Captain America #375
Streets of Poison Part 5: The Devil You Know
Out looking for a drug addled Captain America, Diamondback and John Jameson are victims of a drive-by-shooting.[1] Rachel manages to shove John out of harms way, taking a number of bullets to the back. Luckily, Rachel survives thanks to the Kevlar lining in her costume. John then notices that they weren’t the targets of the drive-by, but the intend targets managed to get away unharmed. Jameson finds himself grateful for the save, noting that the concerned whispers about Rachel’s criminal past are not warranted.[2]
Meanwhile, an increasingly unhinged Captain America has gathered the patrons of the Rhythem Room social club and demands they give him Jerry Weiderman, a drug dealer who operates out of the club. Cap is very aggressive and begins calling the dealer in the group a chicken. Starting to panic, Jerry grabs one of the other patrons and threatens to shoot them unless Captain America lets him go. His natural skills unaffected by the drugs coursing through his system, Cap quickly hurls his shield, disarming the gunman. Cap then grabs the guy, leaps out a nearby window, landing on his waiting sky-cycle. He then flies high into the air and threatens to drop the drug dealer to his death unless he reveals everything he knows about the Kingpin’s drug operations.[3]
Elsewhere, the Ice dealers who were involved in the earlier drive by shooting return to their corner where they celebrate a job well done. There, they are attacked by Bullseye who is posing as a homeless man. He incapacitates three of the four gang-bangers and orders the fourth to take him to the moneymen financing the Ice operations in the city.
The following evening, the Kingpin is enjoying a private dinner at one of the city’s most exclusive Italian restaurants. His meal with Typhoid Mary is interrupted by Captain America who has come looking for answers. The Kingpin orders his men to stand down and invites Cap to sit down and talk. Captain America starts eating from Fisk’s plate and begins asking him questions about the growing drug war between him and those who are flooding the streets with Ice. Wilson, ever the intelligent criminal, answers these questions in the hypothetical. He unfortunately still does not know the identity of his rival but wants to stop the bloodshed on the streets as well, as it is bad for business. He tells Captain America that should he stop whoever it is, the Kingpin will be in his debt. The unhinged hero finds this amusing and takes off.[4] Once outside, Captain America is confronted by Daredevil who tells him that they need to talk.[5]
While on the Upper West Side, Diamondback has finally woken up and learns from John that she has been out for 18 hours. Rachel is in a great deal of pain but insists that after a quick shower she’ll be ready to go back out looking for Captain America. At that same moment, in Brooklyn, Bullseye has been led to Lowlife, the next rung on the Ice ladder.
Back in Little Italy, Daredevil expresses his concerns over Cap’s recently erratic behavior. The Star-Spangled Avenger insists that he is feeling fine. However, when Daredevil refuses to let things go, Captain America attacks him. As the two fight it out, Daredevil finds himself at a disadvantage because the Super Soldier Serum in Cap’s blood is throwing off his ability to predict Cap’s next moves based on his heartbeat. Worse, the Man Without Fear is out of sorts after returning to New York.[6] As such, Captain America easily trounces Daredevil and with his opponent defeated, he heads off to continue his one man crusade against drugs. Moments later, Daredevil hears footsteps approaching him, these footsteps belong to Crossbones who finds the battered hero and wonders what happened there.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Daredevil, Diamondback, Crossbones, Kingpin, Bullseye, Typhoid Mary,
Continuity Notes
Cap was caught in a meth lab explosion in Captain America #372. He is high on Ice, which is having a prolonged effect on him due to its mingling with the Super Soldier Serum in his veins. Steve will need to undergo a full blood transfusion in Captain America #377.
Diamondback started off her career as a member of the criminal Serpent Society in Captain America #310. However, after assisting Captain America in stopping Viper from usurping control of the Society and poisoning Washington, DC’s water supply in Captain America #342-344, Rachel has been trying to go straight so she can have a relationship with Cap. The hard work has started to pay off, as the pair began officially dating in Captain America #371.
Captain America incorrectly believes that Ice — a designer version of crystal meth — is being sold by the Kingpin after he encountered Bullseye last issue. In reality, the mastermind behind the new drug is actually Cap’s longtime foe the Red Skull, as we’ll learn next issue.
Typhoid Mary is surprised that Captain America is able to resist her “charms”. Mary has telepathic abilities which she can use to seduce people. She previously used this talent on Daredevil, as seen in Daredevil #254-260.
Daredevil has been looking for Captain America since last issue out of concerned by his erratic behavior the last time they met. That was in Daredevil #283.
Daredevil blames being out of sorts because of his recent time in the netherworld. DD was trapped in Mephisto’s realm from Daredevil #278-282.
Topical References
Here, John Jameson refers to the synthetic fibers used to bullet proof Diamondback’s costume as Kevlar. Kevlar is a brand name for this type of material. However, the use of the term “Kevlar” has become a propriety eponym (like referring to tissue paper as Kleenex or adhesive bandages as Band-Aids), and its use here might not be considered topical.
The Steel Balloon
Battlestar has been captured by the Power Tools and taken to a warehouse where he was gassed. Waking up, the hero finds himself strapped to adamantium shackles with other super-humans who have received strength augmentation from the Power Broker. Among them is Red Zeppelin, the most recent client of Ethan Thurm. Zeppelin explains that they are all being hauled off one-by-one for some kind of experimentation. No sooner has Red explained all of this that two men come and remove him next. Battlestar tries to break free from his bonds, but the shackles are electrified and he is shocked into submission.
When Lemar wakes up again he finds himself being hauled into the lab himself. There he is greeted by Doctor Karl Malus, the scientist behind the strength augmentation technology that enhanced the abilities of Battlestar and the others. With him is the Power Broker, who turned Malus’ technology into a profitable business. However, the Broker was forced to use the power on himself. However, the process was imperfect leaving him so massively swoll that he can’t move on his own, requiring him to use an exo-skeleton to move around.[1]
They explain that Malus has developed a device that can undo the effects of the Power Broker process but they need to run it through some tests before they can use it on the Broker himself. As such, they have captured other recipients of the process to use as guinea pigs for this new technology. Battlestar is gassed once again so that he can be transferred from his indestructible shackles to the operating table. When the hero wakes up, Malus activates his device, bombarding Lemar with a powerful energy. Feeling his strength beginning to wane, Hoskins cries out in agony.
Recurring Characters
Battlestar, Power Broker, Doctor Malus, Red Zeppelin
Continuity Notes
The Power Broker, aka Curtiss Jackson, tried to jack himself up when his home was attacked by the Scourge of the Underworld. The process doesn’t always work and in Jackson’s case he had been left completely immobilized by the excessive amount of muscles his body produced. See Captain America #360-364.
