Captain America #391
The Superia Stratagem Part Five of Six: No Man’s Land
While on a mission to rescue Diamondback, Captain America and Paladin have stumbled upon a gathering of female super-villains gathered by the mysterious Superia. Taking the pair as prisoners, Supreria decides that rather than eliminate them, she will subject them to a process that will transform them into women. This doesn’t sit well with Nightshade, Superia’s second-in-command, but she complies with her orders anyway. Their discussion is interrupted by MODAM who tells them that the new arrivals are ready and waiting for Superia’s big speech. Nightshade is left to keep an eye on their prisoners. Although Captain America is suspended in a tank of gender altering chemicals, she can’t help but worry that the Avenger is somehow coming up with a plan to escape.
Meanwhile, Superia appears before the assemblage of female superheroes. She tells them that her island, Femizonia, is her private sanctuary for them all as she has specifically chosen them to become her Femazons. She reminds them of the super-strong warrior woman named Thundra and tells them that she came from a future where women are dominant over men.[1] Curious to learn more about this future timeline, Superia built a time probe to gather more information. Not only did she discover that she is an ancestor to Thundra but that the catalyst that caused that future to happen was due to a biological outbreak that greatly tipped the scales between the genders. Superia tells the gathered women that she is going to usher this pandemic. She and her chosen people will be spared thanks to a protective dome erected around the island. She then leaves the women to contemplate their future and make sense of what is going on.
Soon, Asp and Black Mamba go looking around and see that the super-villains weren’t the only people brought here. Superia has apparently gathered ordinary women of every nationality and race and set up a thriving civilization. As they wonder what Superia’s game is, the pair bump into MODAM and pump her for information on Captain America and Paladin. Hearing how they are undergoing a forced gender transition, the pair decide to try and free their friends. They decide their first step is to find out where Diamondback is and tell her what’s going on, hoping it will convince her to suit up again after swearing off her costume following a near death experience.[3]
Back in the lab, Nightshade continues overseeing Captain America and Paladin’s transition. The process has just one more hour left to go, but she is nervous that they might escape in that time and orders their sedative increased. That’s when Black Mamba and Asp arrive looking for Diamondback. This creates the distraction Captain America needs to smash out of is prison and free Paladin. With the help of Asp and Black Mamba, they take out Nightshade and her staff. Captain America decides that they need to split up and find his and Paladin’s uniforms and weapons, find Diamondback, and then find a way off the island. In order to try and get around unnoticed, Captain America and Paladin are forced to put on Black Mamba and Asp’s costumes while the women disguise themselves as guards. This incredibly stupid idea somehow works and the group splits up to achieve their objectives.
Black Mamba and Cap manage to locate the room where their confiscated gear is being stored. However, they are caught by Superia who knocks Mamba out with an energy blast. She then clashes with Captain America for a brief moment before revealing her master plan: She is launching a rocket into space that will unleash a biological agent that will render all the women outside of Femezonia sterile. Being the only fertile women on the planet, Superia intends to use that to attain the power needed to create the female dominated future of her apparent descendant. She then turns on a monitor screen that shows the Cap is too late to stop her as the rocket has just been launched.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Paladin, Black Mamba, Asp, Femazons (Superia, Anaconda, Arclight, Battleaxe, Black Lotus, Bloodlust, Bombshell, Dansen Macabre, Dragonfly, Ferocia, Frenzy, Gladiatrix, Gold Digger, Gypsy Moth, Ice Princess, Impala, Ion, Iron Maiden, Karisma, Knockout, Mindblast, MODAM, Mysteria, Nightshade, Pink Pearl, Princess Python, Quicksand, Screaming Mimi, Snapdragon, Titania, Vapor, Vertigo, Water Witch, Whiplash, Whiteout, Wrangler, Yellowjacket)
Continuity Notes
Per Marvel Encyclopedia: Fantastic Four, the possible future that Thundra hales from is designated Reality-715. For more on Thundra’s world see Savage Tales #1 and Fantastic Four #151-153. Thundra first came to Earth-616 in Fantastic Four #129 to defeat this era’s strongest man. Thundra has been trying to get back to her home dimension since Marvel Two-In-One #67. We’ll discover that she made it home in Avengers West Coast #75.
Diamondback almost drowned thanks to her old enemy Snapdragon who tossed her into the ocean in Captain America #388. As revealed in Captain America #403, the pair go back to their days in the Taskmaster’s school. However, as of this writing in July, 2022, the exact reason why they are enemies has yet to be revealed.
Topical References
Superia states that it is the 1990s in this story. This date should be considered a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale.
Seeing Cap and Paladin in their underwear, Black Mamba quips that they are the “Best dressed super heroes of ‘91!” The year given here should be considered topical as well.
Captain America refers to their underwear as Fruit of the Looms. This should be considered topical as this is a real world clothing company.
The Skeleton Key
The Red Skull and his Skeleton Crew have been captured by Hauptman Deutschland and extradited to Germany. This has been done to bring the Skull to trail and punish him for his past crimes as a Nazi during World War II. Not taking any risks with their prisoners, they are all blind folded, gagged, and shackled to chairs to restrict to hamper any attempts to escape.
As the specially constructed courtroom is being prepared, government officials come to see the Red Skull for themselves. They also take the moment to introduce the Skull to his court appointed lawyer. With his gag briefly removed, the Red Skull tells them that he doesn’t recognize their authority and doesn’t need a lawyer. Hauptman Deutschland gags the Skull again and assures the Nazi war criminal that he will be executed before the day is over. While the rest of the Skeleton Crew contemplate their situation, the Machinesmith is actively trying to find a way out. Having transmitted his electronic mind into a nearby locking mechanism. He is trapped there until his physical body is brought close enough for him to download his consciousness back into his body. Still, he is far from helpless and begins transmitting a message to the outside world.
Soon enough, the trail is ready to begin and the Red Skull and his compatriots are brought into the makeshift courtroom.[1] This brings the Machinesmith close enough to the control panel for the robot to transfer his mind back into his body. As the trial is about to begin, the Machinesmith decides it is now or never and breaks free from his bonds…
… This story is continued in Captain America #393.
Recurring Characters
Red Skull, Skeleton Crew (Crossbones, Mother Night, Machinesmith, Fourth Sleeper), Hauptman Deutschland, Blitzkrieg
Continuity Notes
Hauptman Deutschland mocks the Red Skull by suggesting they should be playing Chopin’s Funeral March as they bring him to trail. When assassinating high profile targets, the Red Skull once played Chopin’s Funeral March to announce his presence as a form of intimidation. He was first depicted using this method in Captain America Comics #7. However, the Red Skull rarely deploys this tactic. The last time he used it prior to this story was in Captain America #184.
Topical References
Here, Germany is referred to as being “reunited”. At the end of World War II, Germany was broken up into two countries. The communist East Germany and the democratic West. In 1990, the fractured country was reunited as the Cold War was coming to an end. References to Germany being unified should be considered topical
