Captain America (vol. 4) #19
Captain America Lives Again: Part 3
1963[1]
Captain America has awoken from two decades of suspended animation to learn that the Nazis have won World War II and now rule America.[2] Having escaped the Red Skull, Cap has found the resistance and is now being lead to their headquarters by Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm.[3] Upon their arrival they are greeted by Edwin Jarvis and Rick Jones, who are on sentry duty.[4]
Inside, Johnny and Ben introduce Captain America to the rest of the resistance. Cap’s old wartime ally Nick Fury is among their number, who confirms that this is the real Captain America. Other members of the resistance include scientist Hank Pym, his girlfriend Janet Van Dyne, African-American Luke Cage, Frank Castle, scientist Bruce Banner, occultist Stephen Strange, and the blind Matt Murdock, whose other senses seem more acute as a result.
That’s when the leader of the resistance, James Barnes, arrives to greet Captain America. Since its been twenty years and he is all grown up, Cap barely recognizes his former partner, Bucky. Steve can hardly believe Bucky is still alive as he thought he was blown up with the drone. James explains that he managed to let go in time and was knocked clear from the explosion and survived. Steve explains that he ended up going into some kind of suspended animation and frozen in ice until the Nazis found his body and revived him. That’s when Doctor Don Blake, an informant for the resistance, arrives with some bad news. Peter Parker, a young scientist working at Stark Industries, was caught trying to leak information outside to the resistance. Now, young Parker is going to be publicly hanged in Times Square at dawn.[5][6]
The following morning, the Red Skull addresses the people of New Berlin via Time Square’s massive video screens. He tells them that young Park will be hanged to death to show them what happens to those who help the resistance. Front row center are Parker’s Aunt May and Uncle Ben who are forced to watch their only living relative be executed.[7] However, as the trapdoor is opened, Captain America leaps in and frees the boy. He then hands Parker off to Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm who have arrived in a roadster to get the young scientist out of there. Captain America then fights past the Nazi guards to get atop the gallows. There he addresses the spectators and tells them to be ready as the revolution will be starting soon. Although Cap is quickly swarmed and apprehended, he tells the people he’ll soon be free and the resistance will liberate them all. As if in defiance of that, Johnny and Ben discover that the Nazis rigged Parker with explosives — having anticipated the rescue attempt — and are too slow to disarm it before it blows up, killing all three in the process.
Soon Captain America is locked up in a cell. There, the Red Skull reiterates how they are going to learn the secrets of the Super Soldier Formula from his body before executing him in Times Square.
Meanwhile, the resistance has mobilized to attack Stark Industries. While Matt Murdock distracts the guards at the front gate, Nick Fury leads the charge at the side. While the soldiers are all preoccupied, Reed Richards pilots his prototype Fantasti-Car from above with Sue Storm, Hank Pym, and James Barnes on board.[8] Slipping by the soldiers, they manage to land near an access door on the roof and break in.
At that same time, Tony Stark enters Captain America’s cell and unlocks his chains. As it turns out, Stark has been the one providing intel to Don Blake to bring back to the resistance. As they leave the cell they are caught by some guards. Tony tries to convince them that he is taking Captain America to a more secure location. When they don’t believe Stark, Captain America quickly attacks and takes them all out. The sudden excitement weighs heavily on Tony’s heart, which had been weakened in an accident.[9] He explains this is the reason why he never fully joined the resistance. Now, with more guards coming, Tony hands Cap a device and tells him to give it to Hank Pym who will know what to do with it. Stark then gives cover fire, willing to sacrifice his life so the rebellion wins the day. Captain America runs off, promising not to let Tony down.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, Bucky, Don Blake, Luke Cage, Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Red Skull, Victor Von Doom
Continuity Notes
This story takes place in another reality where the Nazis won World War II and the Modern Age of Heroes (had it happened) would have began in the 1960s. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4 it exists in Reality-31117. Despite what the handbook says, this reality’s Captain America is not possessed by his Earth-616 counterpart. This was an error and has since been corrected in Avengers, Thor, & Captain America: Official Index to the Marvel Universe #14.
How Captain America ended up in suspended animation in this reality mostly mirror that similar events on Earth-616, see Avengers #4.
Johnny and Ben are better known on Earth-616 as the Human Torch and the Thing, two members of the Fantastic Four. However, in this reality, the Nazi take over of America prevented the events of Fantastic Four #1 from ever happening.
Had the Nazi’s not taken over Rick Jones would later be instrumental in forming the Avengers (in Avengers #1) and Jarvis would become their ever faithful butler (first seen in Tales of Suspense #59)
Of course these are all individuals who became super-heroes or crime fighters on Earth-616. In case you were born in cave, here’s the who’s who and what is different about them:
Nick Fury is a World War II veteran that fought alongside Captain America in both realies. On Earth-616, the earliest recorded time the pair worked together was in 1941, according to Wolverine: Origins #18-22. On present day Earth-616, Fury was best known as the long time director of the spy agency SHIELD, which was first publicly formed in Strange Tales #135. Presumably, the Nazis prevented SHIELD from ever forming.
On Earth-616, Hank Pym went on to invent Pym Particles in Tales to Astonish #27 which could cause people or objects exposed to them to shrink or grow. He became Ant-Man in issue #35 and Janet became his partner the Wasp in issue #44 of that same series. It appears as though the Nazi invasion prevented Hank from making his discovery.
Luke Cage: On Earth-616, he was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Exposed to an experiment he was given bullet proof skin and enhanced strength. Breaking out, Luke became the Hero for Hire while also trying to clear his name, as seen in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1. The Nazis of this reality rounded up all the undesirables and forced them to work in slave factories in Brooklyn, preventing the events where Luke got his powers from happening. At first, Luke introduces himself as Lucas but tells Cap he prefers Luke. This is a reference to the fact that Cage’s legal name was actually Carl Lucas, something he legally changed on Earth-616, as seen in Power Man and Iron Fist #50.
On Earth-616, Frank Castle is best known as the vigilante known as the Punisher, first seen in Amazing Spider-Man #129. Per Marvel Super Action #1, Castle started his war on crime after his family was murdered by the mob. It is unclear if this is the case with Frank Castle. It’s entirely possible that he never had a family in this reality.
Scientist Bruce Banner is known on Earth-616 as the Hulk after he was transformed by a Gamma Bomb explosion in Incredible Hulk #1. Here, Banner’s short temper is a nod to this.
Stephen Strange is depicted as a minor mystic here. However, on Earth-616 has is a great magician as first seen in Strange Tales #110. He was trained in the mystic arts by the so-called Ancient One, and it would seem those teachings were cut short here by the Nazis.
Matt Murdock has all the abilities of his Earth-616 counterpart. This is because the accident that gave him his enhanced senses happened when he was child. The Nazi invasion seems to have interrupted the series of events that would lead to him becoming Daredevil, however. See Daredevil #1.
To readers of the time, Bucky was believed to have died in the drone explosion as per Avengers #4. However, following this publication, readers found out that the Earth-616 version of Bucky survived as well (all be it at the loss of his left arm). He will resurface as the Winter Soldier in Captain America (vol. 5) #1.
Don Blake is actually the thunder god Thor trapped in a mortal body. As explained in Thor #159, Odin decided his son needed a lesson in humility and banished him to Earth in the form of Donald Blake. When Thor learned his lesson, Odin secretly led him to a cave in Norway to recover Mjolnir and restore his powers as seen in Journey into Mystery #83. Apparently, a trip to Norway wasn’t in the cards for Blake in this reality.
I shouldn’t have to tell you that Earth-616’s Peter Parker became Spider-Man, as seen in Amazing Fantasy #15. Even before getting bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter was a genius scientist. I guess in this reality, the experiment that created the radioactive spider never happened.
Peter Parker was working with a team of scientists on Project: Overlord, a time machine that the Red Skull plans on using to dominate all eternity. The device is the brainchild of Victor Von Doom, this era’s version of Doctor Doom. It’s inspired by the 616’s Doom’s Time-Platform first seen in Fantastic Four #5.
You might remember Uncle Ben as the family member who had to die to teach Peter to use his spider powers responsibly. The Nazi invasion appears to have prevented the burglary that claimed Ben Parker’s life from ever happening.
This version of the Fantasti-Car is identical to the original one seen on Earth-616 in Fantastic Four #3.
Tony’s Earth-616 similarly suffered from an injured hear back in Tales of Suspense #39.