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Quote1 I know some part of you might want to give up hope. But this is our moment. Our chance to turn things around. I know we've been divided. Torn apart. Broken -- for so damn long -- but now it's time to assemble. Quote2
Captain America (Sam Wilson)

Appearing in 1st story

Reprint of the 1st story from
Secret Empire #8

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Hydra Helicarrier (Only in recap)
  • Mark 1 Astro Carriers

Synopsis for 1st story

Reprint of the 1st story from
Secret Empire #8

As he's slowly sinking into the bottom of the lake, Steve Rogers catches a glimpse of a light above the surface. Having regained his strength, he breaks free from ropes tying his hands and swims back to the surface.

In the middle of the desert in Arizona, Shaun Lucas helps Giant-Man bury his time capsule, which contains a message recorded by Sam Wilson meant to reach Manhattan and the A.F.S.S. in the past, so it can be broadcast now in the present. When Shaun wonders why don't they simply send a message further back in time warning about Captain America's allegiance, Raz explains that altering history in such a way would actually create a divergent timeline instead of alter their own.

Now both New York and Alpha Flight are receiving Cap's message, in which he explains the current situation in the Hydra-controlled United States regarding the Cosmic Cube fragments. Sam recounts that while liberating an Inhuman interment camp, the Underground managed to recover one fragment. Even though the fragment is not as powerful as the entire Cube, it can still tweak reality. He hopes the heroes can line up their efforts to destroy both the Darkforce bubble and the Planetary Defense Shield.

Some time later, on a rooftop, Sam is getting ready to take off and fly to the midpoint between the dome and the shield, while Iron Man and Hawkeye break into Crossbones and Sin's super-prison to free their friends.

Aboard Alpha Flight's station, Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon approaches Captain Marvel with stolen plans for a Nullifier Bomb, hoping to use the space station as a delivery system for the charges.

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, while the Defenders are wondering how can they be of assistance, Doctor Strange reveals he has recently acquired a spell that could possibly of help. When he visited the New York Public Library earlier, he managed to learn a new spell in exchange for his Sanctum Sanctorum. Hopefully, the spell will amplify Cloak and Dagger's powers in unison.

Miles above Upper New York Bay, Captain America finds himself dodging heavy fire from three Hydra jets trying to take him down. Even though Sam manages to get one of the planes to accidentally shoot another one down, a Hydra agent shoots Sam through the chest with a rifle, and the winged hero plummets into the water below, to the shock of Misty Knight, who was on comms with him.

In Manhattan, the spell being conjured by Doctor Strange on top of the Empire State Building appears to have no effect. Sam continues sinking into the bay. In orbit, the A.F.S.S. has been evacuated and loaded with explosive charges. Alpha Flight's personnel, the Ultimates, and the Guardians of the Galaxy observe from the Mark 1 Astro Carriers. At the Planetary Defense Shield Base Station in Michigan, Arnim Zola also braces for the impact. The space station crashes into the shield, triggering a massive explosion, but the shield holds, much to Captain Marvel's distress and anger. As Sam becomes invisible in the depths of the bay, a light glimmers. As Sam holds onto the Cosmic Cube fragment, Quasar walks up to Carol, revealing she has just woken up from her coma; meanwhile, Sam emerges from the water. Quasar flies to the shield and blasts it until it is breached and destroyed. Captain Marvel proceeds to fly to the coordinates where the Chitauri Eggs are cloistered away in Montana.

Inside Hydra's super-prison, as Iron Man and Hawkeye make their way through Hydra troops, Maria Hill slips past all the noise into the cell where Blackout is being kept brainwashed in the form of his Pleasant Hill-self, the mild-mannered Bob Hofstedder. While Captain Marvel reaches the Chitauri eggs and destroys them, terminating the threat from the Chitauri Wave, Hill reluctantly shoots Blackout in the head, causing the Darkforce dome to dissipate, bringing sunlight back to Manhattan.

With the Cosmic Cube shard in hand, Captain America meets up with the Underground at the Triskelion. They are soon joined by Captain Marvel and her allies, as well as some of the heroes that were inside the Darkforce dome. Namor arrives as the heroes being to think about their next course of action, revealing a bubble from where the Winter Soldier steps up, surprising the heroes, and informing them that he has a plan. The heroes then proceed to jump into action; however, the tide is still in Hydra's favor. Black Panther has been captured and Steve Rogers holds most of the fragments, even if it's not the entirety.

Walking away through the mysterious forest, Steve Rogers finds the glowing woman peeking out from the trees. He runs up to her and a memory of the two spending time together causes him to utter the name "Sharon." As they're about to touch, her spectre fades away, striking Steve with grief. Kobik then appears to tell Steve that she's gone, that they're all gone, and that she and Steve are all alone now, as Steve recognizes the young girl.

Appearing in 2nd story

Reprint of the 1st story from
Secret Empire #9

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Hydra Helicarriers (Destruction)
  • Orphan One (Cameo)
  • Experimental drone bomber (Mentioned)

Synopsis for 2nd story

Reprint of the 1st story from
Secret Empire #9

Kobik breaks down in tears in front of Steve Rogers, expressing regret for her attempts to appease everybody having caused so much damage. Steve remains confused, as he somehow remembers the kid, and asks her if she's lost like he is. Kobik answers that she's not, and walks Steve out of the forest, showing him the ruins of Pleasant Hill. She then turns to him, and, as her eyes begin to glow, tells him to remember.

Above the White House, aboard a Hydra Helicarrier, Supreme Leader Steve Rogers is approached by Baron Zemo, who brings him the Black Panther as a prisoner. After vowing to take revenge on Zemo, T'Challa is taken away by guards. Zemo subsequently leaves when Steve orders him awaken "the army that sleeps." Rogers is then alerted of the arrival of three new guests, Emma Frost, Beast and Shaw from New Tian. When a subordinate informs Rogers the High Council has advised to move their base ship out of range due to an ongoing battle nearby, Rogers shuts down the suggestion, ensuring he is where he wants to be.

Right outside, by the Washington Monument, an all-out fight is taking place between Hydra and the superheroes. Alpha Flight, the Avengers Unity Division, the Defenders, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Underground and many more, all led by Sam Wilson, have joined forces to defeat Hydra once and for all. Heavy hitters Hyperion and Star Brand join the brawl, as well as Spider-Man, the U.S.Avengers, and Euroforce. Unfortunately, so do Hydra's own Avengers and the High Council itself on Hydra's side.

Aboard the Hydra Helicarrier, Frost attempts to convince Rogers to keep Hydra's deal with New Tian, to the extent she has already surrendered the Cosmic Cube fragment whose secret presence in New Tian had irked Rogers. When Rogers refuses, essentially declaring war, Frost reminds him she had promised no mutant would kneel to Hydra, a sentiment she expresses Magneto shares. Flying outside the Helicarrier, the Master of Magnetism attacks the vessel with giant shards of metal. While Frost, Beast and Shaw are occupied fighting Rogers' guards, Zola convinces the Supreme Leader to flee, notifying Rogers that all but one of the fragments is enough to weaponize what they have of the Cosmic Cube.

Back to the fight outside, even as the X-Men join the efforts against Hydra, many of the heroes find themselves overpowered by Hydra's Avengers and the High Council. Witnessing his former friends in peril, Odinson declares he has seen enough and summons a thunder to strike down the forces of Hydra.

Having heard the consequence of Odinson's change of heart from aboard one of the Helicarriers, Taskmaster convinces Black Ant to switch to the winning side for convenience. They turn to the cell holding the Champions prisoners, and decide to let them free as long as they put in a good word for them. The young heroes agree, though Spider-Man immediately webs up both of them before leaving.

When the Champions join the fight, Viv's presence gives the Vision a moment of freewill, which she uses to purge Zola's A.I. virus from his body, spreading it to the Dreadnoughts surrounding them, shutting down the robots. Doctor Strange confronts Chthon and summons a portal that brings back Thor from the alien dimension. Thor knocks out the villain before reverting to her fragile human form of Jane Foster. Strange prepares to cast out Chthon from Scarlet Witch's body while Sam Wilson flies away with Dr. Foster in order to retrieve Mjolnir.

Back aboard the Hydra Helicarrier, Baron Zemo prepares to awaken the members of the Army of Evil, who had been in stasis ever since Hydra's take-over, all while Black Panther is still being escorted prisoner. The two soldiers are suddenly knocked out by the Winter Soldier, who jumps down from the ceiling on Zemo. Baron Zemo subdues Bucky, but T'Challa strangles him from behind using the chains that shackle his hand, and then knocks him out.

Inside Doctor Faustus' office, the hypnotist has managed to take control of Sharon Carter, whom he orders to serve him tea. Carter soon reveals she's not actually under Faustus' control, with his tea being poisoned with a non-lethal toxin. After knocking out Faustus with a punch, Sharon explains that ever since he had taken control of her to assassinate Steve Rogers, she constantly listened to recordings of his voice to build up an immunity to it. With Faustus unconscious, Sharon focuses her attention on using the passwords she knew from Steve to shut down the remaining Hydra warships. Meanwhile, Black Panther attempts to sneak up on Rogers and Zola, but finds the latter being outfitted with an armor derived from Stark tech that allows him to harness the power of what they have of the Cosmic Cube.

Back to the ruins of Pleasant Hill, Steve walks down the streets of the town with Kobik, recalling the life he had forgotten, up until the moment Kobik saved him from his death at the hands of Crossbones, and realizing that all of the people he encountered in the forest were people he knew. When Steve mentions he still has no idea where he is, Kobik directs him to a glowing fountain in the middle of the park, where Steve sees scenes of the things his Hydra-loyalist self has done. Discouraged, Steve realizes all this time he's been inside Kobik's mind, and that he himself is a memory of the Steve Rogers he once was. When Steve asks Kobik to make him real again, she runs away declaring she can't and that it's too late. The ground below Steve's feet begins to rumble.

In Washington, the remaining Hydra Helicarriers shut down and crash into the ground. As they continue stomping their enemies, the heroes enjoy themselves, being finally united after so long. However, Black Panther runs towards the heroes, warning them to run. A sudden blasts knocks down the fighters, and the armored Captain America appears in the steps of the Capitol Building.

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