Captain America Annual 2000
Who is… Protocide?
Advance Idea Mechanics has deployed their new assassin, Protocide, on a mission to steal a bioweapon called the Omega Compound that is being transported through New York by SHIELD. This lead to a clash with Captain America which left the Star-Spangled hero fleeing in bad shape with the compound. Now Protocide is stuck dealing with the remaining SHIELD agents while AIM sends a team to recover him. The counter-attack is led by veteran SHIELD agent Clay Quartermain. Unfortunately, Protocide is able to shrug off every weapon and soldier they send at him.
Observing from their secret hideout, AIM leadership is very pleased with how Protocide is turning out. Especially happy with the results is Clete Billups, the undercover AIM operative that stole Protocide from a top secret government warehouse.[1]
However, despite the serve drubbing he received, Captain America survived thanks to SHIELD director Sharon Carter pulling Rogers from the scene of the battle. With Steve in bad shape, Sharon sends Dum Dum Dugan off to secure the sample of the Omega Compound while she tends to her former lover. When Cap finally wakes up, his vision is so blurry he initially mistakes Sharon for Connie Ferrari, his current girlfriend. Now back on his feet, Steve recounts his battle with Protocide. He notes that the man accused him of stealing his life and that he spoke in dated slang, somehow connecting him to Captain America’s past. Unfortunately, when Sharon checks SHIELD’s files, she finds nothing in their database that can explain who Protocide is. Needing to find answers fast, Steve knows that there is one source where they can get answers.
Captain America then has Sharon take him down to the SHIELD facility where they are keeping the artificial entity known as Cache prisoner.[2] Since Cache has recorded all data off the Internet, Steve figures that the AI will have the secrets on Protocide. However, Cache isn’t willing to divulge any information until Cap offers a reduced sentence and Sharon’s disbelief in Cache’s abilities both goat him into revealing what it knows.
Cache begins by revealing Protocide’s true identity: Clinton McIntyre, a soldier in the United States Army that was a potential candidate for the Super Soldier formula before it was given to Steve Rogers.[3] This was apparently at the behest of General Maxfield Saunders, but ultimately vetoed by the formula’s creator Abraham Erskine. Using the data that he has stored, Cache is able to recreate those early days in 1940. Erskine insisted that McIntyre did not match the proper psychological profile for the formula. Saunders, however, still wanted Clinton to be the first recipient due to the fact that he was strong a physically fit, unlike their weak and frail candidate, Steve Rogers.
One night, after they argued over the matter, the Erskine made the mistake of leaving the two samples of the Super Soldier Formula out where Maxfield can get at them. Deciding to use his candidate instead, he and other members of the military brass decide to give McIntyre the formula without Erskine’s knowledge. As it turns out, Clinton was only signing up for the program because he was facing a firing squad after he shot and killed his superior officer during a heated argument. Insisting that it was an accident, McIntyre agreed to drink the experimental formula if it would get him out of his current jam. Moments after drinking the formula, McIntyre began screaming in agony as his body underwent its transformation. Driven made with rage, he then went on a rampage, smashing his way out onto the streets. There he overturned cars and wrecked property until his heart eventually gave out on him. It was then General Phillips arrived on the scene and was horrified by what happened. Chastising Maxfield for his stupidity, Phillips points out that he used only part of a three step procedure and that’s why McIntyre went mad and died.[4][5] He promises to see Maxwell hang for his insubordination but vows that Operation: Rebirth will proceed as planned.
Cache concludes his revelations by saying the military covered up all knowledge of McIntrye’s existence. He also warns Captain America that he cannot defeat Protocide because he is more powerful than he is. However, Cap isn’t willing to accept that and heads back out to find his enemy. Once they are gone, AIM headquarters contacts Cache and congratulates him on a job well done. Now that his mission objectives are over he can now escape from SHIELD costudy. This is something Cache could have done at any time by assuming the form of Captain America and walking out unnoticed. As Captain America picks up the search for Protocide, AIM leadership revels in the fact that their long time enemy will soon be dead.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, SHIELD (Sharon Carter, Clay Quartermain, Dum Dum Dugan), Protocide, AIM (Cache, Clete Billups), (flashback) Betsy Ross, Abraham Erskine, Chester Phillips
Continuity Notes
Protocide’s body was stolen by by AIM in Captain America (vol. 3) #26-27. His attack on SHIELD began last issue.
Steve recently encountered and captured Cache in Captain America (vol. 3) #33-34.
As per Captain America’s origins in Captain America Comics #1, Steve Rogers was allegedly the only recipient of the Super Soldier Serum. There have been many before and after him, but if I listed them all now we’d be here all day, I have a pretty comprehensive link in my index entry for Captain America Comics #1, so go there if you’re that curious.
The Super Soldier Serum was administered in a three step process. First by injection (per Captain America Comics #1), then by an oral formula (per Tales of Suspense #63) and lastly and most importantly vita-ray exposure (per Captain America #109). The importance of these three steps was first identified in Captain America #255.
Here, General Phillips is called Richard. However, per Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2, his first name is actually Chester. Later, his profile in Captain America: America’s Avenger #1 clarifies by stating that Chester is his first name and Richard is his middle name.
Topical References
The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are depicted as part of the New York City skyline in this story. This should be considered a topical reference as these buildings were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. They have subsequently been replaced with with the Freedom Tower.
In this story, Sharon Carter can’t understand how Cache is still collecting data from the Internet without being wired into anything. While wifi existed as early as 1997, it’s use was not widely used and cost prohibitive. The average reader who picked up comics in the year 2000 would not have common knowledge of this kind of technology. That said, given that wireless internet is a daily part of most people’s lives, Sharon’s lack of knowledge of this technology should be considered topical.
The Test
Hydra has set up an black market wearpons auction in the middle of the Gobi Desert. One item they have up for sale is a SHIELD air craft that was recently stolen from the agency. In order to get it back, Sharon sends in SHIELD’s new elite agents to recover the item to see if they are field ready.
The unit consists of Gerald Sims aka Silicon, who lost both arms as a youth, a high tech genius he has outfitted himself with cybernetic limbs equipped with offensive weapons and hacking equipment. With him is John Skulinowki, aka Skul, so called because of the metal skull mask he wears to cover his horribly scarred face; E.B. Farrel, who calls himself “The Kid” and styles himself like gunslingers from the days of the American Frontier, his cavalier attitude hides a wounded heart; Sayuri Kyoto, who goes by the name M-80 due to her obsession with explosives and blowing things up; lastly, the muscle bound Joanie Eaton, who suffered bullying so badly growing up overweight that she became obsessed with being as muscular as possible.
When the team attack the auction, the Hydra agents activate the self-destruct system on the craft, which will cause the ship to blow in 30 seconds if it is not shut down in time. The elite unit manages to blast their way through all opposition in time for for Silicon to wire into the onboard computers and shut it down. With the self-destruct deactivated, the elite unit uses the craft to flee the scene under a hail of bullets.
When the ship is handed over to Director Carter, Dum Dum Dugan is curious why she wanted to get it back so badly. Sharon only tells him that the ship was previously used by Nick Fury when he rescued her and Captain America and that it contained sensitive information on board.[1] What she doesn’t tell Dugan is that it is video footage of her and cap almost kissing. Destroying the data, Sharon says that there is some things that shouldn’t be allowed into enemy hands.
Recurring Characters
SHIELD (Sharon Carter, Dum Dum Dugan, Silicone, Skul, the Kid, M-80, Nails), Hydra
Continuity Notes
Fury recently rescued Sharon and Steve from the Savage Land in Captain America (vol. 3) #31.
Topical References
It is stated here that M-80’s grandmother died when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. This should be considered a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale. Modern readers should interpret this to mean that Sayuri is directly descended from an a Hiroshima victim as opposed to a close relative, like a grandmother.