SCOURGE OF THE UNDERWORLD TIE-IN! The origin of Scourge is revealed when Captain America goes undercover to catch him!
Synopsis
At the start of the issue, Captain America encounters a panicked Water Wizard (later known as Aqueduct). Water Wizard had summoned Captain America to a dock, only to attack him, which he later reveals was just to make sure it was really him and not an imposter. He confides in Captain America that he had been invited to the supervillain gathering at "The Bar With No Name" in the previous issue and was en route to the bar when he got a flat tire. Arriving late, he discovers all the bodies. Panicked after his near demise, he decided to call Captain America in to investigate and hopefully get himself into protective custody.
Meanwhile, injured Serpent Society member Diamondback is visited in the hospital by her teammate the Cobra. Cobra gives her the news of Death Adder's death and that other Serpent Society members have been shaking some trees (Hydra, AIM) to see if the killing may have been out of revenge for Death Adder's part in the death of MODOK. With Scourge on the loose, Cobra figures Diamondback, in her weakened state, isn't safe in a hospital so he takes her back to Serpent Society headquarters. Cobra's fears were dead on as, while they are making their escape in an aircraft, Scourge appears and shoots at the departing ship, puncturing its gas tank; enough to limit their journey but too late to succeed in his intended killing.
Captain America goes to the bar to confirm the killings. He then hatches upon a plan to draw Scourge out of hiding. He dons a spare costume from the killed villain Mind Wave, an illusion caster, and arranges with local news stations to report that Mind Wave had survived and was in protective custody. Scourge is drawn to the cabin where the news stated Mind Wave was, and Captain America ambushes him; eventually getting him tied up and maskless. Just as Scourge is about to confess who/what he is, he is shot and killed with an explosive bullet as an unseen assailant shouts his "Justice is Served!" tagline. Scourge dies, his secrets intact, but it is evident that there was more than one Scourge all along.
Note: Many of the Scourge of the Underworld's victims are either depicted postmortem in this issue or in flashback.
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