Duel

Captain America is dispatched to a military facility on a tip from SHIELD. He ends up stopping a trio of mercenaries from breaking into the facility. However, this turns out to have only been a distraction. While Cap and the soldiers were busy, the ringleader of this caper — Batroc the Leaper — managed to break in and steal what they came looking for.[1]

Later that evening, Steve Rogers pays a visit to the apartment of his girlfriend Connie Ferrari. He has come to make peace after the two had a falling out over her representing Chet Madden, the current director of Advance Idea Mechanics.[2] He admits that he was caught up in the idea that Madden was guilty that he forgot that she had a job to fulfil as his lawyer, and that was providing the best defense possible. He lost sight of that and admits that he was being rash and insensitive.

As the two kiss and make up they are unaware that they are being watched from the rooftop across the street by SHIELD Director Sharon Carter and Dum Dum Dugan, her right hand man. Regardless of the fact that they are interrupting a romantic moment, Sharon needs Captain America and orders Dugan to put in a call. When Steve gets the call he apologizes, but Connie understand, but she admits that she really needs to know more about what his job is and what he does. Steve promises that he’ll be back later.

By the time he has changed into Captain America and meets with Sharon and Dugan, he has already deduced that this was about Batroc’s recent theft. Sharon explains that Batroc stole battle plans for a high risk SHIELD offensive maneuver and suspects that this has to do with the Red Skull’s recent theft of the SHIELD helicarrier.[3]

With the data from SHIELD, Captain America is able to track Batroc up the eastern coast and sets up an ambush for him. However, the French master of the savate was ready for such a move and springs a surprise attack instead. This time around Batroc shows off his new electrified boots, which jolt Captain America so hard he ends up falling down a nearby cliff.

Batroc follows him down as he has to hand off the stolen data to his employer who is has just pulled his boat ashore. Recovering from the fall, Captain America tosses his shield, knocking the data storage device out of Batroc’s hands. He then gets a good look at the man who hired Batroc, and it turns out to be his old foe the Red Skull. When Cap charges at his arch-nemesis he is stopped when a hail of bullets rains down on him. That’s when a robe ladder is dropped down and the Red Skull uses it to climb back up to the stolen helicarrier. Once the Skull has been picked up they reactivate the cloaking device making it disappear.

It’s 2 am by the time Steve returns to Connie’s apartment. She is surprise he has come so late in the evening. However, he tells her that he has broken too many promises he has made to her and doesn’t want to do it again.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury’s search for David Ferrari (Connie’s brother) has led him to the nation of Khamiskan. There he finds David waiting for him in a local bar. Nick demands to know what David has been doing since faking his death and going AWOL from SHIELD.[4] David explains that he decided that he would work for himself from now on and right now, Fury is in his way. With that, David picks up his gun and shoots at his former boss..

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Connie Ferrari, SHIELD (Sharon Carter, Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury), Batroc the Leaper, Red Skull, Answer

Continuity Notes

1. One of the soldiers asks what happened to Nick Fury. At the time of this story, Fury left Sharon Carter in charge of SHIELD while he went on his own mission. Her tenure will last from Captain America (vol. 3) #31 to 45.

2. Steve first met Chet Madden in Captain America (vol. 3) #37 but only found out that he was the leader of AIM in issue #39. As Captain America he proved Madden was guilty of his crimes last issue. Connie represented her client because she believed she could prove he was innocent. Another point to make here is that Connie doesn’t know about Steve’s identity at this time, he decided to keep it a secret from her since Captain America (vol. 3) #20.

3. The SHIELD helicarrier was stolen by the Red Skull in X-Men (vol. 2) #91/Annual 1999. It will remain in his possession until it is recovered in Captain America (vol. 3) #45-48.

4. 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) #42-43.

Topical References

• The TVs in this story are depicted as CRT models. This should be considered topical as this is now an obsolete technology.

• Connie is watching a Billy Blanks Tae-Bo workout video. These videos were incredibly popular at the time this comic was written. This should be considered a topical reference. Why? Because until I said anything you didn’t know who Billy Blanks was, kid. She is also watching these on VHS tape apparently, that’s also topical because it’s another obsolete technology.

• Both Dugan and Steve are depicted as having flip phones with analogue buttons and antenna to pick up signals. This should be considered topical as most of these features are no obsolete in modern phones. You can still get a flip phone but those are for drug dealers or people who can’t figure out technology and I think you’re better than that, dear reader.

• The stolen data is depicted as being stored on a CD. While CDs are still around using them for data storage has fallen out of favor as better storage methods have since been invented. Its use here should be considered topical for the same reason as CRT monitors and VHS tapes.