The Death of the Dream: Part 4

Silencers

James Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, returns to the hotel where he rents a room. As he walks through the lobby, he hears the desk clerk debating with a tenant about Captain America’s death. James figures that Steve would be happy to know that people are still debating. However, the clerk is wrong to think it was a government conspiracy, James knows that the triggerman was working for the Red Skull. Still, there has to be a reason that security was so lax during Steve’s arrival at the courthouse.[1]

However, his leads on the Red Skull are sparse. As he goes up to the roof he looks up at the SHIELD helicarrier in the sky. This would be the only place that he might get a line on the Skull and it happens to be where his other target, Tony Stark, is also located. Now that the Black Widow is helping SHIELD, he figures they’ll be ready for him now.[2] However, he refuses to gives up, as there has to be a way to get the information he needs.

Out of Mind

Meanwhile, Tony Stark has called in his colleague Professor Charles Xavier to use his mental powers to prove Crossbones’ mind to find out what they can about his mission to assassinate Captain America. Unfortunately, whoever sent him on his mission was able to wipe out all memory that would be useful for SHIELD’s investigation.

Unable to get any clear answers, Charles gives Tony Stark his apologies. Tony thanks the Professor for his help. When asked what he plans on doing with Crossbones now, Tony says he’ll be transferred to the Raft where he can rot with the rest of the animals.

Anarchy in the U.S.

At that same time, Sin — the Red Skull’s daughter — leads the newest incarnation of the Serpent Squad on a raid of a secure facility. Alongside the Viper, Eel, and Cobra, they slaughter guards and staff alike, leaving none alive in the massacre. Sin soon finds what they have come for: data from the Chinese stock market that is being stored until Wall Street opens for the days trading. When asked if the Red Skull is planning on crashing the stock market, Sin tells him that the plan is a little more complex than that, but assures them will suit their purposes.[3]

Underground

The Falcon and Sharon Carter have been searching for the Winter Soldier ever since he went AWOL. However, they haven’t been able to pick up on his trail. When Sam reports back to Nick Fury, he also doesn’t know where Bucky may have went. He figures Barnes will also be too smart to fall for a trap, but tells them to give him some time to run some analysis and he’ll get back to them.[4]

A New Plan

After ending communication with Fury, Sam tells Sharon that the former SHIELD director doesn’t have any more leads than they do. At this point, they may have to bite the bullet and take what they know to SHIELD. Sharon can’t bring herself to trust SHIELD but can’t say why. Besides the point, they should be searching for Bucky by tracking down the Red Skull since they know he’s responsible for Steve’s death. While James is also targeting Tony Stark, they know that he is an inaccessible target at the present given he’s in charge of SHIELD.

They both agree that they should be going after the ones most responsible for Steve’s death anyway and begin formulating some new plans.

The Doctor is In

Disguised as a SHIELD psychologist, Doctor Faustus completes a session with one of the spy agency’s operatives. After confirming his instructions, Faustus orders him to resume his regular duties until the following time. After the agent is gone, Faustus turns off his holographic disguise and muses about how soon they’ll all be aware of his schemes.

Dead Letter Office

Meanwhile, Tony Stark is turning down another SHIELD agent who has come to personally request taking over the mantle of Captain America. He reminds the agent of his press conference the day before, saying that the role of Cap has been retired indefinitely and he has no plans to find a replacement.

That’s when Tony’s assistant tells him that a lawyer by the name of Maurice Greely has come to speak with him, saying that he has a message from Steve Rogers. Curious, Stark has the lawyer sent in and learns that Greely was hired by Steve on the recommendation of Matt Murdock. Steve enlisted Greely to deliver a personal letter to Tony Stark in the event of his death and he has come to carry out those duties.[5]

Once Greely is done his duty he leaves Tony to read the letter he delivered. Upon reading it, Tony considers its contents for a moment then asks his assistant to get him the Black Widow right away.

Counter-Surveillance

After two days of searching, the Winter Soldier manages to track down an operation being run by Advanced Idea Mechanics. Leaving one of them conscious, James demands to know where the Red Skull is located. Unfortunately, AIM doesn’t know as they have only been dealing with Sin and the Cobra.

When Bucky asks them what they were doing for the Skull, he learns that they were doing counter-intelligence on SHIELD to learn names and home addresses of agents that work out of a specific monitoring station in New York. What he doesn’t know, unfortunately, is what they want that information for.

Rescue Mission

What Winter Soldier doesn’t know is that Sin and the Serpent Squad have murdered the SHIELD agents they had been monitoring once they have gone of shift. This is so they can steal their uniforms and infiltrate the facility and rescue Crossbones from SHIELD custody!

Recurring Characters

Winter Soldier, Falcon, Sharon Carter, Professor X, Nick Fury, Crossbones, Serpent Squad (Sin, Viper, Eel, King Cobra), Doctor Faustus, AIM, SHIELD

Continuity Notes

1. Captain America was seemingly killed in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. While Crossbones made the initial shot, it was Sharon Carter (under the control of Dr. Faustus since issue #22) who made the kill shots. Steve hasn’t really been killed though. Instead he has been time displaced as part of a convoluted body thievery scheme orchestrated by the Red Skull. See Captain America: Reborn #1-5.

2. Winter Soldier fought the Black Widow last issue. It was also revealed then that they both have a past together from back when they were Russian operatives.

3. The Red Skull has been occupying the body of Aleksander Lukin since Captain America (vol. 5) #1 and has mostly been in charge since issue #21. Lukin is one of the most wealthy and influential businessmen in the world at the time of this story.

4. Nick Fury had gone underground after it was revealed that he led an unsanctioned invasion of Latveria in Secret War #1-5. In reality, he had uncovered a Skrull plot to invade the Earth and is working on thwarting it. See Mighty Avengers #12 and Secret Invasion #1-8.

5. The letter is a plea from Steve to save Bucky from the path he is currently on and make him the new Captain America. See Captain America (vol. 5) #30.

The Initiative Reading Order

Civil War: The Initiative #1, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Thunderbolts #112, 113, 114, 115, Omega Flight #1-5, Moon Knight (vol. 3) #13, Captain America (vol. 5) #26, 27, 28, 29, 30, New Avengers #27, 28, 29, 30, 31, New Warriors (vol. 4) #1-8, Black Panther (vol. 4) #27, 28, 29, 30, Iron Man: Agent of SHIELD #15, 16, 17, 18, Avengers: The Initiative #1, 2, 3, Fantastic Four #547, 548, 549, 550, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #6-11, Mighty Avengers #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Sub-Mariner (vol. 2) #1-6, The Order (vol. 2) 1-4, Penance: Relentless #1, 2, 3, 4, 5