CAPTAIN AMERICA CREATED BY JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY

 

 

 

#494

“The Demon on the Ice!”

Written by Jeff Melton

 

 

 

 

mmediately after his friend has fallen, with a spear protruding from his back, Snow Wolf leaves the small tent where he had been discussing his village’s situation with the chief, Captain America, and Nomad. He holds a spear in his hand, as he walks through the tent doorway.

 

When he steps outside, he sees a tall figure, from the neighboring village, riding on a white horse. He looks down at Snow Wolf, surprised to see him there. Snow Wolf does not hesitate any further. The man who was just killed* was his best friend, and he has sworn to protect his chieftain with his very life. He throws his spear, sending it through his adversary’s heart. The impact from the throw knocks the opposing warrior from his horse, and he lands on the hard, tundra ground with a THUD!

 

Captain America stands before the chieftain, as he starts to leave through the same doorway. “Stay in this tent, chief,” Cap warns him. “We’ll help Snow Wolf fight your enemies.”

 

“Do you think me a coward?” the chief replies, picking up a bow and arrow. “If I hid in my tent, like a woman, I would be unfit to lead my people. This I will not do. I appreciate your help, ice lord, but I will not be coddled while my people stand and fight for the life of our village and our way of life.”

 

“Okay then,” Cap replies, not wanting to get into a fight, and realizing that it would be fruitless to argue with someone who has so clearly made up his mind on this issue. “Just watch your back. Your village is going through enough turmoil. It certainly can’t afford to lose its chieftain at this time.”

 

“Nor am I ready to leave my people yet,” the chieftain replies.

 

Cap, the chief, and Nomad all walk through the tent’s entrance. Mere seconds later, a spear soars through the air, headed directly at the chief’s face. The chief has time only to look up in shock. Cap’s shield flashes in front of his face a mere split-second before the spear strikes him, and the weapon bounces harmlessly on the ground before them.

 

The experience seems to not trouble the chieftain, who merely nods at Cap. “My thanks, ice lord,” he comments. Then, turning to his right, he fires off two arrows. As Cap and Nomad turn, they see two warriors fall from their horses in the close distance, each carrying spears, which fall from their grasp, even as they fall back from their horses, their heads hitting hard on the ground. They are dead before their heads hit the ground, however.

 

“That’s some fine shooting,” Nomad remarks, even as he leaps into the fray. He leaps onto another horse, sending out a brutal elbow to the warrior’s chin, driving him from the horse, where he lands on the ground below.

 

Captain America looks forward, where he sees three warriors on horses, leaning down with their knives, preparing to kill a woman and two young children, who appear to barely be able to walk. He throws his shield, which swirls through the air in a wide arc, striking the three warriors on three separate horses. They all fall back, landing on the ground, stunned or unconscious.

 

INTERLUDE

 

eanwhile, in the village where the warriors have come, a few figures stand in a dark room, covered in part by shadows. A darkened figure, wearing a cloak, stands before three other warriors, who look at him in fear. As he turns to face them, his face cannot be seen, but his red eyes burn through the dimly-lit room. He carries himself with unquestioning authority, and the warriors before him keep a few steps away from him, watching his movements closely. His green tunic bears a red insignia, which is partially obscured by the darkness and shadows, but it is one that the others share on their furs or other garments.

 

Behind the mysterious figure, and to the side of one of the warriors, a medicine man stands in front of a large man-sized block of ice. Inside the ice, a dark figure can barely be seen. However, the details cannot be seen.

 

“Prepare him,” the mysterious figure remarks. “It will be soon.”

 

“How can you know?” the medicine man asks, looking at the mysterious figure curiously. He has only known this ruler for a short time, but he has feared him from the beginning. He is not in the habit of fearing others, and has made a lifetime of having others fear him, and his powers. But this one, with the burning eyes, has never ceased to give him pause.

 

The figure turns to the medicine man, annoyed at the question. Hatred burns in his red eyes—a hatred more intense than any that has existed in any human heart. “I know my enemy,” he says slowly. “He will come, and soon. I can feel it. But do not question me again…if you value your pathetic life.”

 

The medicine man does not hesitate. Instead, he turns to the other warriors, who lift up the block of ice, as the mysterious figure watches them leave the room. “Act quickly,” he commands. “All must be in readiness. If you fail, you will all die.” They move quickly, having seen that this ruler always carries out his threats…in painful, hideous ways.

 

End of Interlude

 

omad stands on the ground, as two warriors rapidly approach him on their horses. Their pace intensifies, as they draw out their swords, preparing to kill him as they have killed many others before him. Nomad does not move, watching closely their movements, and the speed of the horses. Just as they are upon him, their horses started to veer off slightly on each side of Nomad, he leaps into the air.

 

Nomad separates his legs, as his kicks each of the two warriors in the face, the powerful impact from his super-strong leg muscles jerking their heads violently back, as they fall back, their swords flying from their grasp, as they land hard on the ground below.

 

Captain America rushes forward, throwing his shield once again. The shield strikes a warrior who was prepared to throw his shield at Nomad, who is even now returning to his feet on the cold ground.

 

“Thanks, Cap,” Nomad remarks, even as he rushes forward, grabbing a staff, which was leaning against one of the tents. Two horsemen start to close in on him, one after another.

 

Nomad leans forward, as the first horse approaches, outstretching the staff against the front legs of the horse. The momentum carries the horse forward, where it flips over through the air, dislodging the warrior, who then falls forward, landing face-first in some thorn-covered, small brush.

 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Nomad comes to his feet again, leaning forward, slamming the staff against the ground. The impact drives him through the air, just in time to kick the following warrior in the face, jerking the warrior’s head back and sending him flying back, against the cold floor.

 

The chieftain fires an arrow at a warrior, who was charging towards Captain America on foot. The arrow strikes the warrior in the back of the neck, protruding through the front. Gasping for air on the way to the ground, he is dead before he reaches it.

 

Snow Wolf is several yards in front of the other heroes, squaring off against charging warriors on foot. These warriors, with red demons on their fur shirts, all carry swords, spears, and other weapons, and are charging, with one goal in mind—to kill everyone in this village. They know well the cost of failure, and dare not face their leader with the report of failure.

 

Snow Wolf spins his spear, slamming the butt of his spear into one of the approaching warriors. He quickly turns, knowing that he cannot stand still for a moment, else he and his village will all fall before their superior numbers. He lunges to the left side, swinging his spear around, impaling one of the warriors.

 

“They are many…far more than our numbers,” Snow Wolf silently considers. “But it matters not. If it is the Ice God’s will that I fall today, so be it. I will not let these minions of the Red Demon lay waste to my village, as they have done to others.”

 

Snow Wolf turns to his right, kicking another approaching warrior in the chest, driving him back against three others. He brings his spear around, impaling another approaching warrior.

 

“Stand away from him!” a lone voice comes from behind the warriors, as they pull back slightly. Snow Wolf looks up to see a familiar figure. This figure, cloaked in black fur, and carrying a spear with spikes along its tip, leaps down from his horse, even as the other warriors disperse.

 

“Black Wolf!” Snow Wolf remarks, as the evil warrior approaches him. “So the rumors are true…you have joined the Red Demon’s forces!”

 

“Indeed I have, brother,” Black Wolf responds. “I have come to offer you a position in our ranks…”

 

“You already know my answer!” Snow Wolf exclaims, pulling his spear up, preparing for the battle he knows will come.

 

“Yes, I do,” Black Wolf replies, bringing his own spear forward. He motions for the other warriors to carry on in their destruction of the village, which they do, leaving these two to battle. “And you know that, although you are my brother, you will have to die by my hand.”

 

“And if you have come to betray your own people,” Snow Wolf responds, blocking a lunge from Black Wolf with his own spear, “then I will treat you no different than any other enemy!”

 

With a mighty leap, Captain America jumps into the midst of the warriors that Snow Wolf was just fighting. There are perhaps twenty of them, and they are all brandishing weapons. As Cap lands in their midst, three of them fall to the ground, knocked unconscious by the impact of his landing.

 

Captain America whirls to one side, swinging his arm forward, striking three others in an arc with his shield, as they all fall back, losing consciousness on the way to the ground. Swords clang against his shield, as he blocks several lunges at him. Captain America ducks down, sweeping out his feet, tripping four of the warriors as he swings out his feet, supported by his arms against the ground below.

 

Then, as the warriors start to close in on him once again, Cap leaps into the air, high above the warriors, who start to turn their faces upward, trying to keep their eyes on this elusive warrior. He quickly returns to the ground, shield-first, as he balls up behind the shield, using it as a battering ram, causing the warriors to be dispersed by the impact of the shield slamming against their bodies.

 

Surveying the damage, Captain America finds two warriors getting to their feet, the only remaining members of the group he had been fighting mere seconds earlier. Throwing his shield, it bounces off the head of the first one, striking the second one in the chin. Both fall to the ground, even as his shield returns to his outstretched hand.

 

Meanwhile, Nomad is picking up a warrior on a horse, who is stunned by this incredible display of strength. “I know you boys are determined,” Nomad offers, throwing the horse (and the warrior perched on the horse) into a crowd of twenty other warriors! They fall back, stunned by the impact. “But we’re not going to let you take this village...period!”

 

Five warriors get to their feet, slowly, as they look towards Nomad. The young hero, however, was prepared for this. He reaches into a special compartment of his costume, withdrawing five small discs. Throwing them with rapid movements, he connects with each throw. The small discs strike his opponents in their faces, and they all fall to the ground, unconscious and badly bruised from the speed and strength behind the tosses.

 

The chieftain stands behind where Nomad has been fighting. He uses the tent for cover, ducking from thrown spears. He then bends his bow back, firing a series of arrows at approaching warriors on horseback, watching with satisfaction as they all fall off their horses, struck in vital organs by his well-placed arrows.

 

As the chieftain surveys the bodies of his enemies laid out on the ground of his village, he notices that the tide is finally turning in their favor. He looks around, noticing no immediate threats to himself. As he continues to walk forward, he is joined by Nomad, who is also training himself on the ground around him, looking for any signs of threats.

 

“We’ve taken most of them, from the looks of it,” Nomad observes.

 

“We have indeed gotten many,” the chieftain agrees. However, he points to ten more warriors, mounting their horses. “But not all.” The warriors get on their horses and start to flee, away from the village, even as the chieftain raises his bow, training his eye on the warriors.

 

“Wait,” Nomad says, putting out his arm. “Do you intend to kill them, even though they’re not attacking?”

 

“They attempted to murder my people, to raze my village,” the chieftain replies without hesitation. “If they live, they will return, with greater numbers, and we will have to fight them again. If they die today, they will not return.”

 

Cap leaps onto a horse, as he starts to ride after them. “I agree with you on one point,” Cap comments, as his horse pulls out, following behind the fleeing warriors. “They will return if we don’t stop them, but I have another way.”

 

Nomad leaps onto another horse, following closely behind Cap’s lead. “Cap’s right,” Nomad calls out, as the chieftain lowers his bow, not wanting to risk shooting his allies in their backs. “We’ll follow them back to their lair and put a stop to this on that end.”

 

“As soon as I am certain that the threat to our village is over, and our enemies have been suitably incapacitated,” the chieftain remarks, nodding towards Nomad, who turns away, making his horse gallop faster towards Cap and the fleeing enemy warriors, “I will send more men to assist you. May the Ice God guard you and grant you success against the Red Demon!”

 

“Thanks,” Nomad replies, leaning forward, urging the horse to move ever quicker, as he closes in on Cap’s horse. “If I’m right, we’ll probably need it.”

 

Cap and Nomad follow the horses through over a mile of rough terrain, avoiding ice and snow patches, as they concentrate on the task at hand. Although they are not familiar with this terrain, they urge their horses onward. Both are accomplished riders.

 

The horses disappear from view for a moment, around a mountainside, but soon come back into view as Cap and Nomad turn around the side of the mountain with their horses, avoiding snow drifts coming from the mountain, brought on by the sounds of so many horse hoofs.

 

“Cap,” Nomad comments, even as he and Cap continue to ride hard after their foes. “You know this is most likely a trap.”

 

“Yes,” Cap responds, not turning to Nomad, but instead concentrating on the horses in front of them. “But I also know that if we’re going to get to the bottom of this—and stop this madness—we have no choice but to follow them, regardless of the consequences.”

 

In front of Cap and Bucky, the ten warriors pull onward, riding parallel to the mountains, their eyes also trained on their mission. Their leader, however, is not happy to be returning in defeat. He knows what awaits him when he returns, but he also knows that their master has demanded that, if they do not kill Captain America in battle, they must return with him…and he knows on some level that the Red Demon expects that this will be the result. He expects no mercy from the demon. He has never seen any evidence of that capacity in him.

 

He motions for the others to follow, even as he turns into the side of the mountain, which gives way to their approach, bushes pulling aside, revealing a hollow side of the mountain. The ten warriors ride into the side of the mountain, into the gap in the mountain, and disappear once again from sight.

 

Cap and Nomad, however, are approaching fast, and saw them disappear into the side of the mountain. They are both surprised by what they have seen, not being at an angle to be able to observe the bushes separate.

 

“Some kind of secret entrance,” Nomad points out.

 

“Yes,” Cap agrees, “and we know where to go to get in ourselves.”

 

So saying, Cap and Nomad lead their horses forward, where they also disappear into the side of the mountain. Once they emerge, they behold a sight that makes them gasp with surprise. Here, in the side of the mountain, is an underground fortress. There are tents that line the walls. Beyond the tents is a large underground lake. It has heat emerging from it, making it clear that it is heated by underground volcanic activity.

 

Cap and Nomad stop their horses, even as they observe warriors surrounding them, inside the fortress. Their spears and arrows are trained on the two heroes, who still look around, seeking answers.

 

“So,” a voice comes from behind one of the tents. “I see you have found us.” The figure emerges from the shadows, revealing himself to be…

 

“The Red Skull!” Nomad exclaims.

 

“Yes, the signs were all there,” Cap agrees.

 

“Get down from your horses,” Red Skull orders them. “I have a surprise for you.”

 

“What’s this all about, Skull?!” Cap demands, frustrated to be drawn into another of the Red Skull’s traps.

 

The Red Skull leads them towards the lake, to a side that was covered by shadows a mere moment earlier. As they enter, they see that there is a light, coming in from a sun panel along the roof of the mountain complex.

 

As Cap and Nomad turn the corner, they see the medicine man first, standing beside…

 

“BUCKY!” Nomad exclaims. Nomad is stunned to see that Bucky is roughly his age, having not aged since his disappearance decades earlier.

 

“Yes,” the Red Skull remarks, his face contorting into something vaguely resembling a sinister smile. “And now you will all have the opportunity to die together.”

 

To be continued…

 

NEXT ISSUE: Is this Bucky? Where has he been all this time? And what exactly is the Red Skull up to? Find out in next issue’s titanic conclusion!