Story: CAPTAIN AMERICA#319 by Mark Gruenwald (writer) and
Paul Neary
(artist)
Victims: Bird-Man, Turner D. Century, Cheetah, Commander
Kraken, Cyclone,
Firebrand, Grapper, Hellrazor, Hijacker, Jaguar, Letha, Mind-Wave, Mirage,
Rapier, Ringer (?), Shellshock, Steeplejack II, Vamp (?)
Synopsis: While Captain America continues to hunt for
Scourge,
Greg
Gilbert continues to plan for the meeting. Finally the meeting arrives.
Weaponry is checked at the door to prevent Scourge from posing as one of
the villains (possibly if Jake was involved in this plan there was a
second motive as well). The villains start to argue with one another as to
the plan. Greg tries to maintain order and hear the plans one at a time.
Jake says, "May I make a suggestion? You can all *eat lead and die!*" Jake
is firing with two semi-automatic guns with explosive bullets at the same
time at the same time, so there's no chance to veto that particular
particular suggestion. After the shooting stops, Jake, removing his mask
says, "Dead. All eighteen of them! Justice is served!"
Is this a key part of the overall Scourge storyline? Oh yes.
Aside
from being a key
part of the Hunt for Scourge story, it's his greatest success, though it
also plays into his downfall in the next issue.
Does this tie into the main story in this issue? It *is* the
main story this time.
Comments: From what I heard Vamp returned from the dead in
Deadpool.
Apparently there are multiple Vamp's.
The Ringer returned from the dead in Lethal Foes of
Spider-man.
His return seems more unlikely. The Ringer took three gunshot woulds. One
of which, the one that leaves the largest hole in the drawing from Marvel
Universe Deluxe#19 (the new illo); judging from the panel reprinted in
Captain America#320 the biggest hole was very close to the heart and
probably should have taken out at least part of it. The Ringer is strill
there in #321 because Captain America and Water Wizard seem to get an
accurate body count. So the only time a swipe could have occured would be
when Captain america and Water Wizard left the building, if they did
before the police arrived, since AIM recovered the body on site. If the
return isn't some hoax, the most plausible scenario is the police were
called elsewhere either because Scourge cut the lines at the bar (if
indeed the bar had a phone) or because Cap or Water Wizard wanted to make
the call away from the bodies. Even so it's strange that no one noticed
that the body count Cap gave to the press was lower than it should be (the
press knew how many bodies there were from Cap because it figures into a
plan next issue).