Fighting Chance Book 6: Cop Out

While investigating the fate of Snapdragon, Diamondback and Moonhunter are captured by mobster Damon Dran in New Orleans.[1] When Captain America comes to their rescue the situation is complicated by the arrival of Americop, a gun-toting vigilante investigating a child trafficking ring. With Rachel and Moonhunter now prisoners, Dran orders Cap and Americop to surrender. However, Americop refuses to do anything of the sort and tries to shoot the criminals. Not wanting anyone to die, Cap quickly deflects the bullets with his shield and attacks Americop.

This creates a distraction for Rachel to break free from the hold of one of Dran’s goons. However, before she can help Steve, Dran’s men begin tossing gas grenades that begin filling the room with powerful knock out gas. In order to avoid the gas, Rachel is forced to climb into Americop’s SUV, which was driven through the front door of the mansion. Meanwhile, the vigilante manages to break away from Captain America and tries to shoot Dran. Unfortunately, the mobster is impervious to harm and the bullets bounce harmlessly off his body. Doing little to protect himself from the gas, Americop soon succumbs to it and collapses to the ground inches away from his target. Captain America — who has been holding his breath this whole time — tries to attack Dran and his men as well, but is incapacitated by another muscle cramp and breaths in enough gas to knock himself out.[2] As this is all going down, Rachel tries to hotwire Americop’s vehicle but discovers that it is tamper proof. With the situation becoming dire, Rachel opts to flee out the hole in the wall in the hopes of evading capture long enough to call for help. As Dran’s minions go out looking for her, Rachel is able to find Steve’s sky-cycle and calls the Avengers for help.

A short while later, Captain America, Moonhunter, and Americop are taken down to a warehouse elsewhere on Damon’s property. There they are shackled up by chains to be interrogated. Curious about Americop’s origins, Dran orders his men to unmask him so they can get a good look at his face. When questioned, the vigilante is more than willing to explain his origins. He reveals that he was a police officer named Bart Gallows who worked for the Houston police. During his time of the force he grew sick of seeing corruption in the ranks and criminals getting off the hook with slaps on the wrist. Deciding to do something about it, Gallows quit the force and decided to become a one-man police force operating as judge, jury, and executioner of criminals all over the country. He created the Americop identity to do this job, using half the money taken from criminals to fund his operations and the other half being donated to drug rehabilitation programs. Americop then explains that he came here looking for missing children and Dran admits that his criminal operations are involved in human trafficking as powerful people are willing to pay top dollar for healthy American children. Hearing all this, Captain America is disgusted to hear that a man like Dran sees people only as profits, but decides to save giving a lecture as it will only fall on deaf ears.

Satisfied for the moment, Dran decides to leave for the time being, telling Kono and his men that they can rough up their prisoner as much as they’d like but orders them to be kept alive for the time being. After a severe beating, the two men are left hanging from their chains. Once Kono and his goons are gone, Americop stuns Captain America by demonstrating enough strength to break free from his chains. However, Gallows declines to free Captain America as he is more interested in dispensing justice. After he leaves, Angelica Golden enters the room and Cap tries to convince her to set him free as Americop is gunning for everyone and he can protect her. Golden assures Cap that she can look after herself. However, Americop soon finds a box of illegal weapons and loads up and begins going on a shooting rampage. Cap tries to use this to leverage his release, but a panicked Golden only calls her boss to figure out what to do next.

Meanwhile, Diamondback has been sticking to the swamps outside the property to avoid detection. As she hears gunfire from the property she is found by Black Widow who has come to answer Rachel’s distress call. The two agree to work together to save Cap and bring down Dran’s operations.

Back at the mansion, Damon Dran goes out to confront Americop directly and appears to go down when he is shot this time. However, Dran is merely pretending to be injured in order to lure the vigilante close enough for a surprise attack. Inside, Golden continues to panic and when Cap once again promises to keep her safe she kicks him in the face and flees out the back door. Moments later he is found and freed by Widow and Diamondback. He then orders Rachel and Moonhunter to head to check the warehouse for the children Dran claims to be selling. Rachel is hurt that Steve didn’t thank her for the rescue. Cap himself is chastising himself for needing to be rescued but keeps this to himself.

Outside, the see Dran climbing up a rope later to a helicopter hovering over the property. When Americop prepares to shoot the chopper down, Cap tries to disarm him by throwing his shield. However, he is too weak and the weapon doesn’t have enough momentum to carry itself the distance and ends up landing by the vigilante’s feet. Americop then blasts the chopper and convinced that Dran is death, flees the scene. Steve tries to go after him but is too exhausted after his ordeal. As it turns out, Dran is still alive and is subdued so he can be taken into custody. Rachel and Moonhunter return moments later to inform Steve that they were unable to find any children. Captain America is furious with himself for how things turned out and fears that he no longer cuts it as a superhero.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Americop, Diamondback, Moonhunter, Gold Digger, Kono, Damon Dran, Black Widow

Continuity Notes

1. Diamondback had seemingly drowned Snapdragon back in Captain America #413 and has been haunted by it ever since. Seeking to confirm if Sheoke died or not, Diamondback followed a lead to New Orleans over the last two issues and was captured. It’s later revealed that Snapdragon is still alive in Moon Knight (vol. 6) #2. Her profile in Captain America: America’s Avenger #1 reveals that Sheoke faked her death.

2. Steve’s muscle cramps are caused by the deterioration of the Super-Soldier Serum in his blood, as we learned in Captain America #425. This is causing his body to atrophy whenever he over exerts himself, sending him down a road to complete disability. He will be cured of this condition in Captain America #445.

Supplementary Material

This issue features a pin-up of Captain America and the Red Skull to advertise the then upcoming release of the Streets of Poison trade paperback that reprints Captain America #372-378.