The Death of Captain America Act 3 - The Man Who Bought America: Part 1

Paris, France. August, 1944

The country has just been liberated from the Nazis and the people of Paris are partying in the streets. A parade is thrown on the part of the allies, which includes Captain America and Bucky.

Watching in a ruined building is the Red Skull. He is watching them, appalled by the American arrogance over their victory. He wonders if they truly think that he or Adolf Hitler care about losing France? He is glad to leave its ruins for the allies. That’s when his assistant suggests they go before they are discovered.

The Red Skull asks for another moment, as he wants to study his enemies in their glory. He never wants to forget this sight. It angers him and he vows that day that regardless of the outcome of the war, he will not rest until he crushes America under his boot heel.

America - Today

Senator Gordon Wright has experienced a surge in popularity after he was rescued by soldiers from the Kane-Myer Security Forces, whom he hired to protect Washington, DC, during recent riots sparked by the current financial crisis. Wright has used this rise in popularity to announce that he’ll be a third party candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election. He has gained even more popularity by convincing the Kronas Energy Corporation into lowering the cost of oil and gas and halt the foreclosure on properties across the country.

Watching this on the news are the Red Skull and Doctor Faustus, who have been working behind the scenes to boost Wright’s popularity. The Red Skull can hardly believe how easily manipulating the masses has been. He suppose that Aleksander Lukin, the man whose body he shares, deserves some thanks. It was his idea originally, after all, even though he won’t shut up about how the Red Skull has changed the plans.[1] From here they hope to see Wright elected President, and declare a police state is the only way to defend the country. Then they canget Kane-Myer Security in every town in America. Soon after that, the Red Skull will rule America with an iron fist.

When Faustus reminds the Skull that he is working with others, the Skull gets annoyed and asks why he isn’t looking after Sharon Carter.[2] Faustus assures the Red Skull that she will keep a while long and asks how Arnim Zola is doing with reviving his patient. The Skull assures him that Zola will be able to revive him and that he’ll be able to upset the fame and notoriety the new Captain America has gained.[3]

Meanwhile, the Falcon (Sam Wilson) has just learned that there is a new Captain America (who is secretly James Barnes, Steve Rogers’ former sidekick) and heads to SHIELD headquarters to ask when SHIELD Director Tony Stark was planning on telling him.[4] Even though this was Steve’s final wish, Sam isn’t sure if Bucky is ready for this type of pressure after everything he’s been through.[5][6] That’s why Stark wants Sam to be there to help him out. Wilson agrees to do this, but he’s not the only one who isn’t going to like this.

At that moment, Bucky is sharpening his skills so he can be in peak efficiency. He is interrupted by Clint Barton, aka the Ronan, who has taken offense to the fact that James took over as Captain America.[7] However, when he tries to attack James, Barnes is able to deflect all of his blows because Barton received the same combat training from Captain America that he did. James then tells Clint that if he wants to talk about things, he’s there to listen, but he doesn’t have time for useless brawls. Clint decides to let it be for now, but warns him that he’ll be watching to make sure that Barnes doesn’t tarnish Captain America’s legacy.

Meanwhile, Sharon Carter has discovered a man being held in stasis in Arnim Zola’s lab. He looks exactly like Steve Rogers and she has decided to stay even though she has broken free of Doctor Faustus’ mind control until she can free him. She tries to follow Faustus back in the lab, but he orders her back to her quarters. Since she is supposed to be his slave, she plays along, but she promises she’ll get to Steve and free him.

That evening, James has a nightmare. In it, he is Bucky fighting alongside Captain America during World War II. However, their conversation is peppered with modern day lingo. When Captain America gets in Bucky’s line of fire he warns him that he’s in his shadow. Steve tosses his shield and looks back and tells James that he is Bucky’s shadow. That’s when the shield bounces back into Bucky’s hands. The scene suddenly changes from World War II to the streets of New York and both of them are Captain America with defeated Hydra agents at their feet. Steve tells James not to lose his shield as he’ll want to back when he returns. When Bucky asks what that means, Steve wants him to repeat back what he said in Russian. James pulls off his mask and says that the Winter Soldier wasn’t him and that’s when he suddenly wakes up.

Going to the fridge for something to drink, James is greeted by the Falcon who invited himself in. He has come because he heard the news that Bucky took over as Captain America. While he’s not happy to hear about it, he is willing to give James a chance. He got a lead on Sharon Carter and wants James to help him rescue her. James is more than happy to work with Sam and is ready to get to it.

At that same moment, Sharon Carter has sneaked out of her room and slips past security to get into Arnim Zola’s lab. Once there, she sees that they have succeeded in reviving the man she thinks is Steve Rogers and finds him sleeping on an operating table. When she wakes him up she is shocked to discover that half of his body is horribly burned and she suddenly realizes who this man is, and he’s not the Steve Rogers. However, the man still heard her call out that name and remembers that Steve Rogers is the name he gave himself. He then sits up and asks her who she is.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Falcon, Sharon Carter, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Red Skull/Aleksander Lukin, Doctor Faustus, Grand Director, Gordon Wright

Continuity Notes

1. The Red Skull cheated death by hopping into the mind of Aleksander Lukin via the Cosmic Cube. See Captain America (vol. 5) #1 and 14. This will remain the status quo until issue #42.

2. Doctor Faustus had been brainwashing Sharon to do their bidding since Captain America (vol. 5) #22. The Skull mocks him for not knowing she was pregnant. This was something that Sharon only discovered in issue #30 herself.

3. The man they are talking about is William Burnside, the Captain America of the 1950s, as will be revealed next issue. He has been kept in suspended animation since he attempted to immolate himself in Captain America #236.

4. Following the alleged death of Steve Rogers in Captain America (vol. 5) #25, Tony Stark convinced Bucky Barnes to become the new Captain America as per Steve’s final wishes. See Captain America (vol. 5) #33.

5. Sam is referring to the fact that James was brainwashed and transformed into a Russian assassin after he disappeared in 1945 and was only recently freed from that conditioning. See Captain America (vol. 5) #8, 11, and 14.

6. Stark mentions how he has been fighting to prevent SHIELD from being shut down. This was after a bunch of rogue agents brainwashed by Doctor Faustus opened fire on a crowd of protesters in Captain America (vol. 5) #34.

7. James states here that Clint used to be Hawkeye. Hawkeye was the nickname that Clint Barton used when he first put on a costume way back in Tales of Suspense #57. At the time of this story he had taken on the Ronan identity starting in New Avengers #27. He will go back to being Hawkeye again in New Avengers (vol. 2) #1.

Topical References

• This story states that Senator Gordon Wright will be running for President of the Untied States in the 2008 election. The year should be considered topical as it is relative to the date of publication.