Man Without a Country Chapter One: Executive Action

Sharon Carter is back in Brooklyn and back in the life of Steve Rogers for the first time in years. Looking around his apartment she pauses to look around his place and finds photos of old girlfriends,[1] leaving her to wonder where she will fit into his life now that she is back. That’s when government agents doing a no-knock raid burst in with their weapons out ordering everyone inside that they are under arrest. Sharon refuses to surrender and leaps out a window. Fearing that they were after her, Carter decides to take off, leaving Steve Rogers to deal with the mess.

Moments later, Rogers returns home to find the men still waiting inside his apartment. He demands to know who they are and that they are doing. The lead individual introduces themselves as members of the US Army’s Criminal Investigations Department. They explain that they have come to arrest Steve Rogers for committing treason against the United States of America. Steve thinks this is all a big mistake but allows them to take him into custody. As they are wondering why Steve Rogers is such a big deal, one of the agents searching the apartment finds out why: Hanging in Steve’s closet is a Captain America costume.

Allowed to put it on, Steve is transported to Washington, DC where he is brought to the White House for a one-on-one with the President of the Untied States to discuss the charges. The President convinces his security detail to take off Cap’s handcuffs and to leave them alone to speak in private. They are joined by General Ulysses Chapman who joins the President in explaining what Captain America has been charged with treason. As Steve guessed, it was his recent attack on a government energy testing facility with the Red Skull.[2] Although he was saving from a group of Neo-Nazis, Captain America disobeyed a direct order from the President in order to do so. Captain America explains what was at stake and that his recent disappearance while terminally ill was due to the fact that the Red Skull kidnapped him and healed his body so he could help save the world.[3] This, on top working with Sharon Carter — a disenfranchised SHIELD agent who is in the country illegally — isn’t boding well for Captain America’s situation.

However, this isn’t the worst they have on Captain America at this present time. General Chapman then questions Steve about what he knows about the Machinesmith. Steve confirms that this is a known associate of the Red Skull. As it turned out, the Machinesmith managed to get ahold of plans for the Argus Anti-Aircraft Cannon and built it for the nation of Molavia who has been using it to blow American fighter planes out of the sky that got too close to their borders. This incident threatens to push the United Sates into a war with the Molavia.[4]

When Cap asks what this has to do with him, the President and Chapman explain that there were no reported security leaks regarding Project Argus within the military. The only person with the knowledge of the new weapon was Captain America himself who, they remind him, was just recently seen working with the Red Skull. Steve insists that he did not share government secrets, despite all the evidence to the contrary. The President then asks Steve to wait outside while he and Chapman consider his punishment. As Steve waits outside the Oval Office, he laments over his situation, unaware that someone is observing him through binoculars from a nearby tree.[5]

A short time later, Captain America is called back in to speak with the President. The Commander-in-Chief explains that he is signing an executive order that will see Steve’s United States citizenship revoked. He must turn in his Captain America costume and shield before reporting to Air Force One where he will be flown to London, England. Captain America is shocked by this but accepts the orders and solutes the President before leaving. General Chaptman takes Steve to Air Force One and tells him that this is not personal as he was defending his country. Steve tells him to remember that Captain America was more than just a government operative, he fought for the American Dream.

Soon after Steve arrives in London he is ambushed by a woman wearing all black. He fends her off and shoves her into a phone booth. Removing the woman’s mask, he discovers that it is Sharon Carter. The fight has attracted the attention of the local police and the pair make a run for it. Sharon explains she came after Steve after she learned what was going down and asks him what he plans on doing next. Steve is certain that he is being framed and plans on clearing his name and get his life back. Sharon agrees to help him on this most dangerous mission…

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Sharon Carter, Ulysses Chapman, Machinesmith

Continuity Notes

1. Here we get a brief look at the past romances of Steve Rogers. These women are:

   • Sharon Carter was the first woman Steve dated since being revived in the Modern Age. They first met in Tales of Suspense #75. They dated on-and-off for a while until she faked her death to go on a deep cover mission for SHIELD in Captain America #237. Sharon revealed that she was still alive in issue #445. In the following issue she stated that SHIELD abandoned her while on a mission and spent the last few years surviving. Per the Sliding Timescale she had been MIA for about four years.

   • After Sharon, Steve started dating Bernie Rosenthal, starting in Captain America #251. However, his duties as Captain America took time away from their relationship. Bernie later left Steve in Captain America #317 in order to pursue a career in law.

   • More recently, Cap has been dating Rachel Leighton, aka Diamondback, a reformed member of the Serpent Society. They began dating in Captain America #371. She left for a combination of reasons: The Avengers disapproved of her and she was conscripted to work for Superia to make up for apparently murdering her bodyguard Snapdragon and the hopes that Superia would create a cure for Steve’s medical condition at the time. See Captain America #433-434.

2. Captain America was forced to work alongside his greatest enemy to prevent the Kubekult from using a Cosmic Cube containing Hitler’s mind from altering reality into a Neo-Nazi dystopia. See Captain America #445-448.

3. Captain America’s Super-Soldier Serum had started breaking down in Captain America #425 which led to him experiencing serious health consequences that left him completely disabled by issue #443. The Red Skull kidnapped him that same issue. Also mentioned here is how the Avengers stopping a group of terrorists to save the President and were forced to announce that Cap was missing and presumed dead. That all happened in Captain America #444.

4. It’s later revealed in Captain America #452 that the Machinesmith was present when the Red Skull revived Captain America and used a mental probe to steal information on Argus.

5. Here, Captain America states that the Red Skull had died in Captain America #448 after his body was incinerated by an exploding Cosmic Cube. In reality, as we’ll see in Captain America (vol. 3) #1, he is still alive as a disembodied shadow. He will be restored to normal in issue #14 of that series.

Topical References

• In the opening narrative it is stated that Sharon Carter is sleeping on an Ikea sofa in Steve’s apartment. This should be considered topical as Ikea is a real world brand.

• Sharon refers to the government agents who attacked her as “Four Butt-Heads searching for a Beavis” This is a reference to the animated TV show Beavis and Butt-Head, whose titular characters were a pair of moronic juveniles who did stupid shit. The original run of the show ran for 1992 to 1997 and was at the height of its popularity at the time this comic was published. It experienced a revival in 2011 and has another one coming in late 2022 as of this writing. Regardless, its reference here should be considered topical.

• The President of the USA is depicted as Bill Clinton in this story. Clinton was President from 1992 to 2001. His appearance here should be considered topical.

• General Chapman plays security footage of Captain America and Red Skull’s attack on a Sony VHS player hooked up to a CRT television. These devices should be considered topical as they are both obsolete. Likewise the reference to Sony as it is a real world product.