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By Jess Nevins
Stan Lee Presents : The greatest heroes of the post World War II era...Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty...The Whizzer, Fastest Man Alive...Miss America, Strong and Beautiful Heroine...Sub-Mariner, Prince of Atlantis...and the Human Torch, the fiery android...they are The All-Winners Squad!
General: The following is my report on the events of the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th of December. It began, as you know, in Germany...
On December 9, 1945, at 2 am, William Nasland was awoken by a phone call. It took four rings to wake him up, and for a fifth ring he lay in bed, muzzy-headed, trying to figure out what was going on. The sixth ring jolted him fully awake, and he grabbed for the phone on his nightstand.
"Huh-hello?"
"Nasland! Get your butt out of bed and into costume! Your needed - NOW!"
"Who is this?"
"Never mind that, Nasland - two words: Chronicles 10:13!"
"...please repeat that."
"Chronicles 10:13, lard-ass!"
Several seconds of silence pass over the phone line, and the man calling William Nasland can hear pages of a book being rifled.
"Confirmed."
"Well, thank you very much - do you mind if I breath, now? Get your...friends...together and meet at the Statue in 30." And with Nasland's caller hung up.
William Nasland breathed heavily for a moment, then went to his closet and put on the costume of Captain America.
---
A road through the woods near Heidelburg, Germany. 11:45 am on the 9th.
The Whizzer finished his high-speed inspection of the crash site and ran back to the knot of figures clustered together by the wrecked jeep.
He said, "Maddy, you okay?"
Miss America, hunched over, with one arm wrapped around her stomach and one hand clasped over her mouth, nodded, her face even paler than usual.
The Whizzer patted her on the shoulder and said, "I know how you feel. I lost my lunch the first time I was teleported anywhere. It'll wear off in a few minutes, Mad."
She nodded unsurely.
Behind her the other All-Winners were discussing matters with several other men. The Whizzer walked over and said to one of them, "Colonel, I've looked at the site, and I haven't found anything out of the ordinary. It looks like the jeep just went off the road. It happens. I remember--"
Colonel Sam "Happy" Sawyer snapped, "General Patton and his driver were both skilled and careful drivers, Whizzer. And no incident that causes the death of a three-star general in the United States army is ever `just' an accident."
Captain America shifted his shield on his arm, looked at the other Army officers gathered around him, and said, "Colonel, General, we all know that General Patton was reckless when it came to driving. I'm afraid that I don't really see the point of--"
General John Smith said, "While I tend to agree with you, Captain, the Colonel is sure that something else happened here."
Colonel Sawyer said to Captain America, "We didn't bring you all this way to tell us it was an accident. We want answers and details, do you understand?"
Captain America tried not to let his irritation show as he said, "Well, what is it you want us to find?"
Colonel Sawyer jabbed a finger in Captain America's chest. "I'm not interested in your lip, `Captain.' You look for evidence, and you'll find it."
Captain America took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Finding that did not reduced his anger, he said, "Colonel, why don't--"
Namor the Sub-Mariner, gently placed a hand on Captain America's shoulder and said, "Captain, I would speak with you."
Captain America looked at Namor, then at Colonel Sawyer and General Smith, and nodded. As Namor and Captain America walked some paces away from the Army officers, Namor looked over his shoulder and said, "Miss America, please perform an aerial reconnaissance of the area."
The Whizzer found himself suddenly and unaccountably irritated by the Sub-Mariner's words, and said, "HEY! Who made you--"
Namor, his face a mask of hauteur, looked at the Whizzer and said, "You may inspect the roadway for a mile in each direction."
Captain America stopped and looked at the Sub-Mariner and said, "Namor, what--"
Namor turned to the Human Torch, Toro, and Bucky and said, "Inspect the wreckage of the jeep and the two corpses, please. Take note of anything unusual." Namor then looked at the Army officers who had been observing this exchange and said, "We will have a report for you within a half-hour, gentlemen. Please do not interfere with our investigation, and keep your soldiers back."
Namor led Captain America to the side of the road, along a strip of pine trees, and said, "William, I fear you have not learned something your predecessor knew."
Captain America felt a rush of intense irritation at the Atlantean's words, but held it in and said, "What's that?"
Namor looked down at the shorter man and said, "How to behave within chains of command. You were not in your country's armed services - not officially - and so you, like the Whizzer and the rest, do not know how to act around those of higher rank. Had you been in your military, or lived under royalty, as I have, you would understand that once an order is given, it must be obeyed and completed."
Captain America tried not to let his anger show in his voice as he said, "Namor, I don't see the point of this. Bob didn't find anything. Why should--"
Namor glanced at the Army officers, who were clustered together and deep in conversation, lowered his voice, and said, "The point, William, is that we must satisfy the expectations of Colonel Sawyer. Like you, I'm certain that the Whizzer's search was thorough. But simply telling those two that will not suffice; they will expect that certain forms are followed."
Captain America, his anger becoming mixed with confusion, said, "But--"
Namor shook his head and said, "Captain, I am a Prince of the Blood, and to leadership born. In this matter I have more experience and knowledge than you."
Captain America's brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak; he hesitated, then finally shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay, sure, have it your way. What now?"
Namor nodded once. "I was certain you would understand. Now we must listen with great seriousness to what the others say, give their words due consideration, report to the General and Colonel that we have found nothing - for I am certain we will find nothing - and then leave, at which time we can begin our true investigation."
Captain America, caught by surprise, said, "What?"
Namor shook his head and said, "When we are finished here I will explain to you. Now, you will do as I've said."
The two walked back to the Army officers. Namor said, "Colonel Sawyer, General Smith, I--ah. Miss America, Whizzer, your reports, please."
Madeleine Joyce and Bob Frank shot each other irritated glances - neither was used to being spoken to in such peremptory tones, especially by the Sub-Mariner - and neither spoke for a moment. Finally Miss America said, "Namor, I didn't find anything. The woods are pretty thick, but as far as I could tell there's nothing unusual there. And the road is...there are furrows in the road, and the crash, and the trees wiped out by the crash, and that's it. You can see all that from here. Why--"
Namor held up one hand and turned to the Whizzer. "And you?"
Bob Frank glared at the Sub-Mariner for a moment before saying, "Nothing. It's a dirt road, Subbie, he--" The Whizzer remembered that he was being listened to by several Army officers and said, "General, Colonel, it's just a dirt road. People use it all the time. A lot of hunting seems to go on around here, and there are hundreds of footprints all around. There's nothing out of the ordinary here as far as I can tell."
Namor nodded at the Whizzer's words and said to the Torch, Toro, and Bucky, "Did you have any greater success than Miss America and the Whizzer?"
The Torch stared angrily at Namor before saying, "Nothing. It's a plain old car crash, Fishface, I don't--"
Namor held up his hand again and said, "Children, do you have anything to tell me?"
Bucky and Toro, their faces reflecting their resentment, glanced at Captain America and the Human Torch; the Torch shrugged, but an expressionless Captain America said to Bucky, "Go on, lad, tell them what you found."
Bucky crossed his arms and scowled. "Nothing. We didn't find anything, okay. It's just a stupid old body."
Colonel Sawyer took his pipe out of his mouth and pointed an angry finger at the youthful hero. "That body used to be a great man, kid; you'd better remember that."
Namor said, "I apologize for the boy, Colonel; I will see to it he remembers to show respect for his elders in the future." He turned to General Smith and said, "General, I'm afraid that we have found nothing here to indicate that it was anything other than an accident. I regret that we could not be of more assistance to you."
Colonel Sawyer grumbled. "Blasted costumes." General Smith nodded, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Namor. If you would step this way," and he gestured towards four waiting M.P.s, "We can return you to New York City via the--"
Namor smiled and shook his head. "I thank you, General, but I have my own means of transportation." He gestured upwards, and everyone looked up as an Atlantean skyship descended. Those underneath it cleared a space, and the ship landed and extended a walkway. Namor nodded at Colonel Sawyer and General Smith, and then walked onto the walkway, followed by a confused and irritated group of All-Winners.
As soon as the other six were onboard the skyship Namor spoke into the cabin microphone, saying, "Retract walkway. Set course: North, 50 miles an hour." He then turned to the others and said, "You will, I trust, forgive me for--"
The Whizzer, almost shouting, said, "Where the HELL do you come off telling us what to do? We're a team, remember?"
Captain America said, "Easy, Bob. Let the man explain himself."
Namor nodded at Captain America. "Thank you, Captain." He turned to the other All-Winners and said, "I would not normally have usurped William's position" (Bucky leaned to his left and whispered to Toro, "`Usurped'?" Toro shrugged) "but it seemed clear to me that something untoward is at work." (The Whizzer whispered to Miss America, "`Untoward'? Why's he so calm all of a sudden? Is he having mood swings now?")
Namor looked at Bucky and said, "Usurped, Frederick; it means to take away. You should spend less time using your fists and more time using a dictionary." He then looked at the Whizzer and said, "I am not aware that my moods are any different than they have ever been, Robert." He smiled at their sudden expressions of discomfort. "To one who can hear the faintest of calls across the depths of the oceans, the whispers of one human to another is as loud as...well, as loud as if you were shouting."
He paused, then continued. "Now, then. I ask you: did that all not seem somewhat odd to you? Consider: within two hours of Patton's demise we are summoned to the crash site, where several high-ranking officers then ask us to investigate what is clearly an accident. What is more, they watch us intently, as if they expect us to find something that they did not. Don't they have special operatives of their own for this sort of thing?"
The Whizzer nodded. "Yeah - I've heard that Challenger and Merzah and a couple of the others who survived the war are working for them."
Miss America looked at him in surprise. Miss America said, "Bob, where did you hear that?"
The Whizzer smiled and shrugged and said, "Someone I know at the Pentagon, Maddy."
Namor said, "Why not use them, then? Why request us - and in our uniforms, no less?"
Captain America rubbed the stubble on his chin - the phone call earlier had got him out of bed without having the opportunity to shave - and said, "You have a point there. I hadn't thought of it like that."
Namor nodded. "And consider this, too - did not Colonel Sawyer seem somewhat too eager to...to...to..." He suddenly raised a hand to his face and began to sway. Miss America said, "Namor, are you okay?"
He shakily reached out and leaned on the ship's bulkhead for a moment. "What...were we..." His voice trailed off. A few seconds later he shook his head and stood up and said, "Enough talk! Enough talking! They killed Patton, so let's go do something about it! Ship: Reverse course - return to--"
The others just stared at Namor, but Captain America said, "Uh...hold on a minute, Namor. Let's just think about this a--"
Namor whirled to look at Captain America. "Don't tell me what to do, Nasland! I'm a Prince of the Blood!"
Miss America said, "Uh...Namor...why don't we...um...why don't you come sit by me for a moment."
Namor snarled, "Don't talk down to me, Joyce!"
The Whizzer was on his feet and in front of Namor before Captain America could say a word. The Whizzer, voice raised in anger, said, "Don't you talk to her that way, Cod-Piece! You--"
WHAM Captain America's shield slammed into the wall between Namor and the Whizzer and rebounded back into Cap's hands. Both the Whizzer and Namor recoiled backwards slightly, caught by surprise. Captain America looked them both in the face and said, in a no-nonsense tone, "Both of you. Sit down."
Momentarily taken aback, both took a step backwards. Captain America said, "Honestly! Look at yourselves, fighting like three-year-olds! I don't know how Capta--I mean, Steve Rogers or Doc Savage put up with this!"
Madeleine Joyce, her voice climbing from its normal alto into a higher pitched whine - she knew she sounded petulant, but why weren't they paying any attention to her? - said, "Willy (she knew he hated that), you aren't any better! Don't you see that--"
The Human Torch sent a huge blast of flame shooting through the cabin that sent the others scattering for cover. Still flaming, he said, "Maddy, William, Bob, Namor - what's wrong with you? Why are you fighting over this? I don't understand."
Suddenly feeling abashed, the four looked at each other and then away. Bob Frank was the first to speak, saying, "I'm...uh...sorry, Namor. Don't know what came over me."
Captain America said, "Me, too, Subbie. I just felt...I don't know..."
Namor looked perplexed, finally saying, in a confused tone, "I accept your apologies and offer my own. My behavior has not been that of a Prince, either."
Madeleine Joyce felt her forehead and said, "I feel...strange..."
Bucky said, "You guys have been acting funny every since we got to the place where Patton died."
Captain America said, "I agree, Fred. Namor, you said, that you thought there was something wrong with this from the start. Did you have anything else to add?"
Namor, brow furrowed, said, "I...do not recall. That is...I know I said that, but I cannot remember what I was thinking when I said it."
The Whizzer said, "Well, whatever you were thinking, it was pretty persuasive to me."
Captain America nodded. "Agreed. General Patton's death bears further looking into. Trouble is, we can't exactly go back to the crash, not with all those army officers there, and not if one of them is somehow involved."
Namor said, "`Involved'? William, you believe there is evil among the army's leaders?"
The Whizzer said, "Subbie, you were the one who said that...well, you implied, anyhow, that Colonel Sawyer might be responsible for this, or at least that there was something strange in the way he was acting."
The Human Torch said, "You did, Subbie, and I think there was something to it."
Toro said, "You sound like you've got an idea, Jim."
The Torch said, "That I do, chum, that I do."
Forty-eight hours later, the All-Winners met at their Manhattan headquarters. Captain America looked at the six and said, "I don't know about you all, but I found some very interesting information. Jim, what'd you find?"
The Torch shook his head. "Nothing. Sorry, Cap, but nobody I talked to knows anything bad about Sawyer or Smith. I mean, nothing strange. Folks like Dale, over at the Bureau, say that both are straight shooters. And when I checked what's left of Savage's thinking machines, they didn't have anything to tell me, either. Sorry, Cap. Namor, did you find anything?"
"Actually, firebug, I did. I'm reliably informed that there have been some strange visitors to Colonel Sawyer's house. You know he lives in Alexandria, of course; well, it seems that there've been some odd people flying to and from his house late at night."
Namor's words drew some odd looks from the other All-Winners. Captain America said, "And how did you get this information, Namor?"
The Sub-Mariner smiled self-satisfiedly and said, "Let us simply say that it is reliable information, Captain."
The Whizzer and Miss America exchanged glances, and Captain America gave Namor a long, appraising look before finally shrugging and saying, "Okay. As you will. Maddy, Bob, what did you find?"
Miss America looked at the Whizzer, who nodded her on. She said, "Well, I wouldn't expect any of you to notice, but I sacrificed for this; two haircuts in two days! I like my hair long, and now it's...I look like a boy!"
The Whizzer grinned hugely and leered at her and said, "Oh, I don't know about that." Captain America looked away, somewhat uncomfortably, while Namor sat with an expectant look, thinking that the mating habits of surface dwellers were quite confusing. Miss America blushed slightly, then went on. "I...um...anyhow. I had some nice long talks with the ladies in the hairdressers in Alexandria and Bethesda. Their husbands, I guess, are pretty loose with their information. Did you know we're going to be sending troops to China soon? Anyhow...what the generals and colonels tell their wives, and what their wives told me, is that Sawyer has been quite irritable. And that he drove off his girlfriend recently; they had some kind of huge fight, and he was rather beastly to her."
Bucky finally burst out with a "Me next! Pick me next, Cap!"
Captain America looked surprised. "You've got something to add, Fred?"
Bucky nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Me and Toro done some investigatin' of our own!"
Captain America frowned. "I thought I told you to go back to school."
Bucky smile disappeared, and he looked momentarily crestfallen. "Aw, gee, Cap, school's boring - I wanna go out and fight crooks and Commies, like you guys!"
Captain America, still frowning, said, "I think you and I had better have a long talk, Fred. But that can be later - what did you and Toro find?"
Toro said, "I took Bucky down to Alexandria and we talked to some of the kids in the neighborhood around his house. Like Namor said, he's been acting weird - he chases the kids away from his house if they come to close - he even shouts at them if they walk across the sidewalk on the other side of the street."
Bucky chimed in, "Yeah - and there've been some strange cars parked outside his house early in the morning and late at night!"
Captain America nodded once and looked at the Whizzer. "Bob?"
The Whizzer shrugged and looked apologetic. "Sorry, Cap. I followed both Smith and Sawyer like you said. They didn't do anything out of the ordinary. They go to work, they go to bars, they come home. I didn't see any strange visitors at either house."
Captain America nodded slowly. He said, "Thanks. I hate to say this, because Steve Rogers always spoke well of Colonel Sawyer, but what I've found matches what you all have found out. I think he's a traitor."
"I spoke to some folks I know at S.S.U., and--"
Miss America said, "At what?"
Captain America hesitated, and the Whizzer opened his mouth to speak, then shut it. Finally the Whizzer looked at Captain America and said, "We might as well tell them, Cap."
Namor, frowning, said, "Tell us what? I would hope you have not been keeping secrets from us. That would not be...honorable."
Captain America sighed and removed his cowl. He massaged his forehead and smoothed his hair back. He finally said, "It's like this. Bob and I...when President Truman asked us to reunite, he..."
The Whizzer said, "Let me, Cap. You all know about how the O.S.S. was looked at by the end of the war, right?"
Miss America shook her head, and Namor said, "No, I do not." The Human Torch said, "A lot of people thought they were soft on the Commies."
Miss America said, "What? But...Donovan? Dulles? Soft on the Russians?"
Captain America said, "I didn't quite understand it, myself, but that's what people thought. Truman...I don't think he believed that, but he didn't like the Service much. So he dissolved it. That was right after we reformed. Before that, though, he had a meeting with me and Bob. This was the weekend after we all got that telegram. The President was already planning to dissolve the O.S.S., but he wanted to be sure that we would...well, play by the rules. Not get too wild - like Donovan, in other words."
The Whizzer said, "Yeah. So he had us give them our secret i.d.s, and...establish a contact with the Strategic Services Unit of the war department."
Namor said, "What? You mean, you've--"
Captain America slowly nodded. "The White House wants to make sure we're not going to do anything that would hurt the country, or any of the government's efforts overseas, so they've been having Bob and me check in every couple of weeks."
Namor, his frown deepening, said, "And you saw fit to keep this from us. Why? I had trusted you, William, but now..."
Captain America said, "I was ordered not to, Namor. Same with Bob. You said, in Germany, that I had trouble following orders. Maybe so. But not this time."
Namor looked thoughtful, then nodded. "I see. No, you are correct; you were given an order, and it behooved you to follow it. But why are you telling us now?"
Captain America looked at the Whizzer, then said, "We...Bob and I have been discussing this with our contact, and--"
The Human Torch said, "Cap, that's the second time you've mentioned him. Who is it?"
The Whizzer said, "Powell, the one who was the Blazing Skull's handler in Germany during the war."
Miss America said, "But I thought he was FBI?"
Namor said, "He seems to wear several masks. But he is brave, and cunning. A good choice, and better to have on our side than working against us."
The Whizzer nodded. "Yeah. He's been real reasonable with us. Anyhow, he said that, if what we suspect is right, we'd...well, we might not all be coming back. And so you all would need to know who we're reporting to."
Namor said, "What is it, exactly, you suspect, Robert?"
Captain America said, "We think Sawyer's in bed with the Commies."
Miss America said, "What? But..."
The Whizzer nodded, somewhat sadly. "I know. He's a genuine war hero. But...well, Cap, you want to tell them?"
Captain America said, "Yeah. I talked to a couple of folks at the S.S.U., and they - to answer your original question, Maddy, the Strategic Services Unit of the war department is where most of the O.S.S. agents went once the O.S.S. was disbanded. They're what passes for a spy department now, them and the Research Service over at State."
"I talked to them, and to Carmody. The S.S.U. has nothing on Sawyer, but Carmody did a mental probe of Sawyer - and found he couldn't."
The Torch said, "Couldn't?"
Cap shrugged. "I didn't quite follow it myself, but he said that he couldn't read Sawyer's mind, and that only a powerful...I think he called it a `mentat'...anyhow, only someone else with Carmody's own powers could do that."
Miss America said, "I don't...how does this link Sawyer to the Russians?"
The Whizzer said, "It doesn't, Mad - not directly. But no one knew he had mental powers. And that, combined with these other reports...well, it adds up to something bad."
Namor said, "Why, then, is the army not taking steps to deal with this traitor? Why is he still at large?"
Captain America said, "Because, if he does have mental powers, he'll be able to read the minds of those around him, and know that he's being attacked. He's had dealings with those mystery men who are working for the government; he seems to have gone out of his way to deal with them. And so he'll know if someone's laying for him."
The Whizzer nodded. "But us...he doesn't know that we've got a government contact, and so when we find him, it'll be a surprise."
Captain America said, "So here's what I think we should do. Bob and Jim should capture Sawyer; Bob should be too fast for Sawyer's powers to work on, and mind control of course won't work on Jim's android mind. Meanwhile the rest of us go to General Smith, and tell him about Sawyer."
Namor nodded. "That is acceptable."
The others nodded their heads, and the Whizzer said, "Sounds good to me. When do we go?"
Captain America said, "Tonight. 11 o'clock; he should be asleep by then. We'll take Namor's skyship down to DC, and then..."
At 10:59 pm the Whizzer and the Torch, hiding behind a house across the street from Sawyer's, looked at each other and nodded. The Torch burned his way through an upstairs window while the Whizzer broke down the front door.
Several miles away, in Bethesda, Maryland, General Smith answered a knock on his door. When he saw that his visitors were Captain America, Miss America, the Sub-Mariner, Toro, and Bucky, his face turned from irritation to pleasure. "Captain! Please, come in!"
When they were gathered in the living room, General Smith said, "What can I do for you, Captain? Can I get any of you something to drink?"
Captain America shook his head and said, "I'm afraid we've no time for pleasantries, General. We've come about one of your men - Colonel Sawyer."
General Smith looked somewhat confused and said, "Oh? What's he done now?" He broke into a grin and said, "He hasn't gotten into another bar fight, has he? He and Fury, I swear, they--"
Captain America said, "This isn't a joking matter, General. We have reason to believe that Colonel Sawyer is a traitor and a spy." General Smith's expression did not change, even as Captain America and the others explained what they'd found. When they were done, General Smith looked thoughtful. He was silent for a minute, then said, "And you've told no one else of this?"
Captain America shook his head. "No, sir. We weren't sure who might tip him off ahead of time."
General Smith nodded. "Good. Sit down, please."
"I had thought I'd covered my tracks better than this, but apparently not. Ah, well, even the best disguise must come to an end sometime, mustn't it? Still...Captain, you've cost me, and the Motherland, something quite valuable. Nobody knew I was inside his head..and, oh, the secrets I found there. Yes, he had many strange visitors; there are many of us here in Washington, doing our patriotic duty for the Rodina, and I obviously had to get what I'd found back to Moscow, and how better to do it than personal delivery, via one of the Ilyushins or Migs? I'd no way of knowing that any Atlanteans might be watching us...and, yes, I think I was clumsy with those schoolchildren - but, honestly, the way they were creeping around my - I mean, Sawyer's house, I was sure they were peeping. I laid a fear in their minds, to stay away, but I confess I never thought to stop them from talking about it altogether."
"And now you're here, and you've left a trail that will lead others to me. Not right away, no, but eventually, and not even I can reach everyone who might figure it out. Carmody was not able to penetrate my shields, and I could shut down his brain, but he will have spoken to others, and it will be common knowledge, if it isn't already, that a Soviet mentat is active, and within your ranks. I am too valuable to lose, and I cannot prevent my existence from being known, so it is best to cut bait and run. You were right, Captain; I could not defeat your Torch, and your Mr. Frank, no. Best if `General Smith' is not caught. That I will return to Moscow with the highest honors is, I confess, a convincing argument for my departure now, as well."
"No, don't bother to struggle, Namor. Your body has a strength unmatched, but my strength is that of the mind, and its power is unmatched."
"You are wondering, I suppose, why I'm telling you this. Honestly, it's because you are a captive audience - hah, you will forgive the joke. And, to have done so much in secret, and not been able to tell anyone...it is difficult. When one has been as successful as I, one wants to boast about it, to let one's triumphs be known. That has not been the case so far, but why not now? And, to be truthful, I rather enjoy the looks on your faces."
"I killed General Patton because of the danger he posed; alive, he would have pushed for war. It was but a simple thing to reach into his driver's mind and take control. And now he is dead, and the Soviet Union will have time to recover from what was done to it."
"I called you in because I wanted to ensure that no one suspected that Patton's death was anything but accidental; if the mighty All-Winners were to investigate and find it accidental, who would suspect otherwise? But Sawyer and you, Sub-Mariner, were too suspicious, and so I had to act. I thought that manipulating your moods and speech patterns would discredit you, but I suppose - ha! - I did not reckon with my own persuasiveness. I couldn't resist playing with the rest of you, but I thought that would also drive you off. Another mistake on my part, I suppose."
"This knowledge will do you no good, of course, for you will not remember it. What you will remember is..."
"...you'll take care of it, General Smith?" Captain America sounded slightly confused, and his mind felt a little foggy.
General Smith nodded. "Thank you for coming to me about this, Captain. You can trust that I will see to it. Now, then, if you'd excuse me, I have some phone calls to make."
The others, feeling slightly confused, shook Smith's hand and left. The confusion faded the farther away from Smith they got, and soon they were contentedly looking forward to returning home. When the Torch and Whizzer caught up to them back in their Manhattan headquarters, and told them that Sawyer wasn't home, and that there was no evidence of his being a spy in his house, the others nodded and said, with seeming contentment, that General Smith would take care of it.
It was only three days later, after General Smith's disappearance, and the subsequent investigation, which included Professor Carmody's mental probes of the All-Winners, that they became aware of Colonel Sawyer's innocence, and of what had truly occurred.
...and that, General, is what required me to break cover. On the whole, though, I think you will agree that the operation was a success, even taking into account its ending.
Submitted for your approval,
Beria-1
Some minutes the All-Winners left the home of "General Smith," the man known as the Dark Whizzer received a visitor.
The Dark Whizzer was being held in the lowest subsection of the Pentagon's facilities, in its Experimental Weapons section. He had been questioned for several weeks, about his true identity, his past, and most importantly the machine which had brought him here, from his own time and world. He had resisted as best he could, but the power of Professor Carmody's mind forced him to tell what he knew, and kept him from using his powers.
Which is why, when the figure materialized before him, holding a strange, amorphous blob in his hand, the Dark Whizzer did not, could not, use his speed to escape. He simply glared wearily at the figure, spat, and said, "So, you have found me at last. Be done with it; I am weary of this place."
The figure did not even look at the Dark Whizzer as the blob on his hand flared, and the Dark Whizzer's form began to melt. The figure ignored the Dark Whizzer's agonized screams and instead looked through the walls of the Dark Whizzer's cell, at the Experimental Weapons labs. He chuckled softly to himself, saying, "They consider this advanced, do they? Ah, the surprises in store for them..."
He vanished, but the sound of his laughter hung in the air for a while after he was gone.
Author's Notes:
George Patton did, of course, die in December 1945. He wanted to get some early-morning hunting done, and told his driver to pass a truck - Patton was notorious for always wanting to go faster. His driver took the jeep into the left lane, saw that they were about to hit a car in the left lane, and swerved off the road and hit a tree. The driver was okay, but Patton was thrown forward and hit the windshield of the jeep. He lingered for twelve days before dying. Here on Earth-Prime it was an accident, but it's always seemed to me to be a very convenient one.
Happy Sawyer should be familiar to anyone who's read any Sgt. Fury adventures. Powell was in issue #6 of All-Winners and will be showing up in the future, both here and in Liberators. And "Dale" at the FBI is a reference to "Dale of the FBI," an obscure Timely strip.
That bit about the O.S.S. being thought to be soft on Communism is true, as is the given history of the S.S.U.
"Professor Carmody" is the telepathic Golden Age hero The Eternal Brain.
This story did not exactly turn out as I'd hoped, but I trust you'll keep reading; I have some neat stories coming up.
Next Issue: The Future Is Now
