Captain America #426
Fighting Chance Book 2: Graven Images
Preparing for the next phase of their smear campaign against Captain America, the new Super-Patriot and his ally Dead Ringer dig up the corpse of Roland Burroughs. Using his necro-mimicry powers, Dead Ringer is able to copy the abilities and appearance of Burroughs’ alter-ego, Death Adder.[1] With their ghoulish work done, the pair fill the grave back up before they are caught by the groundkeeper.
A few hours later, Captain America — still coming to terms with the fact that the Super-Soldier Serum in his blood is wearing out — is forced to sideline his regular training regiment out of fear that overtaxing his body will eventually leave him totally disabled.[2] He is doing stretches with his girlfriend Diamondback when Fabian Stankowicz comes in to complain about his thinks still not arriving from Avengers Headquarters to their new base of operations.[3] Diamondback is also anxious to find proof that Snapdragon is really dead, she wants to return to Boca Caliente — the island ruled by Advanced Idea Mechanics — to investigate.[4] Steve vetoes this idea, telling her that it would be too dangerous and promises her that they’ll find some other way to learn the truth.
Meanwhile, the Super-Patriot is preparing to go out dressed as Captain America again to ruin the heroe’s public image. Dead Ringer decides to ask why Patriot has such a hatred of Cap. All his ally will say is that Captain America ruined his life, stating that the less they know the better in the event either of them get arrested.[5] Once Super-Patriot is changed, the pair go up to the roof where Dead Ringer assumes the form of the Night Flyer so he can glide them across the city.[6]
At that same moment, Steve Rogers pays a visit to his old friend Sam Wilson. He has come to make up after their last conversation — over why Cap was dating Diamondback — had gone sour. He also tells her that Rachel has recovered from her injuries and returned form Wakanda.[7] However, this is more than just a social call as Steve tells Sam about the impostor going around ruining his good name and asks Wilson to keep an eye out.
Later, over the Cross-Bronx-Expressway, Super-Patriot and Dead Ringer attack an armored car in order to rob it of large sums of money. However, as they are making their getaway, they cross paths with the mutant rights terrorists the Resistants. Thinking that this is the real Captain America, the group attacks Super-Patriot and Dead Ringer to settle an old score.[8] Shot out of the sky, the pair are forced to defend themselves against their mutant attackers.
Meanwhile, Rachel and Fabian are setting up Captain America’s new base of operations. This includes setting up the costume shop storefront that serves to disguise their operations. That’s when Steve’s old girlfriend Bernie Rosenthal comes knocking. Bernie tells Rachel she just came by for a visit and to give Steve one of her new business cards now that she is a practicing lawyer. Learning of Bernie’s new profession, Rachel asks her if they can talk about the Snapdragon situation. Rosenthal is more than happy to discuss it, telling Rachel that a friend of Steve’s is a friend of hers.[9]
In Harlem, Steve and Sam have gone out for lunch when they are contacted by Peggy Cater, who has picked up reports regarding the Captain America impostor battling the Resistants out in Yonkers. Paying for their meal, Steve and Sam race out to change into Captain America and the Falcon in the hopes of tracking down the phony.
At the scene of the battle, the fake Captain America is able to defeat the mutant terrorists thanks to Dead Ringer changing into the form of Death Adder. Eventually, NYPD’s Code: Blue team arrives on the scene and Super-Patriot manages to bluff his way into making them think he is the real Captain America. In order to avoid arrest, “Cap” convinces Stone that he was being forced to rob the armored car by the Resistants. When he is commended for a job well done, the Super-Patriot is annoyed that this will undo some of the damage he has done to the real Captain America’s reputation.
Ten minutes later, when the real Captain America and Falcon arrive at the scene they discover that the impostor is long gone. Checking in with Peggy, Steve learns what went down and decides to go down to the precinct to straighten things out. As the two head back into the city, Cap wonders what exactly his impostor is up to and vows to put a stop to him before he causes irreparable harm.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Super-Patriot, Dead Ringer, Resistants (Occult, Meteorite, Crucible), Diamondback, Bernie Rosenthal, Fabian Stankowicz, Falcon, Code: Blue (Marcus Stone, Mad Dog Rossitano, Rigger Ruiz, Jock Jackson)
Continuity Notes
Death Adder was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld in Captain America #318. He will be resurrected years later in Punisher (vol. 8) #6.
Steve got this prognosis last issue. He will eventually be cured of this condition in Captain America #445.
Captain America decided to move into a new building in Brooklyn Heights in Captain America #422, taking Fabian and his inventions with him.
Diamondback seemingly killed Snapdragon in Captain America #314. However, she will turn up alive again in Moon Knight (vol. 6) #2. A profile in Captain America: America’s Avenger #1 states that Snapdragon faked her death.
It’s later revealed in Captain America #439 that Super-Patriot is actually Steve Roger’s former neighbor Mike Farrell. Mike got involved with the Watchdogs, a grass roots terrorist organization that used violent means to try and restore America to its “traditional values”. See Captain America #385-386.
This story reminds readers that the Night Flyer first appeared in Captain America #213-214. Although he was killed at the end of that story, the Controller later cloned him in Incredible Hulk #263-264. This clone died in its first outing as well. To date (July, 2022) the Night Flyer has remained among the deceased.
The Falcon met Diamondback during three back-to-back missions, the first to rescue her from the Red Skull, then a mission to Boca Caliente and lastly the Savage Land in Captain America #409-417. Rachel was injured in issue #417 and was in a coma until just recently in Captain America #424. Sam’s misgivings about her stem from the fact that she used to be a member of the Serpent Society circa Captain America #310-344. She has since reformed and she and Steve have been dating since Captain America #371.
The Resistants originally fought John Walker when he was Captain America (between issues #333 and 350) in Captain America #343 and 346. They later fought Steve Rogers when he took back the mantle in Captain America #368. The founding members of the group actually fought Steve much earlier when they were part of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants way back in Captain America Annual #4.
Lots of backstory regarding Bernie Rosenthal being hinted at here. The details:
Steve and Bernie dated from Steve and Bernie began dating shortly thereafter in issue #251. The pair drifted apart due to Steve’s obligations as Captain America. Bern broke up with him to study law at the University of Wisconsin in Captain America #317.
Bernie would later return to New York after graduating in Captain America #380 and began working for a law firm.
Here, Bernie recounts how she was there when Steve originally rented the upper floors of the building to build his Stars and Stripes hotline. This was in Captain America #312.
Topical References
When commenting on Dead Ringer’s powers, the Super-Patriot states that they are “too Rod Serling for me” this is a reference to television producer Rod Serling (1924-1975) who was best known for the Twilight Zone a sci-fi anthology series that originally ran from 1951 to 1964. This wouldn’t be necessarily a topical reference since Serling’s name is ubiquitous in the realm of bizarre science fiction.