America Lost: Part 4

Now

The Avengers — Iron Man, Thor, the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Qucksilver, Vision, Warbird, Triathlon, and Jack of Hearts —, the Falcon, the Sub-Mariner, and SHIELD Agents Sharon Cater, Dum Dum Dugan, and Nick Fury are all waiting for the final attendees of a very special funeral. To pass the time, they talk about Captain America’s recent mission where he recovered the SHIELD helicarrier after it was stolen by the Red Skull.[1]

This also uncovered a plot by the Skull and the Hate-Monger to utilize the power of the Cosmic Cube to ramp up people’s racial hatred and make America destroy itself.[2][3]

Louisiana, Three Days and Fifty Minutes Ago

Captain America, Sharon Carter, and Namor had just stormed the helicarrier until they were incapacitated by a stun ray. That’s when the Red Skull revealed that he was working with the Hate-Monger. It is here that the Red Skull explains that he used the power of the Cosmic Cube in his body to endow the Hate-Monger with his new powers and their plot to cause Americans to turn on each other and destroy their country. The Skull gloats that it will be the prejudice and hatred of the American people themselves that will bring about the destruction of the United States of America.

Although he is incapacitated by the stun beam, Captain America refuses to stop fighting until he has brought this mad scheme to an end. The Hate-Monger mocks Captain America and points out that hate drives all of his opponents and that it was hate that ended the life of Bucky, his partner during the war. The Hate-Monger then uses his power to try and make Captain America be consumed by hatred as well. At first, it begins to work, but when Steve sees the Red Skull’s vision of the future he fights back against the Hate-Monger’s influence. This causes him to briefly burst into flames, but Cap fights free.

When he attacks the Red Skull, the Hate-Monger turns his power on the Sub-Mariner and forces him to attack his friend. As Cap and talks sense into Namor, both Nick Fury and Sharon Carter get free as well. They are able to find the Hate-Monger’s slaves, all of whom have been outfitted with SHIELD esper devices that will allow their hatred to be transmitted across the entire country. After helping Namor break free of the Hate-Monger’s control, Captain America joins the others and gives a patriotic speech to the Red Skull’s pawns, reminding them of everything America is and stands for and that they need to fight to keep her alive.

The speech gets through to them and when the Hate-Monger tries to channel their hatred to kick off the final part of their plan, he is consumed with their goodness instead. Unable to withstand it, the Hate-Monger’s bodies discorporates as the power of the Cosmic Cube is depleted from both he and the Red Skull.[4] Seconds later, Captain America uses his shield to knock the Skull out so they can take him into custody.

Now

With the story now told, the heroes now have nothing to do while they wait for the final attendees. Luckily, they don’t have long to wait as the SHIELD helicarrier appears in the sky above them. From it, a smaller ship lands and out emerges Captain America along with Rebecca Barnes, the last surviving member of Bucky’s family.[5][6] Soon, Captain America is giving his old friend a proper funeral and eulogy. To make sure nobody forgets Bucky’s sacrifice, Steve has also commissioned Alicia Masters to make a statue to honor the memory of his friend and has it lowered onto the site. Once it is in place, everyone salutes the statue. Dugan then folds up the American flag draped on the coffin then hands it to Rebecca who hugs it close.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Sub-Mariner, SHIELD (Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Sharon Carter), Rebecca Barnes, Red Skull, Hate-Monger, Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Vision, Warbird, Triathlon, Jack of Hearts), Falcon

Continuity Notes

1. The SHIELD helicarrier was stolen by the Red Skull in X-Men (vol. 2) #91/Annual 1999.

2. Hate-Monger is the reincarnation of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. In the Marvel Universe, Hitler was immolated by the Human Torch in Young Men #24. However, the Nazi leader has been able to cheat death time and time again by transferring his mind into cloned bodies, as seen first in Fantastic Four #19 and explained in Super-Villain Team-Up #17.

3. After being vaporized by the Cosmic Cube, the Red Skull was able to restore his body with the Cube internalized within it. See Captain America #445-448 and (vol. 3) #14-19.

4. This is not the end of the Hate-Monger as he will turn up again in Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #521-523. Although unclear here, the Red Skull is stripped of the Cosmic Cube’s power, as he won’t display its abilities when he is seen again in Captain America (vol. 3) #50. By Captain America (vol. 5) #1, the Skull goes back to use external Cosmic Cubes again.

5. Next issue we learn that this is a funeral being held for Bucky, Captain America’s wartime partner. At the time of this story, everyone believes Bucky died in 1945 as per Avengers #4. The coffin here is empty and is mostly ceremonial. This funeral is being put on because Steve noticed that Buck didn’t have a gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery when he visited it in Captain America (vol. 3) #39. What nobody realizes is that Bucky’s still alive, as we’ll learn in Captain America (vol. 5) #14.

6. The woman here is identified as Bucky’s sister (see below) and it’s explained that they were separated after the death of Bucky’s parents died. Rebecca’s existence and the death of her parents was first told in Marvel Holiday Special 1991. Per Young Allies Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1, their father — George Barnes — died in a training exercise in 1937. Captain America and Bucky #620 reveal that Winnifred Barnes died when the children were still young, her cause of death is unknown time of this writing (February, 2023).

Topical References

• Here, Captain America states that America has existed for 225 years. This should be considered a topical reference as this measurement of time is relative to the date of publication.

• As the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age forward in time, it becomes increasingly impossible to explain how Rebecca Barnes can still be alive. Per Captain America and Bucky #620, she was born in 1934. Time of this writing that would put her in her late 80s. Marvel has yet to explain her longevity. I posit a theory below.

What To Do With a Problem Like Becky Barnes?

Rebecca Barnes is another one of those anachronistic characters that defies explanation. She has appeared in three stories set in the Modern Age: Marvel Holiday Special 1991, this issue, and Captain America and Bucky #624. These stories were published in 1991 (duh), 2001, and 2012 respectively. Captain America and Bucky #620 reveals that Rebecca was born in 1934. With that in mind, it was feasable that a person born then could still be alive in the present day when all of these comics were originally published. However, he advancing age started to hit hard and fast as her last recorded appearance (time of this writing) has her living in a home for people with Alzheimer’s Disease.

That all said, due to the Sliding Timescale, it is becoming increasingly impossible for someone born in the 1930s to still be alive today. The only exception being someone who has had their aging process slowed, temporarily suspended, or outright stopped. However, given Rebecca Barnes’ seemingly ordinary life, it seems unlikely that she had access to any of these types of life extending methods. Time of this writing, Marvel has yet to provide an explanation. For such a minor character I doubt they ever will. They’ll probably just quietly stop mentioning her if they haven’t done so already.

Whereas most of these characters I’ve come up with a theory on how they could still be alive. Like Arnie Roth maybe being a clone, and Anna Kepplebaum’s longevity having to do with Nazi science experiments. I cant’ come up with a single possible explanation about Rebecca Barnes that would make any sense.

I always think that the simplest solution is the best solution and in this case, the simple solution is that this Rebecca Barnes isn’t Bucky’s sister. Instead, perhaps she is the last surviving member of the Barnes family that descended from Bucky’s sister’s family. In the Holiday special we learn that Rebecca Barnes got married and took her husband’s last name, Proctor. Making her the last member of the Barnes lineage you can say she is however generations removed from Bucky and his sister that you need to make this still work.