—Captain AmericaEvery second of every day is your chance to prove yourself, kid. Not everyone is cut out for this line of work. Not everyone with a power has the necessary sense of responsibility. There's a young man I could have introduced you to. You spend the day with him, you'd understand. Between the jokes and the swinging around, you'd understand. But you don't get to spend the day with that young man. You were tested--and found wanting.
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Veronica Eden
- Fifty-One
- B.O.S.S. (Voice only)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Hydra Supreme (Steve Rogers-61311) (Referenced)
- Hydra (Mentioned)
- Abraham Erskine (Mentioned)
- Reed Richards (Mentioned)
- Ultron (Mentioned)
- Senator Todd Baker (Referenced)
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Referenced)
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mentioned)
- Baron Zemo (Helmut Zemo)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Hydra Supreme Armor
- Captain America's Uniform and Shield
- Doctor Octopus' Tentacles
- Scorpion's Tail
- Iron Man Armor Model 70
- Super-Soldier Serum (Mentioned)
- Gamma Bomb (Mentioned)
Vehicles:
- S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Adjunct
- Goblin Glider
- Marvel-1 (Referenced)
Synopsis for 1st story
Brief Synopsis[]
Captain America and Veronica Eden keep fighting the Overseer's army of Myrmidons aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Adjunct. In Minneapolis, Iron Man races to the apartment HQ of the Paladins, where they are about to execute Fifty-One. Two Myrmidons beat him to the building in an attempt to kill Fifty-One themselves, but Iron Man manages to retrieve the alien and leave. To Tony's surprise, he can understand Fifty-One as he informs him that Steve can use the Hydra Supreme Armor to shut down the Helicarrier's automatic defenses.
Eden and Steve keep working together as they have a debate on the need to control superhumans, with Steve holding that super heroes were inevitable and need to exert self-control rather than be controlled. Iron Man takes Fifty-One back to the Adjunct since it turns out his telepathy works better on machines than organics. The alien assimilates himself into the Overseer, overriding the super-computer with his own consciousness, and sends the Myrmidons away. The Paladins appear, choosing to fight Iron Man and Captain America since they know they will be treated as bad guys. After the Tony and Steve easily defeat the would-be heroes, Fifty-One expresses that it wants time alone to process his new nature, and ejects everyone else from the Adjunct. To her own surprise, Veronica helps Iron Man prevent Captain America and the Paladins from falling to their deaths. Days later, Steve visits Tony at his brownstone apartment to share coffee. Tony informs him that Veronica has already escaped her new jailers, and is on the run. While evading police officers on the streets, Veronica retreats into an alley where she stumbles into Baron Zemo.
Detailed Synopsis[]
Veronica Eden flies overhead Captain America as they both fight the Overseer's army of Myrmidons aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier Adjunct. She ponders to herself if Steve never struggled with self-doubt over his perceived perfection, pointing out how unfazed he seemed after returning from being replaced by his Hydra Supreme self. She clarifies that she doesn't object to Steve Rogers, the man, but what would happen if abilities like his manifested in someone who wasn't as virtuous. At the Paladins's apartment HQ, the young vigilantes react with apprehension as Prima Donna is about to shoot Fifty-One in the head. While flying at top speed toward Minneapolis, Iron Man orders his on-board A.I., B.O.S.S. to send out an alert to evacuate the rest of the building. To herself, Veronica wonders if Tony is virtuous, citing the way he has treated others as well as himself. She expresses that he's a good man, but cites his arrogance and that of his fellow super heroes as a blight in the world. B.O.S.S. warns Tony of the presence of Myrmidons. Eden expresses that herself and the rest of humanity are never going to step up if Tony and his people ensure they never have to. Tony flies through the streets of the city, and asks B.O.S.S. to patch him through to Steve. As Iron Man vertiginously closes in on the Paladin's building, Cap begins telling him about the Paladins. Tony interrupts him to express that he's up-to-date and tells him he's on his way. Steve tells Tony that he was right about the Paladins, but Stark clarifies he saw them as overeager glory hounds and not what they ended up being. Cap states that they need to stop them, and Tony assures him he's on it.
Three Myrmidons crash into the Paladin's apartment. The would-be heroes are surprised, and Fifty-One remains unconscious. As Prima Donna punches one of the robots, Pioneer wonders what they are doing at their base. The robot express their desire to kill Fifty-One, and Prima Donna encourages them to do it, and that the Paladins won't stop them. The rest of the Paladins turn their attention to Iron Man's voice from the other side. As Prima Donna asks the Myrmidons to make Fifty-One's death painless, she notices her teammates' reactions. Tony has retrieved Fifty-One and retreated to the apartment's broken window. He tells Steve that the Myrmidons are after Fifty-One too, and Cap assumes he must pose some kind of threat. He asks Stark if Fifty-One is conscious, and Tony tells him that just barely. Iron Man blasts off, knocking back the Myrmidon with the blast from his boot jets. Fifty-One speaks faintly in his alien language, and Tony relays that the alien made some modifications to the Hydra Supreme Armor, so the right gauntlet can shut down the Helicarrier's automatic defenses. Steve is surprised that Tony can now understand Fifty-One, and Tony is equally shocked.
Aboard the Adjunct, Captain America is amused as he inspects his glove and notices his HUD just lit up. Steve tells Tony that he thinks he can override the Overseer's control and steer the Helicarrier, and contemplates crashing it into a mountain. Eden expresses confusion. Tony asks him to steer it toward where he and Fifty-One are approaching. Veronica realizes Steve hasn't been talking to her, and reproaches that he didn't tell her so. A Myrmidon comes into the hallway where Cap and Eden are standing, opening fire. Tony tells Steve that Fifty-One's telepathy works on machines better than it does in organics, and he's confident he can break into the Overseer's operating core to stop it. Eden engages the Myrmidon, expressing her anger and pointing out she doesn't have an earpiece like Tony and Steve do. Veronica approaches the robot, but her tentacles hit against the frame of the hallway's door, causing her to fall off her glider. As Veronica is on the floor, Captain America throws his shield at the Myrmidon and then flies with his fists first into the robot, expressing annoyance at the robots' endless numbers. As Steve finishes off the Myrmidon, Eden points out that she isn't invisible to the Helicarrier's sensors like Steve, so she suggests splitting up so the robots can't track him by tracking him. Rogers refuses, hoping to get a chance to show Eden the error of her ways. Steve notices his gauntlets overheating, and starts taking them off. Eden assures Steve that he isn't going to save her, and that she doesn't need saving. She states that Steve seeing himself as the good guy doesn't mean she's the villain, and claims that in the grand scheme of humanity's long-term wellbeing, he is the bad guy. As he takes off the rest of the Hydra Supreme Armor, Steve states that he can see why would Eden come to such a conclusion. He tells her that the blunt truth is that super heroes are present and it's too late to do anything about it. Steve states that people with super-powers are inevitable, and super heroes have been on the horizon from the very beginning. Eden argues that they need to be controlled, but Steve claims anyone who controls them would use them, prompting her to ask if that means they won't even bother. As a Myrmidon approaches the duo, Cap tells her that super heroes need to control themselves, but Eden thinks that is naive. Without barely moving, Veronica tears off the Myrmidon's right arm with her Scorpion tail. Steve asks her what did she feel when she was first taught to kill someone with her bare hands, if she felt powerful or terrified at the realization that a life could be taken so easily. As Veronica impales the robot in the chest with her tentacles, Steve tells her the latter is what should be, expressing that that kind of power brings with it a duty to wield it only when necessary and in defense of the innocent. Steve tosses away the Hydra Supreme Armor's helmet while Tony informs him that he's arriving.
In the Overseer's control room, Iron Man and Fifty-One stand in front of the super-computer, with the alien supporting himself on Tony. The Overseer lashes at them and puffs itself up. As Cap and Veronica run towards them, Tony tells the Overseer that Ultron would eat him alive, prompting the super-computer to cuss at him. Fifty-One hobbles into the blinding light coming from the Overseer. The computer desperately orders him to stop, then summons the Myrmidons, and begs to Veronica to help him, promising to make her a queen. She turns him down, stating that she's already one. Fifty-One disappears into the light as the Overseer panics. A group of Myrmidons arrive as the Overseer exclaims that it's being killed and begs to be saved. It suddenly interrupts itself by uttering something in Fifty-One's alien language, prompting the Myrmidons to freeze. Tony, Steve and Veronica take a battle stance, but the Overseer's voice sends the Myrmidons away. Tony mentions that not having to end the adventure with a big fight is a nice change of pace, but expresses that they can't just let them go. The Paladins suddenly appear next to the heroes. Think Tank claims that they are not the bad guys, but accuses Tony and Steve that they will throw them in jail. Prima Donna tells them that they can't let that happen, and Pioneer asks if they know what the Paladins have to do. Stark tells them that he and Steve do, and a fight sparks between Iron Man and Captain America, and the Paladins.
In her inner monologue, Eden calls both admirable and stupid that the Paladins are giving their best shot even though they know they're beaten. She recalls that Senator Baker had recognized their need to be more than what they were when he told her he had found their first team. She states that the young heroes were going to have an easy ride out of being pitted against chosen Hydra squads for early wins, but that things change. Captain America hits Vox with his shield as Veronica looks down with her arms crossed and thinks to herself that plans get rewritten. Iron Man uppercuts Prima Donna, and Veronica states that one learns to roll with the punches or gets flattened. She continues looking at the fight, and expresses pity, commenting that the Paladins were relatively nice when things were going their way. As Captain America's boot meets Vox' face, Veronica thinks that he had the makings of a real leader. As Iron Man's right hook connects with Prima Donna's face, Eden states that she could have been one of the greats if she had overcome her own insecurities. Steve's shield hits Think Tank in the face, and Veronica thinks to herself that he was nothing but potential. Pioneer charges, swinging her rifle, but Iron Man simply slaps her. Veronica hesitates and admits she is still not sure what Pioneer's power is.
As he wipes blood off his mouth, Vox cries out that it isn't fair, that the Paladins weren't given a chance to prove themselves. Steve hits Vox's wrist with the side of the shield, telling him that every second of every day is his chance to prove himself. As he dodges a punch from Vox, Steve tells him that not everybody is cut for their line of work, and that not everybody with a power has the necessary sense of responsibility. He alludes to Spider-Man, stating that Vox could've understood that from him. Steve deals a decisive blow, knocking out Vox, and telling him that he was tested, and found wanting. With all the Paladins unconscious, Iron Man and Captain America turn to the Overseer. Iron Man asks Fifty-One if he's ready to come out, and the alien greets him through the Overseer's voice. He explains that he's feeling an odd sensation, feeling himself as the Helicarrier and overcome with ambivalence toward the human race. He states that whether this ambivalence will mutate into something sterner remains to be seen. Steve asks him to come back out, but Fifty-One tells him that he needs time to process his new state and asks they vacate his being. Tony tells him that they can't do that, but Fifty-One clarifies he wasn't asking, and opens a hatch door on the room, dropping everyone out of the Helicarrier. Veronica thinks to herself that all she wanted was to make the world a better place. As her glider comes to her, she admits that she did plan to kill every last super hero and super villain, but considers it a necessary sacrifice. As Tony grabs Vox and Prima Donna, Eden claims that her intentions were honorable even if her methods were nasty, and admits that she isn't sure why she's doing what she's doing right now, which is to use her tentacles to grab Captain America, Think Tank and Pioneer. Veronica ponders if she's getting soft, or if she thinks it doesn't make sense the best of super heroes should have to die with the rest of them still walking around. She expresses that alive, he can be the symbol he was always meant to be and might teach the rest to be better. She also notices Steve looking up at her with a smirk.
Days later, at Tony Stark's brownstone, Tony is looking out of the window when he hears a knock on his door. He opens it to see Steve offering him one of two cups of coffee. He hands it to Tony while Stark invites him in and asks if he wants to solve all of their problems over a cup of coffee. Steve tells him not to solve them, but to talk about them. Tony frowns at Steve, telling him that he's definitely been weird lately. As he sits down, Steve points out that the fascist version of himself thought he had all the answer, but he's determined to never be that presumptuous. He asks Tony if there's been any word on the Helicarrier or Veronica. As Eden walks on the streets wearing a beanie and sunglasses, Tony tells Steve that the Helicarrier's cloak is proving to be annoyingly effective. As for Veronica, he says she already escaped her new jailer. However, he states that with her allies taken down and her enemies closing in, wherever she is, she is alone. Steve asks Tony if he knows whether she was already a Hydra agent before he met her. Tony admits that he didn't get around to asking her, but thinks she wouldn't have given him a straight answer. Veronica notices a police officer in her path, and turns around into an alley, but almost stumbles into two more officers at one end. Tony tells Steve that Veronica is remarkable, but they both have known a lot of remarkable people, and know how they end up: either wielding the power they're desperate to seize, or being crushed by it. A silhouette standing behind Veronica asks her if she has nowhere to go, and she turns around to see it is Baron Zemo.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- When debating with Veronica Eden, Captain America alludes to the origins of different super heroes:
- His own, from Captain America Comics #1, by mentioning that Abraham Erskine injected him with the Super-Soldier Serum.
- The origin of the Fantastic Four, from Fantastic Four #1, by mentioning Reed Richards' construction of a spaceship, the Marvel-1.
- The origin of the X-Men, from X-Men #1, by mentioning the existence of mutants.
- The origin of the Hulk, from Incredible Hulk #1, by mentioning the Gamma Bomb.
Trivia
- Captain America's argument that super heroes were "on the horizon from the very beginning" is backed up by the existence of teams such as the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC, which were prevalent in Avengers (Vol. 8), which was concurrent to this mini-series and focuses on the "legacy of super-powers" that extends throughout history.