Captain America (vol. 3) #21

Jun 26

Jun 26 Captain America (vol. 3) #21

Soundquake!

In Central Park the annual baseball game between staffers at Marvel and DC Comics are interrupted when Captain America runs onto the field and orders everyone to get to cover. Moments later, an Avengers Quinjet carrying Goliath and the Wasp crash lands in the field. Captain America helps his two teammates out of the wreckage and helps them back to the mansion. There he learns that the launchlocks on the Quinjet they were flying suddenly exploded. Cap wonders if this ties into what Tony Stark was warning him about when he called. Suddenly, there is another explosion, this time coming from the sub-basement of Avengers Mansion.

Meanwhile, in Turkey, Sharon Carter is trying to enjoy a quiet drink in a bar. However, after decking an American tourist for bothering her, she realizes that she is drawing unwanted attention to herself. She is then approached by a woman named Alanya, a member of Turkish intelligence. She has come to offer Sharon a job and she decides to see what it is about. Taking a public taxi, Sharon learns about how Alanya’s director — Mehmet Kemel — returned from a mission a very changed man. When they arrive at a secret location and look inside they find out exactly why, somehow Mehmet has been transformed into a Ankylosaurus.[1]

In Brooklyn, Connie Ferrari is visited in her law office by Kanu Chakara, who is seeking legal representation. His brother immigrated to the United States only to be arrested because his documents were allegedly forgeries and is being held in an detention center with deplorable conditions. Although she is distracted by thoughts of Steve Rogers — and why he hasn’t called since their last dinner date — she agrees to take the case. Moments later, two imposing men enter Connie’s office and advise her to drop the Chakara case.

Back at Avengers Mansion, the explosions are coming from the supply room. After pulling Jarvis to safety, Cap rushes inside and sees that the blasts are coming from their supply of Vibranium. With the case about to hit critical mass, Steve rushes in and uses his photonic shield to force the blast downward into the ground to prevent any serious damage.

Suspecting that this has some kind of connection to the destruction of his shield, Captain America rushes to Tony Stark to finally find out what’s going on. Stark has discovered what the cause of the Vibranium explosions has been. As he suspected, his recently shattered shield is the key to it all.[2] He explains to Steve that the primary source of Vibranium came to Earth eons ago in a meteor that crashed in what is now present day Wakanda.[3] A sample of this metal was used by Myron MacLean to create Captain America’s shield.[4] The issue stems from the last time Cap’s shield was destroyed, during the Secret Wars.[5] Although Steve repaired the damage a single microscopic flaw caused the shield to grow brittle over time after every blow. This has created a sort of “Vibranium Cancer” that has radiated out into the world and affected other sources of the metal, hence the recent instances of materials made out of Vibranium exploding.

At that same moment, Klaw — following his defeat at the hands of the Thunderbolts — has been locked in a cage at Fort Avison, Maine.[6] He promises the soldiers on guard that he’ll get out and have his revenge. This makes on the guards nervous, but his colleague assures him that Klaw is powerless as long as he is trapped their Vibranium cage. As if on cue, the Vibranium Cancer wave hits this region causing the cage to shatter. Affected by the source, Klaw senses that ultimate power over sound is within his grasp and follows the save as it makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean.

Back at the lab, Tony warns Steve that the worst is yet to come, as the wave of Vibranium Cancer is heading toward Wakanda. If it infects the mount of Vibranium there it will cause a chain reaction that will destroy all life on Earth. Calling the Black Panther and ordering an evacuation is a proposition that is easier said than done, as relations between Steve and T’Challa are currently strained.[7] Steve insists on handling the situation alone. While Tony is able to build a machine that can cancel out the wave and save them all, he warns Steve that in doing so he’s going to have to destroy what’s left of his shield.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Klaw, Sharon Carter, Connie Ferrari, Tony Stark, Goliath, Wasp, Edwin Jarvis, George Peréz, Kurt Busiek, Peter David, Javier Ramirez

Continuity Notes

In Captain America (vol. 3) #30, it’s revealed that this isn’t a man transformed into a dinosaur, but a dinosaur given human intelligence by AIM.
Captain America’s trademark shield shattered like glass in Captain America (vol. 3) #13.
The arrival of Vibranium on Earth via meteor was first chronicled in Black Panther #7. Avengers (vol. 8) #4 states that this event happened one million years ago.
MacLean’s process for creating Captain America’s shield was first told in Captain America #303. However, as of this writing (August, 2022) Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1-5 is exploring the secret origin of Captain America’s shield, this may or may not throw the currently known facts into question.
The shield had a chunk blown off by Doctor Doom who was wielding the power of the Beyonder at the time. This happened in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11 and was repaired in the following issue.
Klaw was defeated by the Thunderbolts in issue #25 of their series.
Things have been strained between Captain America and the Black Panther following the events of Black Panther (vol. 3) #8 and 9. In issue #8 it was revealed that the reason why T’Challa first joined the Avengers was to spy on them and assess if they would ever become a threat against Wakanda. In issue #9, T’Challa uncovered that the United States government had committed an act of war against his throne. While the Avengers offered aid, T’Challa turned them down as this would cause them to go up against the US government. This international incident will be resolved in Black Panther (vol. 3) #12.

Topical References

Typically real world people appearing in a story would be considered a topical reference. However, the exception to this rule are Marvel Comics creators. They actually exist in the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe in the relative prime of their lives, even if they are dead in real life. The best example of this (time of writing in August, 2022) is the appearance of the late George Pérez in this story. I suppose by extension the same can be said about the DC Comics creators that appear in this story as well since talent usually works between both companies over their career.

Bloodline Part 2

World War II

Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos have been captured by the Nazi vampire known as Baron Blood. The Baron has just offered Fury an ultimatum: Join his legion of vampires or die. Fury responds by spitting in Blood’s face. The Baron slaps Nick across the face and assures him that he’ll die after he finishes dealing with Colonel Poprycz, the last survivor of the previous unit captured by Baron Blood.

Poprycz accepts Baron Blood’s offer even though Fury calls calls him a traitor before blacking out. When he wakes up, Nick discovers that someone has ripped open the door to his cell and untied him. Getting out he discovers that whoever freed him also killed all the Nazi operatives on site. Checking on the holding cell where the other Howlers were being kept, Nick discovers that they are all alive and well.

Searching the base for clues, they find a lone survivor among the dead Nazis. He explains that Baron Blood left for a mission in London, leaving behind his recent convert Colonel Poprycz. Once the Baron was gone, Poprycz turned on them slaughtering all the Nazis and freeing the prisoners before fleeing out the front door. Going outside, Nick Fury sees the charred skeleton of Colonel Poprycz, who sacrificed his own humanity and life in order to save the others.

When relating this story to his mother in a letter, Nick tells her that she wasn’t the only parent to tell their son to uphold the family name while fighting in the war. William Poprycz did just fine in that regard as far as he was concerned.