#65 Featuring of the 1950's Written by J Hammond

Cast of Characters	Previously
Captain America ('Steve Rogers')  A man so devoted to original star-spangled patriot that he became him. Hoover, J. Edgar   The Director of the FBI.	The ‘50s Captain America has been sent by FBI head J. Edgar Hoover into the South American nation of San Cubano to overthrow the Communist revolution taking place there. He encountered some troops and handily defeated them. He then found himself in a hidden village where a young boy led him to a Father Estevez…. This tale takes place concurrent with Avengers 1958 #8

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Defending Our Honor
Part Two of Three

The Captain America of the 1950s walked through the ‘streets’ of a village in the South American nation of San Cubano, led by a small boy to someone called Father Estevez. After several minutes, the boy had led him to a brick building and directed him to enter. Cap walked up to the building. There were no windows, so he could not look inside to see if there was a trap brewing or not. He checked his shield, making sure the straps were secure. Many times he’d wondered what THE shield felt like, what would it be like to hold it, to throw it?

Cap slowly opened the door and walked in. From what he could see, it was a small church. In front of him was a small basin of what he presumed to be holy water. He dipped his fingers into the water and anointed himself.

"A prayer, my son?"

Cap turned around to find a small in priestly robes flanked by four men with guns. They were dressed in similar clothing as the little boy he’d met earlier, tattered and dirty pants and shirts and no shoes.

"Is it for what you have done, or for what you are about to do?"

One of the men came a bit too close with the barrel of his gun for Cap’s liking. He grabbed it and simultaneously jammed the butt of the gun and his shield into the man’s gut, doubling him over. The other gunmen rushed in. Cap caught one in the face with the gun he’d taken from his first opponent, dropping him to the floor immediately.

"El hombre es un animal!" One of the gunmen cried as he charged at Cap. Cap caught the man’s forearm and sent him to the floor with a judo throw. The final gunman charged him and Cap grasped him by the throat and lifted him off of the ground.

"His neck. I’ll snap it like a twig."

The man in priests robes cowered before Cap. Cap smiled at the fear he was instilling in these men.

"Stop! Please release him!"

Cap tightened his grip on his captive, delighting in the cries of pain his vice-like grip were causing his captive to emit.

"I didn’t come here to fight you, but I will if necessary."

He threw his captive into the other three gunmen who were just now being to regain their vertical base.

"I only want information. If I were a threat to you people, I wouldn’t have just walked through the door and your men would all be dead right now."

Cap picked the guns up off of the floor. He emptied their ammunition onto the floor and then dropped the guns at the priest’s feet.

"Though to be perfectly honest, you people haven’t given me a whole lot of reason not to kill you. Now, I was directed here by a little boy to see a Father Estevez. Are you him?"

The priest crouched to see if his fellows were all right. When he was satisfied there was no permanent damage, he stood again.

"Yes. I am Father Estevez. You are obviously Captain America. Tales of your exploits in the Second World War have reached even here."

Cap barely responded. He hadn’t fought in World War Two. That was the first Captain America, and the second. Sooner or later, he knew people would discover he wasn’t the genuine article. It’s something he’d have to deal with when the time came.

"I’ve been sent here by my government to stop Castrano’s Communist regime. If you can help me, I’d appreciate it, if not, I’ll do it anyhow. After all, I AM Captain America!"

Estevez sat down on the edge of the water basin and produced a cigarette from his jacket. He took out a pack of matches and lit it, inhaling the smoke.

"I do not believe this will be as easy to accomplish as you believe, Captain. You were brought here by airplane, no?"

Cap nodded an affirmative.

"Then you undoubtedly saw the silos at the military base."

Cap’s face became puzzled. What was Estevez getting at?

"Silos? What are you…wait. Missiles."

Cap sat down next to Estevez as what he had he just learned sank in. This was going to be more difficult than he’d thought, no doubt about it.

"Yes, Captain, missiles. I am not sure how, but Castrano has come into possession of atomic weaponry."

Cap’s eyes grew wide, his mouth agape in awe. Slowly, his face contorted into a grimace of anger.

"The Russians! Those Commie scum must have given them to him."

Cap rose to his feet and began to pace about the room, wracking his brain for some semblance of a plan to proceed with.

"OK, this has become a hell of a lot more complicated than I’d planned on. I need to take down Castrano, but these missiles will have to be my first priority. Before any of that, though, I need to get inside that base."

Father Estevez cleared his throat and rose to his feet. Cap turned and fixed his gaze upon him.

"There’s a ventilation duct on the outside…"

It had taken him most of the day, but Cap had finally reached the area that Estevez had told him about. It was the west wall of the base, concealed by the thick jungle. He slowly walked along the edge of the wall, keeping an eye out for guards while he searched for the ventilation duct that would be his ticket inside. After searching for several minutes, he finally found what he was looking for. He slipped his fingers into the holes of the screen that covered the duct. He procured a solid grip, grit his teeth and ripped the screen off the wall. He tossed the screen to the ground and gave a quick look around to make sure no one had seen or heard him. Part of him wished he’d been discovered. He was spoiling for a good brawl. ‘Oh well,’ he told himself, ‘I can always take it out on Castrano.’ He reached up into the duct and pulled himself inside and began to crawl down the duct.

Next Issue: Captain America finally comes face to face with Felipe Castrano, but he is not what he seems! What does this hold in store for Cap? Find out ... Next Issue!

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