Avengers vol. 3 #69Avengers vol. 3 #69
Title: "Red Zone: Part 5- The Great Escape”
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Oliver Coipel
Inker: Andy Lanning
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
In Pierre, South Dakota, Warbird and Hawkins fly in a helicopter. Warbird tells Hawkins that he didn’t have to come. Hawkins says that she needs help and that he is going to give it to her even if he isn’t wearing a costume. Warbird says that she doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. Hawkins asks if it doesn’t come with the job. Warbird says that unfortunately it does. Hawkins looks down on the ground and sees the EMS worker that picked him up that morning lying dead on the ground. General Feaster calls in to Warbird. Feaster asks her where she is. Warbird says that she is going to pick up her fellow Avengers and that there has been some trouble. Feaster tells her that there might be even more. He says that he has a woman from Stark Enterprises asking for any Avenger. Warbird says to put her through.
Pepper tells Warbird that Tony and the Black Panther were meeting with Stark scientists about thirty minutes ago. She says that they were close to finding a solution to the whole mess, but that someone broke in there and took them away. Warbird asks who it was. Pepper says that they looked like military, but that they don’t know. She says that Warbird has to find them or nothing is going to get solved. Warbird asks what she means. Pepper says that a dozen Wakandan scientists just arrived with a breakthrough, but that they won’t go to work until Panther gives them permission.
Pepper breaks up as Warbird and Hawkins pass by Mount Rushmore. They spot Wanda. Warbird helps her up and asks where the others are. Wanda says that they are inside. Warbird heads down the steps into the bio-weapons lab. Cap staggers out and collapses into Warbird’s arms. Back up, Hawkins is helping load the remains of Vision onto the helicopter. Warbird asks what happened and where Jennifer is. Wanda says that she doesn’t really know. She says that Jack lifted her and took her away. Wanda realizes something. She says that She-Hulk was feeling sick and that it happens when Jack is around. Warbird says that Jack absorbs radiation and that could be it. She asks where she ran off to. Cap awakens and says that hopefully it is far from there. He says that they will search for She-Hulk later, but that first they need to stop America from becoming a graveyard. Below on the highway, cars are overturned and burning.
At the hospital, Jarvis radios Cap that he has sent off the bulletin about She-Hulk. Cap tells Jarvis to keep trying to contact Iron Man and Black Panther and to let him know as soon as he hears anything. Warbird asks Cap if he doesn’t think he should get some more treatment before running off. Cap says that he has been through worse. He tells her and Wanda to see what they can do about preventing the spread of the Red Zone. Cap tells Wanda to push her powers as far as they will go. Wanda says that she will. Cap says that he is taking the helicopter and that Rusk is his.
Skull punches Gyrich over and over. Gyrich says that he won’t talk. Skull says that he doesn’t want him to talk… only bleed. Skull says that they don’t want any more interruptions and that he is going to create another “terrorist attack”. The building fills with gas and the people start falling over.
Panther tells Stark that he lectures him about breaking laws, but that he has a plan to escape. Stark says that just like Panther he breaks the rules sometimes and takes risks. Panther asks when he has ever taken a risk. Stark tells Panther to stand back. The suit of armor smashes through the wall. Iron Man and Panther walk down the hall. They see the people passing over from the gas. Stark says that he is getting traces of opiates in the air and that someone has decided to put everyone to sleep.
Gyrich asks Skull if he really thinks he can
raise the Fourth Reich by posing as the Secretary of Defense. Red
Skull calls him a dumb American. Red Skull asks Gyrich if this
isn’t his dream, to be in a position of power. He says that
he spent the last year implementing his rise in America. He says
that with the right monetary backing and some
“persuading” he earned his office. He says that AIM was
able to supply him with technology similar to what he used to
brainwash the Falcon, but on a much larger scale. Skull says that
he was surprised at how easily some of the Congressmen and White
House staff were subdued. Skull says that the dream of the Fourth
Reich is over. He says that he has a new dream. Skull says,
“Freedom must feel fear. And fear leads to control.”
Skull says that he as wrong about this country and that the
“United” States of America is wonderful. He says that
it already has the right resources and attitudes. Skull says that
the attitudes just have to be exploited. Skull says, “To
become the perfect nation… America just needs a little push
in the right direction.” Skull salutes the flag. The window
smashes in. Captain America throws his shield and tells him not
to dare salute that flag. Skull is knocked back into some
furniture. Cap says that this was all Skull’s doing. He says
that he doesn’t know how he got there, but that he does know
how he is leaving. Cap calls Skull a monster and kicks him in the
face. Skull says that he is the product of a government just as
Captain America is. Skull says that he is Germany’s perfect
soldier. Skull says that the perfect soldier must become the
perfect leader. Skull says that they have fought for a half a
century, but that the battle is over. Skull says that he believes
in the American Dream. 
Skull shouts
that he understands Cap now and hits him in the face. Cap hits
back and says that the American Dream isn’t unleashing death
on his “own” people. Skull draws a pistol and fires on
Gyrich. Skull says that Hitler taught that you must instill fear
to capture control. Cap blocks the bullets with his shield. Skull
says that he lead the AIM fools there under the pretense that
there would be a weapon of mass destruction there. He says that
he didn’t tell them that breaking in would unleash it. Skull
says that he needed an event like this to bring fear so that he
could target any scapegoats he needed. Skull tells Cap to look
behind him. Cap looks back to see Falcon being chained up. Skull
says that Cap should have seen Falcon’s eyes when he
realized who “Dell Rusk” was. Skull says, “Like a
lost and betrayed puppy dog.” Suddenly a glass door goes
down trapping Cap. The room begins to fill with the red mist.
Skull tells Cap to breathe it in and that he has. Skull says that
it is the same agent that changed him into the Red Skull. Cap
raises his shield to break out, but the mist has already weakened
him. Skull says that Cap, as thousands of other Americans, has
been infected, but that unlike him none of them have the proper
antibodies. Red Skull says that the Red Zone continues to expand
and that only he has the key to stopping it. Skull says that
maybe in a month he will. He says that when he feels there is
enough fear and terror so that he knows that he will have no
problem getting the President to launch a nuclear attack against
the “aggressor nation” that he will “root
out”. Then he will bring the disease to an end. Skull says
that the “aggressor nation” will be a nation of his
choosing. Gyrich mumbles that Skull is sick. Skull punches Gyrich
and says that maybe he should play havoc with the Avengers and
destroy America’s trust in them. Skull says that Wakanda
will be the one that did this to America. “Wakanda will be
the first to fall.” Iron Man and Black Panther smash through
the wall. Skull turns and says, “Guten Tag, Black Panther. I
was just talking about you.”
Avengers Files rating: 8 out of 10
This actually keeps getting better. Coipel continues to improve on the artwork and the plot just keeps getting better. The fact that the Red Zone is the same agent that created the Red Skull is pretty cool. This seems to be the “villain issue” and Skull actually gets to defeat Captain America. Glad this is wrapping up though as it is starting to feel a little long. Skull’s speech about control through fear is a little too close for comfort to me.
Review and picture by The Leader