Avengers #56
Death Be Not Proud!
The Avengers have been to one of Doctor Doom’s castle by Captain America.[1] The group are weary that this is some kind of trap. After the Black Panther opens the draw bridge and leads the group past the castle’s defenses. Inside, they are relieved to find Captain America. Cap is glad they have came and explained that he has come to this place to access Doctor Doom’s time machine so he can confirm if Bucky actually died in the past during World War II.[2] Agreeing to help Captain America on this endeavor, the Avengers leave the Wasp behind to operate the time machine controls.
When Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, and the Black Panther are transported back in time to the war, they are out of sync with time so they can observe but not interfere with history.[3] They witness as Baron Zemo breaks into the hanger where a new experimental drone plane was being stored. Expecting Captain America and Bucky, the Nazi uses a device to enlarge a massive android he was carrying in a container. The present day Captain America has to watch helplessly as Zemo knocks out both his past self and Bucky. Hating Captain America’s costume, Baron Zemo dresses both Cap and Bucky in ordinary military uniforms before he ties them to the outside of the drone and prepares it for launch.
Meanwhile, in the present, the Wasp struggle to stay awake and when she briefly drifts off to sleep she hits a button that causes the present day Avengers to full materialize in the past.[4] Baron Zemo is shocked to see another Captain America and the Avengers appear out of thin air. This leads the Nazi scientist to believe that Captain America is not a single person, but many different men.[5] In the ensuing battle, Baron Zemo activates a second android. The Avengers soon find themselves busy clashing with the androids as well as the American soldiers that were drawn by the sound of battle. Suddenly, the Avengers begin vanishing from sight as they are drawn out out of sync with time again. Not wanting to leave without doing something, Captain America tosses his shield at the last possible moment, cutting his past self and Bucky free from the ropes.
Captain America then watches in horror as things start playing out as he remembers them: The drone plane begins blasting off and his past self and Bucky follow after it on a motorcycle. Bucky leaps onto the plane to try and disarm the bomb. Despite Steve’s orders to let go, the bomb goes off. The present day Captain America watches in horror as it appears that Bucky did die as he originally thought. He and the other Avengers watch as Baron Zemo disintegrates his androids and escapes in his ship. They are then brought back to the present day by the Wasp, who can’t believe she nodded off, but is relieved to see nothing bad apparently happened. Back in the present, Cap is convinced that Bucky died on that fateful day and decides that he’ll have to learn to live with that fact from now on.
… This story continues in Avengers Annual #2.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, Black Panther), Bucky, Baron Zemo
Continuity Notes
This would be the castle where the Fantastic Four fought Doctor Doom for the first time circa Fantastic Four #5. Fantastic Four #200 reveals that this castle is located in the Adirondack Mountains. Fantastic Four Annual #11 clarifies that this time machine was left behind for diplomatic reasons, but not before Mister Fantastic could learn how to duplicate it, hence how the FF have a version of Doom’s time machine in Fantastic Four #23.
Everyone believes Bucky died trying to disarm a drone plane, as detailed in Avengers #4. However, it won’t be for many years that Bucky actually survived and was transformed into the assassin called the Winter Soldier. See Captain America (vol. 5) #14.
Captain America and Bucky’s final battle with Baron Zemo on Earth-616 are expanded upon in Captain America #215, 220, (vol. 4) #26, (vol. 5) #4, 6, 8, What If? #5, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #12, Captain America: Man Out of Time #1, Captain America: Reborn #5.
It’s reveled in Avengers Annual #2 that the Wasp’s sudden drowsiness was caused by the Scarlet Centurion. This moment creates a divergent reality. It’s designated as Reality-689 in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005. However, the present day Avengers interference in the past also happened on Earth-616 as well as seen in What If? #4.
Baron Zemo is partially right. After the “death” of Steve Rogers in 1945, he had successors. The first was Jeff Mace, aka the Patriot, in What If? #4 and William Burnside in Young Men #24.
Topical References
Captain America states that World War II happened “over 20 years ago”. This should be considered a topical reference relative to the date of publication. The length of time between World War II and the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe continues to grow longer with each passing year due to the Sliding Timescale. For more on this, go here.
