens the hatch, Cap leaps inside leading to a clash between him and the Controller. With the ship at risk of getting damaged and crashing, the Voice tries to command the two to stop fighting. Unfortunately, the din of battle makes it impossible for either combatant to hear. Ultimately, Cap knocks out the Voice and tricks the Controller into leaping out of the jet through the open hatch and dives after him.

Elsewhere in the city, Diamondback is heading home after being sent away by Captain America. She worries that it will be a while before she sees him again, even though he said he’d be in touch. When she passes a shop window she is reminded that her costume is in tatters and contemplates smashing the shop window and stealing a dress to wear. However, she stops and reminds herself that if she is going to have a shot with Captain America, she is going to have to give up her criminal ways.

Meanwhile, Captain America and the Controller crash land in Central Park. There, the pair struggle for a while until the Controller manages to attach one of his control discs onto the back of Captain America’s neck. He then escapes when Crossbones turns around and picks him up. Little does he know that Cap had come prepared, having had Hank Pym and Fabien Stankewicz fashion a metal plate to wear under his costume to prevent a control disc from working on him.

Soon, the Controller is brought back to the Red Skull’s hideout in Washington. There, the former Nazi intends to have the Controller follow him back to the meeting place of his fellow conspirators so they can put a control disc on the back of the benefactor’s neck. Unfortunately, only the Red Skull can pass through the doorway. So, the Skull convinces the man to accompany him back to Washington. The mystery man agrees and once he crosses through the doorway, the Controller slaps a control disc on his neck. However, it has no effect on him at all. Finding this incredibly amusing, the mystery man is pleased to see that the Red Skull doesn’t trust him, which is exactly why he was recruited into being part of his elite. He then bids the Red Skull good day and disappears through the doorway. Undaunted, the Red Skull vows to get him yet.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Controller, Red Skull, Crossbones, Diamondback, Sub-Mariner, Doctor Doom, Kingpin, the Wizard, Mandarin, Loki, Fabian Stankewicz, Henry Pym, Thor, Juggernaut

Continuity Notes

The Sub-Mariner was tagged with one of the Controller’s control discs last issue.
The narrative here states that the Avengers are working out of the sub-basement of their old headquarters after the sinking of Avengers Island. The Avengers relocated their headquarters after a siege on the mansion by the Masters of Evil in Avengers #273-277. They relocated to Hydrobase in issue #278. Most recently, Hydrobase was sunk by Doctor Doom in Avengers #311. The Avengers will operate out of the sub-basement at the old mansion site until a new headquarters is built for them in Avengers #329.
This mysterious benefactor is later revealed to be Loki, as seen in Avengers West Coast #55.
The Red Skull was believed to have died of old age in Captain America #300. However, the general public is unaware that the Skull cheated death by having his mind transferred into a body cloned from Captain America’s DNA, see Captain America #350 for the details on that.
For more on Thor’s clash with the Juggernaut see Thor #411-412.

Nowhere to Hyde

With Mister Hyde vowing to destroy him for past betrayals, the Cobra has sought out his former partner in order to prove to himself that he is worthy of leading the Serpent Society.[1] However, Mister Hyde is stronger than ever before, causing the Cobra to believe that this was a terrible idea.

Worse, the Cobra can’t bring himself to fight back out of fear of his former partner. The best he can do is leap about the room, evading Hyde’s attacks. Unless overcomes his fear and thinks of something quick it will only be a matter of time before the brute gets a hold of him. Pushing past his fear, the Cobra tries to attack Hyde, but the stronger villain manages to overpower the Cobra and hold him by the throat.

Before Hyde can choke him to death, the Cobra spits in his mouth. He then tells Mister Hyde that his saliva contains lethal snake venom that was hidden in a hollowed out tooth and unless Hyde does exactly what he is told, he won’t be given the antidote and will die in a matter of minutes.

Recurring Characters

Cobra, Mister Hyde

Continuity Notes

Cobra and Mister Hyde partnered together a few times early on in their careers. The first time being in Journey into Mystery #105. More recently, the Cobra refused to break Mister Hyde out of jail when he made an escape of his own back in Spectacular Spider-Man #46. Hyde has held a grudge and obsessively hatched plots to get revenge against his old partner as seen in Captain America #251-252, Amazing Spider-Man #231-232, and Spectacular Spider-Man #88-90.