Appearing in ""The Uncanny Challenge of the Crusher!""
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Crusher ⏵ (First appearance)
- "El Presidente" (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Unidentified Country south of America's Border
- New York City
Items:
- Centrifuge Machine (First appearance)
- Iron Man Armor MK IV
Synopsis for ""The Uncanny Challenge of the Crusher!""
While Tony Stark is testing out a Centrifuge Machine which would increase the gravity of whoever was rigged to the device, a Communist dictator, "El Presidente" has one of his best scientists to create a chemical that would turn whoever drinks it into an indestructible powerhouse.
However, when the scientist presents the formula to the dictator, he senses treachery and so forces his own scientist to drink it at gun point. When it works, they try all manner of artillery to see if the scientist (now dubbed "The Crusher") has any weakness. Thoroughly convinced, they send him out to destroy Iron Man.
Arriving in the United States, the Crusher repels all attacks on him as he makes his way to the Stark Industries building. There he gets into a fight with Iron Man, who finds that the Crusher is impervious to whatever weapon he uses against him. Thinking quickly, Iron Man then attaches the centrifuge device to the Crusher, causing his gravity to exponentially increase. This increase in gravity makes the Crusher break through the floor and plummet down to points unknown.
When repairing the floor as Tony Stark, Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts arrive to tell him that they eloped and are now married, Stark congratulates them.
Appearing in ""The Last Defeat!""
Featured Characters:
- ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
Other Characters
- Avengers (Only in flashback)
- ⏴ Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- ⏴ Goliath (Hank Pym) ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- ⏴ Hawkeye ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- ⏴ Quicksilver (Pietro) ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- ⏴ Scarlet Witch (Wanda) ⏵ (Only in flashback)
- XPT-1 crew
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- Atlantic Ocean
- United States (Only in flashback)
Items:
- Captain America's Shield (Main story and flashback)
Vehicles:
- XPT-1 Submersible Vessel (First appearance)
Synopsis for ""The Last Defeat!""
Continued from last issue... After pledging allegiance to the Red Skull on national television in order to prevent New York City from being destroyed, Captain America is branded a traitor by his country.
With New York spared, the Red Skull keeps Captain America waiting 23 of the 24 promised hours of servitude before asking him at the last minute to divulge the location of the XPT-1, the newest atomic sub built by the US Navy. When Captain America tells him it's location, the Skull uses a lie-detector device to learn that Cap was telling the truth and then ejects him from the ship, his usefulness at an end.
The Red Skull then uses a hypnotic device to put the crew of the XPT-1 under his control and orders them to surface the submarine. Captain America boards the sub, and tries to warn the crew but finds that they are under the Skulls control and they begin to attack him. Fighting them off and escaping to the ships atomic reactor, Cap increases it's power output so that it blocks the hypnotic rays. The crew, free of the Skull's influence, believe that Cap is trying to sabotage the ship, but stop when his claims that the Red Skull is behind all of is validated when the Skull orders the entire crew to abandon ship.
Cap disguises himself as a Naval officer and the crew (pretending they're still under the Skulls control) abandon ship. When the Skull boards and enters the control room, he is shocked to find they have set the ship to self destruct. The Red Skull is seemingly destroyed in the resulting nuclear explosion and Cap is once more lauded a hero for saving the day.
Notes
- This issue contains a letters page, Mails of Suspense. Letters are published from Richard Walter, David Turkin, and Hugh Mason.