- "Greatest city in the world."
"Yeah. New Yorkers like saying that. Still, after all this time, I... I don't know how I feel about it."
"That's the beauty of it. It can be whatever you need it to be." - ―Colleen Wing and Danny Rand[src]
New York City is the largest city of the state of New York and the largest metropolitan area in the United States.
History[]
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Ancient Times[]
Place of Power[]
Thousands of years in the past, the mighty sorcerer Agamotto erected a sanctuary in a place of power where New York would have arisen, in order to create a mystical shield around the globe. He then left the sanctuary in the custody of his disciples.[1]
Steve Rogers' Childhood[]
The Promise[]
In 1924, a young Steve Rogers, son of a World War I soldier and a nurse, was playing with his toy soldiers, when his mother, Sarah, terminally ill due to the tuberculosis she contracted while in the hospital she worked, called for him.
Realizing the resemblance between him and his father Joseph, Sarah guessed his son would like to be a soldier just like his father was, but many people would tell him what he could not do due to his physical condition. However, Sarah reminded his son that although his body may look frail, it held a heart ten times its size, and made him promise that whatever his dream would be, he would use his head to avoid sharing the same fate as Joseph, a promise Steve would remember in the years to come.[2]
Harry Houdini's Escape Act[]
In 1925, Harry Houdini performed one of his sensational escape acts at the Griffith Hotel, where he escaped from handcuffs, straight jackets and steamer trunks.
The tenants watched fascinated as Houdini performed his acts one after another, but despite everything, Houdini had to adhere to the strict code of conduct of the hotel, and was not allowed to ascend the stairs above the first floor.[3]
Market Crash[]
Following the Wall Street Crash of 1929, orchestrated by Thomas Gloucester,[4] the father of Wilfred Malick found himself so distraught over his financial losses that he jumped out of a window, killing himself. Malick became a poor kid, until he got taken in by Ernest Koenig, who offered Malick work at his speakeasy in exchange for a place to live.[5]
Meeting Bucky Barnes[]
- "For the last time, runt, you Eighth Avenue punks wanna cross Tenth, you gotta pay a toll."
- ―Bully[src]
Steve Rogers is picked on by bullies
In 1930, Steve Rogers got involved in a fight against a group of bullies who demanded a toll for crossing Tenth Avenue. Despite his physical and numerical disadvantage, Rogers refused to pay, and the bullies started hitting him until another boy arrived and started defending him, as he was sick of watching those bullies stealing the money of little kids like Rogers.
Rogers helped his rescuer in the fight by hitting one of the bullies with a circular garbage can lid, and the bullies fled the alley. The boy was inspired to stand up to the bullies by watching a frail boy like Rogers do it, and introduce himself as James Buchanan Barnes, although his friend called him Bucky.[2]
Wilfred Malick's Delivery[]
Ernest Koenig's speakeasy flourished during the Prohibition, and he catered an event hosted by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. The morning of the event, Koenig sent Jimmy Bottles to the shut-down pharmacy Cut Rate Drugs to bribe police Captain William Dole to stay away from the party. However, at this event, Wilfred Malick was contacted by Viola, a member of HYDRA and a friend of his father's, offering him a chance to help the organization by delivering a key ingredient of the Super Soldier Serum.[5] Malick took his car to a train track and got on, riding it to Hell's Harbor, where he made his delivery and became a respected member of HYDRA.[6]
World War II[]
Beginning[]
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- "Wait-- Who bombed what now? Pearl Harbor? That in Queens?"
- ―Art Student[src]
Steve Rogers learning about World War II
In December 7, 1941, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were attending an art lesson, where Barnes was more interested in the model, when news erupted that the United States had entered World War II after a bombing over Pearl Harbor.
Rogers discussed with Barnes the need to enlist, as their country would need every available man to fight in the war. Barnes tried to dissuade Rogers given his frail physical condition, citing that he got winded just for taking three flights of stairs. Rogers asked Barnes to prepare him as a physical trainer, given his status as the three-time West Side YMCA Welterweight champion. Barnes, although worried about his friend, agreed to do it.
Four days later, Rogers started taking boxing lessons from Barnes at Goldie's Gym. Barnes' first lesson would be that there was no warm-up, while punching Rogers in the face. Barnes told him that given his physical weakness, he should stay always alert to avoid his opponent to take advantage.
Over the next few days, Rogers trained hard at the gym and running, getting confident enough to make his first attempt to enlist on Christmas Eve. A doctor examined him but Rogers was ultimately rejected, with the doctor advising him to look for other ways to help the country, such as drawing enlistment and war bonds advertisements due to his art training. Rogers was not discouraged, and while Barnes had been accepted into the Army, he was going to try again, getting a second opinion.[2]
Sewer Systems[]
In 1942, Peggy Carter spent time in the New York City sewer system and learned how its storm drain system worked.[3]
Brooklyn Project[]
- "I still prefer "The Brooklyn Project", Colonel Phillips. Let that stuck-up jerk Oppenheimer and his crew at Los Alamos know they've got competition."
- ―Howard Stark[src]
Doctor Abraham Erskine, Howard Stark and Colonel Chester Phillips, members of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, oversaw the completion of the laboratory destined to house Project Rebirth, with Stark noting that it should be called "Brooklyn Project" instead, paralleling Robert Oppenheimer's Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.
However, Erskine rejected the twenty candidates Phillips recommended as he wanted the power granted by his serum to fall in the right hands, with the agreement of Peggy Carter, who witnessed firsthand the result of the formula in a man like Johann Schmidt.[2]
Enlistment[]
- "You're about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know, there's three and a half million women here."
- ―Bucky Barnes to Steve Rogers[src]
Young Steve Rogers tried to enlist again for military duty in World War II. Rogers was questioned about his family records, revealing the cause of death of his father and mother. However, despite his motivation, Rogers was rejected due to various health and physical issues, and the doctor responsible for his evaluation claimed that with the rejection, he saved Rogers' life.
Rogers attended a cinema, respectfully watching the advertisements about the work of the United States Armed Forces during the war. Another spectator complained about the advertisements, wanting the movie to begin, and Rogers' demands to show respect ended up in a fight in a nearby alley. Rogers, despite his physical disadvantages, was not afraid of the man, and tried to use a circular garbage can lid as a shield to defend himself.
Sergeant Bucky Barnes, Rogers' best friend, arrived in time to defend him and drive the attacker away. Barnes retrieved Rogers' latest rejection document, and warned him that lying in the enlistment form was illegal, before announcing that he was destined with the 107th Infantry Regiment to England.
Stark Industries presentation
Howard Stark, owner and CEO of Stark Industries, sponsored an exhibition of future technologies, the World Exposition of Tomorrow, which Rogers, Barnes and their respective dates, Bonnie and Connie, attended. The Expo presented such inventions as Phineas Horton's Synthetic Man, and a prototype of a Flying Car by Stark Industries. Stark himself hosted the presentation of the Flying Car, an audience success despite the failure of the prototype.
Rogers attempted to enlist again during the presentation, leaving Barnes and the girls behind, but Barnes tried to persuade Rogers to not expose himself to such a risk. Rogers' strong moral convictions were the reason behind all those attempts to enlist, perceiving he had no right to stay behind when men were risking their lives fighting in the war, and Barnes, concerned about the well-being of his friend, asked him not to do nothing stupid until his return before saying goodbye.
Doctor Abraham Erskine of the Strategic Scientific Reserve overheard Rogers' conversation with Barnes about wanting to help in the war, and approached Rogers to evaluate his motives of enlisting, directly asking Rogers if he wanted to kill Nazis. Rogers' five attempts of enlisting, and his motivations to not kill anyone, but to help stop the war, impressed Erskine, and offered him his only chance to enlist.[7]
Project Rebirth[]
- "I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that diner."
- ―Steve Rogers[src]
Steve Rogers returned to New York City accompanied by Agent Peggy Carter of the Strategic Scientific Reserve to a secret laboratory, in order to become the first test subject of Project Rebirth. While on the way, Rogers went through his old neighborhood, remembering all the places where he had been beaten. Carter asked why he did not run away, and his answer was that if he had run, nothing would let him stop running. During the conversation, Carter realized that Rogers did not know how to talk to a woman, and Rogers confessed that that was his longest conversation, as he was both frightened and uninterested in women, as he thought he could wait for the perfect match.
Rogers and Carter arrived to an antique store, that served as the entrance to the laboratory. where Abraham Erskine greeted Rogers, and Colonel Chester Phillips attended Senator Brandt and Fred Clemson of the Department of State. Rogers prepared himself for the treatment; Erskine informed the assistants of his intentions with this project, to walk down the path towards peace, and explained the details of the procedure.
The procedure began, with Rogers being infused with many injections of Erskine's Super Soldier Serum, and Howard Stark activating a saturation of Vita Radiation over the subject. The process was extremely painful, but when Erskine ordered to stop the procedure, Rogers claimed that he could resist.
Steve Rogers pursuing Heinz Kruger on the streets of New York
The procedure was successful, and Rogers emerged from the experiment taller and muscular. However, Fred Clemson revealed himself to be HYDRA agent Heinz Kruger; he murdered Erskine and took a vial of the serum. Although Carter shot Kruger, she couldn't stop him from fleeing. With his dying breath, Erskine reminded Rogers of the promise he made the night before, being a good person no matter what happened.
Carter continued shooting Kruger, and managed to kill his driver. Kruger was forced to change his vehicle and almost hit Carter, who was saved by Rogers before pursuing Kruger through the streets to Brooklyn piers, where Kruger took a boy as a hostage.
Kruger boarded the Fieser Dorsch and thought he had managed to flee, but Rogers was able to throw him off the vehicle, breaking the vial containing the last sample of the Super Soldier Serum. The assassin committed suicide via cyanide capsule before he could be interrogated.
Rogers was taken to the SSR facility to take blood samples in hopes of reproducing Project Rebirth, as Peggy Carter remarked that the secrets of Erskine's formula were lost with his death, and the only remaining traces of the formula were now in Rogers' genes.
Colonel Phillips demanded answers for the event from Senator Brandt, replying that the assassin infiltrated the laboratory with the senator. Howard Stark examined the submarine used by Kruger, realizing that its technology was superior to theirs. Senator Brandt then learned HYDRA's purpose from Phillips and Carter.
Phillips received new orders for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, to finish off HYDRA, and ordered Carter and Stark to move to London with him. Rogers volunteered to go with them, but Phillips ordered him to go to Alamogordo in order to being subjected to tests in order to recreate the Super Soldier Serum.
Senator Brandt offered Rogers another option, as his heroic persecution of Kruger in the streets of New York City was witnessed by many citizens and became a front page in the newspapers. He had potential as a public symbol.[7]
Captain America's USO Shows[]
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One of Captain America's shows in New York
Rogers joined the USO and began touring the nation in a colorful costume as "Captain America", accompanied by a chorus named the Star Spangled Singers, New York being one of the many cities visited.
Rogers' shows included Rogers' speech about the role of the common citizen during the war, a dancing show by the Star Spangled Singers, feats showing Rogers' strength, a climatic moment when Captain America punched another actor portraying Adolf Hitler and the possibility of getting an autograph or a photo with Captain America.
Rogers' success during these shows led to the promotional movies and comics about "Captain America"'s adventures during World War II.[7]
End of the War[]
- "This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York."
- ―Steve Rogers[src]
New York City was among the populated American cities that Red Skull planned to destroy with his HYDRA Parasits. Captain America heroically sacrificed himself in order to prevent the plane from reaching its destination. Due to this and other feats during the war, Captain America became a role model for children all over the world, especially for the ones in his native neighborhood of Brooklyn.[7]
Toy Vault[]
Howard Stark met Ida Emke at a charity auction and flirted with her, spending a weekend together. Stark even took her to the warehouse where he stored many of his prototype vehicles, in order to impress her, even offering to fly a plane with her.
Emke told him that he had drunk too many Martinis to fly a plane, but Stark assured that she would be perfectly safe, given that three of the planes were able to fly themselves. Emke continued to seduce him, making him reveal that he had another vault at his mansion as, unbeknownst to him, Ida Emke was actually a Soviet spy working for Leviathan and Johann Fennhoff.[8]
Acquisition Attempt of the Roxxon Refinery[]
Howard Stark tried to purchase the Roxxon Refinery from Hugh Jones in January 1946. However, Jones refused given the affair that Stark had with his wife, that ended both businessmen's friendship.[9]
Theft of Howard Stark's Technology[]
Leet Brannis was tasked by Leviathan to infiltrate the Stark Mansion and steal all the technology that was kept inside his vault, deemed too dangerous by Howard Stark to ever being used.[10]
Brannis waited until a night with a powerful thunderstorm. It caused a power failure for two hours that deactivated all the alarms and he opened a hole under the vault from the sewers. Since the sewers were prepared to take stormwater to the river, Brannis put a raft under the vault and took all the technology to the sea, while opening a manhole in the opposite direction as a distraction.
Brannis followed the course of the waters until reaching a tide gate, and loaded the technology to a ship named The Heartbreak.[3]
Strategic Scientific Reserve Missions[]
A Day of Work[]
Peggy Carter prepared herself for another day of work for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, checking the newspaper to read about Howard Stark's Senate hearings concerning the sale of his weapons in the black market. Carter drank a cup of tea, prepared her clothes and watered the plants in the apartment.
As Carter was about to close her bed, Colleen O'Brien, Carter's roommate, arrived from her job at a factory, complaining how ten women were released to be replaced by returning World War II veterans, even though the veterans were not experienced with the factory's work, as O'Brien had to explain to one of the veterans how to use a rivet gun.
Carter listened as she finished grabbing her things, returning O'Brien a blouse she took the night before. O'Brien taunted Carter once again with her reluctance to go on dates with men, explaining that there was a difference between being an independent woman and a spinster.
Carter dismissed the topic telling her to rest for the rest of the day, given that O'Brien was feeling sick, even thinking she had tuberculosis. Before Carter left, O'Brien reminded her that she would go to the cinema with her friends the following Saturday, and wanted Carter to accompany her.
Carter said she would try, but could not assure she would be free, as her work for the New York Bell Company, the cover used by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, kept her very busy. O'Brien was confounded that a job at a phone company was so important, even a matter of "life and death", to which Carter replied she had no idea.[10]
Chase of Howard Stark[]
Manhunt[]
Peggy Carter arrived at the New York Bell Company Office, the covert Strategic Scientific Reserve facility where she worked in New York City following World War II. Upon arriving, she greeted Rose Roberts, one of the phone operators that maintained the cover of the office, who opened a hidden elevator to let her enter inside the office and complimented the hat Carter was wearing.
Chief Roger Dooley called all agents for a briefing, but ordered Carter to stay out and cover the phones. However, Carter called Roberts and asked her to redirect all incoming calls to the briefing room, so she could attend the briefing with the rest of the male agents.
Dooley exhibited a movie regarding Howard Stark's Senate hearings, as Stark had been accused of selling weapons to the black market and even to enemies of the United States of America. However, Stark had disappeared before the final day of hearings concluded, and he was not found in his houses or his offices. For that reason, Stark had been labeled as a fugitive.
Dooley appointed Jack Thompson as the leading agent of the operation, who proposed to freeze Stark's assets, including his planes. However, Carter objected to the accusations against Stark, something that Dooley had already foreseen. Carter explained Stark's role during World War II, and how he helped the country, refusing to believe he was a traitor.
Dooley disregarded Carter's opinions, sarcastically calling her to be just Captain America's "liaison", but now that the war had ended, professionals like them would decide over important things, and ended the briefing.
Ray Krzeminski made a chauvinist comment about Carter, prompting fellow agent Daniel Sousa to apologize to Carter. Krzeminski rudely treated Sousa, saying that he was not even talking to him, and taunted him due to his physical disability.
Carter approached Sousa, but instead of thanking him as he expected, Carter told him not to stand for her. Sousa disliked how the rest of the agents treated Carter, just as a secretary instead of as a fellow agent, but Carter assured she was capable of handling them, despite she was grateful for what he did, and shared his dislike for the treatment.
Thompson approached Carter to try to make her file some surveillance reports, saying that she was better with that. Carter asked Thompson what was he referring to, as if it was the alphabet, the only thing needed to file the reports, she would gladly teach him starting with "A".
Carter took the reports, and Thompson left, jokingly saying goodbye in three different languages with words starting with "A". Sousa felt sorry for Thompson, having heard that he lost his personality in Iwo Jima.[10]
Old Friends[]
Peggy Carter went to have dinner at the L&L Automat checking the latest news about Howard Stark and how he had been branded as a traitor. Waitress Angie Martinelli, watching Steve Rogers' photograph in Carter's newspaper, commented how she once saw one of Captain America's USO Shows in Passaic, becoming impressed with his physique. Carter acted as if she had not personally met Rogers, to conceal her identity as an agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
Martinelli realized Carter was feeling depressed; Carter explained how her job was not as productive as it used to be, as during World War II she had a purpose and responsibility, but she had been relegated to lower functions. Martinelli compared it to her situation as an aspiring actress, as she had an audition that day, but she was not chosen.
Martinelli had to leave Carter, as a rude customer was complaining about the food. Carter asked about that customer, disliking how he was treating Martinelli, and she replied expressing her own discomfort, though she could not openly voice her own opinion while she was working.
Carter got up to take a piece of pie, but as she returned to the table, she found a note written in a napkin, asking her to meet in the nearby alley in five minutes. Carter tried to find who left the note, but she did not see anyone suspicious.
Carter exited the restaurant, where Edwin Jarvis politely greeted her and told her she would be coming with him. A car waiting for her at the entrance of the alley turned its lights on, and Carter, believing it was an ambush, quickly knocked Jarvis out. The car went to chase Carter through the alley, but she shot one of its wheels forcing it to stop.
The door of the car opened, and its driver turned out to be none other than Howard Stark, who apologized for not calling first and asked Carter if she had missed him.[10]
Secret Mission[]
Peggy Carter and Howard Stark discussed the events that led to Stark being branded as a traitor to the United States. Stark explained how he kept his most dangerous inventions in a vault in the sub-basement of one of his offices, given that sometimes he could not help inventing them, but at least tried to control them not to be sold.
Stark found his vault had been breached as he returned from a Monaco the month before, and his inventions started appearing on the black market, and despite that was the truth, the United States Senate would surely blame him of staging the theft in order to make profit of the sale.
Howard Stark departs after recruiting Agent Peggy Carter
Stark noticed that Carter found that accusation plausible, though she replied she was simply considering all the angles. Stark went on to ask her a big favor, to help him track his inventions and clear his name, as given that the Strategic Scientific Reserve was focusing its resources in catching him, the actual culprit was still at large, and he needed someone trustworthy to help him.
Carter was not sure about the petition, given that she would become a traitor in order to prove Stark was not one. However, she knew that her skills were not being of use in her current job, as she was underestimated by her superiors, and he offered an important mission to stop a lunatic that tried to be the next Red Skull.
Stark asked Edwin Jarvis, who was driving the car, to turn off the lights and stop at the harbor, as he intended to leave the country to track some of his inventions that had been already sold in Europe, tasking Carter to find the ones that were still in New York City, especially the formula for Nitramene, a highly powerful explosive that could level an entire city block with a small quantity.
Given the power of the substance, only about a dozen of the active fences in the city would be able to deal with such item, believing in Carter's ability to find the right one. Stark offered Carter the assistance of Jarvis, his personal butler, who would help her in any way he could, and thanked her for her help before departing.
Carter went on to speak to Jarvis, advising him to introduce himself the next time he approached a woman in a dark alley, something he would try to remember if the concussion due to Carter's attack was not too severe. Jarvis gave Carter his phone number in case she needed him, asking her to call before 9:00, as it was the time he and his wife Ana went to bed.
Carter realized Jarvis was new to espionage, though he proudly replied how she caught the cook stealing the cutlery. Jarvis opened the car's door for Carter and asked what was she going to do now, to which she replied she was going to work.[10]
Nitramene Compound[]
Black Market Dealings[]
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The following day, Peggy Carter returned to the New York Bell Company Office, witnessed how Daniel Sousa was examining some pictures of Howard Stark in the same boat he used to escape from the city.
Carter, having agreed to help Stark clear his name, casually approached Sousa in order to learn about his investigation. Sousa was focusing in quickly finding Stark, given than most fugitive cases are solved in the first 72 hours, and investigated the possibility that Stark would try to leave the country in a boat.
Carter misled Sousa explaining that the only reason Stark would board a boat would be that he liked the girl that appeared in the photographs, as Stark could not even swim. Carter even told him a fake anecdote as how Stark tried to kiss her during the Victory in Europe Day, and as she threw him into the River Thames, they needed to call frogmen to catch him and get him out of the water.
Jack Thompson organized a private meeting with Chief Roger Dooley and fellow agents Ray Krzeminski and Yauch, in order to brief them about the discovery of a fence trying to sell one of Stark's inventions, Spider Raymond, the owner of a night club named La Martinique.
Thompson explained what the requirements for their mission were, such as the dress code for the three agents that were going to infiltrate the club, and the support agents that needed to be stationed outside. Dooley offered to get backup from the police department, but Thompson refused, given that Raymond would discover them.
Carter entered the briefing with the excuse of bringing coffee to the agents, overhearing that Raymond had a taste for blonde women and money, and that Thompson only needed two men with sidearms to grab Raymond, his buyer and Stark's technology. Dooley asked Thompson if he did it such missions while he was in Okinawa, replying that only sometimes, as other times they actually brought a tank.
Dooley agreed with Thompson's plan, and then asked Carter why did she enter the briefing room, as it was only for field agents. Thompson asked Dooley to let Carter stay, as she may learn something from them, though Carter replied that she already learnt what she needed.
Carter requested a sick day, telling Dooley she was not feeling good due to "ladies' things", causing discomfort in all the male agents present. Dooley granted her the day, telling her to go shopping or doing whatever made her feel better. Carter thanked him for his understanding before leaving the room, wishing them to enjoy the coffee.[10]
Night at La Martinique[]
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Spider Raymond, the owner of La Martinique, oversaw the ambiance in his night club before going to his office, in order to discuss with Leet Brannis the sale of Nitramene, a formula developed by Howard Stark and stolen from his vault.
Raymond asked Brannis about the properties of the Nitramene and the rest of the content retrieved from Stark's vault, jokingly asking if Jane Russell's number was also there too. Seeing that Brannis did not say a single word, Raymond went on with the transaction, offering him a deal for any other items he could possibly obtain, and Brannis abandoned the club.
Peggy Carter, undercover as a blonde lady, was offered to dance by one of the patrons attending the club, to which she politely refused, and went on to find Raymond. Carter approached one of Raymond's bouncers, asking him to see his boss, and being allowed entrance knowing Raymond's taste for blonde women.
Carter prepared herself for the meeting using a Sweet Dreams Lipstick, and entered Raymond's office, who was delighted by having a beautiful woman flirting with him; however, he tried to dismiss Carter as soon as she mentioned the formula for the Nitramene.
Carter flirted more aggressively in order to keep his interest, explaining that she had friends interested in buying the formula, and she even could offer him more than the buyer he surely already had could offer. Raymond told Carter that he was not carrying the formula, and went on to passionately kiss Carter.
One of Raymond's men entered the office to announce that someone was waiting for him, but seeing Raymond kissing Carter, the subordinate did not want to interrupt his boss.
Raymond lost consciousness due to Carter's lipstick, and she then searched for the Nitramene, opening Raymond's vault with her Pick-Lock Wristwatch. Carter was surprised to see that the Nitramene was not just a theoretical formula anymore, as it had been weaponized into a full bomb.
Carter called Edwin Jarvis at his residence, to inform him about the Nitramene and how it had been turned into a functional weapon. Jarvis left the dinner he was preparing for his wife and went on to look for Stark's notes regarding the Nitramene.
Jarvis explained that if the Nitramene had an orange glow, exactly as the sample Carter found was doing, it would reach peak volatility which could result in an implosion with a blast radius of 500 yards. The only way to prevent it from imploding was a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate and acetate, that Carter already knew how to prepare.
Jarvis also warned Carter not to touch the core to the containment ring, as it would cause a core overload, and ended their conversation to attend to his wife; despite Carter telling Jarvis that the job they were doing had "after-hours requirements", so did his wife.
Agents Jack Thompson, Ray Krzeminski and Yauch arrived at the nightclub, and one of the bouncers quickly recognized them as members of the law enforcement, asking them if they had a warrant or had come to the club to socialize. Thompson asked if they could to both, as he was sure nobody would mind if the three agents took a look around the club.
The bouncer went to ask one of his colleagues to inform Raymond of their arrival, while a man in Green Suit noticed something was happening. As the tall bouncer entered Raymond's office, he saw Carter trying to leave and an unconscious Raymond. Carter quickly knocked him out before he could grab his weapon, and left the office, coming across the man in Green Suit.
Carter saw Thompson, Yauch and Krzeminski in the club, and avoided being discovered by accepting the dance that a customer proposed to her as she arrived.
In her office, Raymond regained consciousness and realized that the blonde woman had stolen the Nitramene from his safe. The man in Green Suit entered the office, and though Raymond tried to explain that the blonde woman had the Nitramene, the man killed Raymond and stole his agenda.
Carter avoided Thompson once again, and thanked the man for the dance, leaving the club in a hurry and taking a taxi from the Lucky Star Cab Company to return to her apartment.
Thompson, Yauch and Krzeminski stormed Raymond's office, finding his corpse on the floor, and realizing that they spent a lot of time changing their clothes. Thompson ordered to seal the exits of the club, but both Carter and the man in Green Suit had already left the club.[10]
Neutralizing the Nitramene[]
Peggy Carter returned to her apartment, finding that her roommate Colleen O'Brien was inside instead of being at work as Carter expected. O'Brien explained that she was sent home due to having fever, and though she offered to give the bed to Carter as part of their agreement to share the bed, Carter refused and offered to make tea.
Carter neutralizing the nitramene in the bathroom
O'Brien realized that Carter was wearing a night dress, complimenting her appearance, and asked if she had gone out on a date. Carter told her she went, at least in a manner of speaking. O'Brien was proud of Carter, knowing that she was a woman deserving not to be alone and asked to tell her every detail the following morning.
Carter entered the bathroom to prepare a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate and acetate using a combination of baking soda and vinegar, in order to neutralize the Nitramene sample that she stole from Spider Raymond. Carter carefully extracted the core of the device and sprayed it with the solution, effectively neutralizing the Nitramene.
However, just as Carter was about to have a drink to celebrate her success, she heard a noise coming from the bedroom, and quickly went to investigate what happened. Carter found the room had been searched, and when she approached O'Brien at the bed, she found her dead body with a shot in her forehead.
The man in the Green Suit that was at La Martinique emerged from the wardrobe, trying to shoot Carter and recover the Nitramene, but she managed to defend herself from him. During the fight, Carter saw a peculiar scar in the man's throat, and ended up throwing him through the window; the man was able to get up and escape.
Carter went on to check her friend's dead body and started to cry over her loss.[10]
Grieving a Friend[]
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Peggy Carter met Edwin Jarvis at the L&L Automat, to talk about the discovery of functional samples of Nitramene, though Carter was still mourning the death of her friend, Colleen O'Brien.
Jarvis apologized for appearing to be insensitive, as he asked if the apartment or O'Brien's death could be traced to her, but given that O'Brien used only her name and not Carter's on the lease, and nobody knew she was living there, it was highly improbable.
Jarvis went on to ask Carter about O'Brien, especially if she had any family, Carter knew that O'Brien lost a brother in Guadalcanal. Despite having met her friend only for a few months, when she needed a place to stay but did not know anyone in the city, O'Brien helped her.
Carter was sad, feeling that once again she had lost someone close to her, just like it happened with Steve Rogers. She was happy that Howard Stark asked her for help, struggling why nobody gave her any chance since World War II, so he took the chance that Stark gave her, but she thought she failed and that O'Brien's death was entirely her fault.
Jarvis tried to cheer Carter up, explaining that according to her war record, she was an excellent agent, and if her male colleagues failed to see it, it was entirely their problem. He also said that Carter was just trying to do the right thing, something she accomplished in his opinion, though they would not know if it was worth it until the job had finished.
Carter asked Jarvis where his wife thought he was, and he had invented an alibi of supervising the "extraction" of one of Stark's conquests, who refused to vacate his penthouse.
In order to continue their investigation, Carter thought the next step would be to learn the location of where the Nitramene sample was created, though she could not take it to her office for analysis. Jarvis then proposed to take it to a man that could help them with their investigation.[10]
Analysis of the Nitramene Device[]
Edwin Jarvis took Peggy Carter to one of Stark Industries facilities in New York City to consult Doctor Anton Vanko about the Nitramene functional device that she stole from Spider Raymond.
Vanko analyzed the whole device, and concluded that it was made of a lanthanum carbon alloy, a compound very difficult to process due to its instability, which made Carter realize that it must have been created in the city.
Vanko informed her that only the Roxxon Corporation would have been able to produce it, given that during World War II, the other two refineries that could have produced it, one belonging to Franklin Chemical and the other to Eaglestar, had been closed by the United States Navy or had been converted to Diesel, respectively.
Carter realized that the Roxxon Refinery had about 200 acres, so it would take weeks to find any evidence of the Nitramene inside it. However, Vanko explained that even the Nitramene was not volatile, but it still emitted low levels of Vita Radiation, which gave Carter, who witnessed the effects of Vita-rays during Project Rebirth, an idea to narrow the search.[10]
Memories of the War[]
Peggy Carter returned to the New York Bell Company Office in order to take Abraham Erskine's Vita-Ray Detector from the Project Rebirth files kept in the archive. However, Carter could not help check Steve Rogers' file inside the box, remembering her last conversation with him as she looked at his photograph.
Daniel Sousa entered the room, and as he saw Carter almost crying, he tried to leave the room unnoticed, but he unintentionally hit one of the shelves with his crutch. Sousa apologized for the intrusion, as he still had to fully learn how to control the crutch.
Carter assured she did not allow herself to get nostalgic often, so Sousa shared his experience during World War II, and how he was offered by the chaplain from the field hospital to send his effects to someone in case the worst happened. However, Sousa did not want to send his few belongings to his father, as he preferred to let him remember his life, and as it turned out, he did not die, even joking about his disability.
Carter tried to cheer Sousa up and bond with him, explaining that he was one of the lucky ones, as there were many soldiers that did not manage to return. Sousa silently nodded as he left the room.
Now alone again, Carter took the Vita-Ray Detector and prepared herself to raid the Roxxon Refinery.[10]
Nitramene Retrieval Mission[]
The man in the Green Suit set up a Remote Typewriter inside his hotel room in order to contact the organization that tasked him with the recovery of the Nitramene from Spider Raymond.
The man informed them that Strategic Scientific Reserve Agent Margaret Carter obtained the device before he could arrive, and requested permission to kill her. The organization simply ordered him to complete his mission at all costs.[10]
Destruction of the Roxxon Refinery[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis went to the Roxxon Refinery to investigate the origin of the Nitramene device that Carter stole from Spider Raymond, as according to Anton Vanko, the Roxxon Refinery was the only place it could have been produced.
Carter realized the facility was heavily guarded, given that it was supposed to have temporarily stopped its production. Jarvis tried to accompany Carter, but she refused the offer, because of the danger it may pose and his inexperience with espionage and field missions.
Carter handed Jarvis a radio to maintain contact, and went on to infiltrate the refinery, climbing an electric fence and using the Vita-Ray Detector to locate the Nitramene, as it emitted low levels of Vita Radiation. She finally located the area where Leet Brannis was producing Nitramene, having enlisted Roxxon technician Miles Van Ert to help him.
Jarvis contacted Carter, but the noise of the radio alerted Brannis and Van Ert. Van Ert took a handgun and went to examine the source of the noise, but was knocked out by Carter using a Stun Light Device. Brannis ran to escape from Carter with one of the Nitramene bombs.
Carter shot to the ground in order to stop Brannis, but he ran to open a truck loaded with many Nitramene bombs. Brannis revealed a scar in his throat, and revealed a Voice Synthesizer that allowed him to speak. Brannis asked Carter not to fire again, and introduced himself as an independent businessman, not responsible for murdering people, as he just sold items to actual killers.
Carter asked about the man in the Green Suit who killed her friend Colleen O'Brien, as he had a similar scar on his throat. Brannis implied that the man in the Green Suit was his enemy and wanted him dead, but Carter swore to kill Brannis shooting to the Nitramene if he did not tell her the name of that man.
Brannis was not afraid by Carter's threats, as the man would kill them both if he was there, and ominously announced the arrival of Leviathan, who would introduce themselves soon, and create a future that Carter would not like.
The refinery explosion
Brannis threw the Nitramene bomb he had in his hand and quickly escaped using the Daisy Clover truck loaded with the rest of the Nitramene bombs. The Nitramene would implode in 30 seconds, so Carter quickly ran and called Jarvis to bring the car for escape.
The guards at the refinery started to shoot at Jarvis, who apologized to Howard Stark for the damage that the car was sustaining. Jarvis arrived at the access road of the refinery, and Carter quickly jumped over the car. Without stopping, Carter entered the car and prompted Jarvis to drive faster.
The Nitramene bomb finally detonated, with a blast that destroyed the whole refinery and an implosion that crushed the whole compound into a heavy ball of wreckage. Though they managed to escape, the car that Jarvis was driving was reached by the blast, and its bumper and license plate were fused with the rest of the material.
Carter and Jarvis exited the car and witnessed how the whole compound had disappeared, with Jarvis noting that the Nitramene actually worked after all.[10]
Inside the New York Bell Company Office, Chief Roger Dooley and Agent Daniel Sousa discussed one of the leads in the investigation about Howard Stark, that would situate him in London.
Jack Thompson interrupted them to announce that one of the bouncers from La Martinique caught a blonde woman with the body of Spider Raymond, making her the primary suspect for the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
Dooley ordered Sousa to answer the phone, so he could speak to Thompson about their next move. Thompson reminded him about deserving a promotion, as he had obtained the camera from the club's photographer, and Dooley ordered him to take the camera to the laboratory.
Sousa announced that the Roxxon Refinery had been destroyed, and casualties had not been evaluated yet because Port Authority could not even find the building. Wanting to see it by himself, Dooley ordered Thompson and Sousa to accompany him.[10]
Double Secret Mission[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis reunited again at the L&L Automat, having ordered a bottle of milk to write down the address of the factory given that a Daisy Clover truck was used to conceal a full cargo of Nitramene devices at the Roxxon Refinery the night before.
Carter congratulated Jarvis for his assistance, saying that his wife Ana would be very proud, though he seriously remarked his wife must never know what he was doing. Jarvis then offered to check Howard Stark's files regarding Leviathan, to see if he had any information about the organization.
Carter told Jarvis to get rest after witnessing the destruction of the Roxxon Refinery the night before, though he doubted he would be able to sleep for days.
The same rude customer that mistreated Angie Martinelli a few days before asked Martinelli to come to his table to complain about his meal, even claiming that he ate better in a prisoner of war camp during World War II. The customer even told her that her intelligence was not her best feature, inappropriately touching her as she retired his meal.
Carter, who witnessed the customer's behavior, approached him and asked about his meal. As the customer asked if she worked there too, Carter took a fork and pressed it into his brachial artery. Carter explained that he would lose consciousness in 15 seconds and even die in 90 if he started to bleed, unless someone comes to his aid, something unlikely, given his behavior.
Carter warned him to find another restaurant to eat, and to tip generously for his last time there. Martinelli realized that the man had begun to place money in his table, smiling with a bit surprise for his sudden change of behavior.
Carter left the restaurant, without noticing that Jarvis was outside in his car, talking to Stark on the phone, apologizing for not being able to be everywhere, and agreeing that Carter was an excellent choice for their plan, as she had no suspicions about anything.[10]
Looking for Apartments[]
Peggy Carter started to search for another apartment following the death of Colleen O'Brien. Carter sat at the L&L Automat, being forced to hear The Captain America Adventure Program while she read the newspaper marking classified ads.
Carter, angered at the fictional portrayal of the events she lived, asked Angie Martinelli to change the radio channel, something that Martinelli was happy to do, as she auditioned for the role of Betty Carver and did not obtain it. Martinelli even made an impersonation of the character, reciting one of the lines of the dialogue, that Carter sarcastically remarked as "thrillingly realistic".
Martinelli realized that Carter was planning to move, given that she lost her roommate, without adding further detail, and Martinelli compared it to her first roommate, whom she lived with for six months until she suddenly engaged, married and ended up living in Armonk. She then started to analyze the different advertisements, explaining the lies hidden behind their fancy words.
Carter guessed Martinelli was suggesting something, and explained that one of her neighbors at the Griffith Hotel had recently moved out, and offered Carter the chance to move there, highlighting the attributes of the place, especially the fact they would be neighbors.
Carter not wanting to put anyone in danger given that O'Brien was killed just for living with her, rejected the proposal with the excuse of Martinelli would get tired of her, and explained she was going to see an apartment even it was too late, as it was "recommended" through a friend.[9]
Night at the Penthouse[]
Edwin Jarvis received Peggy Carter at one of the residences owned by Howard Stark, as Stark insisted to lodge her there. Jarvis explained the decoration of the house and its many amenities, such as the service of fresh fruit and scones, or the presence of a private chef that would gladly prepare anything she ordered.
Carter refused the invitation, contending that given her attempt to clear Stark's name, living in his house would make her an accomplice. Jarvis explained that the house was not one of Stark's primary residences, as it was used mainly for his female conquests, and proposed her to at least see the master bedroom.
Carter was amazed by the bed, and could not help to lay down due to its commodity, being finally convinced to spend one night, much to Jarvis satisfaction.
Jarvis then informed Carter how Stark's files had no mention of Leviathan, and Carter could not find it either mentioned in the files from the Strategic Scientific Reserve. She had also tried to locate Leet Brannis and the man in the Green Suit through hospital records on laryngotomy patients, to no avail, guessing that both of them should have come from outside of the city.
Carter revealed her intention to visit the Daisy Clover Milk Factory as soon as it opened, in order to follow the lead of the milk truck used by Brannis to transport the Nitramene. Jarvis offered to take her to the factory, being ready with the car ten minutes before the opening of the factory, but Carter rejected his offer given that he had nearly been killed the last time he accompanied her to a potentially dangerous mission.
Carter opened the wardrobe and found it filled with women's clothes, including a negligee, that Jarvis excused as Stark's taste for theatrical elements during his romantic conquests. Carter grabbed a doctor's white coat that even included an stethoscope, that would be useful for creating an undercover persona to examine the Daisy Clover factory.
Carter accompanied Jarvis to the exit as he explained the last details regarding the house, such as the arrival time of both the maid and the florist, though Carter ordered him to cancel them both.
Carter bid farewell to Jarvis, though he blocked the door with his foot in order to insist that Carter allowed him to accompany her to her visit to the Milk Factory, but she dismissed him again, as a dairy hub would surely not be a dangerous place, and she would need to question the truck driver.
Due to Jarvis' insistence, Carter explained she would use the Vita-Ray Detector from Project Rebirth to analyze the trucks, as the one used to transport the Nitramene would still emit a measurable amount of Vita Radiation. To get rid of him, Carter told Jarvis that he popped a button in his attire, closing the door as soon as he moved his foot to check it and finally bidding him farewell for that night.[9]
Nitramene Buyer Mission[]
At the Hotel Cosmopolitan, the man in the Green Suit communicated with his superiors from Leviathan through his Remote Typewriter, reporting that Leet Brannis had obtained the Nitramene that they were seeking to obtain. His superiors then answered that Leviathan was growing impatient, much to the man's annoyance.
Leviathan ordered the man to track Brannis and locate the Nitramene buyer, eliminating all opposition, so he used Spider Raymond's agenda to track a local Mob Boss that was one of the potential buyers.
The man in the Green Suit interrogated the Mob Boss, using small decorated credit cards to ask his questions. Given the man had killed everyone in the room and was torturing him with a knife, the Mob Boss swore he did not know Brannis, but had heard about the Nitramene. He confessed he had refused to buy it from Raymond, but also that Gino DeLucia would surely buy it.
The man consulted Raymond's agenda, finding DeLucia's address. Now that he had no more purpose, the Man killed the Mob Boss with a shot to the head and took the knife from his hand, cleaning it with a napkin that he promptly threw over another victim.[9]
Inspection of the Daisy Clover Milk Factory[]
Peggy Carter arrived at the Daisy Clover Milk Factory disguised as a City of New York Health Department's inspector, claiming to have a high number of complaints as an excuse to examine all delivery trucks. She asserted her authority to the Foreman of the factory, that allowed her to inspect everything, fearing to be penalized.
Carter started to check the trucks pretending to perform a regular inspection, but she entered each truck without being noticed, in order to use the Vita-Ray Detector and locate the truck that Leet Brannis used to transport the Nitramene, as it would still have a Vita Radiation signature.
Carter was unable to find the truck, but she then realized that one of the trucks was missing. The foreman explained that a driver had been sick for two days, and as he used the truck to commute, the truck was not at the factory. Carter demanded to know the name and address of the driver, and though the foreman revealed his name to be Sheldon McFee, the address was unavailable.
Carter had enough information to locate the driver, and left the factory, not without ordering the foreman to put air in one of the tires of a truck while kicking the wheel.[9]
Roxxon Refinery Debris[]
Chief Roger Dooley oversaw the transport of the remains from the Roxxon Refinery back to the New York Bell Company Office with Agents Jack Thompson and Ray Krzeminski. Dooley assured that the technology capable of doing that was extremely dangerous, and they needed to find it fast.
Krzeminski randomly asked if a magnet could have done that, but Thompson answered that the wood, stone and concrete that were fused with the steel and iron did not carry a magnetic charge.
Dooley was sure that Howard Stark was responsible for the destruction, and ordered Thompson to accompany him to the Roxxon Oil Corporation Headquarters in order to learn Stark's potential reasons to destroy the refinery. However, as Krzeminski was about to accompany them, Dooley ordered him to stay and dismantle the remains of the refinery in order to find any evidence.
In the main office, Peggy Carter obtained Sheldon McFee's address, and was about to leave in order to investigate it when she saw Daniel Sousa reading the Racing Journal in the newspaper. Carter advised him to bet for Whitby's Prospect instead of Uncle Bob, the horse Sousa had marked. Intrigued, Sousa asked Carter how could she be so sure, but she replied she was not, that was the reason it was called "gambling".
Carter asked Sousa to cover for her while she went to investigate McFee's address, claiming she was leaving for personal matters, and Sousa gallantly agreed, but reminding Carter she would owe him one for that favor. A laboratory technician handed Sousa the photographs were taken in La Martinique, Spider Raymond's club, who hoped to find an image of the blonde woman suspect of killing Raymond, without knowing that Carter was that woman and she was not Raymond's killer.
Carter, hoping to examine the images to make sure her face did not appear, offered Sousa to help him, but before he could have any chance to examine them, Krzeminski appear to make Sousa help him with the debris from the Roxxon Refinery, while also ordering Carter to finish the transport reports and file them.
Sousa headed to the basement and locked the photographs inside his desk, and Carter seized the opportunity to enter Dooley's office and made an untraceable call to Edwin Jarvis, to make him dispose of the car they used to travel to the Roxxon Refinery, as the car sustained damage and would surely have been contaminated with Vita Radiation.
Jarvis tried to postpone the errand until finishing the laundry, but Carter seriously ordered to do it at the very moment. Jarvis then asked about the outcome of her visit to the Daisy Clover Milk Factory, so she explained that despite she did not locate the dairy truck, she learned the identity of its driver, who used to commute from Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
Jarvis offered to drive her to Cedar Grove, but she refused, as she first had to make sure the photographs that Sousa had to examine did not incriminate her.[9]
Industrial Sabotage[]
Chief Roger Dooley and Agent Jack Thompson arrived at the Roxxon Oil Corporation Headquarters to interview Hugh Jones regarding the destruction of the Roxxon Refinery, believing that Howard Stark might be responsible.
Jones ordered his personal assistant, Winston, to offer the two gentlemen a glass of whiskey, while he explained that he used to be a friend of Stark, sharing lunches at the club, Christmas parties and charity functions. Jones proposed a toast, and since Dooley noted that it was very early in the morning to drink, Jones ordered Winston with a gesture to put ice in their beverages.
Thompson drank a sip and asked Jones the reason why his friendship with Stark ended. Jones revealed Stark had an affair with his wife. Dooley acknowledged there was a big difference between an affair and industrial sabotage; Jones claimed that, for Stark, personal matters and business are all the same as long as it amused him and made him earn money.
Jones added another possible reason, that Stark wanted to buy the Refinery in January, but he refused, so its destruction and the fact that it had become a federal crime scene both benefited Stark.
Thompson asked Jones if he knew what kind of technology could have destroyed the refinery, but before answering, Jones tried to evaluate the possibility of being incriminated for industrial espionage by the Strategic Scientific Reserve if he revealed everything he knew. Dooley simply answered their interest in industrial espionage was low, and Thompson assured Jones they were not investigating him. Jones then revealed that some of his sources inside Stark Industries revealed the existence of Molecular Nitramene, a compound that caused a concussive blast followed by a vacuum implosion.
The effects of the Nitramene were consistent with the damage sustained by the refinery, and when Jones commented that the formula was developed based on Stark's work with Vita Radiation, it made Thompson realize they could find a lead using the research done by the SSR during Project Rebirth.[9]
Retrieving the Photographs[]
Peggy Carter waited until the some personnel abandoned the main office to try to open Daniel Sousa's desk and obtain a series of photographs that could incriminate her.
Carter used a Brooch Key to try to open the drawer while being hidden under Sousa's desk, but got distracted when the phone in her own desk started to ring. As nobody went to answer, Carter tried to continue, but then Sousa's desk started to ring.
Sousa quickly arrived and answered the phone, finding Chief Roger Dooley on the other side of the line. Dooley asked about Carter, who was hiding under another desk trying to return to her own, and despite Sousa was unable to find her, as soon as he looked again, he found Carter acting as if nothing had happened.
Carter then answered the phone, and was asked by Dooley to locate something that could help them detect Vita Radiation. Carter informed Dooley that there was probably an item in the Project Rebirth files, and ended to conversation to retrieve it from the storage room and take it to the Roxxon Oil Corporation Headquarters, telling Sousa that it was just another of the errands she was usually tasked.[9]
Vita Scanning[]
Peggy Carter arrived at the Roxxon Oil Corporation Headquarters in order to deliver the Vita-Ray Detector that Chief Roger Dooley had requested. Hugh Jones, CEO of the Roxxon Corporation, was impressed with Carter's beauty, but he made an inappropriate compliment considering her just a secretary, to which Carter replied that her first name was "Agent".
Carter handed Dooley the Vita-Ray Detector and prepared to return to the New York Bell Company Office, though both Dooley and Jack Thompson asked her to stay in order to help them. Carter doubted their intentions, and sarcastically asked them if they wanted her for filing.
Dooley explained what they had discovered thanks to Jones, that the weapon used to destroy the Roxxon Refinery was Nitramene, and anyone that had been near it would have been exposed to Vita Radiation; they wanted to scan every member of Roxxon's staff given the chance one of the employee had been responsible for the destruction.
Jones doubted that any of his employees had been involved, but given that he had some spies hidden within the ranks of Stark Industries, the contrary case was probable too. Carter asked what would be her task, and Dooley explained she would scan the ladies, despite Thompson's volunteering as Dooley considered it would not be appropriate.
Carter went to the bathroom to use the detector on herself given that she was involved in the destruction, realizing that her wristwatch had been contaminated with Vita Radiation. Carter had to put the wristwatch into a trash can, and apologized to her grandmother out loud, given that she gave her the wristwatch.
Thompson and Carter analyzed every Roxxon employee, under Jones and Dooley's supervision, while Dooley checked the files about the staff. Carter recognized Miles Van Ert, one of the men that were developing the Nitramene at the Roxxon Refinery the night it was destroyed.
Seeing that the Vita-Ray Detector was not able to detect any sign of radiation in Van Ert's body, Carter had to think quickly of a way to incriminate him without confessing her involvement in the events.
Carter realized that Van Ert and the rest of technicians were wearing uniforms, and asked Jones if there was any place where they changed their clothes. Jones acknowledged there was a locker room for technicians tasked with handling hazardous materials.
Upon Dooley's request, Carter explained that Vita Radiation would be washed from a person's skin with a hot shower, but clothing was able to retain the radiation, so she suggested to analyze the clothes used by the employees that morning.
Dooley acknowledged it was a good idea, but Van Ert tried to escape, feeling he had been discovered. Thompson and Dooley ran after Van Ert, but Carter calmly asked Jones how to reach the front lobby.
Carter took a briefcase from a man, and used to hit Van Ert, who fell to the ground and was finally detained. She then humbly asked Dooley if she could be of any further assistance.[9]
Interrogation of Miles Van Ert[]
Miles Van Ert was taken to the New York Bell Company Office of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, where Chief Roger Dooley explained the charges that had been brought against him, while leaving a carrot and a stick over the table.
Dooley explained that there were physical evidences that linked Van Ert to an act of industrial sabotage that would probably lead to a charge of treason, which could result in being condemned to the electric chair. Dooley offered the possibility of avoiding that fate if he gave him something in return.
Dooley compared fighting crime with fishing, as whoever obtained the biggest fish would win. As Van Ert was a "big fish", but there were bigger ones, Dooley offered him to reduce his sentence in exchange for the name of his employer. However, due to the pressure for solving the whole case, Dooley's offer would expire if he left the room, so he only asked for the name once.
Van Ert remained silent, so Dooley regretted that he did not choose the "easy way", and left the room with the carrot, but leaving the stick. Jack Thompson, who had been present during the whole conversation, grabbed the stick and advised Van Ert to bite it, before repeatedly punching him in the face.
Dooley went to the observation room behind a one-way mirror, where Daniel Sousa and Peggy Carter were waiting. Sousa commented that he would hate what would have happened with the carrot, and Dooley gave permission to Carter to leave the office for the night, as he thought a lady should not see what Thompson was doing to Van Ert.[9]
Bad Neighbor[]
Peggy Carter went to the L&L Automat to wait for Edwin Jarvis, in order to travel to Cedar Grove in New Jersey and investigate Sheldon McFee, the usual driver of the truck used to transport the Nitramene.
Angie Martinelli approached the window to inform Carter about an apartment she found for her. Carter tried to dismiss her saying she was going to get late, but Martinelli read the advertisement, explaining its many virtues, and the fact that they would be neighbors if Carter accepted.
Martinelli started to realize that Carter's refusal to her offer of living in the same building was because of her, despite Carter simply claiming that she would not be a good neighbor for Martinelli. Carter did not tell her the actual reason, the death of her former roommate. Jarvis arrived and Carter bid farewell to a saddened Martinelli.[9]
Following Leads[]
Jack Thompson finished his interrogation of Miles Van Ert, having obtained details such as Leet Brannis' name or the use of a Daisy Clover truck to transport the Nitramene.
Chief Roger Dooley consulted the Immigration Services to check Brannis' name, and was informed that there was no record of him having ever entered the country. Thompson assured that if it was an alias, Van Ert did not know his true name, as he had confessed everything he knew.
Daniel Sousa contacted Daisy Clover to obtain the identity and address of the truck driver, despite asserting that surely he was not the mastermind of the operation. Dooley was convinced that Brannis was the key to solve their case, as despite Thompson had pressed Van Ert, he did not know anything about Howard Stark.
Sousa obtained the name and address of the driver, Sheldon McFee, so Dooley enlisted Sousa, Thompson and Ray Krzeminski to investigate it.[9]
Nitramene Buyer Mission[]
The man in the Green Suit tortured Gino DeLucia, a potential buyer of the Nitramene, and obtained Sheldon McFee's name and address from him. The man killed DeLucia once he confessed, having already killed the rest of DeLucia's associates in the room, and even leaving a briefcase filled with money untouched.
The man returned to his room in the Hotel Cosmopolitan, and informed his superiors that he located and killed the buyer, and was en route to intercept the Nitramene.[9]
Tending the Wounds[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis returned from Cedar Grove in New Jersey, following their unsuccessful attempt to retrieve a truck loaded with Nitramene, that resulted in the death of Leet Brannis.
Jarvis tended one of Carter's wounds that required suture, and she complimented his skills with that, something he attributed to sewing Howard Stark's zippers. Jarvis then assured Carter that she was fortunate that he ignored her instructions to leave her alone, as his assistance had decisive.
Carter sarcastically answered that she had no idea how she managed to survive before meeting Jarvis, an answer that Jarvis did not knew if it should attributed to arrogance or ignorance, though Carter acknowledged that probably it can be attributed to both of them.
Jarvis advised that Carter needed support, but she was concerned with letting people getting close to her, as that would put her in danger. Jarvis saw no sense in Carter's decision to remove herself from the world in to protect it, as nobody was capable of carrying the entire world on his shoulders.
Carter said that Steve Rogers was able to do it, but Jarvis denied that, as according to Stark, Rogers relied heavily on Carter herself, either for courage, strategy and moral guidance. Jarvis acknowledged the nobleness of her desire to help, but she would not be successful without support.[9]
Interview at the Griffith Hotel[]
Inspired by Edwin Jarvis' words, Peggy Carter accepted Angie Martinelli's offer to move to her building, and the two women went together for Carter's interview with Miriam Fry, the landlady of the Griffith Hotel.
Martinelli greeted many of her neighbors, and then reassured how happy she was that Carter changed her mind and accepted her offer, though Carter was surprised that renting an apartment required an interview. According to Martinelli, the interview was just a formality, and she was sure that Carter would obtain the room.
Fry examined Carter's references, considering them to be "impeccable", especially the ones from Senator Palmer. Carter explained that Palmer was a dear friend of her father. Fry asked about Carter's limp, due to an injury she sustained the night before, but attributed it to a cobblestone in the West Village.
Angie Martinelli coaching the interview
Carter's casual reference to the area was met with coldness, as Fry assured she never traveled below 23rd street, making Martinelli, who was coaching Carter's interview from behind Fry, change her gesture as a warning. Fry then asked Carter about her intentions to continue working for the New York Bell Company, though Carter, maintaining her cover, assured that she would quit her job as soon as she married.
Seemingly pleased with her answer, Fry explained the rules of the hotel, that included attire, behavior, curfew and, especially the banning of men above the first floor, without any exception. Carter answered that she understood the rules "perfectly".[9]
Deflecting Suspicion[]
Chief Roger Dooley, Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa were discussing the photographs taken at La Martinique the night Spider Raymond was killed inside his own club. As Peggy Carter arrived at the office, Dooley asked her to approach.
At first, Carter feared she had been recognized as the blonde woman who was the main suspect of being Raymond's killer, but it turned that Dooley only wanted her to settle the bet the three agents have done, to see if one of the men appearing in a photographs was Joe DiMaggio. Carter, relieved, casually answered that did not follow boxing, even though DiMaggio was a baseball player, prompting the Dooley to laugh.
Dooley entered his own office, still convinced that the man was DiMaggio, despite Thompson, who had been at the club that night, was sure that he was not, and paid Sousa for losing their bet. Carter was surprised that Sousa bet against her, but he said that was not sure of the outcome when he bet, as that was the reason it was called "gambling", paraphrasing something that Carter told him before.
Carter went to ask about the images, to check if he managed to obtain a clear image of the blonde woman. However, every image showed her back, and Sousa was unable to find any clear shot of her face, though he promised he would find her.
Meanwhile, at the basement, Ray Krzeminski dismantled the debris from the Roxxon Refinery, and managed to find the bumper and license plate of the car that Carter and Edwin Jarvis used to travel to the facility.[9]
Investigating the Room 424[]
Chief Roger Dooley and Agent Ray Krzeminski went to the Hotel Cosmopolitan in order to follow a lead, as a key from one of the rooms was found near Leet Brannis' corpse.
Dooley asked the Building Manager about the man that had rented the room, but he could only reveal that the guest was a relatively clean but extremely silent man, and his usual visits only lasted for an hour. On their way to the room, they came across a prostitute that greeted Krzeminski, but he did not return the greet as he was on duty.
Dooley ordered Krzeminski to check the usual hiding places, despite the manager's complaints to be careful with the furniture. Krzeminski found cash and passports under different aliases that the Man in the Green Suit had hidden in the armchair. Dooley, on the other hand, inspected the unusual typewriter on the desk, realizing it was a lead for their investigation.[3]
Living in the Griffith Hotel[]
Unwanted Visitor[]
Inside her new apartment at the Griffith Hotel, Peggy Carter consulted a code-breaking book disguised as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare in order to investigate the meaning of the symbol that Leet Brannis drew during his last moments.
Carter heard a noise, as a man was climbing up the wall of the hotel, so she quickly grabbed her gun and pointed it at the man as he appeared at her window. The man, who introduced himself as Jimmy, was looking for his girlfriend, Molly Bowden, who lived in the next apartment.
Jimmy had mistaken Carter's window for his girlfriend's, and as he asked Carter if he could enter her apartment to go to Bowden's through the hallway instead of through the wall, Carter closed the window. Jimmy wished Carter a nice night, and went to the apartment rented by his girlfriend, spending the night with her.[3]
Breakfast at the Griffith[]
Peggy Carter and Angie Martinelli went to have breakfast in the dining room of the hotel, where fellow tenant Carol complained about having powdered eggs for breakfast again. Martinelli joked with Carter saying that it was better than The Blitz, a joke that Carter followed agreeing with her, but detailing that just barely.
Molly Bowden greeted her neighbors after spending the night with her boyfriend Jimmy at his apartment, despite it being strictly forbidden by the rules of the hotel. Carter, who knew that Jimmy had visited her, asked Bowden about her night. Martinelli was surprised to hear that, and Bowden excused her behavior saying that Jimmy was very persuasive.
Carol asked Carter if she had a boyfriend, but she explained that she was just married to the work. Martinelli seized the opportunity to inquire about Edwin Jarvis, having noticed their usual meetings at the L&L Automat, but Carter described him as a colleague.
Landlady Miriam Fry, noticing that Carter was about to leave, asked her to sit as she would like to speak to all the women that lived at the hotel. Fry started relating how Harry Houdini performed one of his escape acts in 1925 at the hotel, fascinating the women that watched show, but even Houdini had to adhere to the strict code of conduct of the hotel, and was not allowed to ascend the stairs above the first floor.
Fry reminded the women of the rule of not allowing men above the first floor, and told Bowden to go to her room and pack her belongings. Bowden tried to apologized, but Fry desired that her last evening at the Griffith had been splendid. Fry wanted to make Bowden an example for the rest of tenants, explaining that like Fort Knox or Alcatraz, the building was impenetrable.
That comment gave Carter an idea about her investigation with the technology that had been stolen from Howard Stark.[3]
Russian Connections[]
Chief Roger Dooley checked with Agents Jack Thompson and Ray Krzeminski the leads they have obtained regarding their case about Howard Stark.
Thompson managed to identify Leet Brannis' corpse, tracking him as a Russian citizen due to the amalgam in his teeth. The coroner who revealed that fact also explained Thompson that Brannis' scar in the throat was due to his voice box having been cut out, probably during World War II, as he served in the Soviet 478th Rifle Division.
Thompson explained the most unusual they managed to learn from Brannis. According to Thompson's contact in the United States Embassy in Moscow, Brannis died two years before, in 1944, during the battle of Finow in Germany. His entire division was exterminated during that battle, and Brannis was classified as deceased despite having survived.
Krzeminski obtained an image from the Man in the Green Suit through the fingerprints in the passports he found at the Hotel Cosmopolitan, and Dooley explained Thompson that according to the laboratory, the typewriter found at the hotel was a long-range transmitter, though its specific range had not been determined.
Thompson gave Dooley an idea, so he ordered Thompson to investigate the Man in the Green Suit through his contact at the embassy in Moscow. Krzeminski complained, as he wanted to investigate the man, but Dooley noted that he did not have friends in Moscow, to which Thompson joked he did not have friends anywhere.
Daniel Sousa informed Dooley that the license plate located within the debris from the Roxxon Refinery belonged to Howard Stark, and Krzeminski proudly remarked that he was the one who found the license plate. Sousa doubted that Stark himself used the car to destroy the Roxxon Refinery, but Dooley noted that somebody was surely driving the car, and he wanted to know his identity.[3]
Howard Stark's Car[]
Arrest of Edwin Jarvis[]
Peggy Carter traveled to the Stark Mansion in order to investigate the vault that Leet Brannis was able to raid, stealing the dangerous inventions that Stark kept there.
Edwin Jarvis, who was still inside his private residence, was about to clear the table when his wife Ana told him to leave it, as she would take care of it. Jarvis noticed Carter outside the house; he and accepted Ana's offer so that he could attend to Carter, telling Ana that he would be outside in the garden.
Jarvis told Carter she should have called him before entering the estate, but Carter guessed that women wandering through through the property was surely something usual, something that Jarvis acknowledged.
Carter explained that her landlady helped to continue their investigation, because if they discover how Leet Brannis was able to break into Stark's seemingly impenetrable vault, maybe they could trace where he went from there, locating all the missing technology in the process. Jarvis noticed that Carter was not adequately dressed for that mission, given that the thief escaped through the sewers under the mansion.
Carter inquired about the night of the theft, but Jarvis did not notice anything unusual, given that a thunderstorm caused a power failure during two hours, and the combination of candlelight and rain made Jarvis quickly fell asleep.
Their conversation was interrupted by Agents Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, who had discovered the license plate of the car that Jarvis and Carter used to go to the Roxxon Refinery the night it was destroyed, and wanted to take Jarvis for questioning.
Jarvis attended to the two agents while Carter hid behind the door. Jarvis explained that Howard Stark was "indefinitely unavailable", though Thompson revealed that they were not looking for Stark, they came to speak to Jarvis himself, as they had found the bumper of one of Stark's cars usually driven by Jarvis.
Jarvis explained how he reported that the car had been stolen several days ago, pointing them to Detective Davis from the 19th Precinct in order to inquire more about the theft, and tried to dismiss the two agents.
Thompson blocked the door with his foot in order to further question Jarvis, given that the bumper of the car was found in a major crime scene, and despite Thompson threatened Jarvis to call a judge and obtain a warrant, Jarvis agreed on accompanying the two agents to maintain Carter's cover, even joking about going in the back of a car for the first time in years.[3]
Interrogation of Edwin Jarvis[]
Ray Krzeminski tried to convince fellow agents Butch Wallace and Yauch to cover his night shift, given that Krzeminski had told his girlfriend that he would take her to a show that night, despite that fact that he was married.
Yauch told him to ask Peggy Carter, who was entering the New York Bell Company Office at that moment, though Krzeminski refused. He insisted that Chief Roger Dooley would not want a lady to work a night shift, and Krzeminski even believed her to be unable to make her own shift. Krzeminski scolded Carter for being late, though she taunted Krzeminski, asking if he would take his wife or his girlfriend to the show.
Jack Thompson took Edwin Jarvis to the interrogation room, and started thanking him for coming to the office to talk. Jarvis explained that probably everything they wanted him to say was probably already in the missing-car report that he filed for the Police Department.
To question Jarvis without being able to charge him for a crime, Thompson explained that the report was not available yet, as the Police Department was very inefficient in record-keeping, even more than the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
On the other side of the room, Peggy Carter joined Roger Dooley and Daniel Sousa during the interrogation, and told them that he recognized Jarvis as Howard Stark's butler from the file. Carter asked Dooley if he really believed that he had been involved in the destruction of the Roxxon Refinery. Though Dooley thought he was not the one responsible, he guessed that Jarvis could have driven a getaway car.
Thompson joked that many things had been stolen from Stark, first the bombs, now a car, and probably even a death ray; Jarvis then explained that the death ray had not been stolen, still being in Nevada as far as he knew.
Thompson then showed Jarvis the images of Leet Brannis and Sasha Demidov, explaining that both of them had been in possession of Stark's technology, but now they were dead. Jarvis guessed that meant the SSR had already found the thieves, but Thompson presented the hypothesis that they could have been working for Stark.
Sousa was surprised to see that Thompson had not punched the suspect in the first five minutes of the interrogation. Dooley was well aware that Jarvis, being a butler, could know very powerful people, and many lawyers could get involved to stop their effort to obtain information from Jarvis.
Carter asked about the stolen-car report that Jarvis mentioned, and Dooley explained that he was retaining it with the excuse that it had been lost in the system. Sousa pointed out that if the car was actually stolen, they would not have anything to use against Jarvis. Dooley said they had something else with which to threaten Jarvis.
Thompson continued with his interrogation, acknowledging that claiming the theft of a car was a usual move if the car had been used for committing a crime and lost its bumper during the process. Jarvis defended Stark from the accusation, but Thompson told Jarvis that he was directly accusing him, given that Stark was a fugitive.
Thompson acknowledged some of Jarvis' qualities that surely made Stark hire him, such as his intelligence and loyalty, something unusual for a man that had been charged with treason. Jarvis' face changed when he realized the SSR knew about that part of his past. Carter was also surprised to hear that about the man that was collaborating with her in clearing Stark's name.
Thompson, hitting the button to make Jarvis confess, guessed that the treason charges were dropped thanks to Stark, but his dishonorable discharge from the British Armed Forces was still on record. Thompson threatened to get Jarvis deported and wondered aloud how Jarvis would inform his wife about it.
Jarvis was visibly angry that Thompson wanted to involve his wife. He warned him to leave his wife out of the accusation. Thompson replied that it was Jarvis who dragged her into this mess when he broke the law for Stark. Dooley commented that Jarvis was about to give in and admit everything he knew. Carter retired to quickly devise a plan to let Jarvis leave without risking her involvement being made known.
At the main office, Krzeminski asked Carter to take his night shift, offering it as if it was him who offered her a favor. Carter simply ignored him and took a series of documents for Dooley to sign. Carter seized the opportunity to take the stolen-car report from the table along with the now-signed documents.
Thompson left the room and went to speak to Dooley, who congratulated him for the interrogation and prompted to continue pressing Jarvis using his wife. Thompson entered the room introducing Dooley, but at that moment, Carter arrived in a seemingly casual and unintentional way, explaining that she mistakenly took the stolen-car report.
Jarvis, knowing that with the report the Strategic Scientific Reserve was unable to retain him without charges, left the interrogation room, prompting them to contact one of Stark's lawyers for further questioning, and silently looked at Carter as a gesture of gratitude.
Dooley took Carter to his office and angrily scolded her for her mistake, that heavily hindered their investigation, and wondered why he had been ordered to accept her as an agent. Dooley praised Thompson's work, but it had been ruined by Carter. Carter apologized for her apparent mistake. Thompson said that an apology would not even begin to cover the harm done, and Dooley ordered Carter to get out of his sight.[3]
Arsenal Retrieval[]
New Tenant[]
Peggy Carter prepared herself at her apartment to investigate the sewers underneath the Stark Mansion, but was interrupted by Angie Martinelli, who wanted to talk to Carter about their day. Martinelli entered Carter's apartment, and though Carter tried to apologize, she entered and started to talk about how tired she was after her 8-hour shift, and the little tips she earned.
Carter, who had been scolded at her job, said that the 50 cents Martinelli earned would have been an improvement over her situation, and Martinelli offered to share a bottle of Schnapps and a rhubarb pie with her.
Since Carter was trying to sneak out the Griffith Hotel, she refused Martinelli's offer saying that she was about to go to bed, but being relatively early in the evening, Martinelli prompted Carter to talk about her own day. Carter refused again, and opened the door to let Martinelli leave the apartment. Martinelli was very upset for the rejection, and sarcastically apologized for disturbing Carter.
In the hallway, Carter and Martinelli came across Miriam Fry, who was accompanying the newest resident at the Griffith Hotel, Dottie Underwood, and introduced her to the two tenants.
Underwood was excited with the ambiance of the hotel, and despite Martinelli's cold greeting due to her disappointment inside the room, Carter quickly that assured they were pleased to meet Underwood. Underwood recognized Carter's accent, and was excited to meet someone from England for the first time.
Fry explained that Underwood had traveled from her native Iowa to New York City in order to pursue a ballet career, something Fry appreciated due to the discipline it required, as opposed to the typical carefreeness and irresponsibility of regular dancers.
Still upset, Martinelli went to her apartment, and though Underwood apologized for the apparent interruption, Martinelli said that there was not much more conversation left between her and Carter. On the other hand, Carter wished Underwood a very happy stay at the Griffith, leaving Fry and Underwood in order to prepare herself for her mission with Edwin Jarvis.[3]
Descent to the Sewers[]
Peggy Carter returned to the Stark Mansion at night, in order to investigate the vault and try to guess the method that Leet Brannis used to transport all the technology kept inside.
Edwin Jarvis received Carter, who asked him if he wanted to clarify some of the facts that were presented during his interrogation by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, but Jarvis refused. Seemingly accepting the excuse, Carter prompted him to investigate the vault.
Jarvis explained that the hole in the middle of the vault made Howard Stark believed that Brannis used advanced technology to break into it, though Carter dismissed the theory, as according to her, Stark believed in the need of advanced to even the most mundane tasks.
Carter whistled to check the depth of the hole, and decided to descend using climbing equipment. Jarvis' skills with the equipment made Carter realized it was not the first time he had done something similar, and he confessed that he had visited the Himalayas before World War II.
Carter tried to go back to the subject of Jarvis' treason charge, explaining that he was in his right to maintain his privacy, as a charge of treason out of context was not necessarily a what it appeared to be, comparing ir to her mission to clear Stark's name, that could have been considered a treason. Hoping her empathy would prompt Jarvis to talk about his own charge, she explained that she did not need to know the details, but Jarvis simply thanked her without explaining anything.
Jarvis went on to explain what the investigators hired by Stark had discovered. Given that the night of the theft an open manhole was discovered five blocks away from the mansion, the investigators assumed that Brannis used it to escape. Carter dismissed that theory, given that all the equipment that was stolen would weigh hundreds of pounds of equipment, and it would have been nearly impossible to carry it out of a manhole.
Carter realized the sewers took storm water to the sea, and the night of the theft it had been raining, so Brannis could have used a raft to float the equipment to sea, given the tide gate would have been opened to take the water into the river, so they followed the tunnels to see where did they take them.[3]
Night Shift[]
Jack Thompson abandoned the New York Bell Company Office, leaving Agents Daniel Sousa and Ray Krzeminski for the night shift. Thompson handed Krzeminski what he managed to discover about the Man in the Green Suit, including his real name, Sasha Demidov, and some facts about his life that might sound familiar.
Sousa correctly guessed that, like Leet Brannis, Demidov was a Soviet soldier who reportedly died in 1944 during the battle of Finow in Germany.
Thompson congratulated Sousa, given that he would be the clever agent during that night shift, and wished them a good night. Krzeminski was proud for having found Demidov's passports, and told Thompson that the least he could do in exchange was to cover his shift, but Thompson left the office.
Sousa asked Krzeminski if he had asked Peggy Carter; Krzeminski explained that he indeed asked her, but she was not amused by the offer. Sousa sarcastically told him that surely he had asked in the polite and respectful way in which he always spoke to Carter.
Krzeminski gave Sousa advice to give up on whatever he was feeling for Carter, as no woman would be with a man like him after having met a man like Captain America.[3]
Past Revealed[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis navigated their way through the sewers. Carter was very comfortable with this, given that she spent a full week inside the sewers in 1942.
Carter, tired of insinuations, directly told Jarvis that she needed to know the facts about Jarvis' treason chargers in order to fully trust him as they were going to work and risk their lives together. Both Jarvis' honor and Howard Stark' trust in Jarvis were not enough for Carter, and she wanted to know the truth.
Jarvis started to explain how he served under a general before World War II. On his travels with the general, he met Ana, the girl who would become his wife, in Budapest. However, given that Ana was Jewish, when the war broke out her life was threatened, and Jarvis asked the general to use one of the several letters of transit he carried in his safe to ensure Ana's safety, but he refused to sign.
Jarvis explained how he forged the general's signature, earning a dishonorable discharge. Howard Stark, whom Jarvis met and befriended during Stark's business with the general, used his influence to save Ana and dismiss Jarvis' charge of treason. Due to that, Jarvis was extremely grateful to Stark, and become a loyal butler for him.
Carter asked if, as Ana obviously knew what Stark did to help them, she was aware of what Jarvis was doing to clear Stark's name. Jarvis explained that he was hiding his missions with Carter from Ana, given that as he may not always be truthful with Ana, he was always honest.
Carter and Jarvis arrived at the tide gate, guessing where Leet Brannis would have taken a raft full of volatile technology, but Carter realized one of the ships, The Heartbreak, was adorned with the symbol that Brannis drew moments before his death.[3]
Investigating the Ship[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis arrived at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan to investigate The Heartbreak, the ship with the symbol that Leet Brannis drew moments before his death. Carter realized that, despite its dilapidated appearance, the ship was still connected to the electric system, and prepared to board it grabbing her handgun, and Jarvis asked if she had a spare weapon.
Carter and Jarvis boarded the ship, without realizing they were being observed by a woman disguised in a man's suit, and quickly located the technology stolen from Howard Stark. Carter went to examine the crates, and Jarvis warned her to be careful. Carter picked the first item she came across, the Constrictor, and Jarvis explained that, despite having been originally designed for back massage, it caused an involuntary and catastrophic muscle contraction that ended up breaking the bones.
Carter decided to call the Strategic Scientific Reserve for backup, but Jarvis advised her that she could not reveal that it was she who found the items. Carter refused to leave them in the ship so that anyone else could find them, or handing them to Jarvis due to the danger of being stolen again; though none of these possibilities was what Jarvis was suggesting.
To prove his point, Jarvis simulated the interrogation that the SSR would surely give her, explaining that Leet Brannis revealed their location during her private investigation with Howard Stark. Jarvis pointed that revealing the truth would not clear Stark's name, in fact, it would have the opposite effect, and Carter would be a suspect along with him.
Carter wanted her colleagues to respect her due to her efforts. Jarvis explained her colleagues would not respect her; they would only use the opportunity to disprove and discredit her. Jarvis acknowledged that the only way to clear Stark's name would be doing it from the shadows.
Carter, realizing that Jarvis was right, told him to call the SSR as an anonymous tipster, but warned him not to let Ray Krzeminski claim the merit, as Daniel Sousa was in the night shift, and she preferred that Sousa got the credit for her work if any should get it. Before leaving, Carter reminded Jarvis that Sousa knew his voice, so he should fake an accent.[3]
Anonymous Tip[]
Edwin Jarvis called the New York Bell Company Office to inform the Strategic Scientific Reserve about the discovery of the technology stolen from Howard Stark.
Faking an awkward American accent, Jarvis told Daniel Sousa that the technology was located in The Heartbreak, a ship near the south side pier. Sousa, demanded to know how Jarvis obtained the number, but getting nervous, Jarvis politely bid his farewell and hung up the phone.
Sousa explained to Ray Krzeminski that they received an anonymous tip, and they should go immediately to investigate it.[3]
Muscle for Hire[]
Peggy Carter waited inside The Heartbreak until Edwin Jarvis returned from calling the Strategic Scientific Reserve for reinforcements, but she was ambushed by Jerome Zandow, a man hired by Leet Brannis to guard the ship.
Zandow attacked and disarmed Carter, and started to taunt her now that she was seemingly defenseless. Zandow told them that Brannis had already warned that someone would come to take possession of the technology and he was not afraid to kill a woman; Carter told him she would not make it easy.
Zandow attacked Carter, who despite her skill and speed, was unable to overcome Zandow's brute strength. Zandow grabbed a metal pipe and started to strangle Carter, but Jarvis managed to ambush Zandow and hit him in the head. Zandow was not knocked out by the hit, and easily overcame Jarvis' attacks.
Zandow pushed Jarvis against a wall, and tried to use the metal pipe to strangle him. Carter grabbed one of Howard Stark's weapons, the Constrictor, and used it to easily break Zandow's arm, and subdued him with the metal pipe to knock him unconscious.
Jarvis noticed the car siren that meant the SSR agents were about to arrive, and prompted Carter to leave, even despite Zandow being a witness and possibly incriminating them.[3]
Confiscation of the Arsenal[]
Daniel Sousa and Ray Krzeminski arrived at the docks to investigate the anonymous tip that informed them about the location of Howard Stark's technology inside one of the ships.
Sousa located The Heartbreak, and boarded it with Krzeminski, locating the stolen cargo and an unconscious Jerome Zandow. Sousa warned Krzeminski to be careful with the items, as he was too excited, thinking they would be promoted for finding them. Sousa was concerned that instead of discovering something, once again the solution was handed to them, but Krzeminski compared it to a Christmas gift and went to call Chief Roger Dooley.
Dooley quickly arrived with Jack Thompson and many other armed agents to take the technology into custody, unaware that they were being observed by a woman dressed in a man's suit. Thompson coordinated the operation, ordering to check every box and transport it carefully.
Thompson informed Dooley that the man found inside the ship, Jerome Zandow, was a sideshow performer at Coney Island that usually acted as muscle-for-hire. Dooley wanted Thompson to interrogate Zandow, as he wanted to know the reason why Zandow did nothing but wait while having a full arsenal in his possession.
Sousa informed Dooley that all the crates had been loaded up inside their truck, and Dooley ordered to take the technology as quickly as possible to the Strategic Scientific Reserve facility, custodied by two cars. Thompson volunteered to call their scientists to figure out the nature of all the technology, and Dooley asked them to drive carefully, as, with the precedent of the destruction of the Roxxon Refinery, the technology had the potential to sink the island of Manhattan.
Krzeminski was tasked with driving Zandow back to the New York Bell Company Office, and commented how Agent Thompson would submit him to one of his "special" interrogations. Zandow complained that he needed a doctor as his arm was broken, but Krzeminski explained that fixing it was futile given they would surely break it again.
Zandow asked if the English woman that attacked him was also working for them, but before Zandow could describe them, they were forced to stop by a traffic light and another car crashed into theirs. Krzeminski got out of the car to complain, but he was shot and killed by the woman that was previously observing them at the docks.
Zandow plead not to be killed, as swore that he had not told anything, but she killed him and left the scene, leaving the two corpses behind.[3]
Mourning Ray Krzeminski[]
The whole personnel at the New York Bell Company Office mourned the death of Ray Krzeminski, leaving flowers in his desk. Peggy Carter, unaware of what happened, arrived at the office as usual, and saw how the phone operators were crying. Carter asked Rose Roberts what had happened, and she explained what happened the night before.
Carter entered the main office, where all agents were sad for the loss of their colleague, and watched the flowers in Krzeminski's station. Daniel Sousa, being a veteran of World War II, wondered if she too felt that same feeling during the war, that anyone could die any day.
Carter asked how it happened, and Jack Thompson explained that a professional killed Krzeminski and their witness, Jerome Zandow, probably having been watching them in the docks. Sousa felt guilty for answering the anonymous tip, as he knew that something was wrong, given that "concerned citizens" usually called the police, as the office's phone number was unavailable. Sousa promised to find the one responsible
Chief Roger Dooley addressed all the agents in the office, visibly saddened for the loss of one of his agents, and reminded the agents that Howard Stark was responsible for the death of Krzeminski, as despite he may have not pulled the trigger himself, it was because of him they were dragged into the investigation that ended with Krzeminski's life. Dooley informed the agents he wanted action plans in one hour, but also asked them to stay vigilant, as he did not want to lose any other agent.
Dooley went on to call Krzeminski's wife, while Thompson volunteered to call Krzeminski's girlfriend.[3]
Mourning a Colleague[]
Peggy Carter went to the L&L Automat, still deeply affected by the loss of the colleague Ray Krzeminski, wanting to speak to her friend Angie Martinelli. Martinelli, still upset with Carter for the way Carter treated her the previous night at the Griffith Hotel, coldly treated her as another customer.
Carter asked her for the opportunity of telling Martinelli about her day if she had a moment, and noticing Carter's state, she told her she had plenty of time to talk to her. Carter explained that one of her co-workers died suddenly died that day, without commenting the details to maintain her cover.
Carter was even shocked for the way it deeply affected her, even despite she and Krzeminski were anywhere but close, given that he was always rude and disrespectful with her, but she acknowledged that Krzeminski was good at his job. Martinelli offered to do whatever was in her hand to help her, and Carter asked if she still had the bottle of Schnapps she offered to share the previous night.
Martinelli, wanting to help her friend, went to refill a customer, and then she would leave work to be with her.[3]
Howard Stark's Return[]
Smuggled Goods[]
Edwin Jarvis went to a warehouse in order to pay a ransom to the subordinates of Otto Mink for a package Mink managed to smuggle into the United States. The smugglers counted the money Jarvis gave him, surprised to see $1000 bills that they had never seen before. Jarvis assured that they legal tender, and easier to transport than one-dollar bills.
The smugglers wanted Jarvis to pay $100,000 in addition to the $50,000 that they agreed, something he politely refused due to not being the amount previously agreed for the service. One of the smugglers told him that Mink did not smuggle any goods for free, grabbed his gun to threaten Jarvis, and explained that the extra $100,000 were not for the delivery itself, but for being silent about it.
Peggy Carter who had accompanied Jarvis to the warehouse, ambushed and defeated the three goons standing guard outside of the warehouse, and went to the room were Jarvis tried to deal with the smugglers
Jarvis, who complained again about the extortion, touched his ear and agreed to offer another $50,000. He pushed a button on his briefcase and offered it to the smugglers but was concerned that they would open it there in his presence. One of the smugglers opened the briefcase and a cloud of gas directly hit him, knocking him unconscious, while the other managed to evade it.
The remaining smuggler pointed his gun at Jarvis, but Carter pointed her gun at him and knocked him unconscious with a single punch. Carter sarcastically complimented Jarvis for his bargaining skills, and they went on to check their delivered goods.
They opened one of the containers to see Howard Stark playing pool inside, greeting Carter and Jarvis as his favorite foreigners. Stark asked if Mink's subordinates had blackmailed them. Carter pointed that Stark had a particular way of choosing his business partners.
Stark explained that Mink was just a black-market smuggler, but he managed to take him back into the United States. Stark already predicted that Mink's greed would lead him to extort Stark's emissary for more money, and he liked predictable and greedy people.
Stark grabbed a billiard ball and threw it toward Carter's direction. She quickly evaded it, and the ball hit one of Mink's remaining goons. Stark lamented leaving, being so close to winning that game of pool, and departed with Jarvis and Carter to one of his residences.[11]
Change of Plans[]
Edwin Jarvis and Peggy Carter took a recently returned Howard Stark through the streets of New York City, heading to one of his residences. Along the way, Stark asked Jarvis and Carter how the two of them were getting along, and if they had enough familiarity to make Carter try Ana Jarvis' goulash, or to let her reveal Jarvis one of her physical feats.
Carter reminded Stark that every American intelligence agency was still looking for him, and asked him the reason for his return to New York City. Stark told her he would explain everything once they arrived to the penthouse.
Carter suddenly ordered Jarvis to stop the car though the residence was nearby; she explained that Agents Yauch and Henry of the Strategic Scientific Reserve were watching the penthouse's surroundings acting as bystanders, so they needed to take Stark to another place.
Stark claimed that the penthouse was his least-known property, as a dummy corporation owned by another dummy corporation was the one that held the lease for the penthouse. Theoretically, only Stark and Jarvis knew about it, besides Stark's female conquests such as Lana Turner and Jane Russell.
Carter reminded Stark that her colleague Ray Krzeminski was killed during the investigation of Stark's stolen technology and the Strategic Scientific Reserve blamed him, so it was sure they were working hard to uncover all of Stark's assets, including residences, bank accounts and corporations.
Carter decided to hide Stark at the Griffith Hotel, her own residence, despite her being unsure. Upon arriving, Stark recognized the establishment, and familiarly asked about Miriam Fry, and how she was.[11]
Departure to Germany[]
Jack Thompson arrived at the New York Bell Company Office very early in the morning to find that Chief Roger Dooley had been working all night on the case regarding Howard Stark and the two Russian suspects.
Dooley explained he obtained the official report about the battle of Finow, where suspects Leet Brannis and Sasha Demidov had been reported as deceased despite not having died. Dooley showed the report to Thompson, who pointed out that many words had been removed from it; Dooley explained that the officer who redacted it, General John McGinnis, had died a month before.
Thompson asked about the Remote Typewriter, and Dooley answered that, according to their technicians, it was sending and receiving signals, but they had not figured its destination yet, so Thompson proposed to send a message to their enemies.
Dooley revealed that he managed to obtain the identity of the German officer that, according to intelligence reports, ambushed the Russian division in Finow, Colonel Ernst Mueller, but he was going to be executed in two days accused of multiple war crimes. For that reason, Dooley was going to travel to Germany and talk to him before his execution.
Thompson was surprised that Dooley would travel so far to talk to a Nazi, and Dooley pointed the connection between Brannis and Demidov, who supposedly died in Finow, and Stark's technology. Besides, not even the government was willing to reveal the truth about the battle of Finow, so Mueller was one of the only remaining sources he had available.
Dooley appointed Thompson as acting chief of the station until his return, and Thompson wished good luck to Dooley, addressing each other as "Chief".[11]
Dumbwaiter Trick[]
Peggy Carter managed to take Howard Stark into the Griffith Hotel through the laundry room in the basement, and told him to enter the dumbwaiter. Stark complained due to his hate of small spaces, and was concerned what would happen if the chain did not endure his weight.
Carter joked that she would never reveal that his body was in the bottom of a dumbwaiter shaft, and warned him that if Miriam Fry found them, they would be more comfortable in any place, including the electric chair.
As Carter closed the dumbwaiter, Fry arrived and surprised Carter, telling her that she was the woman Fry was most worried about of all the establishment. Carter considered it to be a discouraging sentiment, and Fry explained that her schedule appeared to be more of a woman frequenting taxi dance halls than those of a telephone operator.
Carter lied saying she was just doing her laundry, though Fry said that she had caught many intruders inside the dumbwaiter, making Carter acknowledge that that many women owed her virtue to Fry. Fry was always suspicious, explaining how Alice Shaw once tried to enter her room with a man, disguising him in a girdle and making him pose as her sister.
Being suspicious of Carter, Fry volunteered to accompany her to her room, walking together to the third floor. Along the way, Fry continued to explain how she had managed to catch women trying to sneak men inside the hotel. Fry, trying to explain her goal in helping women "govern their impulses", asked Carter if she was familiar with Sigmund Freud's concepts of the id and the ego, and Carter maintained her cover asking if they were children's characters.
Carter was about to enter her room when Fry reminded her about her laundry. The two women went on to check the dumbwaiter, but they only found Stark's duffle bag. Fry was surprised, as she was expecting to see a man inside, and left Carter alone, reminding her the time it was.
Carter went on to check the dumbwaiter again, thinking Stark was still hiding inside, but she heard one of her neighbors giggling inside her room. Carter angrily knocked on the door, and Lorraine appeared to say Carter had just awakened her.
Stark appeared at Lorraine's door, half undressed and with a lipstick mark on his face, explaining to Lorraine that Carter was just his cousin, and introduced both women to each other. Lorraine noted that Carter's cousin looked a lot like Howard Stark, but Carter told her cousin was shorter, to which Stark pointed that he was better-looking.
Stark and Carter entered her apartment, and while he served some coffee, he casually told her how he would sausages, eggs and a couple of Bloody Marys, only for Carter to remind him that there was no room service at the Griffith. Carter prompted him to reveal the reason of his return and when he was planning to leave while she got dressed,
Stark explained that he was going to leave the country again and travel to Rio de Janeiro in three days, but he needed to know how many of his inventions had the Strategic Scientific Reserve recovered, and therefore determine how many were still on the black market.
Instead of asking Edwin Jarvis to mediate between them, Stark explained he came to give her a Camera Pen, photographing themselves with it. Carter was shocked that Stark risked everything to give her just that item, and took the pen to change her clothes inside the bathroom.
Stark told that it took him quite some time to figure out how to miniaturize the lens, and reminded her there was no need to change her clothes with the door closed, as they were just friends.[11]
Acting Chief[]
Jack Thompson, assuming his position as acting Chief, gathered every agent inside the New York Bell Company Office to give what he thought was a motivational speech. He asked if anyone knew recently killed Agent Ray Krzeminski's middle name, and only Daniel Sousa knew it was "Walter". He then asked what was the most important part of his name, and though Agent Yauch answered with insecurity if it was Walter, Thompson said that the most important part of the name was "Agent".
Thompson explained that Chief Roger Dooley was gone to investigate a lead, and he was in charge during his absence, so he would not let any agent rest or return home until they managed to obtain any result. Thompson ordered every agent to form a single file to give them individual assignments.
Sousa asked Peggy Carter if she was not eager to see the assignment that Thompson would give to her, but she was sure he would task her with the lunch orders. Carter realized Sousa was leaving the office, and he explained he was going to investigate the anonymous call that informed them about the whole cargo of Howard Stark's technology, so he would try to obtain a fingerprint from the phone.
Carter tried to dissuade him, knowing that Edwin Jarvis was the one who called them, and told him that given it was a public phone, he would find a bacterial infection sooner than a valid fingerprint.
Thompson came out of the office, and asked him where he was going. Sousa answered that he was going to real police work instead of what Thompson was expecting him to do, and Thompson reminded him that he should assume Krzeminski's role, just before ordering Carter to take the lunch orders.[11]
Laboratory Developments[]
Peggy Carter entered the laboratory to check how many of Howard Stark's inventions had been confiscated by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and distracted Alex Doobin, one of the scientists working at the laboratory, posing as if she was simply taking the lunch orders.
Carter casually asked about their research, and witnessed how one of the scientists' arm was burning with a green flame. Doobin pointed the research has been challenging, and Carter took the Camera Pen that Stark gave her to begin taking photographs of the different inventions.
While Carter continued to take photographs, Doobin told her how one the inventions, gave him a shock every time he pushed its switch, and how the shock ran through his arm into his skull, melting his glasses the first time he pushed it. Doobin wondered if that was its intended purpose, and acknowledged that Stark was either an ignoramus or a genius. Carter, who knew Stark very well, told Doobin that he was most likely both things.
The scientist's arm burst in flames again, this time with a blue flame, and Carter seized the opportunity to take the last photographs before leaving.[11]
Investigation at the Pier[]
Daniel Sousa went to the pier in order to try to obtain a fingerprint from the phone that Edwin Jarvis used to tip the Strategic Scientific Reserve about the location of Howard Stark's stolen technology.
Two tramps, Frank and George, were playing cards in the pier and betting coins. Sousa approached the two men, who offered him to join their game for a nickel, but he asked them about the night where the Strategic Scientific Reserve confiscated Stark's technology inside one the ships docked there, The Heartbreak
George asked Sousa for a coin, only to reveal that he was not there that night, as he camped on 14th Street, but told him that Frank had been spending nights there for over a month. Sousa offered Frank another coin, but Frank told him to keep the money, as he was not going to cooperate with law enforcement, mistaking Sousa for a policeman.
Sousa told him that he just wanted to know what Frank saw that night, and when on to ask if he was the tipper who called them. Frank got angry and confronted Sousa, who evaded Frank's punch and used his crutch to knock Frank down. Sousa handcuffed Frank to take him into custody, and George guessed he had win that hand.[11]
Smuggling Business[]
Otto Mink tuned up his Automatic Pistol while scolding his subordinates for not managing to obtain the $150,000 he wanted for smuggling Howard Stark back into the United States.
Mink's subordinates explained that Edwin Jarvis deceived them, as instead of coming alone with the money, he brought a girl. In order to make their story more believable, they started to lie saying that more than five men also accompanied them
Mink accused his smugglers of lying, and killed one of them with his Automatic Pistol, shooting until the weapon jammed. The other smuggler tried to leave the room, but the door was closed. While Mink fixed his weapon, the smuggler swore he was telling the truth, and revealed he overheard Stark calling woman "Peggy".
He volunteered to follow Jarvis and find the woman, the money and Stark. Mink was not interested in money anymore, saying that nobody crossed him while he shot to the smuggler's shoulder. The pistol jammed again and the smuggler offered to kill Stark and the woman.
Mink refused the offer, saying that he would take care of them, and killed the other smuggler shooting with the pistol.[11]
Retrieving an Artifact[]
Peggy Carter returned to the Griffith Hotel in order to show Howard Stark the images of his inventions she managed to take. Carter was unable to find Stark inside his room, and realized that he was in another tenant's room.
Carter shouted in the hallway and Stark opened the door of Helen's room. Stark introduced both women to each other, saying that Carter was his cousin, and entered Carter's room again, with a visibly disgusted Carter.
They entered the bathroom to use it as a darkroom to develop the pictures she took with the Camera Pen. Carter realized the first pictures portrayed a woman, and Stark took the film, claiming the first photographs were not suitable for Carter's eyes.
Carter and Stark were interrupted by Angie Martinelli, who had come to pick Carter up for dinner. Stark acknowledged that Martinelli's voice was beautiful, but Carter warned him to stay away from her friend.
Carter shouted that he was not feeling good, but Stark prompted her to go and spend some time outside of her duties, as he was actually worrying about her. Stark volunteered to check the photos himself, and asked Carter to bring him something to eat.
Carter descended to the dining room and started to steal food for Stark, trying to conceal it as best as she could. However, Martinelli watched her stealing and started to take some for herself, advising Carter she could keep the rolls for an extra day if she put them on the windowsill.
Martinelli explained that it was very common to steal food from the dining room, for example Carol once stole a whole chicken, hiding it in a special pocket under her sweater that her mother knit for her, and Gloria had a compartment in her pocketbook. Dottie Underwood checked Gloria's pocketbook and was surprised by its content, asking her to make her one compartment to hold pickles.
Carter left the dining hall, explaining she was going to eat in her room and read the last five pages of the new Agatha Christie novel.
Inside the room, Stark checked that all of his inventions had been recovered by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, but he needed that Carter stole one of them from them. Stark explained that one of the particular inventions that cause large-scale destruction was still active.
Stark explained how he created the Blitzkrieg Button in order to conceal the city of London from German bombings during World War II, instantly creating a city-wide blackout once the device is activated. However, it worked destroying the electrical grids, so it would leave the area without electric energy for years.
Stark asked Carter to retrieve the item and deliver it to him so that he could disable the device, as it would take the tri-state area back to the Dark Ages if the device was activated in New York City. Stark gave Carter a fake device to swap it for the real one, as if she tried to explain what was its purpose, the government would try to use it. Stark asked her, as a personal favor, not to let him become the man who shut down New York.
Carter left the building to return to her office, with Edwin Jarvis waiting for her outside the building. Unbeknownst to them, Otto Mink had been following Jarvis to get revenge for being crossed when he smuggled Stark back to the country, and now he knew how Carter looked, and where she lived.[11]
Interrogating a Tramp[]
Daniel Sousa returned to the New York Bell Company Office with Frank, a tramp that lived near the piers, intending to interrogate him about what happened the night that Sousa and Ray Krzeminski found Howard Stark's missing technology. Upon entering, Jack Thompson and other agents mocked Sousa, sarcastically remarking that he found Stark, and the reason the rest of them could not find him was his rough appearance.
Thompson then asked Sousa what was he doing bringing a tramp to the office, and Sousa explained that Frank may have seen something in the docks before the agents even arrived. Looking at Frank, Thompson assured the only thing he probably saw that night was a bottle of alcohol.
Sousa tried to bond with Frank over their status as World War II veterans, explaining how people clapped at him once in a diner when he had recently returned from the war. He thought people were clapping for because he served and came back alive, but when another veteran entered the diner and prepared to clap, Sousa realized they clapped for his injury, not for his service, the rest of patrons only clapped to relieve their guilt.
Sousa explained that he and Frank were not different, and Frank told him how nobody clapped for him when he returned from the war, and he lost both his wife and his job to other men while he was serving. Despite having similar "sad stories", Frank continued to refuse to talk to him.
Sousa entered the observation room behind the one-way mirror, where Thompson had been watching the whole conversation. Thompson told Sousa he would clap him, but he did not want to hurt his feelings, and order Sousa to release the tramp and join the search for Stark like the rest of agents.
Sousa claimed that Frank was a witness, he saw something at the docks, because he would say so if he did not see anything. Thompson compared Roger Dooley's efforts, traveling to Nuremberg to interview a Colonel Ernst Mueller moments before his execution, to his lead about a tramp.
Sousa continues trying to make Frank speak to him, but Thompson interrupted them, entering the room with a hamburger and a bottle of Roger Dooley's Scotch whisky. Thompson's interruption infuriated Sousa, who tried to make him leave. Frank was distracted with Thompson's food and drink, and Thompson even taunted him with their smell and taste.
Thompson ignored Sousa, and offered Frank the bottle and the hamburger in exchange of telling them what he saw at the docks. Frank immediately answered he saw a well-dressed man and a dark-haired woman, that entered the ship and left before the agents arrived, but he could not see their faces because he was far and hid once the agents arrived.
Frank ignored the hamburger and took the bottle, drinking as much as he could. Before leaving the room, Thompson told Sousa that not everybody returned from the war wanting a hug.[11]
Lying Gestures[]
Edwin Jarvis took Peggy Carter to her office in order to retrieve one of Howard Stark's devices, and she asked him to park around the corner in order to quickly return to the Griffith Hotel once she managed to get it.
Carter asked him about the device, and noticed Jarvis was more nervous than usual, touching his ear as he did once he tried to deceive Otto Mink's smugglers. Noticing that something was wrong, Carter tried to learn more about the item from Jarvis, asking him if Stark took the risk of returning to New York City, maybe he was planning to use it to blackout an entire city.
Jarvis vigorously denied that accusation, and Carter went on to compare this device with Nitramene, that this at least would not hurt anyone if it was accidentally activated. Jarvis touched his ear again, and asked her to bring the device as fast as she could so that there was no need to worry about it anymore.[11]
Night Infiltration[]
Daniel Sousa was angry that his witness Frank, one of the tramps that lived in the docks where Howard Stark's technology was found, was only a waste of time. Jack Thompson acknowledged Sousa managed to find a witness that the rest of the agents overlooked. However, Frank's information about a man and a woman were too general to be of any value, as Stark was known to be almost always with women around him.
Thompson explained something he learnt during the war, that not every won battle was an achievement. Sousa claimed that hearing the way Thompson fought, he was surprised there was any achievement left for him to obtain. Thompson said he just did what was needed to be done, but Sousa said that was all of them did.
Sousa grabbed his coat to leave the room, and Thompson asked where did he gained his prosthesis, guessing it could have been in Russia or in Italy, but Sousa simply said he gained it in his femur.
Peggy Carter entered the office and passed the room where Sousa and Thompson were talking, heading to the laboratory. She managed to find the artifact that Stark asked her to switch for a fake one, and quickly placed the fake device on its place.
Carter wanted to know the actual reason Stark was interested in the device, so she hid inside a storage room to open it. Nervously, Carter pulled the switch on the device, and instead of blacking out the entire city as Stark said, it revealed a vial of blood.
Carter hid inside the interrogation room to avoid being caught inside the office at night, but she did not realized that Thompson was still inside the room. Thompson asked what was she doing there, given that only men had to work at night, and she taunted him saying that she did not want to interrupt Thompson enjoying his promotion, as he was still with the bottle of whisky in his hand.
Thompson continued to discomfort Carter asking the reason she worked at the office. Carter answered that she worked to uphold democracy, but Thompson said that the rest of agents did more for that than to simply take lunch orders. Thompson was not stopped by Carter's clever answers, and told her that she was trying to hide something, but she did not manage to fool anyone but herself.
Carter thought that Thompson had discovered her secret, but what Thompson said was that Carter was trying to bypass the "natural order of the universe", that no man would ever consider her as an equal simply because she was a woman. Carter said she could always come to him to remind her what the truth was, and left the room.[11]
Broken Trust[]
Peggy Carter returned to the Griffith Hotel with the artifact that Howard Stark asked her to steal from her office, and quickly entered her room to confront Stark about the artifact. She knew that Stark had lied to her about the item, as she found a vial of blood.
Shaken, Carter asked Stark about the content of the vial, and she diverted his attempts to hold back the truth, asking four times the same question. Stark realized she was angry, though she claimed that it was just curiosity, and wanted to hear the truth from Stark's lips.
Stark finally confessed the vial held a sample of Steve Rogers' blood, and Carter punched him in the face.
Otto Mink, having followed Carter to the Griffith, entered the lobby with a bouquet of flowers, posing as a suitor and wanting to see Carter and kill her for crossing him when he smuggled Stark into the country.
Mink approached Miriam Fry, saying that he brought the flowers for Carter and wanted to deliver them himself. Fry, applying the rules of the Griffith, refused to let him pass, and told him instead to left the flowers at the reception desk. Fry asked Mink if he was a delivery man or Carter's suitor, to which Mink replied that he loved her, hoping that would make Fry allow him to see Carter.
Fry wrote a note with Carter's room to deliver the flowers, and asked Mink his name and profession. Mink, who saw Carter's room number in the note, left the hotel to infiltrate it in another way, and Fry was not surprised that such a man was Carter's suitor.
In her room, Carter confronted Stark for having used her and lying to her. Stark said he was just wanting to protect her, as Rogers meant so much for both of them, and while Carter continued to throw his lies into his face, he realized he was wrong when he lied to her.
Stark explained he had the habit of lying to everyone, given he needed to do it since his youth to overcome his humble origins as the son of a fruit seller and a seamstress, to climb over a ceiling that stopped people based on their social class, religion or sex. Stark explained that lying was his natural instinct, but he was truly sorry for having lied to Carter.
Carter asked why he had Rogers' blood, and Stark said that he obtained it as he was one of the lead scientists on Project Rebirth, while other 11 vials went to the government. Stark asked if the Strategic Scientific Reserve knew about the vial, as the government had almost used their entire supply of blood, and they would not give back Stark's sample even if his name was cleared.
Carter was not sure that Stark deserved to have the blood, but he was sure it could contain the key to vaccines and medications, so despite Rogers' sacrifice to save them, he could still save millions of people. Carter thought Stark's only motivation for that was the money he would make with it, considering he was a greed, selfish and superficial man.
Carter reminded him how Rogers dedicated both his mind and body, and even his life to both the Strategic Scientific Reserve and the United States, but not to Stark's money. And she had made the same pledge that Rogers did, but she did not followed once she started to covertly work for Stark. Now, being reminded of what she aspired to be, Carter told Stark that, for her, he was as guilty of stealing his inventions as anyone else believed.
Carter left the room and ordered him to be gone upon her return. Stark wondered where would he go, given that he would get arrested, but she was less than concerned, as she told him to figure it out as the genius he was.[11]
Next Door Killer[]
Otto Mink managed to infiltrate the Griffith Hotel through a ventilation shaft, and went to ambush Peggy Carter at her room. Before he could enter, Dottie Underwood came out of her room and was surprised to see a man in the hallway, asked him if she was lost.
Mink ordered her to return to her room, but Underwood asked him if she was looking for Carter. Mink then threatened her at gunpoint, and Underwood recognized the weapon as an Automatic Pistol.
Underwood changed her tone and claimed she wanted the weapon, and quickly attacked Mink, who had no chance to defend himself. Underwood effortlessly broke Mink's neck, and took the weapon for herself, hiding the corpse under her bed.[11]
Chain of Lies[]
Edwin Jarvis approached Peggy Carter on her way to work, and explained he regretted how everything was handled and having lied to her. Carter took his apology as an answer to whether he knew the true content of the artifact or not, and told him that he had the habit of rubbing his ear when he lied.
Jarvis explained that both himself and Howard Stark truly respected her, and were probably the only men alive that held her in high esteem. Carter said that it looked like she could trust more the actions of men that did not respect her, as they, at least, meant something when they asked for it.
Jarvis sat at a shoe shiner parlor where Stark was hiding behind a newspaper, and explained to him that Stark underestimated Carter, so he tasked Jarvis to win Carter's trust back. Jarvis explained how during the last five years, he had been apologizing for Stark, but that time it had been hurtful for him.
As Jarvis left Stark behind, visibly brought down by Jarvis' complain, the man besides him asked him to borrow the sports section of his newspaper.[11]
Return from Germany[]
Peggy Carter delivered the lunch orders to her co-workers while Daniel Sousa looked at the picture of the blonde woman that was related to Howard Stark's case, taking it from the board and painting her hair with a pencil.
Roger Dooley returned from his trip to Germany, and Jack Thompson jokingly asked him if he obtained something. Dooley explained that Colonel Ernst Mueller should have been hanged at that moment, but he revealed that there was not any battle in Finow, only Russian bodies ripped to pieces.
Dooley wondered who killed them, and debunked Thompson's theory that Leet Brannis and Sasha Demidov killed them, as two men could not kill hundreds of soldiers, also wondering why they were listed among the dead. Dooley realized that maybe Brannis and Demidov assumed the identities of men who actually died in Finow.
Thompson showed Dooley one of the things he managed to discover, that the log at the Finow airfield showed that, one day after the supposed battle of Finow, a plane allegedly carrying Stark arrived there. Dooley asked Thompson to serve him a glass of whisky, as they had come across a conspiracy.[11]
Secrets at the Griffith[]
At night, Peggy Carter returned to her room in the Griffith Hotel and turned the radio on at a high volume. She grabbed a hammer and opened a hole in the wall, in order to hide the vial containing Steve Rogers' blood behind the bricks.
Meanwhile, Dottie Underwood admired the Automatic Pistol she obtained from Otto Mink, while his corpse laid under her bed. Angie Martinelli knocked Underwood's door and asked her if she was coming to dinner, and Underwood answered she would meet her downstairs.[11]
Receiving a Message[]
Roger Dooley spent the night at the New York Bell Company Office, trying to tie the loose ends relating every suspect in the case about Howard Stark. While he was alone, Sasha Demidov's Remote Typewriter started to receive a message, shocking Dooley.[11]
Soviet Connections[]
Dottie Underwood's Morning Routine[]
Dottie Underwood woke up in her bedroom inside the Griffith Hotel, having dreamed about her childhood at the Red Room Academy in Russia, and began her daily routine of physical exercise.
Underwood went to her neighbor's Angie Martinelli's apartment to talk to her, but Martinelli explained she would not go to work that day.[12]
Tourism in New York City[]
Dottie Underwood and Peggy Carter went to the L&L Automat together for breakfast before Carter entered her job at the New York Bell Company Office. Underwood cited her with the excuse of requesting help to know the city, but she had other plans for her meeting with Carter.
Underwood asked Carter the meaning of the word "ennui", something she heard from Angie Martinelli that morning as an excuse for not going to work that day, and Carter explained that it meant melancholy or sadness born out of tedium or boredom. Carter noted that despite those kind of comments, Martinelli's acting teacher did not consider her to be dramatic enough.
Underwood shared a piece of her baguette with Carter just as she did with her friend Anya at the Red Room Academy in Russia, insisting to share it as she could never finish her bread. Underwood asked Carter for a pen, explaining she wanted to convince Martinelli to give her a tour of New York City; she still got lost when she walked on her own, but she wanted to see its many landmarks.
Carter found a pen attached to Edwin Jarvis' business card, and started to think about him, while Underwood continued to explain how she wanted to see Central Park, the Empire State Building, Trinity Church and the Statue of Liberty. Underwood realized that Carter was thinking about other thing and called her attention.
Carter told her that what she wanted to see were tourist traps, because the way to know New York City, just like with any other place, was to talk to its people, but not the dishonest people that coated the city. Carter advised her to visit Brooklyn, though Underwood sadly said that she preferred to see the Statue of Liberty. Carter explained that the statue would not move from its location, but the spirit of Lady Liberty, what the statue actually represented, was found in the people.
Underwood was impressed with Carter's words, saying that she sounded like Captain America, something that Carter thought was not a bad thing at all. Underwood hit Carter's purse seemingly by chance, and quickly went to pick up all the content that fell to the ground, but keeping the key for Carter's room at the Griffith Hotel.
Underwood thanked Carter for her advice, and announced she was going to Brooklyn, but then she innocently asked how to go there. Realizing what Carter meant, Underwood told her she would figure out herself how to go to Brooklyn, and Carter wished her to have fun.[12]
Regaining Trust[]
Peggy Carter approached a stand to buy the newspaper. Pete, the newspaper seller, sarcastically complimented the rainy morning, and Carter said it felt like her home. Pete asked her if she missed England, and she acknowledged that she missed something.
Edwin Jarvis, who wanted to talk to Carter, bought a copy of the Ledger in order to approach her. Noticing Jarvis behind her, Carter wished Pete a good day and left the stand. Jarvis asked Carter for just one moment, though Carter refused to speak, saying that he already had his moment, and if either he or Howard Stark had anything else to say, they should tell it to the Marines.
Jarvis explained that he tried to persuade Stark to tell Carter the truth, but she confronted him, as Jarvis could have told her the truth for himself, something that Jarvis thought not to be possible. Carter easily explained how Jarvis could have told her that Stark wanted her to steal Captain America's blood, coming to believe that Stark did not want her to simply prove his innocence, what he wanted from her was someone else to manipulate.
Jarvis told Carter that Stark greatly admired her, but Carter finished his sentence saying the only one that Stark admired was himself. Jarvis then described many of Stark's defects, such as being thoughtless, unreliable or arrogant, but he also considered him a good man.
Carter said that Stark used her, just as he was using Jarvis, though Jarvis seemingly had chosen not to see it. Carter said that Stark did not need her help, he needed a servant, something he already had in Jarvis.
Jarvis then compared the situation with the way the Strategic Scientific Reserve treated her. Carter confronted her, saying she was a federal agent, though Jarvis said that she did little more than fetching coffee, as her "colleagues" not only did not respect her, they are even unable to see her.
Jarvis asked her if she honestly expected her colleagues would change their minds, and Carter answered that she expected she would make them change their minds, leaving Jarvis alone under the rain.[12]
Code Breaking[]
Peggy Carter entered the New York Bell Company Office and noticed there was more activity than usually, as if something important had happened. Daniel Sousa informed that Sasha Demidov's Remote Typewriter activated itself and an encoded message arrived, and a cryptographer from Arlington Hall was trying to decode the message, but had not been successful.
Inside the briefing room, Roger Dooley and Jack Thompson oversaw the work of the cryptographer, and as Sousa and Carter entered the room, the cryptographer began discarding methods to decrypt the message. Dooley and Thompson had already lost their patience with the cryptographer, who wanted to take the message to Virginia and decode it there.
Carter looked at the message and recognized it from her days at Bletchley Park as a one-time pad system. The cryptographer said that he tried the pad immediately, but Carter made clear that he did not account for the original message being written in Russian.
Dooley asked Carter to read the message, and began to decipher the message, that started with a set of map coordinates that Sousa determined to point to Belarus. Carter continued with the message, reading that it confirmed a purchase and the date of an exchange for the prototype of a Havoc Reactor purchased by Leviathan.
Sousa said that a leviathan was a sea monster from the old testament, but Dooley revealed it was a supposed covert Russian organization whose existence had never been confirmed and that, according to the rumors, it started to purchase weapons after World War II.
Carter asked for silence to concentrate, and finished reading the message, that assured a quantity of $100,000 would be paid to Howard Stark upon delivery of the item.
Thompson celebrated having proof of Stark selling weapons to the Soviet Union, and Dooley ordered Thompson to take a team to the coordinates and bring Stark to the United States. Dooley ordered agents Mike Li and Rick Ramirez to prepare for the mission, and Carter appointed herself to join them.
Dooley was surprised to hear that, though Carter assured that there was no one more qualified for the mission than her, so she would go to Russia.[12]
Joining the Team[]
Jack Thompson complained to Roger Dooley for the possibility of letting Peggy Carter accompany him to a field into hostile territory, while Carter prompted him to look at her war record to find evidence of her capabilities. Dooley ordered them to stop and continue the conversation inside his office.
Carter explained that there were many chances that Leviathan would continue to communicate in code during the mission, so the team needed her skills as a code breaker, though she acknowledged they were not sure that Leviathan sent the message through the Remote Typewriter,
Thompson said that uncertainty was one of the reasons to not make his team babysit Carter during the mission. Dooley asked Thompson what he wanted to do with his team, and though she acknowledged the skills Carter displayed while decrypting the message, he stated he needed strong men during the mission.
Carter said that he needed someone who spoke the language, and though Rick Ramirez spoke Russian, she had been battling in Europe from three years, either in the Eastern front, the Western front and everything in between them. To further demonstrate her knowledge, Carter explained how the smell of herring in the air meant that the wind was blowing in from the Baltic, which would cause a snow storm that would kill anyone of hypothermia if he did not find shelter and build a fire in 30 minutes.
Dooley asked Carter to understand his position, as if she got killed during the mission, he would be the man who sent a woman to be killed in action. Dooley acknowledged her experience in Russia, but he already asked for a tactical team that knew the terrain. Carter said that nobody knew that terrain like she or the 107th regiment did.
Thompson joked saying that the 107th regiment knew Europe better that Europeans, and that he would surely request their assistance if he could. Carter asked Dooley if he would let her join the team if she managed to obtain the assistance of the 107th regiment, and Dooley agreed, being convinced that she would not manage to obtain it.
Carter left the office to make a phone call, and Thompson familiarly addressed to Dooley to convince him of not letting join him. Dooley marked very well his position as head of the office, telling him how the Vice President of the United States called directly at his house to ask him when was he going to deliver Howard Stark to justice, while through Nazi Colonel Ernst Mueller he discovered Stark's involvement in a massacre. For that, he was more interested in running an investigation that in Thompson's seeming crush on Carter.
Thompson focused on the mission, explaining he would on the Polish side of the Russian border to meet their tactical team. Carter entered the office and announced the 107th regiment would meet them in Poland having guessed Thompson's plan for being the most obvious plan.
Dooley, faithful to his word, told Carter to prepare for the mission, as the team would depart in an hour, not letting Thompson to voice anything about his decision.[12]
Locker Room[]
Peggy Carter waited outside the Men's Locker Room to let Mike Li and Rick Ramirez change their clothes before entering. Jack Thompson jokingly told Carter she should head to Times Square if she wanted a peep show, and told her to change at the ladies' room.
Carter explained that the only ladies' room was downstairs in the lobby of the actual New York Bell Company agency, so she preferred to change inside a men's locker room than in a public restroom. Carter entered the locker room, where Mike Li and Rick Ramirez were already changing their clothes, and headed to the other aisle of lockers to change her clothes.
Thompson told Li and Ramirez to congratulate Carter for joining the team, and when Li asked Thompson if that was a good idea, he told them it was under Chief Roger Dooley's orders. Ramirez tried to tell Thompson they could not be responsible for a woman out in the field, but Thompson said that if he preferred to stay home, there were six agents wanting to take his place on the team.
Carter found her new Bulletproof Vest, and realized it was lighter than it looked. Thompson explained their technicians had recently designed it using a 10% titanium alloy, though he acknowledged that it had not been designed for a woman. Carter returned the mockery as usual, but Thompson said he wanted her to call him "sir" during the mission given his military rank. Carter further mocked him saying that he was only a Lieutenant Junior Grade, and Thompson acknowledged she was used to serve under a Captain. Carter told him that she was simply not used to serving with boys.
Daniel Sousa entered the locker room to give Thompson the full field report, including maps, weather report, charts, and the dossier files on their tactical team, though he recognized that Carter should have all the information they required about them.
Wanting to embarrass Sousa, Thompson asked him to retrieve his compass from a locker in the same aisle where Carter was changing her clothes; Sousa headed to the locker and witnessed Carter. Both of them were stunned when Sousa saw Carter in her undergarment.
Sousa noticed some marks on Carter's shoulder that seemed familiar, and Carter, wanting to him to leave, asked if there was anything else to say. Sousa wished her a swell trip, and left the locker room to return to the office.[12]
Tying Lose Ends[]
At night, Chief Roger Dooley got ready to leave the New York Bell Company Office, realizing that Daniel Sousa was still there and he would probably not leave the office. Dooley asked him if he did not have a life, but Sousa explained that as an Agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, his job was his life.
Sousa asked Dooley what was he doing at the office, and Dooley explained he was going to meet a friend for a drink, as if he returned to his house, maybe his wife would not let him leave again.
Agent Yauch delivered Sousa a file he requested, Peggy Carter's personnel file, and started to check it, noticing that the file explained the marks he saw on her shoulder that morning were due a gunshot wound and a scapular fracture.
He compared them to the images of the blond woman connected to the death of Spider Raymond at his club, and realized the marks on her shoulder were identical to the ones Carter had.[12]
Digging Out the Truth[]
Roger Dooley met one of his friend and informants, a former New York Times Reporter, in order to ask him about the Battle of Finow, promising him that anything he told him that he did not know would make Dooley to invite him to a glass of whisky.
The reporter explained that 247 Russians were massacred during the battle, though nobody took credit for it, not even the Nazis. Dooley told him that he already knew that, but he invited to the drink to make him continue speaking. The reporter explained that he wrote about the battle for The New York Times, and he should have won a Pulitzer Prize for it, but his editor killed the article as he got scared for implicating both the United States Army and Howard Stark in a Russian cover-up.
Dooley asked him what Stark did in Finow, and the reporter explained that Stark was there for the subsequent "clean up", though the general in charge of the operation was not thrilled about his presence. Dooley asked if that General was John McGinnis, and the reporter revealed how Stark even got into a fight with McGinnis despite he was twice his size.
The reporter did not know the reason for Stark hitting McGinnis, but he knew that McGinnis wiped the floor with Stark and he resigned a week later, and the following week Stark refused to sign Research & Development contract with the army, cutting all ties with them.
The reporter was not surprised to see Stark considered the public enemy number one, and despite Dooley told him they had evidence to frame him, his friend told him that he did not have the whole story, and the ones who did were keeping it to themselves. Dooley, who was being driven to learn the truth, told him they would not keep the whole story for long.[12]
Altered Routine[]
Roger Dooley waited for Edwin Jarvis as he left the bakery, knowing that Jarvis did not alter his routine. Jarvis asked Dooley if he was there to threaten him with deportation again or if he had come to apologize. Dooley told him he needed to tell Jarvis something, and Jarvis insisted the thing he should tell him was an apology.
Dooley warned Jarvis that Howard Stark had many enemies, something that was so obvious that Jarvis sarcastically said he would alert Edward R. Murrow. However, Dooley explained that one of Stark's enemies was United States Army General John McGinnis, who got into a fistfight with Stark in Europe during the spring of 1944.
Jarvis reminded Dooley that he wanted to tell him something, and Dooley said that he just had that question. Jarvis realized he was about to touch his ear as he usually did when he lied, and refrain from doing it while lying to Dooley, saying that he had never heard about McGinnis or the fistfight.
Dooley explained that every story had three sides, being only one of them the truth, so he asked Jarvis to tell Stark that he was now only interested in the truth, so he would like to hear Stark's side of the story, giving Jarvis a business card with a phone number where he could be reached 24 hours a day.
Dooley departed, wishing Jarvis to stay dry in the rainy morning, with Jarvis thinking about his next move.[12]
Searching a Room[]
Dottie Underwood entered Peggy Carter's room in the Griffith Hotel and realized Carter had placed a string in her lock to know if someone entered the room while she was outside.
Underwood began to search for hidden things in the usual places, like under her bed, her books and her armchair. She finally found a false bottom in her chest of drawers, where Carter had hidden a box that contained the photos of Howard Stark's inventions confiscated by the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
Underwood took one of the photos and left the box in its place, but she then realized that Carter had a photo of Steve Rogers in her boudoir. Underwood sat in front of Carter's mirror, began to imitate her voice and accent, and took her Sweet Dreams Lipstick to smell it.
Underwood left the room, placing the string in the lock to avoid raising Carter's suspicions, and returned to her room.[12]
Childhood Routine[]
Dottie Underwood prepared herself to go to bed in her room at the Griffith Hotel. Before doing, she took a pair of handcuffs to tie herself to the bed, just like they did on her during her childhood at the Red Room Academy.[12]
Return from the Soviet Union[]
Peggy Carter and Jack Thompson returned to the New York Bell Company Office from their mission in the Soviet Union, having lost both Agent Mike Li and Junior Juniper in action. Thompson explained that Li died honorably in action, and that it was his duty as commanding officer to deliver the condolences of the United States to Li's family.
Roger Dooley correctly guessed there was no trace of Howard Stark or Leviathan at the facility, but Thompson acknowledged that Carter was able to acquire information about Leviathan from Doctor Ivchenko, concerning their possible goal.
Carter emphasized that they managed to retrieve Ivchenko from a Leviathan prison, and he was wishing to cooperate with the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Dooley asked if Ivchenko thought that Stark was connected to Leviathan, and Carter explained that both Ivchenko and herself thought there was no connection. Thompson explained that maybe Ivchenko did not have all the information, as he was working with Stark's blueprints, so the there could be a possibility that Leviathan got them directly from Stark.
Dooley ordered Thompson and Carter to tell Ivchenko to enter his office while they were leaving, and complemented Carter for her good work, surprising a thankful Carter with the compliment.
Carter saw Daniel Sousa looking worried at his desk, and asked him why he looked like not having slept for two days when they were the ones who did not sleep during the mission. Sousa told her he was just have been worrying about them, and complimented her for her work during the mission.
Thompson asked Sousa if he wanted to come to a bar with the rest of the boys, as Sousa could invite Thompson for a drink for every Russian he killed. Sousa refused the invitation, as he needed to get some sleep, and surprised Carter inviting her too, as he owed her a bourbon.
Carter asked Sousa again if he did not want a drink, and he explained that maybe some other time, as he was worried suspecting that Carter was the blonde woman that was a suspect in the conspiracy regarding Stark.[12]
Search for the Female Operative[]
Doctor Ivchenko's Revelations[]
Doctor Ivchenko explained to Chief Roger Dooley and Agents Jack Thompson and Peggy Carter how he was recruited by force into Leviathan, and how the organization was founded after World War I to fulfill Joseph Stalin's desire, to make the Soviet Union become a leading power in the world.
The way Leviathan tried to make that was to collect weapons more powerful than those of their enemies and their allies, and they had managed to obtain mechanical and biological weapons. Carter asked if the young girl that attacked them during their mission in Soviet territory was one of Leviathan's human weapons, but Ivchenko explained her that his knowledge of Leviathan's operations was very limited, only knowing what he was told.
Carter asked Ivchenko about the facility where they found him, as it had the features to be a training facility, like shackles on the beds and classrooms. Dooley found hard to believe that Leviathan would train young girls as assassins, and Thompson agreed saying the Russians would want to train grown men to fulfill their goal, but Ivchenko acknowledged that women were often overlooked and could slip easily through a man's defenses.
Carter aggressively interrogated Ivchenko about the amount of girls in the facility and if they could have been deployed to America, but Ivchenko apologized, saying he did not know anything, wishing he could be of more assistance.
Dooley told Carter to leave the office, wanting to speak to her in private. Carter tried to persuade Dooley into letting her continue her interrogation, but he interrupted her asking her to shut up. Dooley congratulated Carter's work during the mission in Soviet territory, but he was still in charge of the operation, and wanted to know what Ivchenko had to say about Leviathan instead of caring about a little girl.
Carter told him that one of those grown up girls could have been Ray Krzeminski's killer, given that the firearm used to kill him was a Russian gun more suitable for a woman's grip due to its size. Dooley said that it was a thin evidence, but Carter explained that it could have also explain how Howard Stark was involved with it, as having been manipulated by a female operative could explain how Stark's vault gave credibility to his story of breaking into his vault.
Dooley told her that their conspiracy was much bigger than Stark, but Carter asked him something in return, if he still thought that Stark was involved with Leviathan. Dooley told Carter to investigate her hunch, shocking her and leaving her without words. Dooley noted how Carter could shut up when she tried, and told her to leave the office and investigate. Carter thanked him for the opportunity and headed to start her own investigation.[13]
Common Goal[]
Angie Martinelli gave a performance of her audition for the A Doll's House play at the L&L Automat, being complimented by Esther, one of the customers, who clapped her performance.
Martinelli headed to the table where Peggy Carter was waiting, handing her a copy of key to Carter's room at the Griffith Hotel, explaining how difficult was for her to convince Miriam Fry to giving her the key. Carter thanked her, not knowing where he dropped her key, and complimented her performance. Martinelli said that the producers of the play called it the worst audition they had ever seen.
Carter told her that he was not ordering, as she was just waiting for a friend, and told her that one audition could not get her down. Martinelli said that it was the seventh time she was denied an opportunity, and after trying to become an actress for the last year, her father wanted her to join secretary school, and she was going to start the following week.
Carter was saddened to hear that, thinking that Martinelli had talent as an actress, but she said that she would have already became an actress if that was true. Carter noticed Edwin Jarvis at the door, and told Martinelli that they would continue the conversation that night. Martinelli understood the indirect, and left Carter alone to let her talk to Jarvis.
Jarvis told Carter that he was very pleased for having received Carter's call, but she told her that she still believed that they had never been on the same team, and they were just working towards a common goal. Jarvis considered it to be fair, and informed her that Roger Dooley visited him and his words made him think that the Strategic Scientific Reserve may had change their opinion regarding Howard Stark.
Carter told Jarvis that investigating Leviathan had become one of their major goals, but Stark was still considered a fugitive. Jarvis revealed that Dooley wanted information for what happened during a battle in Germany, specifically in the town of Finow. Jarvis said that he did not reveal anything to Dooley, but Stark visited Finow in 1944, and he began the construction of his vault shortly after his return. Carter asked Jarvis what Stark said about Dooley's question, but Jarvis had been unable to contact him.
Carter revealed the reason of his call, that the Soviet Union had been training young women as undercover operatives, and given Stark's major weakness were women, it was likely that one of the women that Stark had "entertained" during the last year was one of these operatives. Carter asked for a list of those women, but Stark seriously told her that probably there was not enough ink in New York to complete that list.
Carter then asked for a list of those women in the last six months, and Jarvis told her that it was possible, suggesting to start with the western hemisphere, both surprising and disappointing Carter.[13]
Last Applicant[]
Dottie Underwood arrived to the street where the New York Bell Company Office was located, and infiltrated the building located just in front of it, choosing the office of Doctor Seth Honicky to watch the Strategic Scientific Reserve facility across the street.
Underwood entered the office, and Honicky mistook her for one of the applicants he had been interviewing to be his assistant. Underwood seized the opportunity, and let him believe she was one of those girls. Honicky explained that he almost gave up on seeing more girls, and she asked her if he was already closed.
Honicky explained that he gave his staff a long weekend to spend "extra time" with the applicants, and told Underwood to come so they could get started. Underwood locked the door and went to the room where Honicky was waiting for her.
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Honicky interviewed Underwood complaining about other applicants, saying that most of them were only waiting that their future husbands appeared as a patient. Underwood smiled to gain Honicky's trust, and he continued saying that he was looking for someone with ambition, inappropriately touching Underwood's leg.
Honicky asked her if she was going the one he was looking for, but Underwood quickly grabbed his hand, breaking it, and punched him, placing him in his patients' chair. Underwood taunted him, saying she had never used one of the machines from the dentistry before, and killed Honicky using it.[13]
New York Penitentiary[]
Daniel Sousa paid a visit to the penitentiary where Sheldon McFee had been imprisoned for his role in the theft of the Nitramene from Howard Stark. Sousa taunted McFee about his time imprisoned, even asking if he had already been stabbed, but McFee asked what did he want.
Sousa asked him about the woman that beat him and tied him to a chair the night he was arrested. McFee told him to be discreet about that, not wanting the rest of the inmates know that a woman easily beat him up. Sousa asked him if he could identify the woman, but McFee asked him what would he obtain in return.
According to Sousa, McFee would be condemned to serve for just six months, even being reduced to three in case he had good behavior inside the prison. McFee was not convinced for that, but Sousa reminded that he had been accused of transporting an explosive that could have destroyed the entire city.
Sousa told him it was a one-time offer, and McFee subsequently agreed. Sousa showed him a photo of Peggy Carter, and McFee quickly assured she was the woman that he encountered that night, explaining how she arrived to his house looking for Leet Brannis, and she subsequently left with him inside the truck loaded with the Nitramene.
McFee acknowledged that Carter was cute, and asked Sousa who she was, but he only answered that she was not who Sousa believed she was.[13]
List of Suspects[]
Stark Special Bracelets[]
Edwin Jarvis took Peggy Carter to Howard Stark's favourite jewelry shop, where Albert, the shop attendant, explained her the characteristics of the special bracelet designed by Stark. Carter was surprised to see that Stark bought a bracelet to every women he had been with, and though Jarvis first tried to deny it, he quickly acknowledged that Stark considered the bracelet a parting gift to commemorate their time together.
Albert explained how highest quality diamonds and gold were used in the bracelet, so any girl would be lucky to wear on of them, offering Carter to try it on. She politely refused and asked him to see the list of women that had been sent one of the bracelets. Albert promptly gave them that list, being ready to help any friend of Stark.
Jarvis was surprised to see that the list was shorter than he expected, but Carter was puzzled to see how many women had Stark met. Carter began to disregard the well-known actresses, models and socialites from the list, given that they had been publicly established and would surely not be the Russian assassin they were looking for.
Jarvis explained that he would not dismiss Ginger Rogers, describing her eyes when he had to escort her out of Stark's villa as "the darkest gates to the abyss".[13]
Visiting Howard Stark's Flings[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis visited some of Howard Stark's former "romantic partners", as Carter hoped one of them would be a Soviet operative from Leviathan. Carter realized that Jarvis was not wanting to accompany her to visit the women, explaining that most times, Stark had ordered him to inform the women that Stark was not interested in pursuing a relationship beyond what they had, and those encounters between the women and Jarvis were often disagreeable and violent.
Carter told him that she only needed to see the women's wrists, as if her theory was correct, the woman she was looking for would have scars on her wrist from being cuffed to the bed, just like the girl she saw at the Red Room Academy. Jarvis said that she did not need him to see the women's wrists, but Carter acknowledged that, without him, it would be more complicated and less fun.
Three of the women they visited, Josephine, Thelma Crawford and Edith Oberon, were not fond of Stark, insulting him and believing he had just tried to buy them with a jewel. The three of them got so angry remembering Stark that they threatened him and slapped Jarvis in the face, while Carter looked their wrists to see that they did not have scars. Carter grabbed the arm of the third one, Edith Oberon, before she slapped Jarvis, but she instead kicked him in the ankle.
Jarvis acknowledged that Stark seemed to have an attraction to violent women, though Carter was sure they were less violent before they met him. Carter checked the list and saw their next stop was to visit Ida Emke, whom Jarvis remembered as a dancer that Stark met at a charity auction.
Carter checked the list seeing that her address was nearby their current location, so they left to visit Emke's apartment.[13]
Coded Messages[]
Roger Dooley continued to question Doctor Ivchenko regarding the weapon that Leviathan was building, but he could not answer Dooley's question, claiming he only acted as a psychiatrist and he was not an engineer, but claimed that Leviathan probably stole the blueprints.
Dooley proposed a break and served a drink for him and Ivchenko, who noticed that Dooley was probably having troubles at home, given his office was prepared to spend the night there, with a blanket, a pillow and other personal items. Dooley dismissed it saying that it was simply the nature of the job, that might make him to stay at night in the office.
Ivchenko also noticed that, while the of Dooley's children was displayed, another one was facedown, assuming it was a photo of his wife. Ivchenko guessed that Dooley did not spend much time in his own bed, but quickly apologized for talking about personal matters.
Meanwhile, Dottie Underwood assembled a sniper rifle from Seth Honicky's Dentistry Office on the other side of the street, preparing to point at the New York Bell Company Office.
Dooley told Ivchenko not to worry about what he said, as it was simply that his relationship with his wife was so damaged that he did not even know where to begin. Ivchenko tried to change the subject of the conversation asking about the Empire State Building, and Dooley even told him to open the window to admire the landscape.
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Underwood pointed at Ivchenko, who was still taking to Dooley about the buildings. Dooley even offered to take him on a tour through the city, and Ivchenko continued to look through the window, this time directly looking at Underwood, who started to communicate with him in Morse code with a flashlight attached to the rifle.
Ivchenko then sent back a message to Underwood, explaining that he needed more time to retrieve the weapon he was looking for, and ordering her to kill Peggy Carter. Underwood abandoned the office and returned to the Griffith Hotel, leaving Seth Honicky's corpse behind.[13]
Ida Emke's Empty House[]
Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis went to visit Ida Emke's house, finding that nobody was inside. Jarvis wanted to leave, but Carter told him to stay on the hallway watching while she investigated the apartment. Carter found that Emke's mail was still on the floor and the apartment was empty, but she noticed markings on the bed from the handcuffs that the assassins trained at the Red Room Academy wore to sleep.
On the hallway, Jarvis came across a boy, and tried to persuade him saying he was an exterminator that has been called because a neighbor saw a cockroach. The boy stood on the hallway, making Jarvis to become increasingly nervous, and he tried to get rid of the boy saying his mother was calling to him, but he ended up giving him a coin to make him leave.
Carter left the apartment, explaining that Emke had already left it, but she was undoubtedly the girl they had been looking for due to the scratches on the bedposts. Jarvis found disturbing that the woman still handcuffed to the bed, and Carter ordered him to track down the owners of the building to ask them about Emke while Carter went to ask the neighbors.
Carter told Jarvis to meet her back at the L&L Automat, feeling they were close to their goal.[13]
Thralling Targets[]
Roger Dooley explained Doctor Ivchenko how his wife Loretta cheated on him with a plumber from Hoboken while he was fighting in World War II. Ivchenko diagnosed that Dooley felt it more than as a simple betrayal, as it showed him his "inadequacies" despite being a high-ranking officer during the war.
Dooley complained to his observation, saying that he was not inadequate, the only one who was inadequate was the plumber that became Loretta's lover.
In the main office, Yauch delivered Jack Thompson the background check he asked for before, and had to correct him when he misspelled his surname. Yauch noticed that Dooley was spending too much time with Ivchenko, but Thompson said that Ivchenko was their biggest lead in the case against Howard Stark, and Dooley was just making sure to get everything he could from him.
Thompson asked Dooley if he was questioning Dooley's methods, but Yauch simply said that it was different from how Dooley usually handled those kind of thing. Thompson told him not to worry about Dooley, and treating Yauch as a simple errand boy, told him to brew a pot of coffee.
Ivchenko explained how he lost his wife and children to Leviathan as an example that Dooley had not entirely lost his family, despite he considered to be late to save his own family. Ivchenko told Dooley that he could not save his family with his current thoughts, so he should focus on the times when he was in love and happy with his wife.
Ivchenko began to hypnotize Dooley moving his ring using it as a pendulum. Dooley was not sure that thinking about that would help him, but Ivchenko continued to ask him to focus on his wife. However, Ivchenko's attempt was interrupted by Daniel Sousa, who informed Dooley he had something urgent to tell him, leaving Ivchenko alone in the office.[13]
Manhunt of Peggy Carter[]
Procedure 791[]
Peggy Carter arrived at the L&L Automat to meet Edwin Jarvis, informing each other of their unsuccessful attempts to track Ida Emke. Carter noticed that the civilians were being evacuated from the automat, and recognized it as an arrest procedure of the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
Carter identified two of the remaining customers as Agents Messner and Reese from Washington, D.C., and asked Jarvis to block the front door so other agents could not enter inside. Carter casually addressed to one of the agents, and began to fight everyone inside, managing to knock them down while Jarvis locked the door with a chair.
Jarvis told Carter to leave through the back door while he knocked the last remaining agent, but Carter found that Jack Thompson was waiting for her in the alley. Thompson ordered her to stop and not make sudden movements, saying that the agents from Washington did not believe him when he said that Carter would be hard to grab.
Carter asked Thompson what was happening, and he explained how a witness recognized her to be the woman who was with Leet Brannis the night he died, and there was a photo of her at La Martinique the night Spider Raymond was killed. Besides, she was at that moment with Howard Stark's butler.
Jarvis tried to explain that there had been a misunderstanding, but Thompson ordered him to shut up. Carter told Thompson that all those evidence did not mean what they thought, so Thompson asked her to turn herself and explain everything. Carter told him she could not do that, and apologized before disarming and knocking Thompson out.
Carter told Jarvis to meet her at the Dublin House, as she needed to retrieve something from the Griffith Hotel. Jarvis tried to persuade him from going, as it would be the first place where they would look for her, but she tearfully revealed that she needed to protect Steve Rogers' blood.
Daniel Sousa appeared to arrest Carter under the charges of treason, espionage and aiding and abetting Stark, calling him public enemy number one. Carter tried to explain that there were things he could not understand, but noticing Thompson lying in the ground, he said that all seemed to be clear.
Carter knew that Sousa would not shoot her, and he asked her not to run, as if she did, he would know the charges were true. Seeing no other option, Carter escaped, apologizing to Sousa.[13]
Peggy Carter Branded as Fugitive[]
Agent Yauch informed Chief Roger Dooley that Peggy Carter had managed to avoid the arresting attempt, who found hard to believe that a woman managed to defeat an entire team of government agents.
Dooley ordered all the men in the office to stand guard at the main bus and train stations of the city, and locate Carter, branding her as a fugitive who needed to be brought to justice. Dooley even threatened to demote the agents to simple grade-school hall monitors in case they failed.
Dooley noticed Doctor Ivchenko at the door of his office, and took him to another room, simply saying that it was not the right time to be wandering around the office. Dooley tasked Yauch to accompany Ivchenko and provide him with anything he would need, ordering Yauch to make sure that Ivchenko did not leave the room.
Yauch offered Ivchenko a coffee while he served a cup for himself, not having anything better to do, Ivchenko began analyzing Yauch, asking him if he was new in the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and Yauch said he was not, ironically adding that he was usually tasked with sensitive matters such as protecting the star witnesses.[13]
Prosecution[]
Daniel Sousa tended to Jack Thompson as he recovered consciousness in the alley behind the L&L Automat. Thompson asked how Sousas lost Peggy Carter, saying that he could not chase her, and Thompson's performance was not something to be proud either.
Thompson still found hard to believe that Carter was a traitor, and asked him if he knew it. Sousa denied knowing anything about it until he found the evidence, saying that he had always suspected that Carter was hiding something, but nothing like that.
Thompson prompted Sousa to go the Griffith Hotel and investigate her room there, asking him to move faster as Sousa tried to follow Thompson's rhythm. The two agents boarded their car and headed to the Griffith.[13]
Thralling an Agent[]
Doctor Ivchenko continued to observe Agent Yauch, who was uneasy with someone watching him like that. To gain his trust, Ivchenko asked if he was a middle child, surprising Yauch for managing to guess it, something that Ivchenko attributed to many years of experience.
Ivchenko continued analyzing Yauch, pointing how he was always eager to please, but he often felt to be ignored. Yauch told him that he could start a show with that ability. Ivchenko said that he would keep his thoughts to himself from then on, saying he only wanted to be of assistance.
Yauch was interested to know what Ivchenko wanted to assist with, and he explained how he had noticed that Roger Dooley was a busy, so it was difficult to get his attention and prove one's worth to him. Ivchenko offered Yauch to help him make Dooley notice his abilities, and Yauch agreed, being tired that Jack Thompson was assigned all the good cases.
Ivchenko told Yauch he should be as confident as Thompson was, beginning to hypnotize him saying he should focus on the things he should do to show Dooley how good Yauch was an agent.[13]
Infiltrating the Griffith Hotel[]
Peggy Carter managed to infiltrate into the Griffith Hotel, heading to her room in order to retrieve the vial of Steve Rogers' blood from her room. Meanwhile, a group of agents from the Strategic Scientific Reserve headed by Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa entered the hotel, demanding Miriam Fry to reveal Carter's room.
Fry refused, saying she would not reveal information about a girl to anyone who asked, but Thompson took her documents and saw that Carter's room was 3E. The agents headed to Carter's room, and Fry complained saying that men were not allowed above the lobby. Fry even demanded to know their badge numbers and the name of their supervisor, but the agents ignored her.
Carter managed to take the vial from the hole he used to conceal it, but he could not escape as he heard the agents in the hallway, so she was forced to escape through the window. Thompson, Sousa and the rest of the agents found the room empty, so Sousa ordered to take everything to the office.
Fry was shocked to see the hole that Carter had carved in the wall, complaining that she knew that Carter was troublesome since she saw her, given that all the girls from the telephone company were all the same.
Sousa was sure that Carter was at the Griffith, unaware that she was just outside the window. Carter walked through the cornice and headed to Angie Martinelli's room. Martinelli opened the window having heard a noise outside, but Thompson knocked on her door, identifying himself as a federal agent and saying they had questions for her.
Carter told Martinelli that they were there to arrest her, so she closed the window and headed to the door to open. Sousa quickly entered the room, thinking that Carter could be hiding in the room, and Martinelli even mocked them for not looking like federal agents. Fry told Martinelli to take the agents seriously, as Carter was not who she appeared to be.
Thompson began to interrogate Martinelli, saying that according to Fry she was Carter's friend, but she dismissed it saying they were just friendly. Sousa asked her about Carter's job, answering they only talked about usual stuff, especially her complains about her male co-workers.
Martinelli covered for Carter in every question, saying that she strictly followed the rules of the Griffith, especially the curfew at 10:00 or the strict order not to let men pass the lobby, gaining Fry's approval for her answer. Sousa asked Martinelli when was the last time she saw her, and she began to improvise, making Thompson and Sousa feel uneasy when she began to cry, saying that Carter was going to be out to care for her sick grandmother, something that reminded her about her own grandmother.
Carter, who was hearing from outside the window, was surprised to see her friend applying her acting skills with the agents, who felt uneasy for watching a woman cry, and making Sousa and Thompson leave the room in discomfort. Fry complained about the agents behavior, having make a girl cry, but Thompson, tired of her complains, ordered one of his agents to take Fry to her office for her own safety. Sousa ordered the rest of the agents to search for Carter in the entire building, swearing they would find her if she was there.
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Martinelli let Carter enter her room, who complimented her skills. In return, Martinelli revealed that she had been sure that Carter did not work at the phone company.[13]
Complete Focus[]
Doctor Ivchenko, having fully hypnotized Agent Yauch, asked him to reveal where the weapons created by Howard Stark had been stored. Yauch revealed the weapons were in the laboratory, where their scientists were studying them, but given that Peggy Carter had been found to be a traitor, Roger Dooley ordered to lockdown the laboratory and forbid anyone except himself to enter the laboratory.
Ivchenko, seeing that Yauch could not help him to finish his goal, asked him to reveal the exits from the company in the map he had drawn, so Yauch pointed the best exits he could have. Ivchenko thanked him, and ordered him to do one last thing.
Having obtained Yauch's complete focus, Ivchenko ordered him to leave the room and retrieve his belongings as he would normally do for the end of his shift, heading to his favorite bar to order a top-shelf bourbon, enjoying it until he finished it, doing one last thing as he stepped outside the bar.
Yauch began to fulfill Ivchenko's orders, taking his belongings and abandoning the New York Bell Company Office.[13]
One Last Drink[]
Agent Yauch, still under the thrall of Doctor Ivchenko, followed the orders he had been told to, and headed to his favorite bar to enjoy a bourbon. Yauch drank the bourbon, and left the bar to fulfill Ivchenko's last request.
Yauch stepped outside and walked directly into the traffic, being hit by a truck that killed him.[13]
Arrest of Peggy Carter[]
Angie Martinelli contacted her brother to ask him to deliver a car for Peggy Carter, and she returned to her room to tell Carter the good news. Carter thanked her friend, who informed that he was going to continue pursuing her acting career given the talented performance she did in front of the Strategic Scientific Reserve agents.
Martinelli also complimented Carter's acting skills, who embraced her friend as a symbol of gratitude, and Martinelli asked her to explain what had happened someday. Carter told her that someday she would, and they asked each other to take care of themselves.
Carter left the room and came across Dottie Underwood in the hallway. Underwood acted as she was relieved to see Carter, as men were looking for her. Carter tried to get rid of Underwood, saying that she was about to leave and she would not join them for dinner given she had made other arrangements.
Underwood embraced Carter and wished her to have a great night, kissing her on the lips. Carter started to feel dizzy, and realized that Underwood was wearing her Sweet Dreams Lipstick. Before losing consciousness, Carter checked Underwood's wrists, realizing she had the scars indicating she slept handcuffed to her bed and was a member of Leviathan.
Underwood was about to kill Carter with a knife, but Agents Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa arrived, unaware that they had just saved Carter's life. Sousa ordered Underwood to stand back for her own safety, and she acted as if Carter had fainted in the hallway, saying that she had just found her like that.
Sousa checked Carter and realized she was totally unconscious, so he asked Thompson to help him move Carter. Thompson, not wanting to take any risk, handcuffed Carter despite she was unconscious. Underwood offered to call an ambulance, but they dismissed it, saying they would take care of her.
Sousa grabbed Carter's pocketbook, and they took Carter into custody, who was watched with surprise by her neighbors and with disapproval by Miriam Fry. Underwood joined the rest of the women as they watched Carter being taken into a car, standing beside Martinelli, who was worried about her friend.[13]
Dottie Underwood's Departure[]
Angie Martinelli went to Dottie Underwood's room to take her to the lobby, where Miriam Fry wanted to talk to every girl about what happened to Peggy Carter. Martinelli's calls were unanswered, so he entered the room, finding it empty, as Underwood had left it right after Carter was taken into custody.[13]
Peggy Carter Arrested[]
Peggy Carter was taken back to the New York Bell Company Office by Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa, who took her to Roger Dooley's presence. Carter said that he could explain everything, but Dooley did not even answered her, and Carter was taken to the interrogation room.
Carter told them that the handcuffs were not necessary, but Thompson assured that given she had sent three agents to the hospital, they were very necessary. Sousa confronted Carter with some of the evidence they had against her, such as the photo from the night Spider Raymond died, and the container for the vial of Steve Rogers' blood he had on her pocketbook.
Dooley ordered his men not go easy on her during the interrogation, so Sousa told her to start talking.[13]
Interrogation of Peggy Carter[]
Wall of Evidences[]
Daniel Sousa began to interrogate Peggy Carter, confronting her with all the evidence that seemingly proved she was involved in the conspiracy regarding Howard Stark's missing technology. Sousa told her they had photos of her disguised as a blond woman at Spider Raymond's club the night he died, a witness that told them she took the truck loaded with Nitramene, and another witness that revealed she was at the ship where they found Stark's inventions.
Sousa even blamed her for the deaths of Spider Raymond, Leet Brannis and Ray Krzeminski, but Carter was hurt for that, asking Sousa if he honestly thought she killed Krzeminski, given that she mourned him with the rest of her colleagues. Sousa called that a performance, and he confronted her, being hurt for having her back during the last six months, while Carter was seemingly waiting to betray him.
Sousa prompted her to talk about the Blitzkrieg Button they found inside her pocket bag when she was arrested, but he remained silent about it. Calmly, Carter congratulated Sousa for assembling all the evidences against her, and she guessed that given he usually did not have the chance to handle an important case, he was trying to make the most of that opportunity. However, Carter warned they were wasting their time with her, given than a trained killer was free, and someone else was pulling her strings.
Doctor Ivchenko, who was watching the interrogation with Roger Dooley, praised Carter's lying skills, saying she maybe was even a pathological liar. Agent Jack Thompson entered the room to inform Dooley that Agent Yauch had died, being hit by a truck as he left a bar. Dooley lamented Yauch's dead, while Ivchenko, who had enthralled Yauch to commit suicide, said that he seemed to be a good man, while a little emotional.
Thompson asked what was Ivchenko doing in the room, and he explained that Dooley asked him to stay in case Carter began to speak about Leviathan. Dooley told Ivchenko that he did not need to explain himself, addressing to Thompson to ask if he had any problem with that. Thompson only said that it was unorthodox.
Ivchenko offered to wait in Dooley's office, saying that he did not wish to be a source of agitation, and adding that Carter would probably not say anything relevant. Dooley asked Thompson to take Ivchenko to the office, and then prepare for joining Carter's interrogation.[14]
Cards on the Table[]
Roger Dooley, Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa continued to interrogate Peggy Carter inside the New York Bell Company Office, with each one of them approaching her in a different way. Thompson was confused given that her actions during a mission at the Soviet Union, where Carter saved his life, did not correspond with her being a double agent. Sousa was hurt, angry for having defended Carter while she was apparently a traitor, while Dooley was impressed by Carter's skills, having managed to fool every one of them, despite being trained agents.
Carter told Thompson that he could now hit her just like she did to him before, but he calmly told her that he did not want to do that, continuing to wonder the reasons she greatly helped them during their mission in Russia, even saving his life. Carter also defended herself from Sousa's attempts for making her feel guilty of Ray Krzeminski's death, saying she was not involved in that assassination or the theft of Howard Stark's inventions. Sousa then told her that Stark had managed to make her believe what he wanted, but she told him that she had never been involved with Stark in any other way than a friendship.
Thompson wanted her to admit that she had an affair with Stark, and it looked like he had now sold her out, and offered her to make a deal and reveal everything she knew about Stark to save herself. Carter told them that Stark was not the man they were looking for, but it looked like the Strategic Scientific Reserve was so blind regarding Stark's guilt that she had been conducting her own investigation.
Dooley told her that it was not entirely true, as they had realized there was a bigger conspiracy, so they had started to investigate other subjects. He asked her to reveal anything about the Blitzkrieg Button, the item she had in her possession when she was arrested, but she remained silent about it. Dooley then asked her about the Battle of Finow, but she did not know anything about it, given she was not involved in that particular battle during World War II. Dooley revealed that most of the people that was involved had died, except a few former Russian soldiers including Leet Brannis and Sasha Demidov.
Carter confronted each of the men saying that they only saw in her what they wanted to see, telling Dooley that for him she was stray kitten left on his doorstep to be protected, for Thompson she was a secretary turned damsel in distress, and to Sousa she was a girl on a pedestal now transformed into a whore. She told them that they had been behaving like children, while the real threat was inches away from them while she was being arrested, and they should be looking for Dottie Underwood, despite she would have probably shed her alias.[14]
Deal Refused[]
Jack Thompson told Peggy Carter that the deal he offered her before was no longer available, but Carter was not worried given she was not going to take it. Thompson warned her that Roger Dooley would soon order him to beat Carter into submission to make her confess, something he did not want to do.
Thompson told her to reconsider her position, given that she had already watched him do that, and she knew what he was capable of. Carter, not afraid by what could happen to her, threatened him telling Thompson that he also knew what she was capable of.[14]
Upcoming Baby[]
Dottie Underwood went to a shop intending to buy a baby carriage to conceal a weapon as part of her new cover. The salesclerk praised her choice, while Underwood explained that it was not a gift, as the carriage for herself. The salesclerk congratulated Underwood, thinking she was pregnant, and offered her a blanket with the carriage.
Underwood agreed, asking for pink blanket while crossing her fingers, despite she did not even looked like being pregnant. Underwood uttered to herself that it was going to come sooner that anyone thought.[14]
Rescuing Peggy Carter[]
Bell Company[]
Rose Roberts and the rest of phone operators at the bottom of the New York Bell Company Office where taking her usual calls as part of the cover of the Strategic Scientific Reserve when Edwin Jarvis entered the building. The phone operators were surprised to see a man they did not know inside the building, and Jarvis asked Roberts to help him.
Jarvis asked to see Chief Roger Dooley, but Roberts told him that she did not know who Dooley was while grabbing a gun concealed under her desk. Jarvis revealed he knew that Dooley was in charge of the Strategic Scientific Reserve inside that building, given that he had been there before for questioning.
Roberts tried to dismiss Jarvis, saying that they were very busy and only authorized personnel was allowed in that room, but Jarvis asked her just to call Dooley and told him that he was there with the signed confession of Howard Stark. The phone operators were surprised to hear that, and Roberts promptly proceeded to call Dooley, asking Jarvis to wait for a moment.[14]
Signed Confession[]
Peggy Carter was taken to the briefing room, given that Edwin Jarvis had asked to see her before handling the Strategic Scientific Reserve the documents where Howard Stark seemingly confessed his crimes regarding his missing technology. Carter was surprised to see Jarvis, and Daniel Sousa said he had come to save Carter, while Roger Dooley asked Jarvis to talk about their deal.
Jarvis told Carter that the charade is over and Stark had decided to confess his crimes, including the fake theft of his vault, selling explosives and even the destruction of the Roxxon Refinery. Jack Thompson asked Jarvis where Stark was, and he said that by that hour, Stark should be flying over Greenland, while he was scheduled to land in Teterboro at 9:00 P.M. that evening.
Jarvis told Dooley that Stark's attorneys had the page with Stark's signature, that would be sent to Dooley as soon as he had agreed on his terms and had liberated both Carter and Jarvis. Carter was denied a chance to talk, given that she did not want to talk during her interrogation, and Dooley did not agreed with the terms of the deal.
Dooley did not fully trust Jarvis' words, asking him to deliver the signature page delivered before releasing anyone, and once Stark landed in the United States again, they would bring him to their facility and they would exchange him for Carter and Jarvis.
Jarvis agreed with Dooley's terms, who told the butler that he considered him to be repulsive, and ordered to take off Carter's handcuffs. Carter disagreed with the deal, saying that she would not have the chance to clear Stark's name if he made such a confession, but Dooley told her she was not going to clear anybody.
Jarvis told Dooley that they had a compromise regarding Carter, and Dooley said that while she would be free from prosecution, she would have to leave the Strategic Scientific Reserve.[14]
Forged Confession[]
Daniel Sousa custodied Peggy Carter while she retrieved her personal belongings from her desk, telling another agent to watch her while she and Edwin Jarvis were in the briefing room. Jarvis noticed that it did not take long for Carter to clean her desk, asking if her personal belongings were just reduced to two notebooks and a file, while Carter pointed that the file belonged to the agency.
Jarvis explained that he panicked when she did not appeared at their meeting point, and she asked if Stark's confession portrayed her as a patsy that succumbed to Stark's charm. Jarvis acknowledged that was the gist for Carter's involvement, while Stark's motivations were explained by faking a bankruptcy of Stark Industries.
Jarvis asked for Carter's forgiveness, but she told him there was nothing to forgive, as he called for backup just trying to help her. Carter commented that she thought that Stark would not have the nobility to make such a confession, but Jarvis began to speak about the confession. Even before Jarvis explained anything, Carter realized that Jarvis forged the confession, and began t get angry.
Jarvis explained that he tried to call Stark for help but he began to panic when he obtained no response, and forged the confession to buy some time, given they were about to discover the real culprit, so with those few extra hours they would prove both Stark's innocence and Carter's competence.
Carter told him they then should disappear when Stark did not land in Teterboro as Jarvis said, as they would surely get a trial followed by a severe punishment, asking Jarvis if he had ever been hanged, something that Carter described as "quite unpleasant".[14]
Planning a Family Reunion[]
Chief Roger Dooley called his wife Loretta upon Doctor Ivchenko's insistence, as he was seemingly trying to help him solve his family problems. Dooley apologized on the phone, this time not blaming his wife for all what happened between them, as he acknowledged he had been buried in his job since he started.
Dooley asked his wife for permission to go to his house to see her and his children, and just talk to her during dinner, saying he can sneak out of his office, ending their conversation telling Loretta that he missed her.
Ivchenko acknowledged that the conversation sounded fruitful, and Dooley was grateful for his assistance, saying he owe something to him. Ivchenko told Dooley he did not owe him anything, as he was just trying to help you.[14]
Doctor Unmasked[]
Edwin Jarvis began to plan ways to escape from the New York Bell Company Office, but Carter was surprised to hear Jarvis talking about escaping a facility guarded by a large number of agents. Jarvis then asked if there was anyone who would listen to reason, but Carter answered that she had no friends left at the Strategic Scientific Reserve, in case she even had any before.
Carter then noticed Doctor Ivchenko communicating in Morse code through the window with someone in the building across the street, and grabbed one of her notebooks to write down Ivchenko's message. Jarvis read the Morse coded message, an order to prepare for evacuation.
Carter was surprised that Jarvis knew Morse code, something that hurt his feelings, but she went on to realize that Ivchenko had began to transmit a timetable for the next 90 minutes. Jarvis asked what would happen in 90 minutes, and Carter answered repeating Leet Brannis' ominous words, "Leviathan is coming".[14]
Peggy Carter's Confession[]
Peggy Carter went to Chief Roger Dooley's presence intending to make a full confession to gain her trust and expose Doctor Ivchenko as a member of Leviathan. Carter told Dooley that Howard Stark's confession was fake and the signature had been forged, but she was now ready to tell him the full truth.
Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa joined Dooley at the briefing room to hear Carter's confession, where she began to explain how she managed to discover how the contents of Stark's vault were stolen and its location, feeling hurt for not being able to reveal that she managed to discover it, but at least letting Sousa take the credit of finding them. She explained that they left The Heartbreak just moments before they arrived, but she did not know what would happen to Ray Krzeminski, so she would have to live feeling guilty about that for the rest of her life.
Dooley asked the reason for telling them the truth, and she revealed she needed their trust to believe what she had to say about Doctor Ivchenko. Dooley and Sousa initially dismissed her claims, but she revealed that both she and Edwin Jarvis had seen him communicating in Morse code with someone in the building across the street, and something would happen in less than 90 minutes before something's going to happen. Dooley said that Ivchenko was a good man that had done nothing but help them, but Carter pointed that he had been there for just 48 hours, so they could not possibly fully know him.
Dooley found hard to believe that Carter had conducted her own investigation without anybody else noticing, and Sousa asked her why she did it instead of asking any of them for help. Carter revealed that the reason she conducted her own investigation was that nobody ever listened to her, and she managed to make it without any of them noticing was they ignored her unless they needed her for an errand.
Dooley told Carter that given the times she had lied to them, he was not believing her, but Carter revealed one more thing to gain their trust. Carter explained them how to open up the Blitzkrieg Button, revealing that the vial inside was actually the last remaining sample of Captain Steve Rogers' blood.
Carter explained how Stark was afraid that scientist would waste the sample attempting to re-create the Super Soldier Serum, something that Jarvis pointed was already done with the rest of samples, so ask them to forgive Stark for trying to protect what he called the greatest scientific feat of the 20th century.
Carter acknowledged that Stark did not trust her with it either, lying about the nature of the device to make her steal it with the excuse to protect the city. Carter did not have an answer to explain why she kept it, maybe she did it because Stark lied to her, maybe because she did not trust him with such an item, but she tearfully added that maybe she just wanted a second chance to protect Rogers.[14]
Trusting Carter[]
Roger Dooley. Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa evaluated Peggy Carter's confession, and Sousa was convinced that she was telling the truth, though Thompson was not convinced yet. Sousa claimed that Carter had no reason to confess, given that she was almost free from prosecution, but Thompson pointed that Howard Stark's confession was not real.
Sousa considered Carter giving them Captain America's blood a reason to trust her, as they all knew how big was that for her. Thompson asked Dooley's opinion, and despite he said he did not trust Carter, he fully trusted Sousa's intuition, so he ordered both Sousa and Thompson to investigate the building across the street, while he would remain at the office and watch Doctor Ivchenko.[14]
Controlling Roger Dooley[]
Chief Roger Dooley entered his office to watch Doctor Ivchenko while his agents checked the building across the street to investigate Peggy Carter's claims that Ivchenko was actually a member of Leviathan. Dooley asked Ivchenko to close the window with the excuse that it was simply getting cold, but Ivchenko watched the agents going into the building as he closed it, so he had to act quickly.
Ivchenko tried to talk to Dooley about his family, with the excuse of simply wanting Dooley's dinner with his wife to be a success. Dooley said he did not want to talk about it, but Ivchenko seized the opportunity to hypnotize Dooley, making him focus on the dinner he would like to have.
Dooley began to experience a vivid hallucination of one of his most fondly remembered family traditions, where his whole family cooked together, with his wife saying that Dooley's roasted chicken was a crowd pleaser. Dooley was able to realize for a moment that Ivchenko was close to the window, but he managed to fully convince Dooley to focus on his experience, praising his family and prompting him to enjoy that time with them, because they would need to do something very important after that.[14]
Russian Assassin[]
Agents Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa lead a team to investigate Doctor Ivchenko's possible contact inside the building across the street from the New York Bell Company Office. Agent Corcoran checked the stairwell and saw nothing suspicious, so Thompson ordered him to cover the exits and call them in case he saw anything suspicious.
Thompson asked Sousa if he believed Carter, with each of them confessing they actually believed her. Thompson prompted Sousa to shot Dottie Underwood upon sight, as Carter believed she was had been trained at the Red Room Academy in the Soviet Union. Sousa thought Thompson warned him due to his disability, and told him he could handle himself. However, Thompson warned him out of true concern, having witnessed what one of the girls trained at the academy did to them, and believing a grown-up woman would be extremely dangerous.
Sousa realized one of the doors had been suddenly closed while he was in the hallway, the room to Seth Honicky's Dentistry Office, as Underwood realized Sousa was looking for her, and Sousa grabbed his gun to investigate. Sousa hid behind a corner and patiently waited until Underwood left the dentistry office, but she managed to see his shadow, and walked knowing Sousa would ambush her from behind.
Sousa pointed his gun at Underwood, who left her briefcase on the ground, but Underwood quickly disarmed Sousa with a kick. Sousa used his crutch as an improvised weapon to attack Underwood, managing to hold his own against her. Underwood threw Sousa to the floor, but he quickly retrieved his gun before she could attack him.
Underwood ran to avoid Sousa's shots, but she was surrounded in the stairs. Seeing no other exit, Underwood began to quickly descend the stairs by jumping and ricocheting through the handrails until reaching the ground floor. Agent Corcoran hesitated to shoot Underwood, being surprised to see her falling from above, and she seized the opportunity to kill him.
Thompson joined the pursuit, descending the stairs to find that Underwood was gone and Corcoran's body was lying on the floor. Thompson informed the rest through their radios that they had an agent down, but they were too late to prevent Underwood from escaping.[14]
Item 17[]
Chief Roger Dooley, now fully enthralled by Doctor Ivchenko, went to the briefing room and took Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis to the interrogation room, under the excuse of telling them something but being unable to talk there as somebody could be listening to them.
Carter believed they had been compromised or something was found across the street, but Dooley pointed Carter with a gun and prompted her to stop talking, handcuffing both Carter and Jarvis to a table and locking them inside the room.
Dooley and Ivchenko went to the laboratory, where Dooley ordered the scientist inside to leave the room and go to one of the holding rooms, under the excuse of investigating their involvement with Peggy Carter's apparent betrayal. Given she managed to obtain the Blitzkrieg Button that was kept inside the laboratory, Dooley said that, in the best case, there had been negligence in dealing with sensitive materials, but in the worst case, they could be accused of espionage and treason.
Alex Doobin, the lead scientist, tried to explain to Dooley that he fully trusted all the scientist under his command, but Dooley angrily told them to save his reasoning for the interrogation room, and ordered the scientist to leave immediately.
Once they were left alone, Ivchenko expressed his admiration towards Dooley's commanding presence, but ordered him to help him locate Item 17, one of Howard Stark's inventions, kept in the laboratory. Ivchenko located a Stark Heat Vest, another item that he had previously heard about, and warned Dooley not to touch it, as it was more delicate than it looked.
Dooley finally found Item 17, and Ivchenko examined it to see that it was actually the item he had been looking for. Ivchenko went to the elevators to leave the office, thanking Dooley for his help, and asked him to hand the briefcase containing Item 17. Dooley hesitated, feeling that he should kept it, but Ivchenko continued to hypnotize him and Dooley left the briefcase on the ground.
Ivchenko gave him the Heat Vest, having previously ordered him to wear it, and prompted Dooley to focus on his family, as his work was not yet done.[14]
Escape from the Strategic Scientific Reserve[]
Doctor Ivchenko waited outside the New York Bell Company Office, where Dottie Underwood arrived in a stolen car to evacuate him from the Strategic Scientific Reserve's custody. Ivchenko told Underwood that she was late, and she said that they had been compromised, something that Ivchenko found irrelevant.
Underwood asked him if they should proceed to the next phase of their plan, but Ivchenko told her that given Item 17 had been in storage for some time, they should test it before their plan. Underwood was concerned their cover had been blown, but Ivchenko was not concerned, as they would have to deal with other things before.[14]
Battering Ram[]
Edwin Jarvis tried to ask for help while he was handcuffed inside the interrogation with Peggy Carter, who told him not to waste his time as nobody would come to help them, thinking that they could come to his assistance given he was barely known by the employees of the office.
Carter proposed Jarvis to use the table to smash the mirror of the interrogation room, as another room was behind it. As they were about to smash it, Jarvis stopped twice, first to ask what would happen if there was someone behind the mirror, and second to ask what would happen if the people behind the mirror was armed.
Carter and Jarvis broke the mirror, only to realize they were still handcuffed to the table. Jack Thompson entered the room to check what happened there, and Carter quickly asked him where Chief Roger Dooley was.[14]
Coming Home[]
Roger Dooley, still under Doctor Ivchenko's thrall, had a vivid hallucination where he returned home for his dinner with his family, finding his son Emmett painting at a table, something his mother would not approve, despite Emmett put newspaper under it.
Dooley's wife, Loretta was surprised to see his husband at home earlier than expected. Roger told her he just wanted to see her, because he did something wrong in his office, letting the man they had in custody go, and he simply watched as he walked out of the building. Dooley told her that he felt like he should be at least angry or scared, but the only thing he wanted was to come home with them, asking for Loretta's permission to come.
Roger and Loretta kissed until Roger regained his senses and woke up from his hallucination.[14]
Sacrifice of Roger Dooley[]
Roger Dooley woke up from his hallucination inside his office, as Jack Thompson was knocking on his door and Peggy Carter was crying his name. Dooley came out of the office, and Edwin Jarvis recognized the device he was wearing as a Stark Heat Vest, one of Howard Stark's inventions.
Jarvis asked everyone not to touch Dooley, while he asked if Ivchenko had managed to escape. Jarvis explained that the vest was a prototype for an armor that could double as a heat source in the winter months of the European front, and locking it ignited a self-sustaining battery with an experimental energy source that overheated to the point of explosion. Worried, Carter ordered to get the scientists to examine the armor.
While Dooley was suffering the effects of the vest, he explained how Ivchenko managed to hypnotize him and made him steal something from the laboratory, and also warned them not to let Ivchenko talk to them, as he would be able to control them if he started talking.
Alex Doobin examined the clasps of the vest but Jarvis warned him that they were locked, as it was the thing that activated the whole system, and trying to manipulate them would only speed up the reaction, and the vest itself was made of an alloy that Stark had created.
Carter proposed to pack Dooley with ice, as it maybe would cool the core, but Jarvis explained that would be futile, as the vest was designed to be impervious to outside elements including artillery or temperature. Doobin realized the heat was searing Dooley's skin, and Jarvis recognized that as a signal that the circuitry was in its final stages.
Doobin did not know what to do save Dooley, but Dooley said he knew what to do, and asked Thompson to help him stand up. Dooley took Thompson's gun and warned everyone not to approach him. Dooley asked Thompson to tell his wife Loretta to forgive him for missing dinner, and made Carter promise him she would catch the one responsible for it.
Dooley ran to one of the windows, shooting at it, and jumped through it to explode in the air and save all the agents from dying with him.[14]
Search for Evidence[]
Daniel Sousa entered Seth Honicky's Dentistry Office, the place where Dottie Underwood had been communicating with Doctor Ivchenko, hoping to find some evidence that would help them know their next step, and he came across Seth Honicky's corpse covered with a sheet.
Sousa examined the briefcase that Underwood was carrying, with the sniper rifle that she used to watch Ivchenko as he communicated with her, and two of the messages that he sent, including an order to kill Peggy Carter, and witnessed how Roger Dooley jumped through one of the windows of the New York Bell Company Office and exploded in the air.[14]
Missing Item[]
Daniel Sousa returned to the New York Bell Company Office to find out what happened, having witnessed an explosion from the building across the street, and Jack Thompson informed him that Roger Dooley had died.
Peggy Carter felt responsible for Dooley's death, as Ivchenko lured her to Russia knowing she would bring him to the Strategic Scientific Reserve, but Edwin Jarvis comforted her that it was not her fault, but Howard Stark's inventions'. Carter realized that Leviathan tasked Leet Brannis to steal a particular invention, and was worried that Ivchenko had taken Captain America's blood.
Carter, Thompson, Sousa and Jarvis went to the laboratory, finding that the vial was still inside its container, but they needed to find the item that Ivchenko took. Alex Doobin found that Item 17 was gone, and Jarvis was worried, given that he had no idea what the item actually did.[14]
Massacre at the Movie Theater[]
Release of Item 17[]
Dottie Underwood entered a movie theater with one of the canisters of the Item 17 concealed inside a baby carriage. Some of the movie attendants began to complain for having a baby inside the theater, but a kind woman told Underwood not to pay attention to them.
Underwood covered her mouth and nose and released the gas contained in the canister, quickly abandoning the room. Doctor Ivchenko, who was waiting outside, locked the door with a crowbar to prevent anyone from leaving. Underwood asked him if she thought the gas would work, and Ivchenko expressed his faith in Howard Stark's inventions.[14]
The attendants began to cough due to the effects of the gas, and they started to brutally attack each other, until everyone violently died due to the wounds they mutually inflicted themselves.
Discovery[]
A couple arrived to the movie theater, with the woman complaining that her husband's insistence to circle the block instead of paying in a lot would make them miss the start of the picture.
They were accompanied by a Movie Usherette, who found the room locked by a crowbar. Surprised by that, she opened the door, finding everyone inside dead in a massacre.[14]
Investigation[]
Strategic Scientific Reserve Agents Jack Thompson, Daniel Sousa and Peggy Carter headed to a Movie Theater were the corpses of 47 men and women had been found savagely killed. Detective Prendergast of the New York City Police Department explained how they found the bodies of the attendants, with severe injuries such as their eyes having been removed from their cavities.
Carter was impressed by the carnage, and Prendergast told them that it was like if a monster managed to get in the theater, as he had never seen something like it. Sousa asked him if all happened inside the theater, and Prendergast took him there. Carter and Thompson went to examine the bodies, and she found that one of the victims, whose body was full of wounds and even bites, had a lock of hair in his hand, making Carter realize that the victims killed each other.
Inside the actual theater, Prendergast asked Sousa if government agents usually got cases like that, but Sousa assured him that they did not, being impressed with the massacre. Sousa began to examinate the room, finding many of the victims' belongings scattered on the ground, and he suddenly realized a baby carriage was on the room.
Sousa hurried to check if the baby was among one of the victims, but he was relieved to find it empty and without a single sign of violence. However, Sousa came across one of the canisters of Item 17, the gas that Dottie Underwood had released inside the room, and took it to examine it, finding that the logo of Stark Industries was printed on the canister.
Sousa inadvertently activated the canister, making the remains of the gas stored within it to directly affect him. Sousa began to cough and choke, so Thompson and Carter quickly headed to check what happened. Sousa began to strangle Thompson and while Carter tried to stop him, Sousa hit her and knocked her to the ground.
The police officers managed to knock him Sousa down before he could hurt anyone, while Thompson and Carter stared at each other in disbelief having witnessed what someone like Sousa had just tried to do.[8]
Fugitives[]
Dottie Underwood and Doctor Ivchenko drove through the city, heading to the place where they would unleash the final stages of their plan. Ivchenko continued to be amazed by New York City, though as Underwood assured him it was like any other place, Ivchenko considered it to be a testimony of the strength and ingenuity of the United States of America.
Ivchenko claimed it was designed to be a beacon for all the world to envy, so Underwood realized it would then be even funnier to tear it down. A police car made its siren wail to make Underwood stop her car, interrupting their conversation, but as she was about to take her gun, Ivchenko stopped her, telling her to not bring attention to themselves.
Officer Pike stopped Underwood for simply missing a traffic light, and she, acting as an ingenuous woman, told him she did not realize she missed it, claiming she was only driving because her grandfather was blind in one eye due to a wartime injury. Pike believed her excuse and told her to be careful and get home safe, with Underwood thanking him.
However, as Pike returned to his car, he received a transmission with the report of an stolen vehicle, the one that Underwood was driving, having been stolen by an armed female whose description matched Underwood's appearance. Pike was about to take his gun, but as he turned around, Underwood was already outside her car, pointing at him with her own gun and smiling.[8]
Wake Up from a Real Nightmare[]
Daniel Sousa woke up having being tied to a bed, and began to cough as he regained consciousness. He asked Peggy Carter, who had been watching over him, what had happened, but she wanted to ask him the same question. Sousa explained he felt like having swallowed a bag of shrapnel, and began to remember that, inside the movie theater, he was hit by a gas.
Carter told him that he indeed found canister, but then he attacked Jack Thompson. Sousa then remembered how he felt the desire to kill not only Thompson, but to kill everybody else, and he suddenly realized he hit Carter, beginning to genuinely apologize for it.
Carter dismissed the fact, saying that Sousa was not himself back then, and she asked him how was he feeling. Sousa explained he still wanted to kill Thompson, but no more than usual, making Carter smile.[8]
Howard Stark's Return[]
Intended Target[]
Jack Thompson held a meeting at the New York Bell Company Office to explain the effects of the item stolen by Doctor Ivchenko, saying that their scientist had determined its a chemical compound able to induce psychosis upon exposure, something he personally witnessed when Daniel Sousa attacked him.
Thompson greeted Sousa as he entered the room with Peggy Carter, who voiced her surprise to Howard Stark had manufactured such a dangerous item. Sousa explained that he was hit by a small amount of gas, but according to their laboratory, Ivchenko had at least ten canisters of this gas, so he could potentially send half of New York City into a homicidal rage.
Carter wondered what was Ivchenko's motivations to make such a complicated plan that involved making them travel to the Soviet Union and bring him to the United States of America, so there should be something specific that Ivchenko was targeting.
Howard Stark entered the room at that same moment with Edwin Jarvis, saying that Ivchenko was targeting him. All the agents quickly grabbed their guns pointing at Stark while Thompson ordered him to get his hands up. Jarvis quickly complied, telling Stark that he had already warned him about that, but Stark simply asked what kind of welcome was that.
Sousa asked Stark how he had managed to infiltrate the office, and Stark asked him in return if he knew who designed the Strategic Scientific Reserve's security system. Sousa explained that it was the same system that protected the White House, and Stark added that they were both bad systems, and they should have hired him to design them.
Stark then looked at Carter, and told her that he knew she had missed him.[8]
Bait-and-Switch[]
Howard Stark was taken by Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa to the briefing room, still considering Stark responsible for the whole investigated by the Strategic Scientific Reserve and formally placing him under arrest as Peggy Carter entered the room. Stark was not worried about that, and he even offered to help Sousa with his injury.
Thompson, angered by Stark's behavior, blamed him for the deaths of Roger Dooley and Ray Krzeminski, while Sousa told him innocent people inside a theater had also died due to him. Stark revealed he returned upon hearing about the Massacre at the Cinema Theater, and offered the a box filled with documents about the Battle of Finow.
Thompson did not care about it, but he then revealed how both the massacre and the battle were tied due to the use of the same substance, a gas called Midnight Oil. Carter asked Stark if he designed a poison gas, but he revealed that he did not intend to do that, as the United States Armed Forces tasked him with developing something that would keep soldiers awake for days.
Stark revealed how the gas failed and instead caused symptoms similar to sleep deprivation. such as anger, hallucinations or psychosis, to the point of aggressively attack other people. Sousa asked why it was used in Finow, and he revealed that General John McGinnis ordered to raid Stark's laboratory, taking the samples of the gas and all his research.
Stark explained how McGinnis ordered to use the gas on the Russians the following day to help them take Finow, but instead they slaughtered each other, so Stark flew there to see it with his own eyes. Sousa explained how they witnessed its effects inside the theater, and he experienced them himself.
Stark was surprised to see that Sousa survived direct exposure, as the gas also could cause asphyxiation, and Carter realized that was the reason Leet Brannis and Sasha Demidov had been performed laryngotomy procedures. Carter guessed that Doctor Ivchenko was the man who saved them, finding a file about his involvement in the Battle of Finow that revealed his real name, Johann Fennhoff, and his background as a psychiatrist with a specialty in hypnosis.
Thompson realized that Fennhoff hypnotized Dooley to do his bidding, and everyone was at risk. However, Stark offered himself to take the risk, acting as a bait to capture Fennhoff, with the SSR setting the trap for him. Thompson agreed with Stark's plan, realizing they needed to make something public and real showy to make Fennhoff fall.[8]
Final Preparations[]
Howard Stark prepared himself for his press conference, cutting his facial hair with Edwin Jarvis' assistance. who described his moustache as a "nest of spiders with very short legs". Stark also asked Peggy Carter for powder to reduce the shine on his face.
Carter voiced her worry about Stark's plan, considering it to be too dangerous, but Jarvis asked her not to waste her breath, as he had already warned Stark to no avail. Carter brought Stark a Bulletproof Vest for protection, but he quickly examined it and described it as junk, asking her to check his inventions.
Carter took Stark to the laboratory, where he got mad at watching his most dangerous inventions being inadequately treated. Stark began to change the place for some of them that should be kept in special conditions, such as darkness or cold. Carter then asked him what he hoped to accomplish with his press conference, as there should be other ways to capture Johann Fennhoff.
Stark asked her name three other ways, and he managed to find his own Bulletproof Vest, able to stops a 50 caliber round from 100 feet. Carter told him it would not be enough to protect him unless he planned to wear it on his head, but Stark told Carter he trusted her to protect him.
Carter realized Stark was only trying to punish himself for what he did, but Stark told her he was just trying to redeem himself. Carter told him she already had enough blood on her hands, so she did not need to have Stark's well. Stark told her she was one of the few people whose opinion he genuinely cared for, and what she told him the last time they saw each other made him think about what was he doing.
Carter told him that she was angry then, but that did not mean she wanted him to die, something he also agreed, but they both knew all what happened was his fault. Carter told him that General John McGinnis was the one who stole and used Midnight Oil, but Stark needed to fix the whole situation to be able to live with himself.
Carter told Stark he was mad, and he told him he was as mad as a hatter, before seizing the opportunity to steal the Blitzkrieg Button containing Steve Rogers' blood as Carter turned her back.[8]
Change of Plans[]
Johann Fennhoff and Dottie Underwood arrived at Howard Stark's Warehouse intending to steal a plane to release Midnight Oil over New York City. A mechanic warned them it was a private property while reaching for his gun, but Underwood told Fennhoff that she would take care of him.
Underwood approached the mechanic as a naïve woman while Fennhoff waited inside the car, where he listened to the radio as the music was interrupted with a special news bulletin that announced Howard Stark's return as a hero, and that he was going to hold a press conference on the New York City Hall to announce a major breakthrough in the case of his missing technology.
Underwood, who easily killed the mechanic as Fennhoff waited, quickly returned to the car, prompting Fennhoff to enter the warehouse. However, Fennhoff explained that a new opportunity to develop their plan had arisen, with Underwood being surprised it all happened in the few moments she was outside the car. Fennhoff told her they would return to the city as their plans had changed.[8]
Kidnapping of Howard Stark[]
Press Conference[]
Outside New York City Hall
Jack Thompson began a press conference at the New York City Hall to lure and capture Johann Fennhoff, where he announced that Howard Stark was innocent of the theft and sale of weapons to foreign enemies, and all charges had been dropped. Thompson continued to say that they owed Stark a debt of gratitude, as his assistance in their investigation had been invaluable. Stark told Thompson to call him a hero, so he publicly said that Stark was a hero for all Americans.
Peggy Carter, who was at the press conference to protect Stark, contacted Agent Comden to check if the rooftops were being covered, but as he informed her that all clear, she told him that she knew their targets surely were somewhere nearby.
Thompson continued announcing that Stark would work with the Strategic Scientific Reserve to bring those responsible for the crime to justice, and Stark told Thompson to add that they were humbled by Stark's genius, then changing the word to brilliance. Tired of Stark's interruptions, Thompson let him speak to the press, and the reporters began to ask if all his weapons had been recovered, though one of them even asked if he had been hiding at Barbara Stanwyck's residence.
Dodging gunfire
Stark began to defend himself from the charges he had been accused of, but he was suddenly interrupted by a gunshot coming from one of the nearby windows. Thompson ordered Edwin Jarvis to take Stark to the back alley where a police car was waiting for them. Carter managed to watch the shots coming from the hotel in front of the City Hall, and hurried to apprehend the shooter.
Jarvis and Stark hurried to the back alley, with Stark acknowledging his idea had been successful. Jarvis placed Stark inside the car and told the officer to take them to the Strategic Scientific Reserve facility. However, before Jarvis could enter the car, the officer left with Stark, and Jarvis suddenly saw two police officers dead in the alley, realizing Stark had been kidnapped in front of his eyes. Stark asked Officer Pike, who was driving the car, to stop, but Pike, having been hypnotized, told him that Doctor Fennhoff would like to see him.
Jarvis hurried and informed Daniel Sousa that Stark had been taken. Meanwhile, Thompson and Carter stormed into the hotel, finding a rifle rigged to fire itself, but nobody inside the room. Carter examined the rifle and realized it was aimed above the podium, so it was just a diversion. Sousa then informed them through the radio that Stark had been kidnapped and was in a police car heading west.
Stark tried to convince Pike to release him, offering him money, cars and even Rosalind Russell's private number, but he continued to silently drive and take him to Fennhoff's presence.[8]
Tracking Howard Stark[]
Peggy Carter and Jack Thompson began to analyze Johann Fennhoff's plan as he successfully managed to kidnap Howard Stark. Carter realized his original plan could not have involved to kidnap Stark given he was only announced to return that same day, and Fennhoff wanted to punish Stark with a fate worse than death.
Thompson acknowledged the Massacre at the Cinema Theater was just a test, so Fennhoff would surely target something bigger, guessing it could be anything, like the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. Carter realized many people were carrying flags, and asked what it was. Thompson answered it was May 8th, and they both suddenly realized that it was the V.E. Day anniversary, and Fennhoff intended to attack Times Square with the Midnight Oil.
Meanwhile, Edwin Jarvis and Daniel Sousa managed to find the police car used to kidnap Stark, but they only found Officer Pike's lifeless body inside. Sousa informed about the car and Jarvis quickly acknowledged it was a bad situation.
Stark had been taken to another car driven by Fennhoff himself, where he was held at gunpoint by Dottie Underwood. Stark acknowledged that while he surely should be afraid for his life, something about her put him at ease. Underwood asked him if he did not remember her, reminding him that they spent a nice weekend together, but he did not, asking her if her name Alice. Underwood, angered by his answer, knocked him out hitting him with her gun.
Second Vault[]
Daniel Sousa interviewed the owner of a nearby coffee shop, who informed him that a blonde woman forced a man into a black Sedan, and that man matched Howard Stark's description. Witnesses managed to see the car heading west towards Lincoln Tunnel, and he informed Port Authority to stop them at the tolls.
Peggy Carter believing they were trying to leave the city and wondered their reasons, and Sousa acknowledged they may be wrong about Johann Fennhoff's target. Jack Thompson arrived to inform that despite his attempts, the V.E. Day celebration would continue as scheduled, and more than 100,000 people were already at Times Square, so they would not be able to evacuate even if they tried.
Carter explained that the Midnight Oil intended to be used to attack the city was designed to be deployed by air, so they had already shut down all the airports and private airfields in the area. However, Edwin Jarvis suddenly realized where Fennhoff had taken Stark, as if Fennhoff wanted to blame Stark for the attack, the most effective way would be to use one of Stark's own planes.
Thompson told Jarvis that all of Stark's planes had been confiscated, but he revealed that Stark had another secret vault larger than the one under his mansion to store some of his vehicles.[8]
Johann Fennhoff's Final Move[]
Greatest Shame[]
Howard Stark was held hostage inside his own warehouse by Dottie Underwood and Johann Fennhoff. Underwood repeatedly hit Stark, who tried to remember her name, but failing, guessing she could be Lorraine.
Fennhoff greeted Stark, having heard of his genius and intelligence, regretting he dedicated himself to creating such horrible weapons as Midnight Oil. Stark tried to explain that the substance was not meant to be a weapon and it should have never been used, but Fennhoff acknowledged that it only existed because Stark created it.
Fennhoff asked Stark if he knew what it did, and Stark revealed how he saw it at Finow after the supposed battle. Fennhoff revealed he was present at that battle, witnessing the effects of Midnight Oil protected by a gas mask, but his comrades and his own brother were not so lucky. Fennhoff sadly explained how he found his brother savagely mutilated, and Stark tearfully and genuinely apologized, telling Fennhoff he had no idea of how sorry he was for that event.
Fennhoff revealed how Stark became his singular focus since that day and while Stark asked him to kill him if that was what he wanted to do, feeling that he probably deserved it, Stark asked him to spare the lives of innocent people. Fennhoff claimed that he had no intention of killing Stark; he was going to make him suffer.
Stark pleaded Fennhoff not to do it, and he asked Stark if he felt any guilt or remorse. Stark assured him he had those feelings, though Fennhoff acknowledged that someone like Stark could not things like kindness and empathy to cloud his vision. Stark claimed he was not a bad person, but Fennhoff assured him he was, as there was no other way to achieve such success. Others have paid the price.
Fennhoff began to hypnotize Stark to be consumed by his guilt, making him focus in believing there was a way to atone for his sins. Fennhoff told Stark to focus on the time and place that held Stark's greatest shame, and he began to believe he was searching for Captain America when he was lost in the ocean.
Stark had a vivid hallucination where he was informed that a signal from the Valkyrie had been picked up and Captain America had been located. Peggy Carter appeared in his hallucination, asking him to bring Captain America home. Fennhoff used this hallucination to order Stark to pilot a plane and make him release Midnight Oil on Times Square.[8]
Stopping the Attack[]
Peggy Carter, Edwin Jarvis, Daniel Sousa and Jack Thompson arrived to Howard Stark's Warehouse only to witness how Howard Stark departed using one of his planes, having been hypnotized by Johann Fennhoff to deploy Midnight Oil over New York City.
Sousa brought up the possibility of talking Stark down, as Chief Roger Dooley was able to overcome Fennhoff's hypnosis, and Carter asked Jarvis where the radio room was to contact Stark. However, in case she was unable, Carter told the men she needed one of them to pilot another plane to shoot Stark down in case she was unable to prevent him from attacking New York.
Sousa and Thompson told her that they had never flown planes before, but Jarvis assured that he had done it. Carter told him she could not ask that to him, but Jarvis assured that Stark would want to be stopped from harming innocent people by any means possible. Convinced by Jarvis' reasons, Carter ordered Sousa and Thompson to help Jarvis get off the ground.[8]
Hesitation[]
Edwin Jarvis managed to board one of Howard Stark's planes assisted by Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa. However, Jarvis hesitated before taking off, and Thompson reminded him that if he did not leave at that moment, it would be too late.
Jarvis confessed that he indeed had flown planes before, but he had never shot a man down. Thompson reminded him that if Peggy Carter managed to find Johann Fennhoff and make Stark regain his senses, he would not need to shoot at Stark. Jarvis prayed Thompson was right, and took of with his plane to follow Stark.[8]
Radio Room[]
Peggy Carter went to look for the radio room inside the warehouse, where Johann Fennhoff and Dottie Underwood where monitoring Howard Stark's transmissions, who believed he was flying over the Arctic searching for Captain America.
Carter was able to catch Underwood and Fennhoff by surprise, and though Underwood wanted to grab the gun she had concealed in her shirt, Carter told her to drop it pointing at her with a shotgun, and she complied when Fennhoff nodded at her.
Carter ordered them to move away from the radio they were using to contact Stark, and Underwood greeted her as if she still was her naïve neighbor, but she used the opportunity to disarm Carter with a kick and hit her, beginning a hand-to-hand combat that Underwood considered to be very fun.[8]
Duel at the Warehouse[]
Peggy Carter and Dottie Underwood continued to fight on the radio room, with Carter cleverly avoiding Underwood's knife with a piece of cloth. Carter grabbed her arm, repeatedly hit her in the stomach and begun to choke Underwood with the cloth to buy some time and grab the radio from Johann Fennhoff, who was still talking to Howard Stark while the two women fought in the same room.
Carter quickly shouted at Stark, saying that what he was seeing was not real, but Underwood quickly recovered and threw Carter over a small table. Underwood grabbed a baseball bat from one of the walls and ordered Fennhoff to escape while she fought Carter.
Underwood began to reveal how she felt all her life jealous of girls like Carter, willing to do anything to be like them, but now, given her training, she could be anybody she wanted. Underwood began to attack Carter with the baseball bat, and despite Carter defended herself, Underwood gained the upper hand against a disarmed Carter, who fell to the ground while Underwood continued to taunt her telling her she would become an agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
Underwood claimed that she thought that Carter would be better, but she tricked Underwood into breaking a window with the baseball bat, and Carter seized the opportunity to kick Underwood off the window, making her fall to the bottom floor over one of Stark's planes.
Carter looked over the window and saw Underwood's seemingly lifeless body and covered in blood lying over the wing of the Mrs. Virginia.[8]
Arrest of Johann Fennhoff[]
Peggy Carter contacted Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa to inform them that Johann Fennhoff had escaped from the radio room, but she would not be able to pursue him as she needed to stay there and talk Howard Stark down.
Thompson assured her they would capture him, and they separated to cover the front and back doors. Thompson warned Sousa not to let Fennhoff talk, as he would die like Roger Dooley did. Sousa returned the warning to Thompson before separating.
Thompson investigated the back of the warehouse, hearing a metallic noise while he investigated. He approached the main hangar, but as he examined a metal bar on the ground, Fennhoff ambushed him and hit Thompson on the back, knocking him on the ground. However, as Fennhoff was about to grab Thompson's shotgun, Sousa entered the hangar and ordered Fennhoff to freeze, and warned him he would shoot unless Fennhoff stepped away from Thompson.
Fennhoff began to talk, saying he was unarmed, and Sousa would not shoot an unarmed man, as he was a virtuous man, unlike Thompson. Fennhoff tried to hypnotize Sousa, talking to him about how the war injured all of them, and saying that Sousa was not the man he once was. Fennhoff claimed he had treated many injured soldiers to help them overcome their pain, and prompted him to focus on his own pain.
Fennhoff tried to convince Sousa saying how his colleagues saw him as a broken man, and how Carter would never value him for the man he was, as the only thing she felt for him was pity. Fennhoff told him they could change all of that if he just focused, and ordered to point his weapon at Thompson and pull the trigger.
Seeing that Sousa pointed his gun at Thompson when Fennhoff pointed at him with his hand, Thompson tried to talk Sousa down, telling him to not listen to Fennhoff. Sousa continued to approach them, this time pointing at Thompson, but as he reached Fennhoff, Sousa hit him with the back of his gun, knocking him down.
Sousa removed two pieces of cotton from his ears, and asked Thompson if Fennhoff said something, and both men started to laugh for the way Sousa managed to trick Fennhoff.[8]
Redemptions[]
Peggy Carter contacted Howard Stark from the radio room, to convince him that what he was seeing was an hallucination that Johann Fennhoff put in Stark's mind, to make him believe that he was going to rescue Captain America. Carter tried to explain that Fennhoff wanted to make Stark to deploy Midnight Oil over civilians, but Stark dismissed her claims, believing he was flying over the Arctic, and seeing no civilians there.
Carter begged Stark to return, but Stark felt that Fennhoff actually helped him, having showed him how to bring Captain America back. Carter began to tearfully ask Stark to turn the plane around and talk about everything, as the situation reminded her the way she last spoke to Steve Rogers. However, Stark claimed he could not do that.
Edwin Jarvis contacted Carter to inform her that he had Stark's plane in his sights and they were just one mile from land, so he requested for permission to shot Stark down. Carter was crying and did not answer, but as Jarvis insisted, Carter told him that she needed more time to convince Stark. Jarvis told her they did not have more time, but Carter ordered Jarvis not to shoot until she told him.
Carter spoke again to tell Stark that Rogers died a year before, despite Stark's claims that he had found him ahead, and he could fix everything. Stark explained how he had created destruction his whole life, but Project Rebirth, or more accurately, Rogers, was the only thing he had done that brought good into the world.
With her voice breaking, Carter said that she knew how much Stark cared for Rogers, just like she loved him, but what he was doing would not bring him back; instead, it would make her lose Stark, the only person who believed in her, and she could not afford losing him, too.
Carter told him that Rogers was gone, and all of them had to move on and let him, despite it may sound impossible. Following a moment of silence, Stark regained his senses with Carter's tearful words, telling her how good Rogers was, and realized he was in a plane flying to Manhattan, asking her to explain everything once he landed.
Carter contacted Jarvis to inform him that Stark had regained his senses, and he felt very relieved for not having to shoot him down. Jarvis told Carter to inform Stark to follow him, as he would bring him home safe and sound.[8]
Aftermath[]
Peggy Carter descended to the hangar to check Dottie Underwood's body, but she found that she had escaped despite the injuries she suffered from her fall, leaving a trail of blood. Meanwhile, Daniel Sousa and Jack Thompson arrested Johann Fennhoff and prevented him from speaking.
Howard Stark and Edwin Jarvis safely landed on the warehouse, and Stark asked Jarvis if he would was truly willing to shoot him out of the sky. Jarvis explained that he thought it was what Stark would have wanted, but he made him clear that under no circumstance he want anyone to shoot or hurt him. However, Stark embraced Jarvis, saying that he was right.
Stark approached Carter, telling her he owed her another one, but Carter told him she had stopped counting how many things he owed her, before embracing her. Stark asked what would they do with Fennhoff, and she suggested to temporarily put him in a trunk until finding a permanent way of preventing him from speaking.
Jarvis asked what happened to Underwood, and Carter revealed that she had escaped, so they would probably see her again. Stark began to laugh, finally remembering her name as Ida, claiming that his mind was a steel trap. Carter and Jarvis stared at Stark in disbelief, as despite everything that happened to him, he was still thinking about women.[8]
Return to the Strategic Scientific Reserve[]
Peggy Carter returned to the New York Bell Company Office, where all agents started to applaud and congratulate her for her good work in solving the case regarding Howard Stark's weapons.
Daniel Sousa and Jack Thompson, who had temporarily assumed Chief Roger Dooley's duties, greeted Carter and clapped with the rest of agents. Thompson assumed she would stay at the Strategic Scientific Reserve, but she told him that she had not decided yet, as she only came to pick up her paycheck. Sousa told her they would keep the desk for her, just in case she wanted to return, and Thompson told him he was sure that Carter would be back.
Senator Walt Cooper entered the office asking for Jack Thompson, and congratulated him for saving thousands of lives of a potential attack over Times Square, believing him to be responsible for stopping Johann Fennhoff's plan.
Thompson looked at Carter while Senator Cooper continued to congratulate him, saying that both the city and the country owed him a great debt, and publicly announcing they needed more men like Thompson fighting for freedom and security. Thompson said that he just did what needed to be done, and Cooper said that he could get a congressional honor for the whole situation, and President Harry S. Truman wanted to thank him himself.
Sousa was angered to see that Thompson took the credit for what happened when it was Carter who solved the whole thing and prevented the attack, and told her that he was going to tell Senator Cooper and even President Truman what really happened. Carter told him that it did not bother her, but Sousa claimed that having saved Thompson's life to see him do that bothered him. Carter claimed she did not need a congressional honor, Thompson's approval or even the president's approval, as she knew her own value, and everybody else's opinion did not really matter.
Having calmed down, Sousa invited Carter for a drink, but she was surprised to hear that at 9:00 in the morning, but Sousa nervously told her to join him after he finished his shift. Carter told him that she may join him another time, as she needed to meet a friend. Sousa turned her back, disappointed for the rejection, and he missed that Carter was smiling at him.[8]
New Residence[]
Edwin Jarvis took Peggy Carter and Angie Martinelli to one of Howard Stark's residences, that Stark offered as a residence for the two women. Martinelli was surprised to see the luxury of the house, and Jarvis explained it had recently been refurbished in neoclassical style.
Martinelli commented that though for Stark it could be one of his quainter residences, the entire apartment where she grew up could be fit in a single room. Jarvis continued explaining the features of the house, such as having six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a rooftop terrace for Al Fresco dining and a library with a collection of first editions.
Martinelli asked again if they truly live there for free, and Jarvis explained that given the incidents at the Griffith Hotel and the L&L Automat, Stark offered the residence to Carter and Martinelli as long as they required it. Carter told Martinelli that it was a bit far from the theater district, but she clearly stated that she could live with that.
Martinelli asked Jarvis if there was a phone to call her mother and explain everything, and she departed into the nearest when Jarvis told her there was a telephone in every room. Jarvis told to Carter that it was refreshing to meet someone who appreciated the finer things, and Carter added that she appreciated them, she simply did not want to know what happened in and on them.
Carter told Jarvis that he would surely be looking forward to peace and quiet following their missions together, or at the very least having both feet on the ground, and Jarvis acknowledged that many of his duties had fallen by the wayside, so he would start to handle them again, starting with a complete overhaul of the kitchen spices.
Carter sarcastically told him how fascinating that was, but Jarvis emotionally told her that he would be honored to assist her again at a moment's notice if she ever needed his services again, something that Carter sincerely thanked him. Carter asked him where Stark was, and Jarvis revealed he was negotiating the return of his designs from the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
Carter hoped Stark built a better vault, though Jarvis revealed Stark actually intended to destroy all of them. Carter was surprised to hear that, but Jarvis assured her that Stark continued to believe that no government could be trusted with those inventions, especially the vial of Captain America's blood that he had concealed in his jacket.
Jarvis handed the vial to Carter, who emotionally asked if Stark was giving it to her. Jarvis told her that Stark believed the vial was lost when he was under Johann Fennhoff's control, so it was Jarvis who was giving it to Carter. Jarvis explained to a tearful Carter that while he owed many things to Stark, Stark was not the owner of Jarvis' integrity, and he was certain that Carter was the only person in the world who knew what to do with the blood.[8]
Moving On[]
Peggy Carter went to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, where she bursted in tears remembering her lost love, Steve Rogers. She grabbed the vial containing the last remaining sample of Rogers' blood, and tearfully told him goodbye while she threw the blood to the water under the bridge.[8]
Zodiac[]
- "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No, I live in Brooklyn actually." - ―Goon and Peggy Carter[src]
SSR New York City Office
Peggy Carter continued her work with the Strategic Scientific Reserve in the agency's New York City office, where she was set aside to code-breaking and analysis tasks by her chauvinistic boss, Agent John Flynn, underestimating her for field work for being a woman, as she was not given an assignment during her three months under Flynn's orders.
Flynn received word of the location of the Zodiac, a mysterious biological weapon, and sent agents Miller, Johnson and Wilkes to retrieve it. That same night, the agents returned to the office empty-handed, as by the time they arrived, the car transporting the substance was abandoned.
One of the Analysts at the office ordered Carter to make an analysis of a large number of transmissions between S.H.I.E.L.D. and G.U.A.R.D. for the following day, what would force Carter to spend the night working at the office. However, Carter already anticipated such an order, and handed the complete analysis to her co-worker.
Flynn informed Carter that he was going out for drinks with the rest of the agents, but instead of the expected invitation, Carter received an order to stay at the office and review a field report. While alone in the office, Carter received another call informing of the location of Zodiac, requesting three to five agents to retrieve the substance. Carter used the absence of her co-workers as an excuse to take the mission alone, and traveled to the location given, carrying a briefcase full of field gear with her.
At the entrance of the warehouse where Zodiac was hidden, Carter easily defeated two goons that tried to make her leave when they saw her approaching. The guard at the door, alerted by the fight, tried to shoot Carter, but she outsmarted him and ordered him to drop his weapon while pointing her gun to the head of the guard.
Carter handcuffed the guard and interrogated him about the location of Zodiac and the number of guards in the warehouse, and used him as a bait to defeat another two guards. Locating the room containing Zodiac and with another guard inside, she shot at the door and threw a gas grenade to either render the guard unconscious or make him exit the room.
Once the guard was unconscious, she entered the room wearing a gas mask, finding the vial containing Zodiac, although a large guard also wearing a gas mask caught her by surprise. The guard tried to strangle Carter, removing her gas mask, but she was able to stab the guard with a knife hidden in her briefcase before being suffocated, defeating the guard with a kick and leaving the warehouse with Zodiac.
The following morning, Flynn admonished Carter for her actions saying that the only reason that she was an agent was that people felt sorry for her after Captain America died. In the midst of his tirade, the office hotline rang with a phone call by Howard Stark. Stark told Flynn that Carter needed to go to Washington, D.C., as was going to run S.H.I.E.L.D. with Stark. Stark ordered Flynn to give Carter the news, and let her know how honored he was for bringing them.
Flynn uncomfortably gave Carter the news, and offered her to help carry her personal items out of the office. Carter refused the offer, saying that it had been demonstrated that as always, she did not require his help.[15]
Peggy Carter's Interviews[]
Peggy Carter in New York City
In 1953, former Strategic Scientific Reserve agent Peggy Carter recorded an interview in New York City about Captain Steve Rogers, the World War II hero known as Captain America. Carter described a rescue performed by Captain America, where he was able to rescue a thousand men trapped by a blizzard behind the German line, and how Rogers fought his way through a HYDRA blockade.
Carter revealed in the interview that one of the men rescued in that operation later became her husband, as Captain Rogers was able to change her life even after his presumed death.[16]
Development of the Arc Reactor[]
- "This Arc Reactor technology, the implications alone of such a device even existing, have you not thought about these things?"
"They said the same thing about the Manhattan Project, didn't they, Maria? "Where ignorance is bliss...""
""...'tis folly to be wise"." - ―Anton Vanko, Howard Stark and Maria Stark[src]
Howard Stark had a meeting with Anton Vanko, in presence of Maria Stark and Vanko's wife, regarding what they called 'The Unity Project', focusing in developing the Arc Reactor technology, as Stark hoped to change the future of humanity with this technology, while Vanko wanted to use the research to make money.
Over time, Vanko proved true to his intentions, selling the technology and other secrets to the Russian government, prompting his deportation, disappointing Howard Stark, who was convinced by Obadiah Stane to focus again in weapons development.[17]
Tony Stark's Childhood[]
In 1970, Howard Stark fathered a son, Tony, living together with him, her wife Maria and their trusted butler Edwin Jarvis in their mansion of New York. Howard was very strict with Tony; one of the examples of this severity particularly remembered by Tony Stark years later was an occasion that his father qualified as nonsenses and a waste of time spending his weekends playing at home. Tony started to hate returning from boarding school to his house the weekends, even despite Edwin Jarvis' efforts to comfort Tony.
Tony grew up to become a rebel teenager, who was lectured by his father Howard for his attitude and his immaturity despite his intelligence, who hoped that one day he could be able to tell his son about his real work, as Howard felt that his son needed to know that. However, Howard was not able to tell him, because both Howard and Maria Stark died that same day in a car accident.[17]
Birth of Marcus Daniels[]
New York City is the birthplace of Marcus Daniels, born in 1972 who went to become a physics laboratory assistant under doctor Abner Croit. Daniels was exposed to a form of cosmic radiation called Darkforce, obtaining the power to absorb all types of energy.[18]
Wilson Fisk's Youth[]
City Council Campaign[]
Inside his small apartment, Bill Fisk built a series of signs promoting a political campaign to be elected to the city council. His young son Wilson aided him while his wife Marlene checked out their monthly bills.
Marlene then complained about the volume of the music that Bill was hearing, so Bill admonished Wilson about how quiet women were the ones always plotting things. Wilson then finished sawing a strip for his father's signs, but Bill got angry because he had cut it too short. Wilson apologized, but his father made his son call him "Sir", because he needed to give respect if he wanted it. Bill lowered his tone, and asked Wilson to cut the next strip longer.
Bill revealed that his reason to get into the city council was to gain money accepting bribes, as one of their former neighbors got elected and, within a year, managed to buy a house and move out of the neighborhood. Bill then told his son that New York City offered an opportunity for everything.
Bill then offered Wilson a sip of his beer. Though Marlene tried to prevent it, Bill said that his own father let him drink even before being able to talk. Wilson hesitated and looked at his mother, but his father ordered him to drink. Wilson then drank from the bottle, but he ended up spitting the beer. Marlene took the beer from Wilson's hands, with Bill telling her that she always worried too much.
Marlene then asked Bill how they were supposed to pay for all the signs and promotional material for the campaign; Bill assured her that everything was all right as he took a loan from Don Rigoletto. Marlene was worried to hear that, but Bill calmed her down saying that it was an investment, and as soon as he was elected to the council, he would pay it.
Bill scolded his wife, saying that he needed to take risks and put himself out there to obtain things. Wilson even repeated his father's words, and Bill seized the opportunity to say that their son was smarter than Marlene.[19]
Lost Campaign[]
Wilson Fisk found Bernie Walker on the streets, knocking down the signs his father, Bill Fisk, used for a campaign to be elected to the city council. Wilson tried to make Walker stop, but he attacked Wilson, breaking his lip with a punch and calling him a loser, just like his father.[19]
Mother and Father[]
Wilson Fisk returned to his house with a broken lip, having been beaten in the street by one of his neighbors. His mother Marlene calmed him down and offered him a piece of Zuppa, as even if he was not hungry, eating it would make him feel better, and Wilson offered to share it with her.
Wilson asked his mother if she thought what Bernie Walker had been saying was true, but Marlene told him that he should not listen to people like Walker; what he should do is block them out.
Bill Fisk, Wilson's father, entered the room, and asked Wilson what had happened. Marlene tried to make Bill stay out of it, but Bill then complained that Marlene was feeding Wilson too much, which would make him get even fatter than he was.
Bill insisted on asking about what had happened, and Wilson revealed that Bernie Walker had been knocking Bill's signs down; when Wilson told him to stop, not only did he continue, but he attacked Wilson, calling both Wilson and Fisk losers. Bill angrily ordered Wilson to get his coat, and then they went to look for Walker.[19]
Hard Lessons[]
Bill and Wilson Fisk found Bernie Walker on the street breaking bottles with a baseball bat. After making sure that it was actually Walker, Fisk asked him if he had been knocking down the signs he used for his political campaign. Walker did not hide the fact, as the election was over; Bill asked him if that gave him the right to destroy other people's property.
Walker remained silent, and Bill taunted him by saying that Walker had very much to say in front of Wilson. Bill vented his frustration at not being elected onto Walker, asking if he believed it was his fault that people did not see what Bill had to offer. Bill even dared Walker to call him a loser to his face.
Walker denied having called him a loser, but Bill then asked if he was calling Wilson a liar. Bill asked Wilson if Walker had called him a loser, and Wilson nodded. Bill told Wilson to speak louder, and Wilson assured him that Walker had indeed insulted him. Walker said that he had been simply repeating his own father's words.
Bill then grabbed Walker's shirt and confronted him again, asking if he considered it funny. Walker tried to release himself, hitting Fisk in the process. Fisk lost his temper, and threw Walker to the ground when he tried to attack him with the bat. Despite Wilson shouting for him to stop, Bill hit Walker with the bat and kicked him, daring him to say something funny.
Bill told Wilson to come and then explained that people like Walker would want to keep him down and afraid, so he should show them that it would never happen. Bill ordered his son to kick Walker, and he tried to refuse. Bill told him not to look at him the same way his mother did, and ordered him again to kick Walker.
Wilson kicked Walker, who was groaning on the ground with pain, and Bill ordered Wilson to kick him again. Wilson complied, and kept kicking Walker while his father ordered him to do it harder.[19]
Murder of Bill Fisk[]
Bill Fisk ordered his son Wilson to stare at a blank wall and think about the man he wanted to be until he came back from an errand, reminding Wilson that he was destined to be a king. Marlene, Bill's wife and Wilson's mother, asked Bill where was he going so late at night, but he simply said he needed to take care of something.
Upon Marlene's insistence, Bill revealed he was going to talk to Don Rigoletto about the money he owed, and Marlene scolded him for taking the money in the first place. Bill lost his temper and hit Marlene, throwing her to the floor, and grabbed his belt to keep hitting her, while blaming her and Wilson for his failures.
Marlene begged her husband to stop, but Bill ordered her to shut up while he kept hitting her. Bill continued to blame her, saying that everyone looked at Wilson and laughed at him. He blamed Marlene for not believing in him.
Wilson, who had been hearing everything and crying while looking at the wall, grabbed a hammer and ordered his father to stop. Bill taunted Wilson, asking him what he was thinking of doing with the hammer; Wilson put it down. However, as soon as Bill looked away to mock him, Wilson hit his father in the head with the hammer, knocking him to the floor, smashing his skull, while yelling the same words that his father yelled at him when Bill made Wilson kick their neighbor Bernie Walker.
Marlene rushed to embrace her son, telling him everything would be all right, while Wilson stared at the wall. Marlene told Wilson to get a saw, and proceeded to undress Bill's corpse, giving the cufflinks he was wearing to Wilson. Marlene covered Bill's body in plastic and cut him into pieces.
Over the following week, Marlene and Wilson carried Bill's remains hidden in bags to the river, while most people simply assumed that Bill had left the city due to his debts to Rigoletto.[19]
Matt Murdock's Youth[]
Dirty Money[]
Matt Murdock watched on television one of his father's boxing matches against an opponent named Price. The commentators explained how Jack Murdock had dominated the fight but Price was able to overcome him, appearing as if Murdock was not even defending himself, until the referee stopped the fight and Murdock lost the match. Matt turned off the television and went to the kitchen and waited for his father to return home, falling asleep over the kitchen's table.
Jack returned home, waking Matt up as he closed the door, who ran to embrace him. Jack asked his son to be careful and to not get blood on his shirt. Matt told his father that he should have kept his gloves up.
Matt asked an obvious question about his father's injuries, and Jack jokingly answered that it certainly did not tickle, right before asking his son to get the first aid kit to treat his injuries.
While preparing to clean the wounds, Matt told his father that Price was a bum, but his father seriously told him that everyone who stepped into a ring deserved respect. Matt clarified that he was sorry that his father lost the match, and Jack asked him to be careful while cleaning the wounds.
Jack realized the injury would need stitches, so he asked Matt to get the Scotch, prompting his son to take a sip in order to stop his hands from shaking like the last time he had to apply stitches. Matt tasted the drink, and described it as it burning through his throat.
Now ready, Matt began to sew up the wound and his father asked if he watched the fight, given that Matt should have been doing his homework. Matt intended to finish it the following day before school, but his father insisted that he should finish that night.
Matt asked his father if he would have enough money for their landlord, Morris, so Jack showed him an envelope filled with money. Matt was surprised that his father got all that money for losing, and he explained that sometimes, even when getting knocked down, he could still win.
Father and son uttered a quote in unison, "It ain't how you hit the mat, It's how you get up". Jack then told his son to return to his homework. Matt jokingly asked if he could keep the bottle, and Jack was left alone in the kitchen, looking at the money and thinking about what he had to do to obtain it.[20]
Matt Murdock's Accident[]
Matt Murdock, a young 9-year-old kid, witnessed a car accident in the streets of New York City. He ran to push an old man out of the road, saving his life in the process. However, the young boy was hit in the eyes by a chemical hazardous material that was slowly blinding him.
Jack Murdock, the boy's father, arrived at the place of the accident, looking for his son, and soon realized that his son had been affected by the accident. Jack rushed to Matt's side while some men were comforting him saying that help was already coming. Jack asked his son not to move while crying for help, and Matt was not aware of what just happened to him. Jack witnessed the full scope of the accident surrounding them, and the man that Matt saved told Jack how his son saved his life by pushing him out of the way.
Matt started to complain about how he felt his eyes were burning, and though Jack told him to close his eyes as he tried to clean the substance from his face, Matt soon realized he could not see anymore.[21]
Hospital Recovery[]
Matt Murdock got up in a hospital room at Metro-General Hospital, with his father Jack by his side, following the car accident where Matt lost his sight. Matt was scared, crying out loud that he could not see, and even more because his now enhanced senses where overwhelming him.
Jack tried to calm his son, saying that he was by his side, and prompted Matt to touch his face so that he could feel his presence. Matt could not calm himself, and despite his father's efforts, he continued to shout that he could not see.[20]
Time to Work[]
Jack Murdock returned to his house following a boxing match, and found his son Matt asleep over the table, as he had fallen asleep while waiting for his return.
Jack woke Matt up and prompted him to finish his homework. Matt told his father that he was tired. Jack answered that he should study in order to not be like his father, as Jack never studied and his life was very tough. Jack inadvertently told Matt to look where not having studied got him.
Jack quickly realized his words were not adequate, given his son had been recently blinded in an accident. Jack grabbed Matt's hand and made him touch his beaten face, asking him to get to work.[21]
Rigged Fights[]
Jack Murdock was training at Fogwell's Gym while his son Matt paid attention to the fight. Murdock's trainer gave him advice on how to move while he was sparring, until he was knocked down and the bell rang, marking the end of the bout.
Jack approached his son Matt, who was reading in Braille in order to get used to the system. Matt asked his father about the sparring match, who explained that he had managed to tag his opponent more than once, but his opponent was faster than expected.
Jack then asked Matt what it was like to read in Braille, and Matt explained that each letter was a combination of six possible dots in a pattern, so it was necessary to feel what was there and what was not. Jack did not follow, so Matt tried to explain it with an example his father could understand about boxing, as sometimes the boxer could know where a punch is going to land before it's thrown. Jack said he clearly did not know, making both of them laugh.
Matt explained that he was starting to fluently understand Braille, although he still confused some letters with others. He explained that Braille was created in French, so letters that do not appear in French were added later.
Roscoe Sweeney and Sammy Silke entered the gym looking for Jack, who made a sign with his hand to ask them to wait while he was still speaking with his son. Jack then told Matt that in a couple of months he would be reading Braille faster than Jack could read normally, something that Matt claimed he already did. Jack then asked him to wait for him while he dealt with Sweeney and Silke.
Sweeney and Silke gave Murdock their condolences for the accident that caused his son Matt to become blind, but then started making inappropriate comments about having more sons. Murdock directly asked the two men the reason they wanted to speak to him, and Silke offered Murdock a match against Carl Creel.
Murdock was surprised that they had obtained a match against such an important opponent, and Silke attributed it to Sweeney's persuasiveness. Murdock was extremely thankful for such an opportunity, but then Silke explained that the fight was going to be rigged, and they would obtain a large sum of money if Murdock lost in the fifth round.
Matt overheard the conversation just as Sweeney and Silke believed it was a great opportunity for Murdock, but he then refused the offer. Sweeney could not believe that Murdock just refused. Murdock showed gratitude for what they had done for him, but explained that he had other things to worry about while looking at his son, Sweeney covertly threatened him.
Silke said that Murdock should think about his own family, as these opportunities would be good for his son, and Sweeney added that the money he would obtain would be the only thing he could leave him when he died. Murdock seemingly accepted, and repeated out loud the conditions of the rigged fight upon Silke's request.[20]
Being Murdocks[]
Matt Murdock read in Braille a fragment of Thurgood Marshall's acceptance speech for the Liberty Bell Award as part of his homework. His father, Jack Murdock was impressed to hear it, as either Matt was actually reading the speech, or simply making it up was an impressive feat. Matt explained that it was from Thurgood Marshall, though his father believed that Marshall was the starting centerfielder for the Mets.
Jack opened a package that contained the robe and gear he was going to wear for his boxing match with Carl Creel. Matt asked how it looked, and Jack responded by saying it was really red. Matt asked for permission to touch it, and his father extended the robe so that Matt could touch the letters embroidered with his nickname, "Battlin' Jack Murdock".
Matt, impressed by the robe, told his father that the good thing about red was that the opponent could not tell how much he was bleeding, but Jack told him that he was not planning to get hit. Matt told him they were Murdocks, and they got hit a lot, but they always got up again.[20]
Change of Heart[]
Jack Murdock was moved by the words that his son Matt said about the men in their family getting hit but always getting up, and decided to win his boxing match against Carl Creel although it had been rigged by Roscoe Sweeney to make Murdock lose so that Sweeney could earn a large sum of money.
Murdock went to Fogwell's Gym and phoned his friend Ed, a bookie, asking him to switch the bet he had placed, and to wager all his money on himself as winner by knockout against Creel. Murdock advised Ed to get the money from the bet as quickly as possible, and then give it to Lloyd Wagner, transferring it to an account at M&R Credit Union in his son's Matt's name.
Murdock also told Ed to lay low for some days after the fight, knowing it could be dangerous as the fight was supposed to be rigged and Sweeney and his associates would lose money for their bets. Ed asked Murdock if he could do anything for else for him, but Murdock simply said he had everything covered and there was no need to worry about him.
Murdock then phoned a woman and left a message on her answering machine. Murdock explained in the message that he was about to do something that could end very badly for him, telling the woman that his son Matt would need her more than ever. Murdock asked her to look after Matt, as he was a good kid, something that he did not get from his father.
Murdock got emotional, saying that things were better that way, and he wanted his son to hear people cheer for his father just once. Murdock hung up the phone and went to prepare for his boxing match later that evening.[20]
Boxing Match[]
Jack Murdock prepared for his match against Carl Creel, getting into the ring with a crowd cheering loudly for him.
During the fight, Creel got the upper hand, hitting Murdock until he retaliated, cornering Creel and landing one punch after another. Creel seemed to be stunned, with the commentators admitting to not expecting a ferocious retaliation from a seasoned boxer like Murdock. Creel was eventually knocked out, and Murdock was declared winner.
Murdock's son, Matt, heard the whole fight on television, cheering for his father and feeling proud when he won the match.
Murdock ran to the locker room to get out the place fast to try to avoid the consequences from not throwing the match like Roscoe Sweeney asked him to do, but he took a moment to enjoy how the crowd was cheering for him at least once in his life.[20]
Assassination of Jack Murdock[]
Matt Murdock woke up at the kitchen's table, where he usually waited for his father Jack to return from his boxing matches. The sound of what seemed to be a gunshot startled Matt, and he left the house to look for his father.
In the vicinity, he found two police officers cordoning off an area where a man had been killed. Officer Ray Peters tried to prevent Matt from entering, but his colleague realized Matt was blind, and let him enter upon hearing Matt say that the man that had just been killed may be his father.
Matt approached the corpse, and began to call for his father, touching his face to make sure it was him, and continuing to call for his father despite obtaining no response.[20]
Overwhelming Gifts[]
Matt Murdock was placed in the Saint Agnes Orphanage after the death of his father. While living there, his heightened senses developed so much they frequently overwhelmed him, especially all the things he heard.
Matt Murdock overwhelmed by sounds
One day, a man named Stick arrived at the orphanage, as one of the nuns was able to locate him, having heard about his work with special children. The nun explained that Murdock's problems were less severe at first, but they were becoming worse and causing him pain.
Both doctors and clergy had no idea of what happened to Murdock, and Stick explained he could help him, but not for free. The nun assured Stick that his father left a large inheritance, and Stick asked about Murdock's mother. The nun only said that she was not dead but it was another story.
Stick arrives at Murdock's room
Stick and the nun arrived at Murdock's bedroom, and he got rid of the nun by asking her to make his check out to cash. Stick then spoke to Murdock, saying that while everyone else believed the boy was getting worse, he was actually getting stronger. To demonstrate it, Stick threw his keys to Murdock, who easily caught them, and then told him to start with his training.[22]
Training Offer[]
Stick took Matt Murdock to a park and bought a pair of ice cream cones to start asking him questions and evaluate if Murdock was worthy of being trained. Stick told Murdock to eat the ice cream and shut up while he asked some questions. Stick first explained that nobody felt sorry for him, because he was born very lucky.
Murdock sarcastically asked if he was; Stick reminded him to shut up. Stick asked the age at which Murdock was blinded, then commented that Murdock had the possibility of looking at movies, the blue sky and what was under girls' skirts for nine years that he did not have, as he was born blind.
Stick then told the boy that he was not killed by the truck that hit him during the accident, but just blinded by a chemical substance that burnt his eyes. At Stick's request, Murdock explained that, following the accident, he began to hear distant things, to sense the location and movement of things, but he was unable to see.
Stick explained that those abilities were called gifts that very few people had or deserved, and Murdock noticed he never thought of them that way. Stick blatantly called him stupid, and that being smart had nothing to do with being able to, for example, learn how to read Braille. For Stick, being smart was making the right decision at the right time.
Stick prompted Murdock to choose between spending his whole life crying and rocking until he slept every night, or digging deep and beginning to use his gifts to his advantage. Murdock was silent, and Stick complimented him for making a good choice.
Murdock explained that it was the first time somebody bought him ice cream since his father died. Stick then prompted him to use his gifts to taste it beyond the obvious vanilla flavour. Stick smelled the ice cream, and was able to notice sugar grains, vanilla beans and milk from three different dairies from two different states. Upon tasting it, he also noticed a few chemical substances and some dirt due to the ice cream vendor gardening that morning.
Stick began to ask Murdock about their surroundings, and the boy was able to know that a nearby dog was hungry and eager to eat the hot dogs a man was carrying. He also noticed a girl whose skin was hot and whose heart beating fast. Stick explained that it was because she was in love. He also noticed an old man that was dying, though Stick commented that he could do nothing about it.
Stick seized the opportunity to explain that the world was filled with bad things, so they needed to find a way to survive in it.
Murdock then asked for permission to ask a question, and then he asked how Stick was able to find him. Stick told him that the nuns at the Saint Agnes Orphanage thought it was their idea. However, he did not fully explain it, as he simply suggested that maybe that was one of his gifts, or maybe Murdock was lucky.
Murdock asked Stick if he was going to help him, but Stick offered to train him instead, to control his gift and to fight. Murdock told him that his father did not want him to fight, but Stick pointed that his father was not there, and he would need skills for the upcoming war, though he did not explain anything else about it.
Murdock then asked something he had not done earlier, as he noticed he did not even know his name, so he asked what should he call him.[22]
Stick's Training[]
Time for a Change[]
Stick began to train Matt Murdock and teach him how to fight. During one of his lessons, Stick tried to spark Murdock's will to fight, grabbing his arm and hurting him. Stick prompted Murdock to stop him. He could not, so he told him to quit. Murdock answered that Murdocks never quit, but Stick threw him to the floor.
Stick told Murdock to beat him, but he just called him a bully. Stick reminded the boy that the world was full of them. He asked him if he was going to do something about it. Murdock started attacking Stick, but the man was able to the evade all of the boy's movements. Stick told him that his heart was not enough, and the he needed to control his rage.
Murdock believed that Stick considered anger a weapon. Stick clarified that though anger was a spark, rage was like a wildfire out of control, as useless as Murdock lying on the ground. Murdock tried to retaliate, but Stick knocked him down again and mocked him saying that he thought Murdocks never quit.
Murdock started to cry, blaming himself for the death of his father, as he had been paid for losing his match against Carl Creel, but his son wanted him to win, so he did and was killed because of it.
Stick told him that his father did not return and never would, and everyone had to pay for their own choices. Stick explained that maybe Jack Murdock fought for his son or for himself, but the only thing to be sure about was that he was gone. On the other hand, Stick was there for him. He prompted young Murdock to get up and start giving beatings instead of taking them.
As Murdock got up, Stick taunted him, asking him to show him that he was not wasting his time. Murdock attacked Stick, who ended up grabbing him in exactly the same way as before.[22]
Final Lesson[]
Stick and Matt Murdock continued training, with Stick having taught his young student how to fight using a pair of wooden sticks. While they fought, Stick ordered Murdock to recite some of the lessons he had learned, such as the mind rules the body, the body is oneself's strongest weapon, and the connection between mind and body was that the mind controlled the body, the body controlled the enemies, and the enemies did not control anything by the time thy had finished with them.
Stick then reminded him that fighting was just the start and he needed to control his feelings by meditating, which would made him stronger, more focused and would allow his wounds to heal faster. Murdock asked if it was true that he could do that by meditating, and Stick told him that it was the reason he was still alive.
Murdock promised to learn, and Stick told him that the following day they would start training with knives. Before he left the room, Murdock offered Stick a bracelet he made from the wrapper of the ice cream that Stick bought him the day they met.
Stick squeezed the bracelet and coldly told Murdock that his training was over, as he could not help anymore. Murdock was shocked to hear that, and asked for a reason. Stick only told him that he expected too much of Murdock, and left New York City, not meeting Murdock again for 20 years.[22]
Matt Murdock's College Years[]
Roommates[]
Foggy Nelson was inside his room at Columbia University trying to enroll in a couple of courses for his first year at the university. Matt Murdock knocked at the door and asked if that was room 312. Not paying attention, Nelson asked who Murdock was looking for, but he quickly apologized when he realized Murdock was blind.
Murdock hoped his blindness would not be a problem, and Nelson then realized that Murdock was his new roommate. They introduced themselves to each other, and Nelson recognized Murdock's name. He asked him if he happened to be from Hell's Kitchen. As they were both from the same neighborhood, Nelson happened to be familiar with the story about how Murdock saved a man that was crossing the street when he was a kid.
Murdock dismissed the fact saying that he simply did what anyone else would have, but Nelson called him a hero, especially because his eyes were removed due to the accident. Murdock clarified they were not, and Nelson was relieved because that would be freaky. Murdock was glad that Nelson did not treat him as if he were made of glass like most people did.
Nelson then pointed how good-looking a guy Murdock was, and seeing that Murdock was misunderstanding, he clarified that he would be able to attract a better class of girl with Murdock as his wingman. Nelson was sure that Murdock would help him to have possibilities with women he only dreamed of, comparing them to Maverick and Goose from Top Gun.
They were interrupted when Nelson's laptop made a sound, as his request to enroll in Punjabi had been accepted. Murdock was surprised that someone was taking Punjabi and Nelson said that there were 130 million people speaking that language. Murdock believed there was another reason for enrolling, and he guessed Nelson was interested in a girl.
Nelson said doing that was precisely what he had been talking about, having no secrets between them like Maverick and Goose. However, Murdock stated that in the movie Goose died and he was married. Nelson considered those mere details.
Nelson then invited Murdock to a place he knew to get a cup of coffee, that happened to be usually filled with attractive women. The two new friends left the room and began a friendship that would last for years.[23]
Graduation[]
During their last year at Columbia University, Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock went on to celebrate their upcoming graduation. They got drunk while doing so. While walking around on campus, Nelson took Murdock's cane and jokingly mocked him a little. Laughing, Murdock told him that most people called him "Matt Murdock" instead of "Blind Matt Murdock". Nelson said that he did not look like most people, and being unable to see him at that moment was a blessing.
Murdock was worried that they should be studying, but Nelson prompted him to take a night off, as he was going to graduate summa cum laude. Murdock told Nelson he would graduate with that honor if he had taken less nights off. Nelson said that despite that, they were going to be upstanding members of the legal profession.
Nelson then tried to highlight that fact in Spanish, a language that Murdock had studied, asking him how "lawyers" were said in Spanish. However, Nelson misunderstood the "abogados" and claimed they were going to be great avocados. Murdock began to laugh at the mistake, and told Nelson he should have taken Spanish with him instead of Punjabi just to chase a girl.
Nelson claimed Punjabi was the language of the future, and then admitted the girl he had been chasing was hot. Murdock dared him to say that in Punjabi, and after stammering a little, Nelson was unable to say a word in that language.
Nelson was also aware that Murdock took Spanish to be with a Greek girl, though Murdock tried to dismantle that theory by saying that if he had done that, he would have taken Greek instead. However, Nelson correctly pointed that the girl already spoke Greek, and asked what happened with her. Murdock explained that it did not work out, as often happened, but the only thing he was looking for in a woman was for her to be someone he liked listening to.
Nelson and Murdock sat in a set of stairs, and while Nelson proposed to rest a little before going to look for hamburgers and more drinks, Murdock preferred just the hamburgers. Nelson asked if he felt dizziness due to the alcohol while being blind. Murdock explained it was about equilibrium, not sight. Murdock began to explain that the spins for worse for him because of his enhanced senses, but stopped himself so that he wouldn't reveal his secret.
Murdock revealed he was nine years old when he first drank alcohol, as his father gave me a sip of Scotch so that his hands did not shake while Murdock stitched a wound he sustained during a boxing match that he lost.
Nelson was sure that his father would be proud of Murdock, as he did what he wanted, to study and not get into fights like his father did. Nelson revealed that his own mother wanted him to be a butcher. All his family was going to his graduation, as it was very unusual that a Nelson did not end up working in the fields of hardware or meat.
They began to talk about their future careers as lawyers, with Nelson wanting to gain money. Murdock asked if that was everything he cared about, and he said that no, he also cared about truth and justice, but there was nothing bad in gaining a couple of bucks.
Nelson told Murdock they would have fancy offices with steel, glass and chairs they would not know how to sit in. He proposed they start their very own law firm, Murdock and Nelson, Attorneys at Law. Murdock then said that Nelson and Murdock sounded better, as his hearing was spectacular. Nelson then continued with his earlier joke, and he told Murdock they were going to be the best avocados the city has ever seen. They returned to their room to sleep and prepare for another day.[23]
Returning Home[]
As an adult, Tony Stark created the A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S. as an homage to his faithful butler, and installed it in his father's mansion as what he called a force of habit, to feel the presence of Edwin Jarvis in the mansion once again.[17]
Obadiah Stane's Visit[]
Obadiah Stane went to New York City for a Board of Director's meeting for Stark Industries to discuss Tony Stark's decision to end weapons manufacturing. At Stane's urging, the board claimed that Stark had post-traumatic stress. They agreed that Stark was not acting in the company's best interest. The board agreed they would push Stark out of the company. Stane recognized that Stark would be upset at the decision, so he brought pizza from the city and returned to tell Stark the news.[24]
During one of the nostalgic visits to his childhood home, Stark received a petition from the United States Air Force to return to Afghanistan as Iron Man to clean a Land mine-infested desert.[17]
Stark Expo Opening Ceremony[]
- "So from all of us here at Stark Industries, I would personally like to introduce you to the city...of the future"
- ―Howard Stark[src]
The Ironette Dancers
Tony Stark flew over New York City, only to land in the scenario of the Stark Expo and host its opening ceremony for a cheering crowd. Stark praised his own achievements as Iron Man, bringing the longest uninterrupted period of world peace. He talked about the purpose of the Stark Expo, the importance of their legacy, as organizations from all over the world would join efforts for the sake of a better future.
While displaying his father's opening for the Stark Expo made in 1974, Stark went backstage to check his blood toxicity, having discovered that the Palladium core of the Arc Reactor in his chest was slowly killing him.
Reporter Chess Roberts covered the event, informing that the Expo would be opened for a full year, and she would visit the pavilions, attractions and inventions presented to cover the news.
Stark abandoned the Expo escorted by his bodyguard, Happy Hogan, while attending fans, signing autographs and greeting Larry Ellison and Larry King, coming across a beautiful woman standing by his car. The woman turned out to be a U.S. Marshal, who was waiting for him to give him a subpoena for the Senate Armed Forces Committee in Washington, D.C., and Stark, upset for the inconvenience, departed for Washington driving his own car.[25]
Hammer Industries[]
Justin Hammer took Ivan Vanko to the Hammer Industries Headquarters, having offered him an agreement of mutual collaboration to take advantage of the knowledge demonstrated when constructing the armor used to attack Tony Stark in Monaco. Hammer showed the multiple prototypes of an armor similar to the ones used by Stark as Iron Man. Vanko easily hacked Hammer's software, and stripped off the head of one of the armors, despite Hammer's warnings of its cost.
Vanko asked Hammer's intentions, that wanted to assure himself a position as the Department of Defense Primary Systems Contractor at the Pentagon for over 25 years, while humiliating Stark for his role in suspending his contract after revealing his attempts to create an armor before the Senate Armed Forces Committee Washington, D.C..
Vanko seemingly agreed with this plan, and for the next few days, he worked on improving Hammer's armors, transforming into Drones. Vanko managed to convince Hammer of the change as people may give problems, reluctantly accepting as he warned Vanko that the drones should be amazing.
Vanko was also secretly working in an improved armor for himself, and lied to Vanko saying that the Drones wouldn't be operative for the Stark Expo event, saying only a presentation would be available, but not a full demonstration. Infuriated, Hammer returned to his Headquarters, and given that Vanko didn't fulfill his part of the agreement, took away his belongings and confined him with two security guards. Vanko easily killed the guards, and called Stark, threatening him to destroy him just as Howard Stark destroyed his family.[25]
Battle at Stark Expo[]
Justin Hammer hosted his own weapons demonstration at the Stark Expo, with the name "In Defense of Peace", an event attended by military and civilian authorities, including Pepper Potts as the new CEO of Stark Industries.
He seized the opportunity to criticize Iron Man for not sharing his technology with the rest of the world, and, in order to avoid the loss of human lives in the battlefield, he presented his new lines of Hammer Drones, each one representing a branch of the United States Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Adding that, despite this advancement, human presence would be necessary, he presented the War Machine Armor and its pilot, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes.
Tony Stark arrived at the Expo amongst a thunderous applause of the attending crowd, intending to evacuate the civilians in response to Vanko's threats, and to question Hammer about his collaboration with Vanko. Before he could obtain any response, Vanko remotely controlled War Machine Armor and the Hammer Drones to attack Stark.
Pepper Potts accessed the backstage to check the situation, overhearing that someone was controlling the drones from another location, hampering the technicians from regaining control of the situation. Potts' assistant Natalie Rushman, the undercover identity of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff coerced Hammer into confessing the identity of the responsible, Ivan Vanko, and his location, departing to Hammer Industries Headquarters while Potts called the police.
Iron Man battled the armies of drones while avoiding War Machine's shoots to not harm his friend, while the drones started attacking the Expo to fulfill Vanko's desire of destroying Stark's legacy, endangering civilians in the process.
Happy Hogan accompanied Romanoff to Hammer Industries, and started fighting the first guard while Romanoff easily defeated the rest, clearing the path to Vanko's control room. Vanko, having been informed of the security breach, deployed the remaining drones and activated his own armor.
Romanoff found that Vanko was gone, rebooted the system to give Rhodes control of his armor, in time to avoid it killing Stark, and inadvertently let Pepper Potts know of Stark's disease.[25] Nick Fury ordered Romanoff to hack Hammer Industries mainframe to check the developments made by Justin Hammer, in order to take the worthy technology and destroy the rest before the authorities arrived.[26]
surrounded by drones
Iron Man and War Machine then got surrounded by the Hammer Drones, battling them until Stark unleashed a laser weapon that tore the drones in half. Romanoff warned them that another signal was approaching, and both Stark and Rhodes witnessed the arrival of Whiplash.
Vanko's new armor resisted all the attacks launched to him, and he gained the upper hand, managing to constrain Stark and Rhodes with the whips of the armor. Seeing no other way, Stark and Rhodes mutually attacked them other with their repulsors, causing an explosion right at the spot where Vanko was standing. Vanko activated the self-destruct mechanism in his armor and the drones, causing a series of explosions in the complex that almost killed Pepper Potts, rescued by Stark in the nick of time.
Potts and Stark started arguing in a nearby rooftop, with Potts wanting to resign from her position as CEO of Stark Industries, given the amount of stress she suffered during her first days. Stark thanked her for her help in overcoming a difficult moment for him, and the two finally kissed.
Rhodes, who was on the rooftop for the whole time, informed Stark that he was going to keep the armor despite Stark refusal, and departed leaving the couple alone.[25]
Cure of Bruce Banner[]
Grayburn College
Bruce Banner and Betty Ross traveled to Grayburn College in New York City, seeking the assistance of cellular biologist Dr. Samuel Sterns, a man who remotely assisted Banner during his attempts to find a cure for his transformations into Hulk.
Banner and Betty Ross found a road blockade near the entrance of New York, as the United States Armed Forces tracked Banner's conversations with Sterns, and figured out they would eventually meet. In order to bypass the blockade, Banner and Betty managed to enter New York in a small boat.
To avoid stressful situations for Banner and not trigger his transformations, they decided to avoid the subway and take a taxi instead. However, the taxi driver turned out to be very aggressive, and they had to continue on foot.
Betty Ross approached Sterns when he was exiting Grayburn College, and introduced herself as Elizabeth Ross, with Sterns recognizing her name as a colleague in the field of cellular biology. She then told Sterns that someone wanted to meet him, Mister Green, the online alias of Bruce Banner, a discovery that startled Sterns, as he had questioned the actual existence of a man with such a latent power inside him.
Accompanying Sterns to his laboratory, Banner and Betty learned that Sterns had developed a possible antidote, but he wasn't unsure if it could cure Banner's condition, or merely reverse an individual transformation. Also, an overdose of the antidote could kill Banner.
Despite the risks, Banner agreed to test Sterns' antidote and was restrained to electrically induce his transformation, Sterns transfused the cure while Betty tried to calm a restrained Hulk, and he successfully returned to his normal self. Exhilarated by the success of the antidote, Sterns unconsciously revealed there had been previous tests for the cure, and when demanded to answer how was that possible, Stern showed a large that large supply Banner's synthesized blood samples with the intention of using it to enhance the human condition to the next evolutionary level.[27]
Birth of Abomination[]
A large unit commanded by General Thaddeus Ross gathered around Grayburn College, with the intention of finally capture Banner while distracted. Appalled by what Sterns had done and fearful of Hulk's power falling into the wrong hands, Banner attempts to convince Sterns to immediately destroy the blood supply but is shot by a tranquilizer from one of General Ross' snipers.
Emil Blonsky entered into Grayburn College disobeying Ross' direct orders, and confronted Banner in order to trigger his transformation. Realizing that he has been cured, both Banner and Betty Ross were taken into military custody.
Major Kathleen Sparr started questioning Samuel Sterns about his capability of reproducing the project. However, Sparr was killed by a mentally unstable Blonsky, who wanted to obtain the power of Hulk for himself. Sterns was coerced into subjecting Blonsky to a transfusion of Banner's synthetic blood. Sterns warned him that the combination of the Super Soldier Serum and the Gamma Radiation in the blood would be an unpredictable combination that could turn him into an "Abomination". Blonsky, less than concerned about this, forced Sterns into administering the transfusion. As Blonsky mutated into a monstrous giant, he knocked Sterns aside and an irradiated sample of Banner's blood-derivative dripped into an open wound on Sterns's temple, causing his cranium to mutate and expand.[27]
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Natasha Romanoff, who arrived to witness how Banner was taken into custody, entered into Grayburn College to make sure that Sterns didn't have any material to research on Banner's condition, witnessing how Blonsky emerged transformed into the Abomination.[26]
Duel of Harlem[]
Hulk fights the Abomination on the streets of Harlem
In an attempt to attract Hulk, the now transformed Blonsky went on a rampage through Harlem. While military and police forces attempt to confront the Abomination, General Ross was informed that Hulk was set loose in the streets in the same helicopter Banner and Betty Ross were being transported to a detention facility. Realizing that couldn't be possible, General Ross ordered the pilot to return to the area.
Banner, realizing that he was the only one who could stop the Abomination, convinced General Ross to release him. He jumped from Ross' helicopter as it hovered over the city, hoping the fall will stimulate his adrenal glands into triggering a transformation. Banner's plan succeeded and a brutal battle between Hulk and Abomination began.
General Ross tried to help Hulk using his helicopter's weapons, but Abomination managed to catch the helicopter mid-air and make its pilot lose control. Hulk, enraged by seeing Betty Ross endangered, managed to subdue Abomination by strangling him with a huge chain, without killing him after a plea from Betty. Abomination collapsed at the feet of General Ross, while Betty approached Hulk, who was forced to flee the scene after saying her name.[27]
Mutation of Samuel Sterns[]
During the battle between Banner and Blonsky, Natasha Romanoff made her way through Grayburn College to investigate Samuel Sterns' status, finding him changed by his contact with Bruce Banner's blood.
Sterns, announcing he now became much more than what he was before, requested Romanoff's assistance in fulfilling the future of power and influence he had foreseen, by gathering his work and eluding the authorities.
Romanoff was slightly shocked when Sterns correctly guessed she was Russian, and that faint traces of her accent let him know that she was born in what was once Stalingrad, but while Sterns was promising to give her whatever she wanted or whatever was taken from her, Romanoff shot Sterns in the kneecap and called for a cleanup team.
Romanoff, on the rooftop of Grayburn College to mark the location for the cleanup team, witnessed the explosions and destruction caused by Banner and Blonsky during their fight.[26]
Liberty Island[]
A few days after the battle between Bruce Banner and Emil Blonsky, Betty Ross spent hours in Liberty Island wondering about Banner's status, and received a "Low Battery" warning from her camera, displaying one of Banner's photographs.[27]
Rent Control[]
Armand Tully acquired a series of apartments all over New York City and rented them for tenants. One of those apartments in Hell's Kitchen was rented to Elena Cardenas, who became a loved figure among her neighbours.[28]
Construction of Stark Tower[]
Pepper Potts announced in a press conference that, after all damage resulting from the Stark Expo incident had been repaired at the expense of Stark Industries, the relationship between Stark Industries and New York would make another step towards the future.
Pepper Potts announcing the construction of Stark Tower
Potts presented the plans for an structure acquired by Stark Industries, that would be transformed into the Stark Tower, the first completely clean energy-powered skyscraper in New York City, hoping it would become a model for future development in the city.
During the press conference, Tony Stark called Potts to congratulate her and told her that he was waiting for having a date with a bottle of Dom Pérignon. Potts told Stark that she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, and told him she assumed that he remembered their date was the following night. Stark replied that he obviously remembered, as he was in Malibu altering one of his armors.
A few months later, Stark helped in the construction of the tower, lifting the giant letters in the front of the building as Iron Man, when James Rhodes contacted him to learn about the Ten Rings, responsible of his his kidnapping in Afghanistan. Stark told him that his investigations after confronting them at Gulmira led to nowhere, as the Ten Rings operated in autonomous cells, and the highest-ranking operative in each cell had one contact in another cell, but not with the overall leader.[29]
Return of Captain America[]
Awakening[]
- "Good morning. Or should I say, afternoon."
"Where am I?"
"You're in a recovery room in New York City." - ―S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and Steve Rogers[src]
Steve Rogers awakening in the 21st century
Captain America awoke from his 70 years of slumber in what seemed a hospital room in New York City. Realizing that it was a ploy due to the radio airing a baseball game he attended in 1941, he escaped to the streets of modern New York City.
Confused for the environment, Rogers was surrounded in Times Square, where Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., explained that the reason for the ruse was to facilitate his transition to the 21st century after nearly 70 years of sleep. Rogers was saddened to realize that everything and everyone he knew was most probably gone.[7]
Recruitment[]
Nick Fury approached Steve Rogers while he was furiously doing boxing training, experiencing flashbacks of memories about the events prior to his freezing. Fury talked about his sleeping problems, and Rogers answered about how the world had changed in his sleep.
Fury asked Rogers about his experiences with the Tesseract, informing him about how Howard Stark was able to retrieve it, believing it could be a source of unlimited and sustainable energy for the world.
However, the Tesseract had been stolen by Loki, and Fury wanted Rogers to be part of a response team in case of need. Fury warned Rogers that if he agreed to participate, he had to be updated about many things. Rogers answered that few things could surprise him, and Fury bet that he was wrong.
While Rogers was leaving, Fury asked if there was something about the Tesseract that they needed to know immediately, and Rogers answer was that it should have been left at the bottom of the ocean.[7][30]
Lighting of Stark Tower[]
Tony Stark finished installing the last piece of an Arc Reactor in the undersea wiring near New York City thanks to his Iron Man armor, in order to disconnect the newly constructed Stark Tower from the general electricity network, becoming the first self-sustained building in New York.
Stark contacted Pepper Potts while returning to the tower to tell her that she could turn on the light. Stark witnessed how the Tower got lit, and entered inside to celebrate with Potts.
J.A.R.V.I.S. informed Stark that agent Phil Coulson was trying to contact him, but Stark dismissed the call. Potts checked the energy levels of the tower were stable, and discussed with Stark how the idea about Stark Tower came from the Arc Reactor in Stark's chest. Stark suggested Potts that she must attribute herself a 12% percent of the merit, and although he tried to justify himself, Stark realized the comment was inappropriate.
Coulson called Stark again, annulling J.A.R.V.I.S.' protocols, and although Stark tied to dismiss him again, Coulson appeared in the tower, where Potts greeted him on a first-name basis to Stark's surprise.
As Coulson explained that his visit was not based on Stark's status as a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., he thought it had to do with the Avengers Initiative, even although that project had been discarded and Stark had been deemed as unsuitable.
Coulson handed Stark a tablet containing files about the other candidates of the Avengers Initiative: Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner and Thor, about the Tesseract and about Loki. Potts realized that she must leave Stark alone to let him focus in the task handed over by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Potts asked Coulson if he could take her to LaGuardia Airport to go to Washington, D.C., and asked how things were going with Audrey Nathan, his cellist girlfriend, and Coulson informed her that she moved back to Portland.[30]
Battle of New York[]
Prelude[]
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Loki in New York
- "Do you remember that time I was so angry with my father and my brother, I went down to Earth and I held the whole of New York City hostage with an alien army? Tried to use the Mind Stone on Tony Stark. It didn't work, so I threw him off the building."
- ―Loki to Mobius M. Mobius[src]
Loki, during his quest to conquer Earth, chose Stark Tower in New York City as the place to open his portal for the Chitauri with the Tesseract, in order to publicly beat the Avengers an assert his authority over the world. Erik Selvig installed the device he created under Loki's control in the rooftop of Stark Tower, connecting to the Arc Reactor sustaining the tower.
Iron Man arrived at Stark Tower and was informed by J.A.R.V.I.S. that the Arc Reactor had been disconnected, but the Tesseract was already activated. Stark asked Selvig to turn off the device, but Selvig said it was too late for it, so Stark tried to attack the device. The barrier surrounding the Tesseract knocked both Stark and Selvig down, breaking Loki's control over Selvig.
Stark descended to the penthouse of the tower to deal personally with Loki. Stark entertained Loki while J.A.R.V.I.S. prepared the Mark VII Armor. Stark offered Loki a drink, menacing him of how he should be afraid of the Avengers, as he pissed each and every one of them.
Loki tried to control Stark, but as the Scepter touched the Arc Reactor in Stark's chest, the reaction was not the one he expected, and he couldn't control Stark. Angered by his failure, Loki threw Stark off a window, and he was saved in the nick of time by the Mark VII Armor launched by J.A.R.V.I.S., who attached to him before hitting the ground.
Iron Man went to confront Loki again, this time in the name of Phil Coulson, knocking down Loki with an attack of his repulsor gauntlets.[30]
First Waves[]
A portal to the Sanctuary was finally opened, and the first waves of the Chitauri began arriving on Earth above New York City. Iron Man managed to destroy the first Chitauri that crossed the portal, but their number soon proved to be more than Iron Man could handle alone.
The Chitauri began spreading through the area surrounding Stark Tower and attacking civilians, while Loki beheld the destruction they were causing. Thor arrived and ordered Loki to turn the Tesseract off, or he would destroy it. Loki went to attack his brother, battling on Stark Tower.[30]
Iron Man contacted James Rhodes in order to obtain his assistance during the battle, but Rhodes was in Hong Kong at the moment, telling Stark that even flying at supersonic speed as War Machine, it would took him an hour to arrive.[29]
Black Widow contacted Iron Man, having arrived in a Quinjet with Captain America and Hawkeye, and they assisted Iron Man destroying many Chitauri Chariots that were following him. Loki hit the Quinjet with a shot from his weapon, and they were forced to land near the tower.
The Avengers witnessed the arrival of the first Leviathan, a gargantuan beast used by the Chitauri as both warship and assault craft. Iron Man used J.A.R.V.I.S. to find a weakness on the Leviathan, and asked Captain America if Bruce Banner had arrived.
Civilians attacked
Thor tried to reason with Loki, asking him if he thought that madness would end under his rule. Loki seized to opportunity to stab Thor with a concealed knife. Outraged, Thor went to hit Loki, seemingly beating him into submission, but Loki managed to flee in one of the Chitauri Chariots, leaving his scepter behind, and began mercilessly attacking civilians.
Captain America went to rescue the endangered civilians, while Hawkeye and Black Widow repelled the group trying to ambush them. Captain America asked the officers of the New York City Police Department, overwhelmed by the situation, to evacuate civilians and contain the destruction within a perimeter.
He then returned to help Hawkeye and Black Widow to defeat the Chitauri on the ground, being joined by Thor after he tried to destroy the Tesseract, and by Banner, who arrived to New York in a little motorbike.
Iron Man, who unsuccessfully tried to harm the Leviathan, approached to the point where the others have reunited, with the creature following closely, asking for Banner's transformation. Banner approached the incoming Leviathan, and revealed his secret to control his transformations, he was always angry. Banner, now transformed into Hulk, stopped the creature with a single punch, allowing Iron Man to kill it with a missile shot to one of its now exposed weak points.[30]
Avengers Assemble[]
Avengers assembled
With the defeat of the first Leviathan, Loki ordered to send the rest of the Chitauri army and Leviathans through the portal. The recently assembled Avengers went on to contain the invasion, with Captain America acting as the leader of the team and establishing a strategy. Hawkeye would control patterns and strays from a roof; Iron Man would contain the hordes within the perimeter; Thor would obstruct the portal, slowing the Chitauri down with lightning; Captain America and Black Widow would fight on the ground; Hulk's only orders were to smash.
Hulk fulfilled his orders, jumping to the building and smashing every Chitauri he came across, while Thor used the Chrysler Building as a giant lightning rod to strengthen his lightnings and shoot them directly to the portal.
Hawkeye oversaw the situation from his position while killing every Chitauri he could, often telling Iron Man where he was needed most, and giving him advice having realized one of the patterns of the Chitauri when they turned while flying.
Hulk went to engage with another Leviathan, while Black Widow realized that they needed to close the portal soon. Captain America helped her to jump on a Chitauri Chariot to quickly ascend to Stark Tower. The rest of the Avengers continued to battle the Chitauri, while Hulk was able to kill the Leviathan with Thor's assistance.
Captain America went to rescue a large group of civilians trapped by a group of Chitauri, that intended to kill them with a bomb. Captain America defeated the Chitauri, and the civilians were rescued unharmed.
Loki began following Black Widow, shooting at her to prevent her from reaching the Tesseract, but Hawkeye was able to shoot him and knock him down from his vehicle, landing on Stark Tower. Hulk jumped to Stark Tower, and while Loki tried to exert his superiority as a god, Hulk savagely beat him.
Black Widow approached the Tesseract, and Erik Selvig, now free from Loki's control, revealed that the Scepter was the key to close the portal.[30]
First Defeats[]
As the battle continues the Chitauri begin to gain the upper hand. Iron Man entered the mouth of another Leviathan, provoking a series of explosion inside that managed to kill it, but he was ambushed by a series of Chitauri when he landed in front of the Shawarma Palace; Hawkeye, having run out of arrows, jumped from the building using his last arrow as grappling hook, crashing into a window of the building; Hulk was ambushed by a large group of Chitauri, who began shooting him, rendering him unable to move as he was surrounded by the explosions caused by the shots; and Captain America was shot with one of the weapons while battling a group of Chitauri alongside Thor.[30]
Nuclear Missile[]
The World Security Council decided to send a nuclear missile and make it explode in New York City to contain the Chitauri invasion, and although Nick Fury strongly objected and managed to prevent a F-22 Raptor from launching the missile, another jet was sent.
Iron Man was informed by Fury of the incoming missile, and flew to intercept it. Black Widow was about to close the portal, and while Captain America ordered her to do it, Iron Man told her to wait, as he planned to send the missile through the portal.
Iron Man knew that move would most likely end up with his death, and J.A.R.V.I.S. suggested contacting Pepper Potts, who was unable to answer the call as she was worried about him, watching the news about the Battle of New York. Using all his remaining energy, Iron Man ascended through the portal with the missile, losing power and consciousness as the missile destroyed the Chitauri Command Center.[30]
End of the Battle[]
All the Chitauri and the Leviathans were killed when their connection to the Chitauri Command Center was severed, and the Avengers waited a few moments for Iron Man to cross the portal back to Earth before closing it.
Seeing that Iron Man would not be returning, Captain America ordered Black Widow to close the portal using the Scepter. Iron Man fell through the portal in the nick of time, but Thor noted that he was not slowing down.
Hulk jumped and caught Iron Man, saving his life, and managed to wake him up roaring upon his face. Iron Man asked what had happened, and Captain America informed that they won the battle.
Stark suggested taking a vacation and trying Shawarma at a nearby establishment, but Thor noted that they had not finished yet. Together, the six Avengers went to confront Loki, who surrendered and now accepted the drink Iron Man offered him earlier.[30]
The Avengers then gathered at the Shawarma Palace, eating quietly being exhausted for the battle.[31]
James Rhodes arrived at New York, being unable to arrive earlier as he was ambushed by a Ten Rings cell in Hong Kong, and was surprised to see that the "situation" that made Stark call him for help, and that prevented backup for him in Hong Kong, was an alien invasion.
Rhodes tracked Stark's signal, and entered the Shawarma Palace, where Stark invited him to pull up a chair an eat with them.[29]
Item 47[]
Forty seven registered alien objects fell from the sky when the portal was closed, rendered useless by the destruction of the Chitauri Command Center. One of the Chitauri Guns fell into the laboratory of unemployed scientist Benjamin Pollack and his girlfriend Claire Weiss.
Pollack managed to repair the weapon and planned a series of thefts using it across the East Coast, starting just five days after the Battle of New York. The use of the alien weapon caught the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., who sent agent Jasper Sitwell to retrieve the weapons and neutralize Pollack and Weiss.[32]
Aftermath[]
The following day, interviews and parades were made in New York City and all over the world to document the reactions to the Avengers and the Battle of New York, with the public massively supporting their role in saving the world.
The Avengers reunited at Central Park to see how Thor returned to Asgard with Loki and the Tesseract, escorted by a large crew of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Erik Selvig and Bruce Banner stored the Tesseract into an Asgardian containment case while Steve Rogers finally witnessed how HYDRA's weapon went out of human hands.
Thor said goodbye to Selvig, and the rest of the Avengers saw the two Asgardians as they departed using the Tesseract, and later parted ways going to different places.
Tony Stark returned to Stark Tower with Pepper Potts, planning to transform the tower into the headquarters for the Avengers, adapting it to the needs of each and every member.[30]
Volunteer Firefighters[]
An engine team with a dozen volunteer firefighters was dispatched to New York City from Wrigley, Pennsylvania, in order to help in the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion. Adam Cross, Frank Whalen and Tony Diaz, three of these volunteers, found a Chitauri Helmet, and decided to keep it as a souvenir.[33]
Recovery of Erik Selvig[]
Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis traveled to New York City from Norway, with Foster complaining that if S.H.I.E.L.D. told her what was happening, she could have helped shut down the portal above New York.
Foster and Lewis arrived at a Veteran Affairs Medical Center, where they found Erik Selvig recovering from his experience, and Selvig warned Foster that she was in danger, as Loki was inside his head, and now Loki knew about Foster. Foster asked about Thor's whereabouts, and Selvig, confused and traumatized for the experience, pointed to the stars, with Foster realizing Thor was gone. Foster and Lewis promised to take care of Selvig.
Foster climbed to the rooftop, looking at the stars, realizing that although Thor was on Earth, he didn't even left a message for her. When Lewis tried to comfort her, Foster told that every thought in her last year was about finding Thor again, but now she felt all her work was for nothing, so she was done with waiting for him.[34]
Therapy Session[]
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner inside Avengers Tower
Tony Stark retold the story of his battle against Aldrich Killian to his friend Bruce Banner, detailing the story from the beginning in Switzerland. As Stark was wrapping the story and thanking Banner for listening, Stark realized Banner had been sleeping since almost the beginning of the tale.
Banner excused himself as he was not a therapist and lacked the necessary temperament for it. Stark ignored this comment and began telling more stories of his life, much to the dismay of Banner who went to sleep again.[35]
Gathering of Fans[]
Following the Battle of New York, Stark Tower become a gathering point for fans of superheroes, including many cosplayers. They hoped to see one of the so-called Heroes of New York.
Skye, a member of the Rising Tide, approached Stark Tower once in cosplay, although she did not easily admit the fact when questioned about it.[36]
Kidnapping of Sana Amanat[]
- "How'd you survive in such a dangerous neighborhood?"
"It's gotten a lot more so in the last three minutes." - ―Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers[src]
Steve Rogers returned to his old neighborhood of Brooklyn, accompanied by fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff, in an undercover mission assigned by Director Nick Fury regarding a piece intel obtained regarding a plan to kidnap S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist Sana Amanat.
To maintain their cover, Rogers invited Romanoff to taste the best milk shake of the city, in an establishment that has been open since he was a kid before World War II. However, the establishment was a front for a mercenary group known as the Cadre, the organization planning to kidnap Amanat in the area that same day, and the waiter recognized Rogers and Romanoff for their role in the Battle of New York.
The waiter contacted the headquarters of his group, who were monitoring the arrival of Amanat to the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The mercenaries decided to verify Rogers and Romanoff's identities using face recognition software, that confirmed the waiter's suspicions.
Rogers and Romanoff went out of the diner for a walk, coming across numerous members of the Cadre disguised as civilians, tasked with observing but not engaging the two Avengers. Rogers remembered his childhood, telling Romanoff stories as they passed through spots where he spent his days, such as his old flat, or a former news vendor, now transformed into a gluten-free organic wraps stand. Romanoff asked if the walk provoked him to remember unhappy memories, and Rogers asked that, although melancholic, he was happy to see the good use was making of his neighborhood.
As Rogers and Romanoff entered a small alley, the mercenaries of the Cadre in the street were ordered to take them out. They followed Rogers and Romanoff into the alley, but the two Avengers, now in full costume assuming their identities of Captain America and Black Widow, ambushed them and easily defeated them. Rogers tried to call Brock Rumlow for backup, but they both found that the communications in the area had been jammed.
Captain America and Black Widow in Brooklyn
Captain America and Black Widow tried to ask a group of paramedics inside an ambulance to use their radio to make contact, but were attacked by them as they were undercover members of the Cadre. Other members, such as the organic wraps vendor they saw earlier, or mercenaries inside the surrounding buildings, also attacked Rogers and Romanoff, and while they defeated the ones on the ground, they were forced to use the ambulance to flee the scene.
More mercenaries blocked their way with a garbage truck, and they entered inside one the alleys to climb to the rooftops and get above the broadcast jammer. Rogers checked his communications to realize they were still within the jammer's range, but noticed that the antenna at the local radio station had an unusual aspect.
Rogers jumped from the rooftop, crashing through a window into the headquarters of the Cadre, and he started battling the mercenaries followed by Romanoff, who joined the fight as well. As Romanoff realized they don't need the backup anymore,
Rogers interrogated the presumed leader of the Cadre, who revealed that they managed to delayed Captain America and Black Widow long enough for Amanat's motorcade to arrive and kidnap her so that she would be forced into developing weapons for the employer of the mercenaries.
Another group of Cadre mercenaries attacked Amanat with smoke bombs to facilitate the kidnapping, and although Captain America jumped to the street to fight the kidnappers, one of the mercenaries managed to apprehend Amanat and flee the scene. However, the mercenary got lost in the alleys of Brooklyn, and Captain America took advantage of his knowledge of the area to ambush him.
The mercenary threatened to kill Amanat, but Rogers advised him not to do it, as she was the only thing that was keeping him from being attacked by Rogers. Amanat stomped the mercenary, allowing Captain America to defeat him with a single attack.
Amanat went to hold a press conference where she publicly thanked Captain America and Black Widow, and praised his neighborhood of Brooklyn as a place where immigrants from all over the world felt at home for decades, and where the best milkshakes on Earth are served.[37]
Project Insight[]
All targets in New York City
In 2014, New York City was one of the intended targets of Project Insight, as Tony Stark, now living at Stark Tower was deemed a threat for HYDRA's plans. The Insight satellites marked Stark as a candidate along numerous other individuals in New York City. The city was not shot as Captain America and his allies were able to change the intended targets and stop HYDRA in time.[16]
Interviewing Glenn Talbot[]
George Stephanopoulos interviewed Brigadier General Glenn Talbot from his studios at New York City about his efforts to dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA. Talbot answered Stephanopoulos questions, saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were fugitives that deserved to be punished, as they were at least partially responsible of what Talbot described as the greatest intelligence collapse in history, so it was their duty to the American people to hunt down the responsibles.
Stephanopoulos clarified one of Talbot's earliest statements, about having S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and weaponry contained in a secure facility, and asked if that fact meant that both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the HYDRA had been defeated.
Talbot, knowing that there were still both S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and HYDRA operatives, informed Stephanopoulos and the public that S.H.I.E.L.D., as a corrupt institution, had been dismantled, and explained the situation with a metaphor, comparing the agency with a cut down tree whose roots had been pulled out, but he still wanted to throw it on a bonfire.[38]
Attack on the United Nations[]
- "Now, I was here in 2012 when the sky tore up and the Chitauri rained down on us."
- ―Glenn Talbot[src]
Brigadier-General Glenn Talbot of the United States Air Force was invited to the United Nations Headquarters in order to give a speech about the threat to global security that S.H.I.E.L.D. still posed.
Talbot described S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first public appearance, during the Chitauri invasion of New York City that he personally witnessed. He denounced the organization, saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. abused the public trust as it gathered super-powered individuals, garnered extraterrestrial weapons and technology and built facilities all over the world, acting without regular supervision.
Italian representative Adamo Dioli protested Talbot's words, asking for proof on his allegations against S.H.I.E.L.D. While Dioli was speaking, a group of mercenaries led by Marcus Scarlotti, and disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, burst into the room and Scarlotti himself threw a Splinter Bomb to Dioli, which instantly killed him disintegrated his body.
As the other delegates fled in terror, security guards tried to stop Scarlotti and his mercenaries, but he easily killed them, too. Talbot witnessed how the mercenaries attacked the security guards while staying behind and prompting the delegates to escape from the room.
Talbot went on to help a woman who had fallen to the ground, an opportunity that Scarlotti seized to taunt him saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. was done hiding, and attacking him with a Splinter Bomb. Talbot was able to escape, but he broke his arm while doing so.[39]
Senator Ward's Confession[]
Almost two days after the attack at the United Nations Headquarters, Massachusetts Senator Christian Ward came to the same spot in order to make a speech as part of the deal he struck with S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Phil Coulson.
Ward began his speech with words of respect to the men and women who died in the attack, intending to reveal the truth behind the attack. Senator Ward acknowledged the difference between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, explaining their existence as two separate organizations, the first dedicated to law enforcement, and the other towards world domination, despite the public had been lead to believe they were one and the same.
Senator Ward went on to reveal that his brother, Grant Ward, was a traitor and operative of HYDRA, and promised to personally bring his own brother to justice and make sure he would be punished for his crimes. Ward ended his speech warning the world about the threat that HYDRA still posed.[39]
Internship at Landman and Zack[]
Defending Roxxon Energy Corporation[]
A team of lawyers headed by Parish Landman was hired to represent the Roxxon Corporation. The team, that included interns Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, filed a countersuit against a man that had previously accused the company of serious damages to his health.
In a meeting with that man and his lawyer, Landman announced that Roxxon denied any culpability in the diagnosis, and that they were going to pursue damages in order to defend Roxxon's patents as the man shared details of his work in a plant in Londonderry regarding the extraction and refinement process.
The man was surprised to hear that, and tried to explain that the only person he told anything was his doctor so he could guess what has happening to him. Murdock, who was able to hear the man's heartbeat from across the room, realized the man was telling the truth.
The man and his lawyer, realizing they could do nothing against such a big law firm, asked for a minute to discuss how to proceed.[23]
Quitting the Firm[]
Foggy Nelson returned to the room where he worked with Matt Murdock as an intern at Landman and Zack, to tell him that, according to one of their colleagues, the firm was going to offer them an actual job as they were finishing their internship.
Nelson was excited about the new job, as they would not intern in a broom closet anymore and they would have their own office as they dreamed in college. However, Murdock had a stern look on his face that Nelson recognized. Murdock revealed he had been reading his favourite fragment of Thurgood Marshall's acceptance speech for the Liberty Bell Award. Nelson already knew what meant, and Murdock began to read it again despite having done it in front of Nelson many times before.
Murdock asked if what happened with the man that was accused of damages by the Roxxon Corporation was right since the company caused him a terminal illness. Nelson greed that it was not right. However,according to the law, Roxxon was right in defending itself if the man had disclosed trade secrets. Murdock knew the man did not reveal anything to anyone else than his doctor, but he could not prove it, so Murdock simply stated he had a feeling. Nelson reminded him that "feelings" were not admissible in a court.
Murdock simply asked Nelson if he wanted to be a part of the system that protected corporations from people that needed help, and Nelson proposed to enter into Landman and Zack and become partners. Murdock already guessed that plan, and it would mean changing the system from inside in 10 or 15 years while driving to work in Bentleys.
Nelson tried to convince him, saying that other interns would kill for the opportunity they had. Murdock guessed those were the kind of people they should not be working with. Giving up, Nelson emptied a box, explaining that he was going to steal as many bagels as he could, as with Murdock as a partner, he did not know when he would be able to afford a real meal.
Murdock laughed, and promised they would get by. Jokingly, Nelson prompted Murdock to go and save the world, calling him Mother Teresa, and the two friends bumped their fists.[23]
Vigilantism[]
Matt Murdock began to hear a little girl crying because her father abused her each night while his wife was asleep. Murdock tried to prevent that from happening and called Child Services. The investigation could not prove anything, as the mother did not believe that her husband was capable of that, and the girl did not have any mark, so the man was not accused of anything.
Murdock, knowing that the situation would continue, followed the man until learning his routine and waited until he was alone and drunk near the train tracks. Wearing a black bandage around his eyes, Murdock attacked the man, and easily knocked him down. Murdock angrily beat the man, warning him that he would know if he touched his daughter again.
The man spent the following month in a hospital, having to eat through a straw due to his injuries, and Murdock, knowing he helped the little girl, slept better than ever.[23]
Beginning of Nelson and Murdock[]
Drawing the Future[]
Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock met at Josie's Bar to discuss what to do with their careers. They recently quit Landman and Zack to create their own law firm. Nelson noticed that Murdock had some bruises on his face. He tried to ask about them. Murdock simply said that he was fine, but Josie, the owner, pointed out that he did not look fine.
Nelson said that even Josie was worried about him, though she claimed that she did not go that far. Nelson told him that he should be more careful, because he believed Murdock's lie that he fell to the floor while taking out the trash.
Nelson then finished a drawing on a napkin, and asked Murdock to check it with his fingers. Murdock only noticed a napkin, and as he claimed it was the future, he had to clarify that it was the drawing of a sign for their law firm "Nelson and Murdock, Attorneys at Law".
Murdock asked Nelson if he was sure about it, and though he claimed he was not, he trusted Murdock. Murdock said that Nelson sounded as if they were getting married, but Nelson believed that business partnership was more important than a simple civil union. He said they would be sharing everything with each other: thoughts, dreams, bills and debt.
Murdock said that there was no one else he would rather do that with than Nelson, a feeling they both shared. Nelson asked Murdock to raise his glass, as he was going to clink it for Nelson and Murdock, Attorneys at Law.[23]
Armand Tully's Illegal Eviction[]
Eviction[]
Over time, Armand Tully wanted to evict all tenants from his apartments, including Elena Cardenas, and offered each tenant $10,000 to leave. Cardenas and other neighbours refused the offer, wanting to stay in their homes.[28]
Fake Repairmen[]
Elena Cardenas requested a series of repairs at her apartment and called her landlord, Armand Tully, to send a couple of repairmen to perform the repairs. Tully seized the opportunity to force Cardenas and other tenants from their homes, as he wanted to transform low rent-controlled apartments into condominiums.
Joseph Pike and Stewart Schmidt arrived posing as repairmen, having been hired through Westmeyer-Holt Contracting, and began to destroy the apartments with sledgehammers, damaging the whole building, and leaving the tenants without water or electricity for days.
Cardenas tried to denounce Tully to the New York City Police Department, but they could not do anything, so she was advised by Bess Mahoney to contact a pair of lawyers she knew, Nelson and Murdock.[28]
The Man in a Black Mask[]
Claire Temple's Emergency Shift[]
Claire Temple began to work as a nurse at Metro-General Hospital, being considered one of the best nurses at the emergency shift.
Temple began to hear stories about a man in a black mask that was attacking criminals and defending innocent people, having to treat three robbers brought by police officers after the man in the mask attacked them to prevent them from robbing tourists. In the next few days, Temple also treated a young waitress that had been attacked by a man who tried to force her into an alley until the man in the mask rescued her, saving her life.
Temple began to consider that man in the black mask a good man, not knowing she would meet him in person a few weeks later.
She also began to cat-sit for a co-worker who had left for Oklahoma to visit a sick brother, having the keys for Apartment 412 and going there twice a day to feed the cat.[20]
Spiked Drinks[]
Karen Page, having discovered a file detailing financial misconduct at her place of employment, Union Allied Construction, tried to gain help from Daniel Fisher, a co-worker from the legal department who had always been nice to her.
Page and Fisher met at the Three Roads Bar on 49th Street, where they had a few drinks, but she started to feel like she had been drugged as she tried to reveal what she knew to Fisher She did not remember what happened afterwards until she regained consciousness in the morning.[21]
Penance and Forgiveness[]
Matt Murdock went to Clinton Church in order to confess his sins with Father Paul Lantom. Murdock started his confession apologizing for waiting too long since his last confession, and explained that his father, Jack Murdock, used to come there when Matt was only a kid.
Murdock explained his father was an old school boxer that lost more matches than he won, but he was strong and could take the hits of his opponents, to the point his opponents said hitting him was like hitting oak and sometimes his strategies were only to let them hit until they broke their hands. Murdock admired his father for the way he was never knocked out, as every time he was knocked down, he always got back up, and was always on his feet when he lost.
Murdock continued explaining that his grandmother was the real Catholic in his family, and she had a saying of her own: "Be careful of the Murdock boys. They got the devil in 'em." Sometimes, Murdock's father displayed that in the ring, with a way of moving and looking that made his opponents afraid, and he seized the opportunity to trap them in the corner, letting the devil out. Murdock explained how he recently began to understand what his father felt, something he did not understand when he was a kid.
Lantom did not understand what Murdock was trying to say, and asked him to tell what he had done. Murdock put his glasses on, and answered he was not seeking penance for something he had done before, he was asking forgiveness for what he was about to do. Lantom told him that a confession did not work that way, and asked Murdock what was he going to do before he left the cathedral.[21]
Rescue of Kidnapped Women[]
Turk Barrett and a group of Russian thugs brought a group of kidnapped women to the docks in order to take them out of New York City. The terrified girls screamed for help, and Barrett told them to shut up. He explained that given he was going to receive $1,000 for each woman, he would let them have a bucket inside the container where they would be transported if they were quiet, threatening them with a cattle prod in case they did not.
The girls continued to scream in panic, asking the men not to do it, and Barrett taunted them to continue screaming, as nobody would hear them at the docks. However, the woman witnessed a man in a black mask above one of the containers. As Barrett turned around to see what had caught the women's attention, the man jumped down and attacked Barrett, knocking him down.
The man in the mask easily defeated Barrett and the rest of the thugs, even breaking one of the thugs' leg. The man in the mask heard Barrett reach for his gun, and easily dodged his gunshots, climbing into one of the containers and grabbing the cattle prod that Barrett previously had.
Barrett got up to kill the man, being misled by his quick footsteps, and the man ambushed him, using the cattle prod as a throwing weapon to knock Barrett down again. The man took the weapon to throw it at another thug that had been sitting on a chair the whole time, making him fall to the water. He then addressed to the kidnapped woman in order to let them know they were free, telling them to head towards 48th Street staying in the lights and explaining everything to the first officer they came across.
Barrett tried to kill the man again while he was talking to the women, but he was able to dodge the gunshot and disarmed Barrett, hitting him on the face until he lost consciousness, breaking Barrett's nose in the process.[21]
Morning Phone Call[]
Foggy Nelson called his friend and partner Matt Murdock, in order to remind him that they had an appointment with a real estate agent in 45 minutes. Murdock was still in bed at his apartment, tired of the fight he had against Turk Barrett and a group of thugs the night before, and Nelson mistook his groans for a women moaning in the bed.
Nelson inquired if there was somebody with him in, and asked if she was a paralegal they previously met. Nelson stopped before letting him answer, saying that he did not want to hear about it, but he immediately told him that he actually wanted to hear everything. Nelson asked what was she like, to which Murdock, in order to hide the truth, only answered that it was violent.
Nelson was amazed about the ease that his friend had to date women, and wondered that he maybe had to pretend to be blind in order to date the same women that Murdock managed to get. Nelson then jokingly lied to him saying that Susan Harris, the real estate agent they were about to meet, was not his type, as she was very homely, so there was no need to be charming to her.
Nelson lied further saying that Harris even told him that blind people were one of God's mistakes. Murdock, knowing that Nelson was lying to him, said that it was a horrible thing to say, and Nelson ended the conversation saying he had to go and bribe a cop. Nelson quickly assured it was a joke in case the NSA was listening to their conversation, but then he reassured he was going to bribe a cop.
Nelson then headed to meet Brett Mahoney, a police officer he knew since they were both 4 years old, in order to give him cigars for his mother Bess. Mahoney told him that given he was an officer of the law and Nelson was a defense attorney, they were supposed to be enemies, but Nelson told him that given they had been enemies since their childhood, it was not their respective career choices' fault.
Nelson simply asked Mahoney to inform him about anything interesting he may hear at his police station, as it was nothing immoral, and given than Nelson acknowledged how was not a particularly good defense attorney, for Mahoney, helping Nelson would be like helping himself.
Mahoney asked Nelson to stop giving cigars to his mother, and then acknowledged that Nelson was right, their current relationship had nothing to with their careers. Nelson cheerfully thanked him as Mahoney left.[21]
Acquiring a Law Office[]
Foggy Nelson met with Susan Harris in order to visit an office that Midtown Property Solutions was renting in an area of New York City that was affected by the Battle of New York. Nelson and his partner Matt Murdock wanted to establish the place as the law office of the firm that they were creating together, simply called Nelson and Murdock.
Harris explained how the office had a reception area, a conference room and two offices, with one of them having a view of the Hudson River, and that Nelson and Murdock maybe should decide which one would get that office with a coin toss. Murdock arrived at that very moment, telling her that Nelson could have the view. Harris realized that Murdock was blind, and she quickly apologized.
Harris introduced herself and went on to shake hands with Murdock, but he did not realized the gesture and simply introduced himself in return. Harris, feeling awkward by the situation, simply curtsied, and Nelson explained to Murdock what she had just done.
Murdock asked Harris to walk him around the space in order to examinate the office, and she continued to explain the features of the office. Harris told them that it had been barely touched by the Incident, making it available on the market, though some of the neighbors were not so lucky.
Murdock wondered the reason to call what happened in 2012 as "The incident", and Harris explained that it sounded better than saying that death and destruction were raining from the sky and nearly wiped Hell's Kitchen off the map. Murdock agreed, saying that it was shorter
Nelson asked if the owner enjoyed the view of cranes and scaffolding, as he felt that the price of the office was the one that they would have asked before the whole incident, but Harris assured that the current price was a quarter of what it used to be, as Hell's Kitchen was on the rebound, and in 18 months that would be the price asked to rent broom closets.
Murdock quickly assured Harris that they would rent the office, though Nelson, still not sure, said that they would discuss it, as he was not sure they could afford it due to their current clientele policy. Murdock explained how they had a disagreement over the direction of their law firm, as he believed they had to defend the innocent, and Nelson believed that, as the law stated, the word "innocent" includes everyone not yet convicted of a crime.
Nelson kept defending his opinion, given that in order to work as defense attorneys, they need actual clients to pay their bills, instead of waiting for an large amount of innocent people to come to their arms. Murdock said that at that point, he would only need one.[21]
Union Allied Corruption Scandal[]
Arrest of Karen Page[]
Karen Page woke up in the floor in her apartment, being horrified that her colleague Daniel Fisher was dead besides her, and the knife used to kill him was in her hands.
Two officers of the New York City Police Department entered the apartment and ordered Page to drop the knife. Page was scared and claimed she was not responsible for Fisher's death, but the two officers ordered her to get on the ground and arrested her, taking her to the 15th Precinct Police Station.
Right after Page was taken to the Police Station, Officer Brett Mahoney called Foggy Nelson in order to hand him his first case for his newly established law firm, Nelson and Murdock. Mahoney quickly explained that Page had been found at the scene of an homicide, something that would be interesting, just as Nelson asked him.
Nelson asked Mahoney if the woman had been charged, but the assistant District Attorney had not made the call yet. Mahoney then informed Nelson of the name of the suspect.
Nelson and his partner Matt Murdock quickly arrived to the Police Station, where Detectives Ch