Captain America and the Falcon #5
Jimmy’s Way
Avengers Disassembled continues from Thor (vol. 2) #81.
Captain America (Steve Rogers) and the Falcon (Sam Wilson) have returned to New York after the Anti-Cap incident.[1] On their way to Steve’s apartment, Sam spots a sentry watching their movements. He gets the drop on him by sending Redwing ahead with a note tucked in his beak to act as a distraction. This allows Sam to get close enough to put a gun in the spy’s mouth and demands to know who sent him.[2] However, before he can get answers, Cap radios from his apartment to tell him that whoever it was, they already sacked his entire apartment. The entire place is trashed, including a on photo of Bucky, Cap’s wartime partner.[3]
Sam isn’t surprised and figures that this is a message. Ever since they swiped a bio-weapon from the Rivas Cartel in Cuba, they have everyone from the White House, the cartel, the Office of Naval Intelligence, and SHIELD looking to get it back. As if on cue, a bunch of men rush into Captain America’s apartment. Falcon suggests that they go to Nick Fury to clear up this mess. This is as Steve leaps out of his apartment building to the street below. Much to his surprise, the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) pulls up disguised as a taxi driver and tells him to get in. Sam leaps down onto the roof of the taxi as it speeds off. Sam then suggests that they first go to the Daily Bugle with an update on their story. Cap agrees, although he is slightly distracted by Wanda for some reason.
At the Daily Bugle, publisher J. Jonah Jameson heads into Joe Robertson’s office and is shocked to see two high ranking military officials waiting there for him: SHIELD Director Nick Fury, as well as Jimmy Westbrook, a member of ONI. While they go over the details of the Anti-Cap situation, Fury notes that Captain America and the Falcon is late. He all but accuses Westbrook for the reported attack on the pair. Jimmy pleads the fifth on the accusation. Joe Robertson reminds Westbrook that they have all the damning evidence. He muses that in the past, Captain America would have given up Anti-Cap and the bio-weapon to Westbrook without question had it not been the current heightened state of national security following a recent terrorist attack on American soil. Jimmy agrees that a deal needs to be made to keep this under wraps, but insists on doing things his way or no way at all.
Meanwhile, Captain America and the Falcon make a brief stop at the apartment of Luke Cage. Luke has passed out watching TV and is difficult to wake up. When Redwing screeches in his ear, Cage wakes up thinking he is under attack. He then charges at Sam and Steve, knocking them through a wall with the force of his charge. When Cage realizes who has come to visit him, he cracks a joke about not taking a Black man’s TV remote before asking the pair what they want. They quickly explain their situation, which will likely lead to Sam’s arrest. They need to keep Anti-Cap alive with a supply of a drug called acetovaxidol (AVX), which is also the source of Luke’s superhuman powers. As such, they need a sample of Luke’s blood so they can synthesize more of the substance while they iron out the mess they are in.[4] They have come with a specially made Vibranium tipped needle to pierce Luke’s steel hard skin. That’s when they discover that Cage is kind of afraid of needles.
Back in the taxi, Wanda brings up the fact that Sam is carrying a gun. He justifies the need because he has people gunning after him since Cuba. When he asks the Witch why she is driving a taxi. She explains that she has been keeping up with Cap’s case and decided it was best to keep a low profile. She then reveals that she went back to Cuba and recovered the bio-weapon for them. That’s when Steve demands that Wanda pull over the taxi. He takes the bio-weapon and tells her that bringing it into the United States is a national security violation. He tells her to go back to Avengers Mansion because she cannot get involved in this. She then says it is too late and after an awkward silence between the two, Maximoff drives off. Sam then asks what that is all about, but Steve gives no answers.
They then head to the Wakandan Embassy where they are greeted by Omoro, the head of security. They have been keeping Anti-Cap imprisoned in a lab below to be examined by Wakanda’s Dr. Tambak as well as Hank Pym of the Avengers. When they check on their prisoner, Anti-Cap chides them for holding a free man prisoner. He rants about how this is no different than when Jimmy Westbrook tried to kill him. As Steve listens he suddenly starts seeing Anti-Cap take on the appearance of Bucky. Cap shakes this off and asks Omoro why Anti-Cap is in chains. The man reminds them that they are essentially on Wakandan soil and they have no qualms about violating the rights of a known terrorist. Cap then gives Omoro Luke Cage’s blood sample and asks him to get Tambak to crate more AVX patches, as this should make his impostor less unruly.
When they finally arrive at the Daily Bugle for their meeting, Captain America tells them that he cannot hand over Anti-Cap until he has figured out the right thing to do. He can’t even trust Nick Fury to keep the boy safe. With no other options, Steve holds out his hands in surrender. However, Jimmy Westbrook knows that is he arrests Captain America it will be splashed on the front page of the newspaper and bring way more attention than he wants. Instead, he has decided to arrest the Falcon. As armed soldiers come in through the window, Westbrook laughs about how nobody will give a shit about the Falcon getting arrested, mentioning his past criminal history.
Sam demands Fury to do something about it, reminding Nick that he was acting on his orders. Nick says he can do something, but it will take time to sort out the legal mess. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Sam shocks everyone by pulling his gun and shooting Westbrook four times in the chest!
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Anti-Cap, Luke Cage, Scarlet Witch, Nick Fury, Joe Robertson, J. Jonah Jameson, Jimmy Westbrook, Omoro, Redwing
Continuity Notes
“Anti-Cap” was a failed attempt to recreate Captain America that went rogue. Both Cap and Falcon were trying to prevent him from obtaining a lethal bio-weapon to use against the US government. See Captain America and the Falcon #1-4. This “bio-weapon” isn’t a weapon at all, but a DNA sample taken from MODOK, as we’ll learn in Captain America and the Falcon #8.
Sam is depicted here backsliding into his “Snap” Wilson persona. Some things about that:
When Captain America first met Sam Wilson in Captain America #118, he was the ideal crime fighting partner with a seemingly altruistic background.
In Captain America #186, the Red Skull claimed that Sam was once a street hustler nicknamed “Snap” Wilson and that he used the Cosmic Cube to alter his mind to make him a potential sleeper agent against Captain America.
However, years after that story and this one, in All-New Captain America #3, it was revealed that the “Snap” Wilson identity was the fabrication this whole time and the Red Skull created it as a way with fucking with Sam’s sense of identity in an exceptionally cruel bit of racist gaslighting.
That said, why Sam is reverting to this false identity is never clearly explained. In the Falcon profile featured in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4, it was suggested that this may have been the result of the Scarlet Witch going mad and lashing out at her fellow Avengers as part of the Avengers Disassembled storyline. Which takes place primarily in Avengers #500-503 as well as various crossover issues listed below.
Characters are all aware of Sam’s past as “Snap” Wilson. If this identity was all a fabrication, it is unclear as to how they would have this knowledge. At least at the time of this writing (March, 2024) This could be an additional part of the Red Skull’s use of the Cosmic Cube, or we could blame Wanda for altering people’s memories as well. Lots of possible explanations is what I am saying.
At the time of this story, everyone believes that Bucky died in 1945 as per Avengers #4. However, not long after this tale, Bucky is revealed to be alive and has been operating for decades as the Russian assassin known as the Winter Soldier. See Captain America (vol. 5) #11 for the details on that.
It is mentioned here that Luke was subjected to experiments conducted by Dr. Noah Bernstein while he was an inmate at Seagate Prison. This was all detailed in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1. Anti-Cap’s powers and his connection into Luke Cage (and his relationship to Westbrook) were all covered in Captain America and the Falcon #2-3.
Topical References
Steve is depicted as having a CRT model television in his apartment. This is now an obsolete technology.
When accused of sending men to attack Cap and Falcon, Jimmy Westbrook flippantly says that “Kilborn was a repeat last night. Bet that’s my fault too.” He is referring to the Late Late Show which comedian Craig Kilborn hosted from 1999 to 2004.
This story also makes reference to the American political climate immediately following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. These reference reflect the political realities around the time of publication. Specific references to real world events should be considered topical.
When Steve calls himself an “independent agent”, Luke quips back by suggesting that he is actor Tom Cruise. This is a real world individual, thus the reference is topical.
Likewise when they ask Luke for a sample of his blood, he mistakenly thinks they are talking about the Bloods, a Black street gang that primarily resides in Los Angeles that was first formed in 1972. Another real world reference.
Translations
There is dialogue in this issue that is presented in Spanish with no translations. These phrases are:
“Qué es esto?” = “What is this?”
“Déme eso. No mueva.” = “Give me that. Don't move.”
"Es tempo por el desayuno. Yo espero que usted tenga hambre." = "It's time for breakfast. I hope you're hungry."
Avengers Disassembled Reading Order
Iron Man (vol. 3) #84-85, Thor (vol. 2) #80-81, Captain America and the Falcon #5, 6, 7, Captain America (vol. 3) #29, Avengers #500, 501, 502, 503, Iron Man (vol. 3) #86, 87, 88, 89, Captain America (vol. 3) #30, 31, 32, Fantastic Four #517, 518, 519, Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Thor (vol. 2) #82, 83, 84, 85, Avengers Finale #1, New Thunderbolts #1