#486

Arnim Zola, the diabolical scientist infamous for his genetics experiments, walks out of his laboratory, where the corpse of the long-haired Nomad lies prone on a table. Since it was retrieved by his hired thugs*, it has undergone a battery of tests. Zola shakes his head, frustrated, as he leaves the room.

"It is as I suspected," Zola thinks to himself, as he walks down a long hallway, complicated scientific data racing through his mind. "Although I managed to duplicate much about him, he still de-stabilized and eventually went completely insane, self-destructing before he perished at sea. It is, however, quite interesting that his body has not fully de-composed, even though it ahs been at sea for weeks. Perhaps there are components that I can still find useful."

Zola stops at a door. He casually opens it. On the other side of a door, chained to a chair with power-siphoning restraints is Nomad. He has short hair and is wearing his original costume—the one he wore when he first returned.*

"Good morning, my friend," Zola casually greets Nomad, who turns up to face his captor.

"It’s not a ‘good’ morning," Nomad retorts angrily, "and I’m certainly not your friend!"

"Captivity does not suit you, it would seem," Zola comments sharply. "Worry not. As soon as my tests are completed, you will not have to worry about captivity...or anything else...ever again!"

In the Phantom's underground complex, located beneath the Paris Opera House, the lovely young singer stirs from her location on a small backless sofa, where she has rested for some time after fainting.* As she stirs awake, she is lured by the sound of beautiful organ playing, which she immediately recognizes as Wagner's Liebestod.

Getting to her feet, she makes her way down a narrow corridor, following the sound of the music, which echoes along the corridors, carried from the organ pipes. As she walks down the corridor, she feels as though she is walking through a dream that she’s lived before. Little does she know that the events bear more in kind with a nightmare.

"That playing is beautiful," she remarks to herself. "I feel as though I'm awakening from a terrible dream."

She stands transfixed at a doorway, where she sees a figure dressed in black, facing away from her, his fingers moving across the keyboard with a fluid motion that denotes a casual ease in his playing. The room is lit only by two candles, on either end of the organ, and they flicker with the Phantom's movements. As he completes his musical rendition of Liebestod, she lets out a small gasp, involuntarily, as the memory of where she is starts to return to her, and she realizes that the events she remembered through a haze were not those of a nightmare, but reality.

"Ah," the Phantom comments, while still running his talented fingers across the keyboard. "I see you have awakened."

"Where am I?" she asks, her mood growing more frantic, as the Phantom slowly turns around to look at her. The dim light from the candles catches his face, and causes his metallic mask to glitter slightly. "And why are you holding me here?!"

'You are not being 'held' anywhere, my dear," the Phantom replies, turning around to face her, his mask glittering in the dimly-lit room. "Did you find restraints on your person when you awoke? I merely placed you on a comfortable surface after anxiety overcame you."

"Why...why am I here?" she asks, confusion evident in her eyes.

"I think you were lost in the corridors around my...home," the Phantom replies, still seating on the organ bench, and watching her intently. "You came to me seeking help, as you may recall."

"Well...can you help me out of here?" she asks, sheepishly. "I have to sing. I'm sure that everyone is missing me."

"That, my dear," is another matter entirely." the Phantom responds, raising off the bench, as the young singer moves back involuntarily.

Meanwhile, Captain America stands waist-deep in a large pit prepared for him by the Phantom. As Cap stands in the water, his shield in his hand, he notices that the pit is being rapidly filled with water from the nearby Seine River.

"The Phantom is certainly crafty," Cap thinks to himself, as he looks up at the top of the pit, which he mentally measures to be approximately twenty feet away. Cap then places his hands on the walls of the pit, moving about in the water. "The walls are too slick to climb...at least the normal way."

Cap then slams his shield hard into the wall, causing a large dent in the mortar beneath the green-colored slime crusted on the walls of the pit. Raising his arm high into the air, he slams his shield into the wall once again, creating another hole a few feet above the first one. Putting his foot into the first hole, he rises into the air to the second, grabbing it with his fingers. As he does so, he can hear the hissing sound of snakes in the murky water.

Suddenly, feeling movement on his right leg, Cap instinctively lowers his shield in a swift swinging motion, cleaving the head off of a dark-colored snake that was preparing to bite him. "The sooner I get out of this pit, the better," Cap thinks to himself, as he slams the shield once more into the mortar, above the second hole, creating a third hold above his head. "I can’t make any sudden movements, or more snakes will attack," Cap silently considers, as he drags his fingers up into the third hole, and puts his foot into the second, rising above the water, which continues to pour into the pit. "I don’t really want to test my chain mail to that extent."

Feeling movement on his right shoulder, Cap turns around in time to see two large venomous teeth headed towards his neck! Cap reacts with the speed that has become his trademark. He grabs the snake by the back of its head and slings it across the wall, where he bounces against the wall, and falls into the water. As Cap continues his ascent, he looks back, noticing that the water below is becoming increasingly filled with snakes.

"It looks like I got out of the water just in time," Cap thinks to himself, shaking his head, as he moves forward into another hand-hole he made for himself, pulling himself closer to the top of the pit.

In the streets of Harlem, two thugs walk menacingly towards a young woman, who has fallen to the ground. The woman is visibly exhausted. These men have been chasing her through the alley ways, and despite her best efforts, she has been unable to allude them. One of the two thugs flips out a switchblade, as the other looks on menacingly.

"Come on, momma," the thug with the switchblade offers, moving closer to her, as she backs away, but realizes that she is literally backed into a corner, knowing that she cannot escape. "You gave us a hard time."

"Yeah," his partner adds, smiling. "Ya made us exercise, and ya should know we hate that."

"Leave me alone!" the woman says excitedly. Her purse is dangling on her shoulder. She grabs it from her shoulder, proffering it to the two men, who are almost upon her now. "Here!" she exclaims. "Take the money! I don’t have much, but take it all! Just, please, leave me alone!"

"You had a chance for that before!" the thug carrying the switchblade returns. He grabs her purse and throws it back at his partner, who starts to rifle through it. He then grabs her by the arm, and puts the switchblade in her face. "Now, we’re gonna do somethin’ a little...different."

"No...please!" she exclaims, as he rips her blouse along the shoulders, exposing her bra straps. "I have a husband...two children!"

"And no money!" the second thug scoffs, tossing the purse to the ground, after grabbing a couple of bills. "Ten lousy bucks!"

"That’s okay," the knife-wielding thug comments, slitting one of her bra straps with his switchblade. "We’ll have to take the rest in trade!"

Suddenly, the knife-wielding thug is shocked as his knife is knocked from his hand by a flying trashcan lid, which slams into the back of his hand, snapping two bones and leaving what will soon be a very noticeable bruise. "AHHHHH!" he exclaims, his face contorted with pain.

The two thugs turn to face a large man with blond hair, who is coming their way with intense determination. Although his face is obscured by the late evening shadows, they can tell that he is over six feet tall and built like weightlifters dream of becoming.

"Don’t beg these scum," he remarks, kicking the trash can into the face of the other thug, who is slammed to the ground by the impact, as trash and old food spills out all over his clothes. "They don’t have a right to hear that!"

"You broke my hand!" the thug who had been holding the knife exclaims, as he rushes at the large man. The large man merely shakes his head, and kicks the thug hard in the pit of the stomach when he arrives...so hard that it takes all of the breath out of the thug, and sends him slamming against the brick wall where he had been before! He slumps to the ground, lifelessly.

The other thug tosses the trash can away from himself. He stands, looking down at his soiled clothes, disgusted. "Look what ya did to my clothes, ya ()@^^^ fool!" He rushes the large man as well, swinging at him. The large man merely blocks the intended blow with a quick forearm.

"Do you think I’d let you touch me?" the large man asks. "The thought of that sickens me!" With that, he sends his knee into the thug’s stomach, doubling him over. Another blow to the back of the head sends the thug to his knees in front of the large man, who looks down at him with eyes burning in anger. The large man finishes the thug with a swift kick to the chin that sends the thug flying across the alleyway, landing hard amid a series of trash cans. He does not arise.

The large man then walks over to the still-terrified young woman, offering her his hand. "It’s all right, ma’am," he offers. "The danger’s over now."

"Thank you," she manages, looking up at him. She then pulls her blouse together modestly. Taking his jacket off, he hands it to the young woman. She nods in appreciation once more, taking it from him, and using it to hide her tattered blouse. "Who...who are you?"

He hesitates for a moment, then looks at her with seriousness, but regret, responding simply: "I don’t know."

Meanwhile, back at the Paris Opera House, deep in the catacombs, the Phantom is approaching the young actress, who backs away nervously.

"You see, my dear," the Phantom explains, as he walks towards her. "Mine is a lonely existence. If you were to leave now, after I had beheld beauty once more...!" He reaches towards her, menacingly.

"No..," she manages, reaching up and grabbing his mask. The mask gives way, revealing a sight she will not soon forget! The face is almost corpse-like in its grotesque features. It appears little more than a skull with a thin layer of skin. The dark eyes are set back into the pronounced eye sockets. She falls to the ground, cringing at the sight, as she lets out a loud, ear-piercing scream.

Suddenly, a familiar shield flashes between the two, forcing the Phantom back away from the girl. "Get away from her, Phantom!" Cap exclaims commandingly, as his shield returns to his outstretched arm with a fluid motion.

For a moment, the Phantom looks away from the girl, as if deeply hurt by her reaction. He picks up the mask from the spot on the floor where she dropped it, and then turns around to face Captain America, hatred burning in his dark eyes.

"Your interference has cost me a great deal, American!" the Phantom utters through gritted teeth. ‘My lovely companion and I were just about to discuss our future together."

"You are mad!" Cap exclaims. "Worse than I thought!" With that, Cap rushes at his foe who, with amazing speed, moves out of the way, bringing the organ bench across Cap’s back, slamming him to the floor!

"No, I am quite sane!" the Phantom replies indignantly. "Although you are right...I am very angry! Angry at them for taking what is rightfully mine, and defying my wishes! But then, that is what you are attempting to do as well...is it not?" So saying, the Phantom kicks Cap in the shoulder, forcing him onto the ground! The Phantom, wearing his eerie mask, pushes his foot forward, towards Cap’s face, as he prepares to stomp at it. The Phantom’s unwilling "companion" has collapsed into a heap on the floor nearby. "But, I have stopped them...and I will stop you as well!"

"No!" Cap replies, grabbing his opponent’s foot and, using his great strength, he holds it back. "You...won’t!" Cap, in a tremendous showing of strength and endurance, pushes back the Phantom’s foot hard, causing him to fall backwards with tremendous force!

Immediately, Cap leaps up and ruses over to his foe to press his advantage. He leaps at the Phantom, who puts up his feet defensively. He uses Cap’s own momentum against him, flipping Cap in the same direction as his leap! Cap slams through a door, splintering it in all directions, landing outside of the lair, near the bank of one of the tributaries running underneath the Opera House. From the point, Cap can hear the sounds of the Seine River outside of the building.

The Phantom is quick to assert his advantage. He leaps over, grabbing Cap’s face with sheer ferocity, and slamming it against the hard ground! "After I have killed you, the lovely beauty will realize that we belong together!’

Cap maneuvers himself in such a way that his lower body is in the proper position for him to administer a kick to his foe’s mid-section. "Why are you doing all of this?" Cap asks. "Why are you terrorizing the Opera House?"

"Does the artist terrorize the forger?" the Phantom retorts angrily, getting to his feet. "They are thieves...all of them! They have stolen my opera and intend to use it for themselves! I will not allow that to happen!"

"But, how have you kept yourself so young?" Cap asks. Cap swings, but the Phantom ducks. As the Phantom does so, he hits Cap in the stomach, doubling him over!

"The ailment that distorted my features so has kept me young...and given me my unnatural strength." The Phantom replies, carrying through with an upper-cut to Cap’s jaw that drives him back. "I suppose it is a payment of sorts for the pain I’ve endured all these decades."

Cap puts out his hands, trying to reason with his foe. "Listen, Phantom...Erik!" Cap implores him. "We may be able to help you. There are some brilliant minds in the Avengers. Also, Reed Richards is a friend of mine. There may be a way to restore you. Don’t make me fight you if there is no need."

"There is a need!" the Phantom demands, kicking Cap in the chest. Cap rolls with the blow. "A need for you to die!"

"There’s no way to reason with him," Cap thinks, as he gets to his feet. "His blind anger, as well as his situation, remind me of Baron Zemo. And his madness led to the death of my best friend."*

Cap’s distraction costs him, however, as his foe kicks him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. "You are just like that foot Raoul!" the Phantom comments. "And I killed him...although I was already too late. It seems I am already too late, but not this time!"

Cap leaps up into the air, kicking his opponent with a flying dropkick to the face, sending the Phantom’s mask flying from his face. Cap is momentarily stunned by the sight that greets him. The Phantom’s eyes are set back in his skull. All that can be seen of his eyes are two big black holes...very much like a skull. His skin is dirty yellow and his nose—or what passes for a nose—is only that which you’d find on the face of a skeleton.

"I’ve...the poor, demented fool!" Cap thinks, as he rushes at his foe, slamming into him with a full body block! "I’ve got to get him to help!" Cap then slams his fist into the Phantom’s face, sending him back. "Whether he wants it or not!" Cap then slams another blow, this time into his opponent’s mid-section. "I don’t need another foe as demented as Baron Zemo!"

Phantom rolls with Cap’s last punch and quickly recovers, slamming a blow into Cap’s face. "This will be my greatest triumph!" the Phantom rages. "I will write an opera detailing my victory, with the happy ending that I have always craved!"

"You won’t get the chance!" Cap replies, delivering a massive blow to his foe’s face, sending him back. He continues with a blow to his foe’s mid-section, doubling him over. "I don’t want to hurt you, but I’ve got to stop you!"

"No!" the Phantom replies insanely. "You will not stop me! No one will!" With that, he slams a blow into Cap’s face and leaps over the star-spangled Avengers, grabbing him by the shirt and flipping him into the edge of the water. The Phantom then rushes over to a lever located against the building, near the door Cap smashed through earlier. With an insane glint in his eye, he pulls the lever. "Hear that, Captain?" he cackles. "That is the power of the Seine River! Soon, it will break through the centuries old mortar of this Opera House! It will flood this entire section, sending you to your doom! But, I cannot die!"

"He’s gone completely off the deep end!" Cap thinks, as he hears the roar of the river, now free of the constraints of a dam crafted by the Phantom some time ago, unknown to anyone other than himself. He rushes up to the Phantom, hitting him in the face, slamming him through the wall next to the lever, revealing a control panel. In the process, the lever the Phantom pulled earlier is ripped from its foundation.

Phantom leap-frogs over Cap, and kicks his foe in the back when he completes his leap. Cap then whirls around, elbowing his foe. The Phantom rushes at Cap, who ducks out of the way. Already, Cap can feel the water seeping in, as it grazes his feet. When Cap ducks, the Phantom flies into the heart of the stream, just as the water starts to rush in.

"I can’t reach him in time!" Cap considers, swimming towards the organ room to rescue the young singer before they are both drowned. He quickly recovers the barely conscious young woman, and swims with her, as the current rushes them forward with ever-increasing speed.

A huge wave hits them both, knocking them under the surface! Ten seconds later, they emerge from the water, but they are still being drawn along under the currents of the mighty river! Cap’s hand reaches up, grabbing a pipe that is extended from the ceiling of his foe’s lair. He pulls them both up, and they start to climb.

Soon, they are in the tunnels leading up, and can hear the water continue to rush in, completely flooding the lower level where they were only moments before.

"Where is he?" she asks.

"I couldn’t reach him in time," Cap comments, shaking his head with disappointment. "There’s little chance that he could have survived that."

"I pity him," she says, looking down into the tunnels below. "His whole life...alone."

"His years of self-torment have led him to do great things," Cap agrees. "If only he could have applied his talents to more constructive pursuits. In the end, he let his own loneliness consume him. It didn’t have to be that way."

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Captain America #485 by Jeff Melton.

Decent first issue for the new writer of Captain America, even if he did use one of my dibbed characters without asking :-) Included one of my old favorites, Nomad and pitted Cap against a popular villain from the old horror flicks. However, my favorite section was his introductory letter at the end of the issue. While I'm no dove when it comes to violence and I don't necessarily agree with all of his arguments, I think he is dead on accurate when it comes to which direction Cap should be taken. He is a certified good guy and a true hero, not just another thug in spandex.

I look forward to seeing where the title goes from here.

Shan Kelley

Captain America #485

By Jeff Melton

It's about time we got an author for cap again, and I can't think of anyone more well suited to the task, then Jeff. His melding of a classic story with our patriotic Avenger was first rate, and inspired, as was the stuff about WW II that was thrown in there so neatly. Good , first rate issue from the new guy, who has done so well with the Human Torch series. Highly recommended!

Ralph Angelo

Thanks, Ralph. Coming from someone who has produced so many classic stories, that’s quite a compliment. I hope you continue to enjoy the series. I have a lot of plans for this title, and all comments are welcome at jx2melton@aol.com.