Captain America (vol. 3) #8
Live Kree or Die! Chapter Two: Stuck in the Middle
This story continues from Iron Man (vol. 3) #7…
History repeats itself as a concentration camp has been set up somewhere in the United States. Its prisoners are then herded into a building where they are exposed to deadly gas that kills them all. However, their captors are far from human, they are members of the Kree Lunatic Legion.
In Brooklyn, New York, a pair of men have been hired to burn down a building that was the campaign office for congressional candidate Andrew Bolt. Luckily, Captain America is there to prevent them from succeeding. After putting out the flames, Cap turns the would-be arsonists over to the authorities. Andrew Bolt also arrives on the scene and tells Cap that it wasn’t worth the both since his political aspirations have been ruined after the Skrull who was posing as the Star-Spandled Avengers recently gave his endorsement, making Bolt a laughingstock in the press.[1] Although Captain America tries to stay out of politics, he doesn’t want this to hang over his continence and promises to come up with a way to help.
That’s when he gets a distress called from Warbird, who tells him that she has just uncovered the Kree concentration camp and needs help. She assures Steve that she summoned the other Avengers and tells him to come quick. As Cap races off to help his teammate, he wonders why Carol contacted him solo, and wonders if it has something to do with the issues he has had recently about her performance on the Avengers.[2]
Meanwhile, Warbird tries to hold her own against the Lunatic Legion but is outnumbered. After she has been stunned, the aliens note that Carol is a human/Kree hybrid.[3] They decide to examine her further in order to see if they can use her genetic code to finally crack their attempts at using the Terrigen Mists to transform ordinary humans into bio-weapons.[4] Sealed in a stasis pod, Warbird is brought into the gas chambers where she is forced to watch in horror as people are being gassed with the Terrigen Mists. Luckily, Captain America comes crashing in through the wall and helps free the prisoners and Carol. Danvers then explains to Steve that she discovered that Lunatic Legion’s scheme when she encountered them in Boston and followed them here.[5] That’s when she reveals that she didn’t actually summon the other Avengers, figuring that she and Cap were more than enough to handle the Kree threat. Captain America is furious to learn this, but puts aside a lecture when the Lunatic Legion attack.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, General Ulysses Chapman is being interviewed by a popular news interview program. When asked to comment on the situation in Moldavia. Chapman shocks everyone about a commando strike that is scheduled to happen at that moment and details their entire mission. Watching this is the President of the United States who orders someone to get Chapman off the air before he completely compromises their mission as the Moldavians are absolutely watching this broadcast.[6]
Back in Florida, the battle against the Lunatic Legion rages on. Captain America finds himself fighting against a Kree bruiser named Bron Char. The warrior grabs Cap’s new shield and crumples it in his bare hands.[7] He then knocks Cap into the building where the Kree have been storing all the dead bodies from their failed experiments. Horrified by this gruesome display, vows to avenge the dead and beats Bron Char into submission. He then heads back outside where the rest of the Lunatic Legion are planning to leave the planet. Although Carol wants to go after them, Steve insists that the prisoners safety comes first. However, Warbird is so headstrong about proving herself as an Avenger, she disobeys his orders to try and stop the Kree shuttle from taking off. This turns out to be a trap set by the Kree, who trap her in a stasis beam and bring her aboard.
Torn between saving his teammate and helping the prisoner, Cap opts to rescue the prisoners. Once they get to safety, Captain America watches the Kree ship take off for the stars and vows that — no matter what — he’ll do whatever it takes to save Carol.
… this story continues in Quicksilver #10.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Warbird, Lunatic Legion (Kona Lor, Dylon-Cir, Brom Char), Andrew Bolt, Ulysses Chapman, Nightmare
Continuity Notes
Andrew Bolt was hoping to get Captain America’s endorsement since Captain America (vol. 3) #4. The real Cap turned him down, saying he doesn’t get involved in politics. The Skrull impostor who took his place in issue #6 in turn endorsed Bolt as part of a plot to throw America into chaos. The real Captain America foiled this scheme last issue.
At the time of this story, Carol had recently rejoined the Avengers in Avengers (vol. 3) #4. This came at a time where she had developed a drinking problem and was also losing her Binary powers. This combined with her actions this issue will leader to her being court-martialed and quitting the team in Avengers (vol. 3) #7.
At the time of this story, it is believed that Carol’s Kree/human hybrid nature was caused when she and Captain Mar-Vell were caught in a Psychotron explosion together way back in Captain Marvel #18. It’s later revealed in Life of Captain Marvel (vol. 2) #4 that her mother was actually Kree.
How the Lunatic Legion got the Terrigen Mist is explained in Quicksilver #10.
Carol uncovered the Lunatic Legion’s operations in Iron Man (vol. 3) #7.
Chapman’s sudden loose lips are due to the fact that he is under the influence of Nightmare, as we’ll learn in Captain America (vol. 3) #11-12. The United States has been in conflict with Moldavia for some time now. See Captain America #450-452.
About Captain America’s new shield. The facts:
Captain America lost his trademark shield in the ocean while on a mission last issue. It will remain lost until Captain America (vol. 3) #13. However, it will not be functional to use until issue #22.
This was the triangular shield that Cap first wielded in Captain America Comics #1, he switched to his trademark round shield in the following issue. The original triangular shield was destroyed by Baron Zemo during the Masters of Evil’s raid on Avengers Mansion in Avengers #273-277. It will later be restored in Thunderbolts #105. This shield was taken from the Smithsonian in Captain America (vol. 3) #3.
With the destruction of the replica shield, Cap will be given a new photonic shield next issue which he will use until his regular shield is recovered and restored.
Topical References
The narrative states that this story takes place in the year 1998. This date should be considered a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale which constantly pushes the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe forward in time. This story takes place in “Year Ten” of the Age of Heroes.
During his television interview, General Chapman is compared to Bill Gates and Colin Powell. This should be considered a topical reference as these are real world people. Particularly in the case of Powell who died in 2021.