Comic Book Spotlight - Secret Empire
*Be warned this spotlight contains spoilers and story line details
Issue 0
Since the incident at Pleasant Hill, Captain America's memories were rewritten by the sentient Cosmic Cube, Kobik who was manipulated by the Red Skull's clone into making Steve think he was a Hydra sleeper agent since World War II. As Chitauri forces launch a massive attack on Earth, Rogers is now head of S.H.I.E.L.D. where he is appointed head of Earth's defense forces during the assault. He dispatches Captain Marvel, the Ultimates (Blue Marvel, America Chavez, Spectrum), the Alpha Flight Space Program, the Guardians of the Galaxy (Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot), Hyperion, and Quasar to intercept the Chitauri outside Earth's atmosphere as Ironheart and her Tony Stark A.I. as Iron Man prepare an attempt to establish an indestructible forcefield around the planet. At the same time, the Defenders (Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage), Doctor Strange, Spider-Woman, and Cloak and Dagger oppose an assault by various members of Baron Zemo's Army of Evil. While Hyperion and Quasar are taken out of the battle by the Chitauri, Nitro explodes defeating the Defenders. The villains disappear upon the Avenger Unity Division's arrival. Just as the Planetary Defense Shield around the Earth is brought online, Rogers reveals his allegiance to Hydra as the Hydra Supreme by trapping Captain Marvel's forces outside of Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, all of Manhattan is imprisoned within the Darkforce Dimension after Baron Helmut Zemo uses the Darkhold to enhance Blackout's abilities. Iron Man sends a signal out to the other heroes to meet in Washington, D.C. as fast as they can.
Issue 1
Hydra's influence has spread to various facets of American society. Inhumans
now must submit to registration as soon as their powers manifest or
face arrest as seen when Hydra picks up a young man named Brian
McAllister upon being outed by a kid who bullies his younger brother. A
section of western California is rechristened "New Tian" for all mutants to reside. A hacker named Rayshaun Lucas is entrusted with key data by Rick Jones that Rick says will prove the truth about Captain America. Shaun successfully makes contact with the Champions (Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, Viv Vision, and Hulk) accompanied by Ironheart and Falcon. The Champions lead him to a base in Las Vegas housing various heroes who make up a underground resistance to the HYDRA regime with the Resistance consisting of Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Giant-Man, Hercules, Quicksilver, Rescue, Stingray, Thing, Tigra, Wonder Man,
and others. Manhattan remains trapped in the Darkforce Dimension and
Carol's team remain trapped in space as she sends out a distress call,
asking for the help of any alien races. Hydra Supreme leads Hydra's
version of the Avengers consisting of Black Ant, Deadpool, Odinson, Superior Octopus, Scarlet Witch, Taskmaster, and Vision
who ruthlessly deal with the monster Krigorrath. At a meeting with the
Hydra Council, Hydra Supreme rejects the option to reaffirm control of
the populace through mind control. Rick and Sharon Carter,
who have both been captured, refuse to swear loyalty to Hydra. To make a
statement, Hydra Supreme has Rick sentenced to death by firing squad
and dispatches Hydra Helicarriers to raze the city of Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Hydra Supreme and Madame Hydra resume their search for the Cosmic Cube in order to undo the Allies' victory in World War II.
Issue 2
Having
received and analyzed Rick's data, Tony determines that the Cosmic Cube
used to alter Steve has been scattered around the world as shards,
speculating that they can restore Rogers to himself if they can bring
the fragments together. While Hawkeye agrees with this theory,
assembling a strike force of Mockingbird,
Ant-Man, Hercules, and Quicksilver to find the Cosmic Cube fragments,
Black Widow sets off to kill Rogers herself reasoning that even if
Rick's theory is true, the man Steve was would prefer to die than be
used in this manner. She finds herself followed by the Champions as she
establishes her version of the Red Room. In New York, Dagger fights to maintain light in the city, demons are running free, Claire Temple tends to the ill civilians, and the Kingpin
uses his political clout to provide supplies to the locals after saving
those in the church from the armed robbers that he killed trying to
raid the church for medical supplies. Hydra Supreme grimly reflects on
his recent actions where he revealed that he actually turned the final
decision for Rick's execution and the assault on Vegas over to Madame
Hydra. Zemo assures him of his value as a symbol. An unidentified woman
is being pursued through an unknown forest by the Serpent Society members Bushmaster, Puff Adder, and Viper
in the wilderness. They assault her until she is rescued by a haggard,
bearded man in a torn World War II-era army uniform who introduces
himself as Steve Rogers and states that he is trying to get home.
Issue 3
As this
"new" Steve Rogers escorts the woman he rescued through the forest, she
reveals she’s been poisoned during the resulting battle and is dying.
Steve reveals that his only memories are of what is implied to be his
basic training days. Meanwhile, outside the safety of Earth’s force
field, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot try to enlist
representatives of the Skrulls, Kree, Brood, Shi'ar and Spartax empires that are on the Galactic Council
in helping against the Chitauri hordes and to break down the Planetary
Defense Shield and get rid of Hydra. Realizing they are now facing a
galaxy without human interference, the Galactic Council refuses aid and
attempt to kill the three Guardians as they flee. As Star-Lord tells
Captain Marvel what happened amongst the Chitauri attacks, Quasar is
still comatose. Back on Earth, Black Widow makes her way to a safehouse
owned by Boomerang who is now a crime boss in Newark, New Jersey. Boomerang is hiding Maria Hill
who is working with the criminal underworld to hide from the regime.
Hill and Widow begin training the Champions, pushing them to learn how
to kill. While the resistance seeks a Cosmic Cube shard, Hydra Supreme
is called away from attending a Hydra science fair alongside a reluctant
Sharon Carter by news from Kraken that another shard has been located
in Atlantis.
As Hydra's Avengers invade and destroy the Atlantean temple, they
discover that the shard they’ve tracked down is a fake planted by Namor
to keep them from discovering the real one. This is the second failed
attempt to recover a shard after an ill-fated mission into Wakanda
to retrieve another. Before Steve can take the failure out on Hydra's
Avengers, he receives word that another shard has been located.
Mockingbird leads the task force to find Sam Wilson. They come across the base of the Ultron/Hank Pym
hybrid who decides to give his "family" a warm welcome. As the new
Steve Rogers and the woman travel through the forest, the woman succumbs
to her injuries and dies. But before she passes, she promises Steve
he’ll find his way home if he “stays true to himself.” With a quick jump
back to Newark, Boomerang awakens to discover a bomb in his safehouse.
Though he survives the blast, a mysterious figure puts a gun in his face
demanding knowledge of his criminal enterprises and of the resistance.
Boomerang protests as it’s revealed that the figure is the Punisher who is now apparently in the employ of Hydra.
Issue 4
Confronted by Batroc the Leaper, Living Laser, and Whirlwind, the tattered Steve is assisted by figures who appear to be Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes,
who suggest that they stick together. It has also been suggested the
two characters coming to Steve's aid are the both recently deceased James Rhodes and Rick Jones.
Meanwhile, Black Widow is training the young heroes in interrogation
techniques. Even though the others argue that the victim is too
low-level to know anything, Widow kills the Hydra Agent when he attempts
to escape. Having tracked the next fragment of the Cosmic Cube, the
Underground and Hydra Supreme alongside the Hydra Avengers confront each
other, but are captured by the Ultron/Hank Pym hybrid, who forces both
teams to sit at a dinner table. During "dinner," Ultron reveals
information about the Hydra Avengers like Odinson working with Hydra to
reclaim Mjolnir, Scarlet Witch being possessed by Chthon,
and Vision being affected by an A.I. virus. Ultron argues that he is
doing this because the Avengers have become less of a family over the
years as so many of them jump to obey Captain America or Iron Man
despite past experience confirming that this is not always a good idea,
but Tony counters that the only reason the team failed as a family was
because of Hank's abuse towards Wasp.
Enraged, Ultron is about to kill everyone, but Ant-Man is able to calm
him down by arguing that Hank remains his own inspiration. Ultron allows
the Underground to leave with the fragment, arguing that neither side
should have an advantage over the other. Back in America, Hydra Supreme
has put Namor in a position where he will be forced to sign a peace
treaty that gives Rogers access to the Cosmic Cube fragment in Atlantis,
but Hydra Supreme muses that he is unconcerned about who will acquire
the fragments as he has an inside man in the Underground.
Issue 5
While
doing business with some men, Viper is told by a Hydra agent that they
have apprehended Black Widow. This is part of a diversion so that the
Champions can infiltrate a Hydra base. When Viper figures out that Widow
is planning to kill Hydra Supreme, Viper tries to persuade Widow to
join up with her enterprise. When the Champions find a comatose man much
to their confusion, Widow assures them that he is the person they are
looking for. Travelling together through the woods, "Bucky" and "Sam"
are accompanying "Steve." While on the Underground's transport, Ant-Man
sends Stinger the updates on the quests for the Cosmic Cube fragments. As Iron Man speaks with Black Panther,
he tells Tony that he is remaining neutral as Stark states that Hydra
will not rest until they have all the Cosmic Cube shards. When Black
Panther states that he can have Tony give him the Cosmic Cube shards
that he has, he declines and takes his leave. After recapping a fight
with the High Evolutionary and breaking into vaults, Ant-Man arrives with the Underground in Madripoor where they are attacked by the Hand, who are working for Hive. As Iron Man defeats Hive, Gorgon is knocked down by Hercules who turns into stone afterwards due to Gorgon's stare. When Iron Man frees Hydra's prisoner Shang-Chi, he reveals to Tony that he doesn't have the Cosmic Cube fragment anymore. A flashback reveals that Emma Frost stole it from an unconscious Shang. Hydra Supreme meets with New Tian's ambassador Beast
in the site where Mjolnir is. He demands that New Tian's leaders
surrender the fragment to him. While on a helicopter, Madame Hydra tells
Hydra Supreme that Chthon has become increasingly uncontrollable, the
A.I. virus made by Arnim Zola is still keeping Vision under control, and Odinson is still praying to Odin about his troubles where it was mentioned that Jane Foster
is trapped in an alternate dimension and that she and Doctor Faustus
can't subvert him. Back at the Underground, Giant-Man, Shaun, and Tony
reveal that they don't have a Cosmic Cube-tracking device. It is then
revealed that Mockingbird is Hydra's inside person as she gives the
signal for Hydra Helicarriers to strike. As Zola mentions that their
attacks won't bring down their defenses, the former Captain America
states that they will unleash their secret weapon. Back in the
mysterious forest, "Steve," "Sam," and "Bucky" encounter the Red Skull
who plans to take them "home." Back at the Hydra Helicarrier, Arnim Zola
tells Hydra Supreme that their subject in the vault is awake but
disoriented and that the procedure they did on him is temporary as his
condition will degrade quickly. After brushing off Arnim Zola's
concerns, Hydra Supreme Steve Rogers states that they need their subject
for a short time to bring the Underground down. When the vault opens,
it is revealed that the person that they are talking about is a
temporarily-resurrected Bruce Banner.
Issue 6
As the
other Steve Rogers is hanging from a rope tied to a tree, he finds
himself next to a rambling man. As the Red Skull takes the stranger
away, he tells Steve that his time will come soon. Back in a
Darkforce-covered Manhattan, Claire Temple and Cloak are trying to get
Dagger to light up. Doctor Strange arrives at a supernatural library in
order to find a spell that would set the city free. When Daredevil
attacks some men, Kingpin clears things up with him stating that the men
were taking supplies to Mercy General Hospital. Back in the mysterious
forest, Steve asks Skull where he is as Skull claims that they are in "Hell."
He also states that they are nothing but ghosts that are fading
remnants into death. The Red Skull then uses a barbed bat on Steve's
chest stating that the only path to peace is death. At the Red Room's
safehouse in Maryland, Nadia Pym, the new Wasp, is leaving upon
expressing her indignation the Champions want to talk Black Widow out of
killing Hydra Supreme. Miles Morales tells Widow to have hope. During
the siege at the Mount, Hydra Supreme asks Bruce Banner for his help
during the little time that he has left. Tony is sure that someone in
the Underground has tipped off Hydra. Mockingbird claims that
Quicksilver is working for Hydra in exchange for Scarlet Witch's return
while Quicksilver claims that Mockingbird led them on a wild goose
chase. Back on the Hydra Helicarrier, Banner rejects Hydra Supreme's
offer only for Rogers to reveal that he was talking to Hulk. Ant-Man
reveals that he is Hydra's mole and explains that Hydra is using his
daughter as leverage just as Hulk penetrates the fortress. As Thing
fights Hulk, Mockingbird snaps Hawkeye out of his guilt-induced daze in
order for him to help evacuate the Mount. As Giant-Man unleashes a set
of A.I.vengers to help in the fight, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and the
civilian members of the Resistance run into Odinson who allows them to
board their jet. While Sam Wilson takes off, Mockingbird notices that
Tony hasn't left the base. As Iron Man prepares to leave, he is caught
by surprise by Hydra Supreme, who uses Ultron-derived technology on
Tony's armor to keep him from transferring himself elsewhere. While Iron
Man is stuck fighting Hydra Supreme, the A.I.vengers help in the fight
against the Hulk. As the final effects resurrection process start to
wear off, Hulk collapses the roof over the Iron Man and Hydra Supreme.
As Iron Man activates the Mount's "Clean Slate Protocol," he persuades
Hydra Supreme to remain behind so that he can apologize to him. Back on
the Hydra Helicarrier, Madame Hydra detects an unusual amount of energy
in the Mount and rushes in. As Tony expresses his grief and remorse over
what happened to Captain America after the first superhero civil war,
he states that he didn't want to fail at helping Captain America again.
Madame Hydra arrives and teleports Hydra Supreme away at the last
second as Iron Man explodes, destroying the base and killing Madame
Hydra. Back in Maryland, Black Widow hears about what happened at the
Mount. She informs the Champions about what happened and that they will
kill Hydra Supreme tomorrow.
Issue 7
Opening
at the Alpha Flight Space Station, Captain Marvel is receiving an
overall negative status report from Spectrum. While they are able to
make inter-dimensional supply runs and have found the location of the
Chitauri Queen Eggs, the waves of Chitauri and their Leviathans are
increasing in size and frequency leaving the technicians without enough
time to fix the severe structural damage to the station. Monica suggests
that America relocate the heroes and people trapped outside the
Planetary Defense Shield to an alternate reality given the Intergalactic
Council in their reality are unsympathetic to Earth's plight. Captain
Marvel rejects this idea stating the heroes were charged with a mission
to protect the Earth against the Chitauri invasion and they are the only
thing standing in the way if the shield were to go down for some
reason. Captain Marvel then turns her attention to a comatose Avril
Kincaid who we find out did survive being swallowed by the Leviathan and
was pulled out of the wreckage by Nova. Captain Marvel admits her fault
in the situation and the raising of the Planetary Defense Shield and
pleads for the new Quasar to wake up. Meanwhile, the Red Skull tortures
"Steve Rogers," claiming he is granting Steve "peace." Spider-Man and
Black Widow are about to proceed with their mission to assassinate Hydra
Supreme. Aware of Miles' supposed destiny of killing Captain America,
Widow locks the young Spider-Man in a Hulk-proof transport section of
her van and sets off to kill Rogers, rather than allowing Miles to
become a killer. Black Widow heads out to the rubble of the Capitol Building
in Washington DC and orchestrates her team to create a diversion which
will allow her time to assassinate the Supreme Leader. It is at this
moment we learn that the old man the team had rescued earlier was
actually the prison used to hold the Inhuman, Mosaic. Widow frees Mosaic
from the dying old man and he goes on to possess the Hydra Guards long
enough for Widow to aim for Hydra Supreme. Their diversion is
successful, but the Punisher arrives right before Black Widow can take
the shot and the two begin to fight. Spider-Man is still trapped inside
the Hulk-proof van as he has the idea of starting a fire and hoping that
one of the emergency evacuation mechanisms will be activated. Miles
escapes from the burning van and is on his way to the Capitol. Punisher
and Black Widow continue to fight until Widow stabs Punisher in the
shins. Punisher explains Hydra Supreme's overall plan to use the Cosmic
Cube is to put everything back to the "way it was." Not just the Axis
victory in World War II, but bringing back all of the dead as a result
of Hydra like Rick Jones, Jack Flag, and Castle's family. Black Widow
rejects this idea and sees Miles approaching Hydra Supreme, prompting
Widow to rush towards them. She fights her way through several Hydra
guards, but somehow gets between Hydra Supreme attempting to strike
Miles with the pointed edge of his shield. Black Widow is stabbed in the
neck, falls to the ground, and seemingly dies. Her death enrages
Spider-Man who shatters Hydra Supreme's shield with one punch. Miles
proceeds to pummel Hydra Supreme to a bloody pulp. Right before he moves
to impale Rogers on some debris, Wasp intervenes and dissuades
Spider-Man from killing Hydra Supreme by reminding him that he is not a
killer and that Black Widow did not want him to become one. The
Champions are subsequently arrested. Weak from the attack, Rogers asks
to be taken to Sharon on board the Hydra Helicarrier. On board, Hydra
Supreme reveals to Sharon his plan to set things right with the Cosmic
Cube and asks for her support while he is struggling with Madame Hydra's
death. Sharon replies by attempting to stab him in the throat with a
homemade shiv. She manages to prick Hydra Supreme's neck, but is stopped
by him before she can inflict any real damage. As the guards take
Sharon away, Hydra Supreme asks them to alert the Hydra High Council
that tomorrow they will declare war. Meanwhile, Red Skull is about to
deliver the killing blow to the other Steve Rogers. Before he can
strike, Steve sees the woman he tried to save. He realizes there is
still hope and evades the Skull's attack. Steve then tackles the Red
Skull and they both plummet off the cliff into the water below. Out in
Arizona, Hawkeye, Tigra, Giant Man, Mockingbird, Wonder Man,
Quicksilver, and those with them have survived Hydra's attack on the
Mount. Still, the team seems defeated and are now despondent upon
witnessing Black Widow's death. It is at this time that Sam Wilson takes
up the Captain America shield and mantle again and inspires the heroes
that they must go on for the war is not over yet.
Issue 8
While
sinking to the bottom of the river, "Steve Rogers" gets a glimpse of
light from the surface enough to break free from his ropes. In the
middle of a desert somewhere in Nevada, Rayshaun Lucas and Giant-Man are
burying the time capsule that the latter put together that has been
scheduled to reach the Alpha Flight space station and Manhattan in the
past. Once that's done, the message makes it to Manhattan and the space
station in the present where they are informed of Hydra's rule over the
United States while also informing them that most of the Cosmic Cube
fragments are in Hydra's possession. As Sam takes off in order to get
between the Earth and the dome, Iron Man and Hawkeye break into Crossbones and Sin's
super-prison to free their captive friends. On the Alpha Flight space
station, Captain Marvel is approached by Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon
where they have plans for a Nullifier Bomb where they would use the
space station to detonate the charges. In the Darkforce Dimension, as
the Defenders wonder how they can help, Doctor Strange states that he
has obtained a spell which he learned in exchange for control over the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Miles above the oceans, Sam avoids Hydra jets. While he manages to
shoot one down, Sam is gunned down by the remaining jets and falls into
the ocean. Back in Manhattan, the spell appears to be having no effect
while Sam continues to sink into the ocean. On the Alpha Flight space
station, Alpha Flight, the Guardians, and the Ultimates have evacuated
with the explosives charged up to explode upon collision. Quasar awakens
from her coma and helps to take down the Planetary Defense Shield. With
the shield down, Captain Marvel flies to the location where the
Chitauri eggs are. Back at the super-prison, Maria Hill slips by Iron
Man and Hawkeye where she finds a brainwashed Blackout in his Pleasant
Hill identity of Bob Hofstadder. Hill kills Blackout, freeing Manhattan
from the Darkforce Dimension. After emerging from the ocean with the
remaining Cube fragment in his hand, Sam meets up with the other heroes
at the Triskelion
which includes those who were trapped in the Darkforce dome and those
trapped outside of Earth. Namor also arrives with a still-alive Winter
Soldier. As the Underground plans to spring into action, they know that
the battle is still in Hydra's favor with Black Panther still a captive
and Hydra Supreme having most of the Cosmic Cube fragments. Back in the
mysterious forest, the other Steve Rogers encounters the woman who Steve
identifies as "Sharon." After the woman disappears, Steve encounters
Kobik who states that they are all alone.
Issue 9
Upon
seeing the other Steve Rogers, Kobik breaks down in tears over regret
that her attempts to help people have ended in disaster. When Steve asks
if she is lost like she is, Kobik states that they are not as they walk
into the ruins of Pleasant Hill. At the Hydra Helicarrier above the White House,
Hydra Supreme is approached by Baron Zemo who has Black Panther as his
prisoner who is then taken away by guards, vowing revenge on Zemo. At
the Washington Monument,
Hydra's forces are fighting the Underground, Alpha Flight, the Avengers
Unity Division, the Defenders, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Hyperion, Star Brand, the original Spider-Man, the U.S.Avengers, the Secret Warriors,
the Ascendants, and Euroforce as Hydra's forces are backed up by the
Hydra High Council and the Hydra Avengers. On the Hydra Helicarrier, Emma Frost, Beast, and Sebastian Shaw meet with Hydra Supreme where Emma declares that New Tian will not bow to Hydra. Outside, Magneto
attacks the Helicarrier. While Frost, Beast, and Shaw fight the guards,
Arnim Zola tells Hydra Supreme that the Cosmic Cube shards they have
are enough for their weapon as they take their leave. As the X-Men
join the fight against Hydra, Odinson brings down lightning to strike
down the Hydra forces. This causes Taskmaster and Black Ant to defect to
the other side where they free the Champions and ask to put in a good
word for them. Miles Morales ends up webbing them up. Viv's presence
gives Vision the willpower to break free from the virus controlling him
and spread it throughout the Hydra Dreadnoughts, shutting them down.
After summoning a portal that brings Jane Foster back to Earth, Doctor
Strange goes to confront Chthon in order to cast him out of Scarlet
Witch's body after being knocked out by Thor. Sam Wilson flies Jane away
in order to retrieve Mjolnir. On the Hydra Helicarrier, Zemo goes to
awaken the Army of Evil from their stasis as Winter Soldier arrives in
time to free Black Panther and apprehends Zemo before he can awaken the
Army. Sharon Carter pretends to be brainwashed by Doctor Faustus as she
incapacitates him upon spiking his tea with a non-lethal toxin. As Black
Panther sneaks up on Hydra Supreme and Zola, a variation of the Iron
Man armor is equipped to Hydra Supreme in order to harness the almost
complete Cosmic Cube. In the ruins of Pleasant Hill, Kobik restores the
other Steve's memories, causing him to realize that he is the original
Steve Rogers, reduced to a mere memory within Kobik's mind. Steve looks
into a fountain and witnesses in horror what has transpired during his
absence. When Steve asks Kobik to help fix what she has done, she runs
away in fear as her mindscape quakes. As the remaining Hydra
Helicarriers are destroyed, Black Panther runs towards the heroes to
warn them as a blast knocks them to the ground, which is followed by the
arrival of an armored Hydra Supreme at the steps of the Capitol Building.
Issue 10
Hydra
Supreme orders the resistance to stand down as he claims that there is
nothing they can do to stop him and offers them to join Hydra. Logan
states that he won't get any support. As Hawkeye leads the heroes in
battle, Hydra Supreme blasts them with his newly acquired god-like
powers, successfully remaking the world in Hydra's image. He is then
approached by Sam Wilson still holding the last Cosmic Cube fragment
while Ant-Man and Winter Soldier watch. Sam gives Hydra Supreme the
fragment as Rogers also asks for his shield. As Hydra Supreme absorbs
the final Cube fragment into his armor, his use of the completed Cosmic
Cube is cut short thanks to a plan that the Underground came up with
that had Winter Soldier and Ant-Man shrinking in order to go inside the
Cosmic Cube to free the original Steve Rogers. Inside Kobik's crumbling
mindscape, the original Steve Rogers finds Kobik, cowering in a daycare.
Steve convinces Kobik to stand up and fight back. As the sky rips open,
Steve hears Bucky's voice as he grabs the Winter Soldier's manifested
hands. Back in Washington DC, Hydra Supreme comes to as Kobik emerges
from the portal undoing the changes that were done and bringing the
original Steve Rogers with her, who materializes as Captain America. The
two fight, which is witnessed worldwide. Hydra Supreme tries to lift
Mjolnir like he did during Hydra's rise to power only to fail because of
Madame Hydra's enchantment failing. Cap then snatches Mjolnir, which he
uses to knock Hydra Supreme out. After reuniting with his friends, Cap
gives the shield back to Sam and Mjolnir back to Jane. As Kobik restores
history to its natural state, she briefly sends the legacy heroes on a journey
through the "Vanishing Point," where they seemingly return in mere
moments. The heroes then celebrate their victory over Hydra. Several
weeks later, a sense of normalcy has returned to the United States;
wreckages are rebuilt, and a memorial is held for Black Widow and those
who died in battle. As the Inhuman prisoners are freed from New Attlian,
Brian McAllister reunites with his brother, Jason, where they find
their house vandalized. The next day, he finds the townspeople repairing
the damage. As Brian helps out in cleaning his house, Jason and his
friend, Marcus Festerman play on the street with an action figure of the
Sam Wilson version of Captain America.
Aftermath
As the United States is going through the healing process following the defeat of Hydra, a hooded figure sneaks into the high security prison known as Shadow Pillar where Hydra Supreme is the only inmate. The hooded figure arrives at Hydra Supreme's cell and is revealed to be Captain America who states that he is imprisoned there to await trial. While Hydra Supreme claims that he technically didn't commit any of the crimes he was accused of like gaining control of the country through the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act upon becoming its director, or being involved in the Planetary Defense Shield, or using the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act to previously pardon anyone involved with Hydra, Cap states that they will still find him accountable and will pay for the deaths of Black Widow, Jack Flag, and Rick Jones. At Black Widow's funeral, Hawkeye breaks down and is lead away by Logan and Mockingbird. In Madripoor, Winter Soldier is watching the funeral on TV as he is currently on the lead of an infamous general, who is the target of assassination. Someone snipes the general and Winter Soldier suspects that it might be Black Widow. Back at the Shadow Pillar, Hydra Supreme states that he didn't intend for those deaths to happen as he had intended for Rick to swear loyalty to Hydra and that he would've used the Cosmic Cube to resurrect everyone he killed. In New Tian, the United States Army is patrolling the streets as the buildings are demolished. When Emma Frost is prepared to declare war with what's left of New Tian, Beast reminds her that the United States are back to full strength as he consoles her. Frost states that nobody will remember what she has done for New Tian. Back at Shadow Pillar, Hydra Supreme claims that a Hydra-ruled world is the correct course of history and that the Allied Forces used it to win World War II where Cap reminds his twisted doppelgänger that the history in question was just one of Kobik's creations. In another location, the Punisher is attempting to atone for his involvement with Hydra by killing every Hydra agent he can find. Upon destroying an abandoned warehouse where some Hydra agents were hiding, Castle is being observed by Nick Fury Jr. who speaks over the comms that the Punisher is "ready." Back at the Shadow Pillar, Cap states that those involved with Hydra will answer for their crimes and even mentions that his appearance at Shadow Pillar is because he and Hydra Supreme haven't had time to talk. Cap also comments that his Hydra counterpart left a scar on the United States. Hydra Supreme counters that many people followed him willingly. Upon leaving when he hears the approaching guards, Cap warns Hydra Supreme that he'll be ready when he returns. Upon the guards entering, Hydra Supreme is chained up as one of the guards whispers "Hail Hydra" into his ear. Steve monologues about his visit where he also comments that even though he won the battle, the war still goes on.