Fighting Chance Book 9: Diamonds Aren’t Forever!

Captain America has tracked down a group of trafficked children to the Mexican castle of Baron Zemo. Taken prisoner, Cap tries to escape getting dunked into a vat of Adhesive X. Using his grappling hook to pull himself to safety, he narrowly manages to avoid a giant creature comprised of an army of Zemo’s plastoid minions. This entire escape is exhausting to the hero thanks to the fact that his Super-Soldier Serum is wearing down.[1]

Elsewhere in the castle are Diamondback and her new ally, Free Spirit. They have been searching for Captain America when they happen upon the Baroness Zemo and Superia. Superia is responsible for Free Spirit’s new powers and has come to try and get the Baroness to join her female army. However, before they can ambush the two women, a trap door opens and they fall into the dungeon. The trap was activated by Baron Zemo, who overheard his wife conspiring against him with Superia.

Back upstairs, Diamondback wants to keep looking for Cap, but Free Spirit wants to go after Superia. The two women can’t come to an agreement and decide to split up. Ironically, it is Free Spirit who ends up running into Captain America first. Explaining who she is and how she has tracked down Superia to find out what was done to her when she was given her powers, Cap is convinced that Free Spirit isn’t working for Zemo. With the plastoid creature still after him, he convinces Spirit to help him set up a tripwire to slow the creature down.

In the dungeon, Baron Zemo has strapped Heike and Superia to some torture racks. He then confronts his wife about her alleged plot to betray him. Heike doesn’t deny what she said, but explains that she was only playing along to see what it was Superia wanted. Believing his wife, the Baron lets her go. As they leave the dungeon they are spotted by Diamondback who slips in behind them. Instead of finding Captain America like she hoped, she finds Superia instead. The extreme feminist tells Rachel to free her. Naturally, Diamondback refuses to let her enemy loose until Superia says that she is owed after Rachel killer her bodyguard, Snapdragon. She explains that Snapdragon was working off a debt owed to Superia and now that she is dead, her killer is duty bound to work off the rest of that debt.[2]

Meanwhile, the Zemos check the security monitor and see that Captain America has managed to evade the tank of Adhesive X and is now clashing with his plastoid guards. Deciding to take a direct hand in his enemy’s destruction, the Baron removes his life-like facemask and puts on his usual face covering, the emblem of the Zemo clan.

Back in the dungeon, Diamondback is surprised that Superia knows she was responsible for Snapdragon’s death, but refuses to do anything about it. Superia then reveals that she knows about Captain America’s declining help and believes that she can create a cure.

By this time, Cap and Free Spirit have been recaptured by the giant plastoid. Unable to move, Cap tells his new ally to use a pellet from his battle harness to shatter the monster’s arm and get free so she can find Diamondback. Cap is pleased that Free Spirit is good at following orders and hopes she can get help before it is too late.

Free Spirit eventually finds Superia who has been freed from the dungeon. Demanding to know why the process that gave her powers also initially turned her into a manhater,[3] Superia explains her extremist ideas on feminism. This leads to a fight between the two that abruptly ends when Diamondback knocks Free Spirit out, having decided that joining up with Superia will get Cap the cure he needs. However, Rachel tells Superia that her loyalty is conditional: If Superia can’t cure Captain America within six months, she’ll walk.

Meanwhile, Baron Zemo and his wife have gathered the children to watch as Captain America is thrown into a boiling vat of Adhesive X. However, the hero manages to break his fall thanks to his new grappling hook weapon. Grabbing a handful of the adhesive he throws it in Zemo’s face. This prompts him to tank off his mask, revealing his horribly disfigured face to the Kinder for the first time. In the ensuing struggle with Captain America, Zemo loses his balance on the catwalk. Steve grabs his enemy by the arm, but the Baroness shoots Cap in the arm, making him drop Zemo into the vat of Adhesive X. Horrified by what she has done, Heike then leaps in after her husband, leaving Cap to wonder if this is finally the end of Zemo.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Baron Zemo, Baroness Zemo, Diamondback, Free Spirit, Superia

Continuity Notes

1. Cap learned that the Serum was breaking down in Captain America #425. It is causing him to experience fatigue and muscle cramps and is putting him at risk of complete disability. He will be cured of this condition in issue #445.

2. Diamondback seemingly drowned Snapdragon in Captain America #413. However, she survived and will turn up again in Moon Knight (vol. 6) #2. Her profile in Captain America: America’s Avenger #1 reveals that Snapdragon had faked her death.

3. Superia was responsible for giving Free Spirit her powers back in Captain America #431. A subliminal message implanted in her mind made her attack a fraternity toga party. She snapped out of it pretty quickly though so… what was the point exactly?