Going to the Dogs

The New York chapter of the Watchdogs have broken into the record company office that promotes the rappers Crew Dee Crew. They plan on torching the place because they have decided that the music put out by the rappers is immoral. Among them is new recruit Mike Farrel who is nervous on his first mission. Just moments before the place is lit up, Mike finds the janitor passed out drunk in a nearby closet. He tries to tell the others but it is too late. With the fire spreading rapidly, Mike finds himself conflict between saving the man’s life and leaving him to die, since this goes against everything he does in his day job as a firefighter. Ultimately, Mike decides to leave the janitor to die and just barely gets out before the entire building explodes. As everyone gets into their getaway vehicles, Mike tells Stuart Bartlet — the man who recruited him — about the man in the closet he found. Stuart dismisses the loss of life, telling Mike that the drunk deserved to die for working for the immoral record company.

The following morning, at Avengers Headquarters, Steve Rogers is going through his morning exercise routine when he is informed by Jarvis that his ex-girlfriend Bernie Rosenthal is there to see him. Steve has been struggling to tell Bernie that he has been dating Diamondback and decides to leave a photo of Rachel lying around hoping it will bring up the conversation.[1] Bernie indeed sees the photo when she arrives in Cap’s room. However, rather than asking about the woman in the photo, she instead offers to help Steve pick out some new furniture for his room in the new Avengers Headquarters.[2]

Two hours later, Bernie returns to her apartment in Brooklyn Heights and pays a visit to her long time friend and neighbor Mike Farrel. Bernie is shocked about the bandages on his face. She assumes that he was involved with putting out the fire at the record studio office. Mike, consumed with guilt over the death of the janitor is about to tell Bernie the truth when Stuart comes over for a visit. Mike tells Bern that he and Stu need to talk in private. Bartlet has come to tell Mike about the Watchdog’s next target, an erotic art exhibit. When Stu leaves, Bernie decides to stop by Mike’s apartment again. Mike is still struggling with his conscious and admits the truth of what’s going on to his long time friend. He explains how he was drawn into the Watchdogs because he shared their values. Bernie tells Mike that he needs to take this information to the police. Farrel refuses, saying that doing so could cost him his job and put him in a lot of danger should the Watchdogs decide to retaliate and pleads to Bernie to keep this a secret. Little do either of them know that Stuart bugged Mike’s apartment during his visit and he is listening in on their conversation.

At that same moment, Captain America is running Rage and Sandman through a training session when he gets a call from Peggy Carter telling him that Bernie Rosenthal is on the line and that it is an emergency. When Cap leaves to answer the call, the two Avengers-in-training give a sigh of relief that their training is over for the day.[3] Bernie tells Steve about Mike’s situation and he agrees to head to Brooklyn Heights to talk to him. Meanwhile, more Watchdogs have arrived outside Mike’s apartment and they break in so they can silence him before he blows their current plans. Once they break in, they discover that Mike is not home and must have sneaked out. The Watchdogs are then ambushed by Captain America who easily trounces the intruders.[4]

As Captain America brawls with the Watchdogs, Mike heads to Enrique Parcair’s art exhibit to warn him that he is going to be targeted by the Watchdogs. He does this even though he finds the erotic nature of Enrique’s work disgusting. Parcair on the other hand is deeply angered by Mike’s warning and he refuses to cancel his exhibit as he doesn’t realize the full scope of the danger he is in. Insulted by Enrique’s entitled attitude, Mike decides to leave the artist to his fate and storms out.

Back at Mike’s Brooklyn Heights apartment, the Watchdogs are faring poorly against Captain America. When Stuart tries to flee he runs into Bernie Rosenthal who has been listening in on the fight from the other side of the apartment door. He grabs Bernie and holds her at gunpoint, forcing Captain America to surrender. They then force the hero to stand on his shield and after planting a bomb use Bernie as a human shield to get away. Once the terrorists are gone, Cap begins trying to defuse the bomb, unsure how powerful it is or what might trigger it to go off. After a nerve wracking few minutes the hero manages to defuse the bomb. By the time he gets back outside the Watchdogs are long gone, but Cap vows to track them down and bring them to justice.

A half-hour later, Mike Farrel returns to his apartment and finds it swarming with police. Believing that Bernie ratted him out, Mike decides to make a run for it before someone recognizes him.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, US Agent, Watchdogs (Mike Farrel, Stuart Bartlet), Rage, Sandman, Bernie Rosenthal, Edwin Jarvis (voice)

Continuity Notes

1. Steve and Bernie Rosenthal had a pretty serious and complex relationship. They began dating shortly thereafter in issue #251. Bern figured out his double-identity in Captain America #275-276. Although Bernie proposed to him in issue #292, his duties as Captain America drove a wedge and Bernie ultimately decided to leave New York to pursue her legal career in issue #317. The two drifted apart shortly thereafter. Since then, Cap started dating Diamondback in Captain America #371. He has been unable to find a way to bring Rachel up since Bernie re-entered his life in issue #380.

2. This new headquarters had just recently finished construction in Avengers #329. The original mansion was located to Hydrobase following an attack by the Masters of Evil in Avengers #272-277. It remained there until Avengers #278 until Hydrobase was sunk by Doctor Doom in Avengers #311.

3. At the time of this story, Rage and Sandman were recently admitted into the Avengers as trainees. This was in Avengers #329.

4. Captain America is surprised to see that the Watchdogs operating this far north, noting that they were formed in the southern states. The Watchdogs appear to be a grassroots movement that got their start in the American south circa Captain America #335. However, issue #350 revealed that they are secretly being funded by the Red Skull as part of his accelerationist plot to destroy America.

Topical References

• Captain America’s Avengers ID card is depicted as being signed by President George HW Bush. This should be considered a topical reference as he was President from 1989 to 1993. He subsequently died in 2018.

• Mike’s TV is playing an episode of In Living Color a sketch comedy show that ran on the Fox Network from 1990 to 1994. This could be considered a topical reference unless you want to believe that Mike likes watching re-runs of early 90s sketch comedy shows.

Loose Ends

Diamondback, Black Mamba, and Asp are at Paladin’s apartment watching the news coverage about the Serpent Society bust.[1] While King Cobra and many of the others snakes were arrested the media repots that Puff Adder, Rock Python and Anaconda are still on the loose. Diamondback tells her friends that they are going to eventually have to consider what to do in the future, particularly since the remaining members of the Serpent Society is going to be out there looking for them. Rachel suggests that they form a new group of mercenaries-for-hire working on the right side of the law. Mamba and Asp like this idea and Rachel decides to call their new group B.A.D. Girls, Inc. with each letter in “BAD” representing the name of one of its members.

They then decide to go out and shop for new costumes and return to Rachel’s apartment where they plan to set up traps for when the Serpent Society comes knocking. Unfortunately, Anaconda and the others were waiting in ambush. As a Serpent Saucer crashes through the ceiling, Rock Python nabs Asp. Diamondback tries to flee out the front door, but finds the way blocked by Anaconda. Suddenly, the ceiling of the apartment caves in, burying Black Mamba under piles of debris. Diamondback laments that their plan to lay a trap for their enemies has backfired spectacularly.

Recurring Characters

BAD Girls Inc. (Diamondback, Asp, Black Mamba), Serpent Society (Anaconda, Puff Adder, Rock Python)

Continuity Notes

1. The Serpent Society were taken down by Captain America in issues #380-382.

Topical References

• Diamondback’s TV is depicted as a CRT style set. This should be considered a topical reference as this is now an obsolete technology.