Captain America #407
Man and Wolf Part 6: Lord of the Wolves
While searching for his missing pilot, John Jameson, Captain America discovered that Dredmund the Druid has turned the entire population of Starksboro, Massachusetts into a town of werewolves. Transformed into a werewolf as well, Cap led a rebellion against Dredmund. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop him from cutting Doctor Druid’s throat in a mystic ceremony to revive the full power of the Moongem. With this powerful artifact, Dredmund the Druid tansforms himself into the cosmically powered Starwolf. He then challenges Captain America to a duel but his newfound power allows him to easily defeat the hero. That’s when the Werewolf by Night and Wolfsband arrive with an army of captive werewolves to join the battle.
Outside of town, Feral of X-Force — like many lycanthropic beings — has found herself drawn to Starksboro by the Moongem. However, before she can arrive she is knocked out by a tranquilizer dart shot from her leader, Cable. The mutant mercenary then decides to head into town to see what was influencing Feral to come here in the first place.
Back inside the church, as the battle rages, Captain America cuts Doctor Druid loose and discovers his slit throat has somehow stopped bleeding. That’s when Cable comes bursting in and, not understanding what’s going on, begins opening fire on everyone in the room. Captain America lunges across the way and disarms the mercenary before anyone can be seriously hurt. As the two fight it out, the Starwolf uses his magical power to wrap the two brawlers up in a carpet. That’s when he notices that Doctor Druid has disappeared while no one was looking.
Druid has been taken to the infirmary by a white werewolf who also has Nightshade — the woman responsible for transforming nearly everyone into werewolves — to an operating table.[1] When she pleads to be let free, the white wolf injects her with her own werewolf formula instead turning her into one of them. Her captor then writes his demands on a sheet of paper: find an antidote for them all.
In the church, the Starwolf decides to amuse himself by torturing Captain America and Cable. Using his power he traps them under a heavy druidic stone that will slowly crush them to death.
At that same time, Moonhunter breaks out of the pen and frees Wolverine so he can help his master. However, when they run into Nightshade’s lab, Doctor Druid has finally recovered and uses his power to break the hypnotic spell Dredmund had over them this entire time. Logan then heads to the church pretending to still be under Dredmund’s control. This is a ruse however that allows him to get close to Cap and Cable to free them. Wolverine then throws Captain America at the Starwolf and after a brief struggle, Cap manages to rip the Moongem from his throat and toss it to the ground. There, Cable crushes it under his boot, ending its threat and causing Dredmund to return to human form.[2] With the Moongem destroyed the only thing left to do is find a way to cure everyone who has been transformed into werewolves.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Man-Wolf, Cable, Wolverine, Doctor Druid, Moonhunter, Starwolf, Nightshade, Feral, Wolfsbane, Werewolf by Night
Continuity Notes
Next issue it is revealed that this white wolf is the missing John Jameson.
Although destroyed here, the Moongem will turn up again in Spider-Man Family #5
Uncut Diamonds
In order to try and get back in the Red Skull’s favor, Crossbones has come to his Colorado retreat to turn Diamondback over to him.[1] Captured by the new members of the Skeleton Crew — Cutthroat, Jack O’Lantern, and Blackwing — who then bring them before the Red Skull. The Nazi war criminal orders the prisoner’s masks to be removed. Seeing Crossbones’ disfigured face confirms that this is the real Brock Rumlow and not an impostor.[2] Seeing Diamondback without her mask on also confirms to Cutthroat that she is his sister, Rachel Leighton.[3]
Asking to speak to Crossbones alone, the Red Skull learns that Rumlow returned with IV bags of Captain America’s blood as an offering to the Skull in the hopes that he can get his old job back. The Skull tells him that Cutthroat and the others have been hired on as Cross’ replacements, but they are still under probation and he has yet to determine if they will make the cut.
Meanwhile, Jack O’Lantern tosses Diamondback in a padded cell until the Skull can figure out what to do with her. Seeing how rough Jack is being with his sister, Cutthroat warns him against treating their prisoner like that again. He then goes to Mother Night to tell her that Crossbones is back and he came with his sister as a prisoner.
Later that evening, Cutthroat visits Diamondback in her cell and reveals that he’s her long lost brother Danny. He apologizes for abandoning the family and promises to make it all up to her so she can forgive him.
Recurring Characters
Diamondback, Crossbones, Red Skull, Skeleton Crew (Cutthroat, Jack O’Lantern, Blackwing, Mother Night)
Continuity Notes
Crossbones was fired by the Red Skull in Captain America #393. He kidnapped and started training Diamondback since kidnapping her in issue #396.
As of this writing, the injury that Crossbones suffered to his face is never really explained. The Crossbones entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3 explains his face was burned during a training session.
Cutthroat suspected that Diamondback is his sister since last issue. How he became Cutthroat is explained last issue. He ran away from home after Brock brutalized Rachel and murdered his older brother Willy, as seen in Captain America #400.
After getting caught in a meth lab explosion, Captain America needed a full blood transfusion to get the tainted blood out of his system. The drug laced blood was then filtered so the Super Soldier Serum could be returned to his body. However, Cap opted not to undergo another transfusion as he wanted to prove that it was the man, not the serum that made him Captain America, as seen in Captain America #372-378. This proved to be a moot point as it was later revealed that trace amounts of the serum still remained in his system and was replenishing itself, as revealed in issue #384. Diamondback stole the blood from Avengers Headquarters in issue #405.
