Captain America #436
Fighting Chance Finale: Everybody Hurts Sometime
Answering a call to the Serpent Society’s headquarters, Captain America is dumped into a pool that drains out in to the Arizon desert. He is followed there by King Cobra and Mister Hyde who want to make sure Cap is finished off. With his health failing him, Steve scrambles to get his battle harness in the hopes that the many devices stored in it can help him fend off his attackers.[1]
Back in town, Cap’s new partner Free Spirit finds herself facing off against the rest of the Serpent Society. However, she is assisted by Jack Flagg who has infiltrated the group to take it down from the inside after they tricked his parents out of their home. As they get away from their foes, an Avengers Quinjet carrying Giant-Man and Doctor Keith Kincaid arrives on the scene. They have come because Cap’s situation is rapidly deteriorating and they hope to find him before he pushes himself to the point of complete disability.
In the desert, Captain America manages to incapacitate Cobra long enough to slap some handcuffs on him. However, when he turns to face Mister Hyde he is struck by a serious bout of muscle cramps that allow Hyde to strike him. With Captain America on the ground and not getting back up, Hyde prepares to land a finishing blow to kill their enemy once and for all. Luckily, Cap has an airbag filled with knock out gas built into his harness and he manages to activate it before Hyde can strike him. Sure enough, the force of the blow bursts the balloon spraying both Hyde with the knock out gas. When Cobra tries to choke the life out of him, Cap activates a device that wraps him up in metal foil. However, this is all Cap can do as his body is completely immobilized.
By this time, Giant-Man has helped Jack and Free Spirit take out the rest of the Serpent Society. Hank then finds the drainage pipe out of town and goes looking for Captain America.
Meanwhile, Steve tries to get up and drag his foes back to town but is too weak. Stripping off his harness he struggles to walk back alone and eventually collapses to the ground. A rattle snake then comes slithering out from under a rock and climbs onto his chest. Unable to knock the creature away he hopes that the snake venom from its bite will jump start his body. Unfortunately, the snake slithers away when it determines he is no threat. Suddenly, Cap is visited by the image of the Statue of Liberty. It tells him that it is his time to go and to stop fighting. He refuses and is able to muster up the strength to reach out and pull on Liberty’s dress. It falls away revealing that “Lady Liberty” is actually the embodiment of Death itself and he refuses to let go because there is still so much work he needs to do. Suddenly, Death disappears and Cap prays to anyone who will listen to let him live. Moments later, he is visited by the image of Bucky, his former partner, who reminds Cap that he has trained a successor to carry on for him and to let go.[2] This gets through to the hero and he apologizes for being selfish and agrees to stop resisting death.
However, Cap is found by Giant-Man moments later who determines that Steve has suffered a heart attack. After signaling the Quinjet for a pick up, Hank uses his medical skill to stabilize his friend and carries him on board, hoping that it is not too late to save Cap’s life.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Serpent Society (Cobra, Anaconda, Bushmaster, Puff Adder, Rattler), Jack Flagg, Free Spirit, Mister Hyde, Giant-Man, Keith Kincaid, Death
Continuity Notes
Cap’s Super-Soldier Serum has been wearing out since issue #425 putting him at risk of complete disability. He will get cured in Captain America #445.
At the time of this story, everyone believed that Bucky died in a drone plane explosion, as seen in Avengers #4. In reality, he survived and has spent years operating as a Russian assassin called the Winter Soldier. Cap won’t learn the truth until many years later in Captain America (vol. 5) #14.
