Captain America Comics #49
The League of Hate
June 1945, as the war rages on in Europe, in the United States in the small town of Middlevale some men are caught smashing the tomb stones of American soldiers who were killed in combat. The next night store fronts are smashed and the men responsible leave signs reading "Down With All Foreigners! America for Americans Only!". This prompts the mayor to call a town hall meeting where people argue the situation. To the mayors surprise, two wounded soldiers, side with the vandals telling the audience that Americans are being sent to war to die in battle while foreigners are allowed to stay and infest their country. This causes an uproar which is broken up by a third soldier --blinded defending his unit -- protests, telling his fellow towns people that all Americans, be Irish, African-American, Jewish, Polish, they all are fighting in the war and are valiantly risking their lives for those back home. This appeases the mob, but later, a group of German spies meet in secret and discuss eliminating the blinded soldier as he is an obstacle to their plans.
Meanwhile, a train carrying William Nasland and Fred Davis Jr. is speeding toward Middlevale. The pair have been invited to visit the wounded soldier as they promised they would while out in combat. Along the way, William has a premonition that there is trouble on the horizon. When they arrive in town they learn that the blinded soldier has been murdered by the mayor and fights through a lynch mob trying to string him up. Changing into Captain America and Bucky, the two heroes break up the mob and send them away so that proper justice can be served. They meet with the mayor who tells them that he was attacked in his home by the two soldiers who started the protest. They had killed the blinded soldier and left him in the mayors home to make it look like the mayor had murdered him.
Believing the mayors story, Captain America and Bucky has the local coroner examine the body for the sign of death. After calling in the FBI to do a background check on the American soldiers, Cap learns that they were not from Middlevale and are two of many American soldiers who have settled in towns across America where unrest has been instigated. Realizing that this is a Nazi plot to cause infighting among Americans and that the blind soldier was really killed from a stab wound, Cap and Bucky go after the spies. When the Nazis attempt to run down the two heroes, they force the car to crash and easily rounds them up.
Later, Captain America appears on the radio to address the American people, informing them that the recent unrest was caused by a Nazi spy cell that were purposely wounded and sent disguised as American soldiers by Hitler himself to disrupt the American way of life.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky, Nazis (Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goring, Joseph Goebbles)
The Gem of Destruction
At a Brazilian airport a massive diamond is smuggled out of the country. Later at the Santos Gem Company, a pair of men attempt to appraise a massive uncut diamond. They are interrupted by a gunman who guns them down and steals the diamond.
Several days later in New Jersey, the Human Torch and Toro are flying back home when they spot a rolled up rug tossed out of a speeding car. Going to investigate, they find the dead body of Jan Bruttick, a jewel cutter. With the car long gone, the Torch and Toro turn the body over to the police and return to their apartment in New York. There they are visited by Mrs. Meershalum and her friend Mr. Rheims. Mrs. Meershalum tells the two heroes that her son Peter has gone missing for a number of days and ask for them to help find her son. The Torch casually dismisses the seriousness of the disappearance but tells them that he will look into it. When Toro questions the Torch about his motivations, the Torch explains that he does not trust Mr. Rheims.
Going back to the New Jersey police department, they check up on information about Jan Bruttick and learn that he was missing for a week before his body turned up, and hear reports about a diamond recently stolen from Brazil. Making the connection, the Torch realizes that someone is kidnapping diamond cutters and trying to force them to cut the diamond.
Suspecting that Mrs. Meershalum might be a target, they rush back to her home and learn from the housekeeper that she and Mr. Rheims went to the Cafe of the Blue Angel. Rushing there, they catch Mr. Rheims and his men keeping the Meershalum's hostage. A fight breaks out and Mr. Rheims attempts to flee with the diamond but topples down the stairs. Fatally injured, Rheims confesses his crimes before dying.
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Toro
Symphony of Death
William Nasland and Fred Davis Jr. are in the Financial District where William spots the location where George Washington was sworn in as President of the United States. When Fred attempts to pet the monkey of an organ grinder, the man angrily tells the boy to scram. As they are among the crowd, William and Fred witness a police officer and a courier with a pouch of money suddenly fall dead as though they have been gunned down. The killer runs off with the pouch of money, and William and Fred are unable to catch him due to the thick crowd. As they investigate the scene with the authorities, they spot a woman accost the organ grinder, demanding to know where her father is. The organ grinder strikes her and William fights him off until a police officer breaks up the fight. As the woman departs in a cab the organ grinder claims the woman was crazy.
While at the secret hideout of a crook named Diavolo, the woman's appearance at the crime scene prompts him to deal with her. Meanwhile, Captain America and Bucky track down the girl to the slum district of town and arrive just as Davolo's men attack her family. When Captain America and Bucky try to stop the attack, Diavolo grabs the girls brother Jimmy and uses him as a hostage to escape, warning the family that if they try anything both their father and Jimmy will be killed. When Cap and Bucky try to convince the family to tell them what is going on they refuse.
While Rovolo plans another heist, Cap and Bucky question the people in the slum and learn that Rovolo kidnapped the family's father who was an organ grinder that worked the financial district for a living. Suspecting another crime, Cap and Bucky rush to the financial district and stop the organ grinder there before he can fire the silenced guns he has hidden in his organ grinder. They easily capture Diavolo and his gang and free the family's father and Jimmy. The father explains to Cap and Bucky that when he refused to help Diavolo in his schemes he was forced to train one of his goons and held prisoner.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
Murder by Proxy
In New England, William Nasland and Fred Davis Jr. are driving home when they hear a scream for help and see a car speed onto the nearby state road. Suspecting something is wrong, they follow after the speeding car, while changing into Captain America and Bucky. They force the car to crash and they are soon greeted by a woman. Inside the car, along with some mobsters working for a criminal known as the "Boss", Cap and Bucky find two men -- Jim and James -- who were attacked because Jim learned the true identity of the Boss.
As Bucky is ordered to bring the crooks to the police, Cap and the girl take Jim to the hospital. There, Cap and Bucky meet with the district attorney, and they learn that Jim will be in a coma for at least 12 hours. The district attorney makes a very visible point to place lots of security around the hospital, raising Cap's suspicions. Searching around back of the hospital, he and Bucky find it completely unguarded. Suspecting that this was done on purpose, Cap and Bucky hide Jim and hideout in the room. When some assassins come in trying to eliminate Jim, Cap and Bucky easily subdue them and force them to reveal their signal. Banging on the wall sends the district attorney into the room, revealing him as the Boss. Cap and Bucky easily defeat him as well and turn him over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Bucky
Continuity Notes
As revealed in Avengers #4, the original Captain America and Bucky — Steve Rogers and James Barnes — went missing in action in 1945. What If? #4 later revealed that the United States government covered it up by selecting successors. This issue marks the first issue where William Nasland and Fred Davis took the place of Rogers and Barnes.
