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Credits Writer: Ed Brubaker Pencils: Steve Epting Finishes: Steve Epting & Mike Perkins Colorist: Frank D'Armata Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna Editor: Tom Brevoort

Quick Summary

Lukin is in a private Kronas medical clinic, watching over his assistant after almost beathing him to death last issue. Lukin is tortured by what his mania is driving him to do, and mutters "this can't continue..."

Meanwhile, Lukin is meeting with the Winter Soldier. He has put the Cosmic Cube into a containment box, and instructs the Winter Soldier to take it to a safe place, where nobody can get to it - and that the Winter Soldier is to kill anyone who tries. The Winter Soldier raises an objection; they've gone to great lengths to obtain and power the device, and it seems to him a waste to just bury it. Lukin is firm, however, and gives Winter Soldier his marching orderrs... and hears the disembodied voice from the last few issues tell Lukin that sending it away was a mistake... Lukin responds that he believes the Cosmic Cube to be cursed.

Over in Manhattan's Lower East Side, Captain America, Falcon, and Iron Man attack an A.I.D. base, and after a rousing battle with myriad A.I.D. soldiers and what looks to be a next-generation Mandroid battle-suit, convince one of the captured A.I.D. scientists to teach them how to track a Cosmic Cube. Stark figures out how to track it, and locates it at the Kronas underground top-research bunker. Stark can't accompany them - Kronas recently tried to take over Stark's holdings, and he'd have a shareholder revolt if Iron Man attacked Kronas openly - but he does give them an aircraft.

While in the air, Cap calls Agent 13, and informs her of what they're doing, and why - and requests backup, citing a WMD at the base's co-ordinates. She begins to assemble a strike team as Cap and Falcon land and start reconn.

Inside the base, the Winter Soldier has both Captain America and the Falcon in the IR sights of his sniper rifle. He hears Lukin's instructions to kill anyone who attempts to get the cube... and fires a shot - but at who?

Commentary

Let me just get this out of the way - Steve Epting is an illustrative god, and his work here is dynamic and fluid. He conveys a gritty realism which makes the fantastic aspects of superhero comics seem more plausable, and his faces convey nunace of emotion exquisitly. His action sequences are second only to the best of George Perez and Jack Kirby.

Brubaker's writing continues to show that he understands the balance of action and thoughtfulness which makes Captain America so effective; he may not be as skilled a martial artist as Shang-Chi, but his application of his abilities from a strategic/tactical standpoint are second to none. He is idealistic but pragmatic, and heroic and resolute without being pompous or bombastic.

• Lukin clearly recognizes the corrupting influence of the CC, and sends it away - but still hears the voice. From the dialogue - with the voice referring to the Cosmic Cube in the third person, not the first person - its indicative that its not the Cosmic Cube itself. The obvious conclusion is that its the Red Skull, but that seems too obvious to me, too... predictable. (Added later - in the letters page, Brubaker denies that the Red Skull has somehow possessed the Cosmic Cube)

• The Winter Soldier is showing alarming (well, alarming to Lukin) tendencies to think for himself; obviously his obedience conditioning is cracking. Of course, how much it has cracked we'll see next issue, when we find out where that shot went...

• Captain America has moved beyond his introspection, and is at his best here; he's made a strategic plan, and now he's executing to plan. His battlefield leadership rules the battle with the A.I.D. forces, and using teamwork they make short work of the opposing forces and capture their objective - one of the head scientists who can tell them what they need to know to track the Cosmic Cube.

• I wonder who the Winter Soldier shot at - on the one hand, I hope its not the Falcon, since I still want Marvel to green-light a Falcon series for Priest. On the other hand, since Priest left it up to Brubaker to explain how Cap recovered from a gunshot wound to the head, perhaps its only fair if Brubaker returns the favor... *grin*

• An extra plea from the letters page - they're running out of steam with Questions of the Month - contribute your question, and get credit if they use it. Send letters and Questions of the Month to mheroes@marvel.com, and mark them "OK to Print".

• In the letters page, Brubaker reveals that the Jack Monroe involvement - ie framing him for Philadelphia - is just what it appears to be, and there is no deeper role for dear, departed Jack. Oh well - I admit that I was wrong, and I was hoping for a greater meaning, but that's the way the Shield bounces!