Fifty states of heroes, and not a one could hold a candle to the real deal... 
- —Merv
Appearing in "The Death of the Dream: Part Four"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Crossbones (Brock Rumlow)
- Serpent Squad (First appearance)
- Sin (Synthia Schmidt)
- King Cobra (Piet Voorhees)
- Eel (Edward Lavell)
- Viper (Leon Murtaugh) (First appearance)
- Doctor Faustus (Johann Fennhoff)
- A.I.M. Agents
Other Characters:
- Merv (First appearance)
- S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Agent Hermann (First appearance)
- Anna (First appearance)
- Maurice Greely (First appearance)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Death of the Dream: Part Four"
Silencers[]
While two people spraypaint a way with "Captain America Lives," two men discuss the death in a hotel. The clerk, Merv, is emphatic about it having been an assassination and it's a conspiracy keeping the media from using that word. He notes that Steve Rogers was on his way to speak on national television where he could keep the debate on the Superhuman Registration Act going when he was shot and his death effectively silenced all of it and allowed the 50-State Initiative to go through unchallenged. James Barnes enters, happy to hear that Cap is still causing dissent from beyond the grave, but forced to accept that the Red Skull was at least partially behind Steve's death. On his way to the roof he questions how a sniper was able to get into position and, looking at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, contemplates his next move on Tony Stark.
Out of Mind[]
Charles Xavier sits across a table from Brock "Crossbones" Rumlow searching through his mind. He finishes and reports to Tony Stark that he was unable to find anything because someone has erased whole sections of Rumlow's mind. Now useless, Stark plans to ship him to the Raft.
Anarchy in the U.S.[]
Guns blazing, Sin smashes through a window with a cadre of men--her new Serpent Squad--behind her and challenging the guards in front of her. King Cobra warns her that one of them still needs to prove himself and Viper attempts to do just that, firing darts into one guards face from his wrists at point blank range and punching another so hard he dents a server behind him. Calling out "one minute" Sin (Synthia Schmidt) has Eel fry the servers with electricity. King Cobra saves Sin from a guard about to attack her from behind, and on the way out she explains that they just took out the "nerve center for the Asian stock market."
Underground[]
An upset Nick Fury talks to Falcon about how elusive Bucky has been. Falcon says all the birds in the city are looking, but have turned up nothing but unless they can lure him or predict where he'll be they'll have to rely on luck. Fury says he prefers to make his own luck and Bucky is too smart to fall for traps, but he will give that second idea some thought.
A New Plan[]
On the roof of the Daily Bugle, Falcon fills in Sharon Carter on the conversation he just had with Fury, then suggests they contact S.H.I.E.L.D.. She's opposed to the idea and says she just doesn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. right now. Instead she suggest the two of them hunt down Red Skull, who was, after all, the man behind Rogers' death.
The Doctor is In[]
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent speaks to a doctor, who tells him to resume his monitoring duties but to expect a change in the morning. His final appointment over he has his calls held and turns off a holographic projector revealing himself to be Doctor Faustus.
Dead Letter Office[]
Tony Stark turns down a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who wants to take over the as Captain America, once again saying there will be no new Captain America. Also waiting to see him is Maurice Greely. Greely has a letter written by Steve Rogers during the Civil War with the instructions to deliver it, in the event of his death, to Stark only. Stark reads the letter, which Greely says should have things only known to Stark and Rogers, and immediately calls for Black Widow.
Counter-Surveillance[]
After two days of searching Bucky finds out that Red Skull's daughter has been working with King Cobra and that an A.I.M. listening post previously affiliated with King Cobra is back up. He breaks into the listening post with ease but finds out that they have no way to contact their superiors. They only do counter-surveillance, but they give Bucky the list of names they've been charges with surveilling.
Rescue Mission[]
Having been let in by someone not "exactly in control of his own impulses," the Serpent Squad subdue four S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and take their uniforms so they can go and rescue Sin's boyfriend.
Notes
- Part of the Death of Captain America event.
- This is the first appearance of Sin's version of the Serpent Squad.
- This version of the Viper is a new, yet unnamed individual. He is not Jordan Dixon (Earth-616) as he was killed in Captain America #180 by Madame Viper. From the King Cobra's comments, he appears to be new to the Super-Villain/Assassin field.