Captain America #403
Man and Wolf Part 2: City of Wolves
Captain America is looking for his missing pilot John Jameson. This has led him to upstate New York where he and Doctor Druid are investigating a series of bizarre wolf attacks in the region. There, they are attacked by a female werewolf. Moments after the attack a mystery armored man calling himself Moonhunter arrives on his sky-cycle and snares the werewolf with a noose and begins dragging it into the air. Even though they were just attacked by the creature, Cap refuses to let it be strangled to death and attempts to cut through the noose by throwing his shield at it. However, it is more than simple rope and the weapon bounces off. Moonhunter then tranquilizes the beast and pulls it aboard his ship. After tossing Cap back his shield, Moonhunter then retreats from the scene.
Captain America then leaps on his own sky-cycle and tries to give chase. However, there are weapons built into the exhaust system of Moonhunter’s rig and he blasts the pursuing craft from behind. Cap leaps across to the other sky-cycle but Moonhunter blasts him point blank in the chest with his gun, sending Steve Rogers crashing into the trees below. As Moonhunter heads into the town of Starksboro,[1] he is unaware that he has been spotted by Wolverine who is also in the area investigating the werewolf murders. When Moonhunter arrives in town, he tells two of the werewolves on guard to fix up his bike so its ready when he needs it again. He then carries the female werewolf into a lab where Nightshade is experimenting on the Werewolf by Night. Moonhunter brings here the werewolf he just captured, saying he doesn’t recognize her and asks if it is one of her creations.
Back at Avengers Headquarters, Doctor Keith Kincaid has just finished his examination of Dennis Dunphy, aka Demotion Man. He tells Jarvis that Dunphy’s recent oxygen deprivation in the the Artic waters has caused him to suffer some form of selective amnesia, hence why he cannot talk and doesn’t remember anything about his past.[2] He hopes he can find a cure, but it is too early to figure out how as more tests need to be run. Jarvis feels sorry for the poor man and wonders if the Avengers will be shouldered with his care from now on.
Upstate, Captain America climbs down from the trees and finds that he is now seriously injured. He then remembers that Doctor Druid was injured during the werewolf attack and races back to see if he is ok. Druid, who has full control over his body, had spent the time meditating in order to seal his wounds through force of will and is now completely healed up. Also, thanks to being in physical contact with the werewolf that attacked them, Druid is able to track its psychic aura allowing them to track it back to wherever Moonhunter took it.
While in Stakesboro, in a church that has been converted into a druidic place of worship, Nightshade meets with her master.[3] When she tells him that they have attracted Ferocia, a werewolf from K’un-Lun and not one of her own creations. He reveals to her that he has restored the Moongem to its former glory and explains that the arcane energies within the gem are attracting similar beings to this location.[4] Suddenly, a set of mystical chimes begin to ring, alerting Nightshade and her master to an intruder. This turns out to be Wolverine, who is outside fighting the werewolves that roam the town. Moonhunter comes out to stop the feral mutant but it takes four point-blank blasts of his shotgun to bring him down. He then orders the werewolves to take Wolverine to Nightshade’s lab for experimentation.
Two hours later, Captain America and Doctor Druid arrive in town. Moments after they set foot in Starksboror they are suddenly surrounded by an army of werewolves.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Wolverine, Doctor Druid, Moonhunter, Nightshade, Dredmund the Druid (unidentified), Ferocia, Werewolf by Night, Demolition Man, Keith Kincaid, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
Although its not outright stated during the Man and Wolf story arc, Starksboro is a place of mystical significance see Marvel Premiere #4-7.
D-Man was lost in the Artic Ocean after being caught in an Quinjet explosion in Captain America #349. As seen in issue #384 he spent much of this time frozen in a block of ice. He was eventually freed and was found and rescued by US Agent and Falcon in Captain America #400. He will remain in his current mental state until his mind is restored in issue #418.
Not mentioned by name here and concealed in shadow, the mastermind behind this whole werewolf plot is revealed to be Dredmund the Druid in Captain America #405.
The Moongem was a found on the moon and brought to Earth by astronaut John Jameson. For a time it was bonded to him causing John to transform into the Man-Wolf, as first seen in Amazing Spider-Man #124. The gem was removed from John’s body and reduced to dust in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #3. It was kept at ESU until Dredmond stole it last issue.
Taken to Task
Years Ago[1]
At the Taskmasters’ Academy of Criminal Arts and Sciences, the head man himself is addressing the latest crop of new recruits. He tells them that they are going to be worked to the bone to make them the best of the best, but warns that many will flunk out before their training is complete. Among those in the crowd is Rachel Leighton, with her entire family gone she has been trying to find a direction in life. With no employable skills she discovered the Taskmaster’s school and hopes to use the training here to make it rich as a career criminal.[2]
In the women’s locker room, Rachel and the other female recruits are getting changed when Blanche, their calisthenics instructor comes barging in and tells them to get a move on. During the their training session, Blanche is a slavedriver and takes particular attention to Rachel who she accuses her of slacking off. An hour later, their martial arts instructor enters the room to begin their fight training. Rachel is shocked to see that it is none other than Brock Rumlow, the former gang leader who raped her and destroyed her family.[3]
Trying to avoid being recognizes, Rachel sneaks out the door and runs into Blanche who demands to know what she is doing out of training. Rachel explains that she had to get something from her locker and Blanche grabs her by the throat, calling her a chicken — saying all the pretty girls usually are. However, Rachel fights Blanche off, impressing her and so she decides to let Rachel go back to the locker room. There, Rachel realizes that the only way to get through training with Brock Rumlow unrecognized will be to chop her hair short and wear heavy make-up from now on…
Now
Rachel Leighton wakes up from a dream about her time at the Taskmaster’s school. This is just as Brock — now calling himself Crossbones — returns to the abandoned bomb shelter where he has been keeping her captive for weeks.[4] He has brought her some food and tells her to eat up as they are going to continue his training, warning her that if she doesn’t show any improvement it will be a long time before she eats anything again.
Recurring Characters
Taskmaster, Rachel Leighton, Sheoke Sanada, Brock Rumlow
Continuity Notes
This story is vague on how long ago this story takes place. Captain America and Crossbones #1 (publishing 2011) states that Brock Rumlow’s time at the Taskmaster’s school took place 14 years prior to the present day of that story. Measuring it up to the Sliding Timescale, that would place the flashback in that tale (and subsequently Diamondback’s flashback in this one) as happening sometime during “Year One” of the Modern Age.
Here, Rachel jokes to a woman in the crowd about how Halloween-y Taskmaster’s costume is. This woman goes unidentified in this story. Official Index of the Marvel Universe: Captain America identifies her as Sheoke Sanada, who will later become the mercenary Snapdragon. As we have learned in Captain America #388, something happened between Rachel and Sheoke between their time at Taskmaster’s school and the present that made them enemies. However, as of this writing in July, 2022, the details of their falling out have yet to be explained.
As seen in Captain America #400, Brock was the leader of the Savage Crims a gang that Rachel’s brothers Danny and Ricky were a part of. When Rachel petitioned Brock to let her join up he raped and beat her instead. When her brothers Ricky and Willy came to avenge her, Willy was killed and Brock fled town to escape the law. Danny ran off shortly thereafter and Ricky went wild, getting himself killed in a robbery gone wrong.
Crossbones kidnapped Rachel in Captain America #396. He will continue to hold her as his prisoner until Captain America #411.
