Across the Rubicon

During a raid on an Hydra facility, Protocide has seemingly slain Captain America by knocking the hero into a rector core. Heading back to the hideout of his handlers at Advanced Idea Mechnics. Although has been conditioned to believe that Captain America stole his destiny, Protocide can’t get Cap’s words about courage and honor out of his head. When he meets with the leader of AIM he brings up Captain America’s words and how they conflict with his knowledge of the past.[1]

Before Protocide can break his mental conditioning, Cache — AIM’s walking artificial intelligence — uses a mental probe to reinforce the lies they told him. Clinton is shown false memories that show that he was chosen by Abraham Erskine to become America’s first Super Soldier during World War II, and that he was defeated and left for death by Captain America who then stole his destiny. While, McIntyre wants to believe this, it doesn’t make sense to him why Captain America tried to save his life during their battle with Hydra. Rather than providing answers, Cache says he should be grateful that AIM brought him back from the dead. Still, even as Captain America’s words continue to echo through his mind, he assures them that they won’t have to deal with the hero anymore.

However, Protocide would be wrong about this, as SHIELD has arrived at the Hydra base. Sharon Carter and her team are shocked to discover that there is a life sign coming from inside the reactor core. Captain America has managed to survive felling in by standing on his indestructible shield, which has been protecting him from being completely consumed by its energies. But this has only bought Steve a short amount of time as he needs to get out soon. Deciding to risk it, he picks up his shield and begins using it to try and smash a hole in the wall of the reactor so he can escape. As luck would have it, this is the same wall that SHIELD is boring through to try and free him. The combined blows from the shield and the boring cannon break an opening in the reactor big enough for Captain America to leap to safety.

Rather than seek medical attention, Captain America has give entirely into his rage and demands to know where Protocide went. When Sharon isn’t forthcoming with an answer he takes her locator from her, telling Carter that one way or the other it ends for either him or Protocide.

About two hours later, Captain America takes a SHIELD aircraft and ambushes AIM’s secret underground hideout. Back at SHIELD headquarters, Agent Cameron Klein tells Dum Dum Dugan and Director Carter that Cap not only took a plane, but also a sample of the deadly bio-weapon known as the Omega Compound.

Shortly after his arrival, Captain America fights his way to Protocide and the two fight over the facility’s silo style hanger. As the battle rages, Cache suggests that he and the AIM commander make their escape in a helicopter. Eventually, Protocide knocks Captain America over a railing, prompting Cache to suggest they use the helicopter’s rotor to chop their enemy to pieces. To make matters worse, Protocide has stabbed he pointed end of his shield through Cap’s hand, making it harder for him to hold onto the edge of the catwalk. For a brief moment, Steve considers unleashing the Omega Compound. Ultimately, he decides against it and tosses his shield at the helicopter’s rotor. This causes the chopper to crash and turn the AIM facility into a blazing infero.

By this time, Captain America’s words have finally gotten through to Protocide. Rather than let Cap fall to his death, he grabs the Omega Compound and then tosses Steve out of the facility through the silo opening. Moments later, a tremendous explosion erupts out of the base. Seeing the size of the blast, Captain America believes that there is no way that someone could have survived it.

However, many miles away, a hitchhiker manages to get a big rig to pull over and pick him up. When asked where he is going, the man says it doesn’t matter as long as it is far. As the hitchhiker climbs into the cab, the pointed end of Protocide’s shield pokes out from the bottom of his jacket.[3]

Recurring Characters

Captain America, SHIELD (Sharon Carter, Dum Dum Dugan, Cameron Klein), Protocide, AIM (Cache, Clete Billups), Hydra, (flashback) Abraham Erskine

Continuity Notes

1. As per Captain America Comics #1, the Super-Soldier Formula was famously lost when its inventor, Abraham Erskine, was killed by a Nazi spy. Although Steve has been commonly referred to as the "only” recipient of the formula, that’s not entirely true. The man found by AIM was a soldier named Clinton McIntyre. As will be revealed in Captain America Annual 2000, he was a rejected candidate due to not meeting the psychological profile. However, one of the military brass stole a second dose of the formula and gave it to McIntyre. However, this was only one part of a three part process, and without the other three components of the formula, Clinton went on an insane rampage until his heart gave out on him. The military then quickly covered it up and lost his body in a top secret storage facility. His body was recovered by AIM in issues #26-27. Captain America fought him in issue #35.

2. David Ferrari is a SHIELD agent and sister to Connie Ferrari, who is dating Stever Rogers at the time of this story. In Captain America (vol. 3) #20, we learned that Connie believes that her brother died after enlisting to the military and dying in a hazing ritual gone wrong. This was actually a cover story. In Captain America (vol. 3) #35-36 that he was secretly a SHIELD agent. After using an a bioweapon called the Omega Compound to destroy the enemy while on a mission, he was believed dead for years. However, he faked his death and has been secretly operating as the Answer and plotting to take over the world. See Captain America (vol. 3) #41-43.

3. Cache and AIM’s director also apparently survived as well as Protocide, although it’s never explained how. But it’s AIM, so I’m guessing some kind of teleportation tech? At any rate, Cache and Director Madden will appear next issue. As of this writing (February, 2023), Protocide hasn’t been seen in more than a flashback sequence in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (vol. 2) #1. What became of him remains to be seen.