Captain America #390

Jun 27

Jun 27 Captain America #390

The Superia Stratagem Part Four of Six: When Women Wage War!

Following Diamondback’s distress signal, Captain America and Paladin find themselves aboard the S.S. Suprema a ship full of female super-villains. They are detected the moment they set foot on the cruise ship and are instantly attacked by a horde of female villains. Paladin attempts to hold them off with his pistol, but Gypsy Moth uses her powers to make his begin coming apart at the seams, forcing him to flee. He is soon swarmed by others and cries for help. Captain America has been holding his own against the endless sea of women and is able to break away and come to Paladin’s aid. Allowed a moment to catch their breath, the pair prepare for the next wave of attacks.

Meanwhile, below deck, Asp and Black Mamba return to the infirmary to visit their friend Diamondback. After she nearly drowned after being thrown overboard, they have come to find out who tried to kill her. However, Rachel’s near death experience has greatly changed her. She tells her friends that as she felt herself dying a voice called out to her and said they were going to let her live and give her a second chance as long as she changed her life completely. This has convinced her to give up her costumed career and live a normal life. After hearing this, Asp and Black Mamba reluctantly tell Rachel that Captain America is on the ship and is currently fighting for his life.

Back at the scene of the battle, things are looking grim for the two heroes as they continue losing ground to the seemingly endless army of foes. The pair are suddenly stunned by one of Screaming Mimi’s sonic screams. This allows Frenzy, Pink Pearl, Poundcakes, and Titania to each grab one of Paladin’s limbs. They threaten to pull him apart limb from limb unless Captain America surrenders. Seeing no choice in the matter, the Avenger does as he is told and is knocked out from behind by Knockout. That’s when Nightshade, Superia’s second-in-command arrives and tells the women that their male prisoners need to be interrogated before being eliminated. As the two heroes are tied up and carried below deck, Diamondback and her friends arrive and are shocked by the sight. They are about to ask Nightshade what she plans on doing to Cap and Paladin when Snapdragon walks by. When Rachel sees the woman who almost killed her, she tells her friends that she needs to lie down.[1]

A short time later, Captain America and Paladin are subjected to the hypnotic motions of Dansen Macabre and are interrogated by Nightshade. She manages to get Captain America to tell her that he had come looking for Diamondback, but his willpower prevents him from saying anything else. Paladin on the other hand is an easier nut to crack and he tells them that Cap came looking for Diamondback after receiving a distress signal from her and that the Avengers probably know that they are out there looking for her. Nightshade decides to spare them for now as they’ll be needed and orders the others to find Diamondback and her friends and search them for the transmitter. She then goes to the communications room to inform Superia that they have Captain America and Paladin as their prisoners. Instead of ordering their destruction, Superia instead tells Nightshade to bring them to her island alive. Although Nightshade privately thinks this might jeopardize their mission, she is loyal to Superia and follows her orders.

In the morning, the S.S. Superia comes to port on Superia’s private island. There, Captain America and Paladin are taken to the woman who has gathered all these female villains together. Once she is face-to-face with her prisoners, Superia informs Nightshade and the others that they will use her advanced scientific equipment to transform Cap and Paladin into women!

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Paladin, BAD Girls Inc (Asp, Black Mamba, Diamondback), Femazons (Superia, Anaconda, Arclight, Battleaxe, Bloodlust, Bombshell, Coachwhip, Danesn Macabre, Dragonfly, Gladiatrix, Gold Digger, Frenzy, Gypsy Moth, Ice Princess, Impala, Ion, Iron Maiden, Karisma, Mindblast, Mysteria, Nightshade, Pink Pearl, Poundcakes, Quicksand, Screaming Mimi, Snapdragon, Steel Wind, Titania, Vertigo, Water Witch, Whiplash, Whiteout, Wrangler, Yellowjacket)

Continuity Notes

Snapdragon threw Diamondback overboard to drown in Captain America #388. This was to avenge herself after Rachel disgraced her in the past. As of this writing in July, 2022 we aren’t entirely sure what that was. Captain America #403 reveals that the pair were both trainees in the Taskmaster’s school together.

Topical References

In this story there is a villain called Gypsy Moth. The term gypsy is a dated term referring to the Romani people and is considered by many to be a pejorative term by today’s standards. Since this is the name of a character I have left it as is in my summary.

Sneak Attack

The Red Skull has been captured by Hauptman Deutschland and is being extradited back to Germany to face trial for his past crimes. Following their boss via a hidden transmitter, the Skeleton Crew has followed their leader to a facility just outside of Berlin. There, they send the Fourth Sleeper to come smashing into the building and attack the guards. Then, while Crossbones and Mother Night stand guard, Machinesmith begins trying to hack the sophistical electronic lock to the Red Skull’s cell.

However, they are interrupted by Deutschland and Blitzkrieg, another German superhero. Between Hauptman’s seeming invulnerability and Blitzkrieg’s electricity, the Skeleton Crew has a fight on their hands. First the Fourth Sleeper is incapacitated, taking out the Machinesmith as they are mentally link. Mother Night tries to use her illusion casting powers to confuse Blitzkrieg but is knocked out by some unseen force. Crossbones is the last to go down when he foolishly tries to charge through a cage of electricity created by Blitzkrieg. With the Skeleton Crew defeated the third member of Hauptman’s group, Zeitgeist, makes himself visible. With their foes defeated, commends his team — called Schultz Heiligruppe — on their successful first mission.