Captain America (vol. 5) #41
The Death of Captain America Act 3 - The Man Who Bought America: Part 5
Captain America (James “Bucky” Barnes) and the Falcon (Sam Wilson) have been following “Steve Rogers”, the fake Captain America from the 1950s after their recent fight.[1] This is in the hopes that he will lead them right back to the Red Skull so they can save their friend Sharon Carter.[2] It’s been easy to track him since Sam can observe “Steve Rogers” through the eyes of his pet falcon, Redwing.
This evening’s stakeout starts off as uneventful as the past few until Redwing spots some operatives of Advanced Idea Mechanics charging the diner their pigeon is sitting in. This makes James realize that this other Steve is actually on the run. This convinces him that they should be helping him, not using him as bait. Sam doesn’t like it, but admits that they have to at least try. However, he warns James that this other Captain America was crazy well before Faustus got his hooks in him, and there might not be much they can do.[3]
Meanwhile, the AIM troopers chase the other Captain America into an alley. He puts up a good fight, but they manage to incapacitate him with a stun ray. When they report their success Arnim Zola tells the Red Skull he has succeeded in cleaning up another one of Doctor Faustus’ messes. The Skull says that employing Faustus is a necessity as he is the only one keeping Sharon Carter in check. Even though her unborn child is dead, she is still a necessary component to the device they are building. To punctuate the necessity of everything, the Red Skull slips out of control of his shared body as Aleksander Lukin takes control. The process of sharing the same mind is slowly driving both men insane.[4]
Sharon Carter wakes up in the infirmary strapped to her bed once more. Doctor Faustus is by her side. She puts him under his hypnotic control again. He asks if she intentionally allowed her baby to be killed. He is surprised when she learns that she wanted to get away so it could live free of the madmen who have her prisoner. Faustus informs her that there would be no way they’d allow the child to live. Still, they have a use for her, even without her baby. However, Faustus has grown fond of Sharon and refuses to see her come to anymore harm. He tells her to forget that she was ever pregnant and then slips her a device to help her get free. He is going to be leaving soon and she will be free from his control shortly thereafter and can get out.
The following day, the Falcon’s network of birds have picked up signs of Advance Idea Mechanics activity in Albany, New York. Soon, he and Captain America are on the road upstate. James can’t believe AIM had a base at the state capital, but Sam insists that they should check it out because a lead is a lead and suggests they contact SHIELD. Bucky doesn’t want to get them involved, by that’s when the Black Widow comes down from the sky with a SHIELD unit. Natasha says they were tipped off from a disgruntled minion who said the Red Skull was hiding up in Albany. As if to confirm this, she says that Sharon Carter’s GPS transmitter went live last night and it is in that area as well. SHIELD has been casing the place all day and see no sign that it is a trap. When James asks why she is telling him all of this, it’s because the disgruntled employee was Doctor Faustus and he told them part of the Red Skull’s plan that Captain America must stop.
At that moment, Doctor Faustus — who has cut his hair and beard in an effort to change his appearance — is meeting with Senator Gordon Wright one last time to tell him that he’s leaving. Gordon begins to panic because he has only gotten this far in his Presidential run through his guidance. Faustus assures Gordon that he can handle the rest on his own, all he has to do is remember that when the shot is fired, the man on his left will go down.
The event in question, is that evenings Presidential debate between Wright and the Republican and Democratic candidates. In the crowd of spectators is Sin, the Red Skull’s daughter. She is in radio contact with her father. He reminds her that Wright is only to be wounded and not to screw this up as this is her only opportunity to redeem herself.
At that moment, AIM operatives return with the 50’s Captain America and ask what he’d like to do with him. The Skull tells them to put “Steve Rogers” back in the immersion room and inform Faustus that his patient has returned. The Skull then checks in on Arnim Zola. He has managed to get the Time Platform device given to them by Doctor Doom working and the device to free the Red Skull’s mind from Aleksander Lukin’s body is ready to go. Soon, they will be able to initiate the final part of their plan. He then orders Zola to get Sharon Carter. When Arnim heads to the lab, he is told by some of his men that Doctor Faustus has gone missing. When he goes to confront Sharon Cater about this, she tells him she has no idea where he went. She then tosses her SHIELD tracking device on the ground.
Seconds later, the wall of the lab blows open and the Black Widow, Falcon, and SHIELD commando team come charging in with guns blazing. Realizing that Faustus has betrayed them, Arnim Zola flees with Sharon as his hostage while the AIM foot soldiers keep SHIELD at bay.
Meanwhile, Sin has left the crowd watching the debate to set up her sniper rifle and shoot at the candidates. Furious at her father, Sin decides to go against his wishes and puts Senator Wright in her sights. However, when she takes the shot, a shield shoots out from off stage and deflects the bullet, saving Wrights life. This shield was thrown by Captain America who has come to foil the Red Skull’s political aspirations.
Recurring Characters
Captain America (Barnes), Falcon, Sharon Carter, Black Widow, Red Skull/Aleksander Lukin, Arnim Zola, Doctor Faustus, Sin, Captain America (Burnside), Gordon Wright, SHIELD, AIM, Redwing
Continuity Notes
At the time of this story, Steve Rogers is believed to have died in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. Since then, James Barnes took over as Cap starting in issue #33. The Red Skull has also been trying to sell the public on his own Captain America, the one from the 1950s, as seen in issue #39.
Sharon Carter was brainwashed by Doctor Faustus in Captain America (vol. 5) #22. She was taken prisoner in issue #30.
As detailed back in Captain America #155, the 50’s Cap injected himself with an impure version of the Super Soldier Serum that eventually drove him mad, forcing him to be put in suspended animation until the present day. After he real Steve Rogers defeated him in Captain America #156, he ended up in the care of Faustus, as seen in Captain America #231.
So, everything going on here is part of a very complicated plot that all centers around the “death” of Captain America.
The Red Skull and Aleksander Lukin have been sharing the same mind and body since a the Skull used the Cosmic Cube to cheat death in Captain America (vol. 5) #1, as per issue #14.
Sharon was knocked up by Steve Rogers in Captain America (vol. 5) #16. She discovered this truth in issue #30. Last issue she was stabbed in the stomach by Sin, the Red Skull’s daughter and lost the baby.
Sharon’s brainwashing was so she could make the “kill” shots on Captain America. See issues #22 and 25.
Faustus is trying to reverse engineer a time device given to the Red Skull by Doctor Doom in Captain America (vol. 5) #23.
This process didn’t kill Captain America, but displaced him in time. The Red Skull can steal his body. See Captain America: Reborn #1-5.
Topical References
This story frames Gordon Wright’s bid for Presidency as running for the 2008 election. The other candidates are depicted as Barack Obama and John McCain. This should be considered a topical reference as this election is far from over. Obama served two terms as President until 2016. McCain did what good Republicans do and died in 2018.
Speaking of politics, Gordon Wright’s third party candidacy is compared to that of Ross Perot. Perot was the most successful 3rd party candidate when he ran for President in 1992. While this is still true as I write this (March, 2023) this fact could change at some point in the future and should be considered topical.
Among the campaign signs in the crowd shots are one that reads “Colbert ‘08”. This is in reference to comedian Stephen Colbert. At the time, he was best known for his show the Colbert Report where he portrayed a right leaning political pundit. During the 2008 election he jokingly announced that he intended to run as well. Since Colbert was fan of Marvel Comics, his joke campaign was inserted into stories like this.
