Appearing in "Chapter 1: The Sign of the Skull!"
Featured Characters:
- ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵ (Main story and recap)
Supporting Characters:
- ⏴ Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom) ⏵ (Main story and recap)
Antagonists:
- Latverian Embassy robot-guards
- Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) (Behind the scenes)
Other Characters:
- Edwin Jarvis (Earth-616) (Mentioned)
- Namor the Sub-Mariner (Only in recap)
- Whizzer (Bob Frank) (Only in recap)
- Avengers (Only in recap)
- Wonder Man (Simon Williams) (Only in recap)
- Beast (Hank McCoy) (Only in recap)
- Vision (Only in recap)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Only in recap)
- Yellowjacket (Hank Pym) (Only in recap)
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Only in recap)
- Scarlet Witch (Only in recap)
- Attuma (Only in recap)
- Tyrak (Only in recap)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and recap)
- Mutants (Only in recap)
- Atlantean-Human Hybrids (Main story and recap)
- Synthezoids (Only in recap)
- Atlanteans (Only in recap)
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and recap)
- United States (Main story and recap)
- Atlantic Ocean (Main story and recap)
Items:
- Captain America's Shield (Main story and recap)
- Iron Man Armor Model 4 (Only in recap)
- Bio-Synthetic Wings (Only in recap)
- Doctor Doom's Armor (Main story and recap)
- Red Skull's Fourth Reich scepter
Vehicles:
- Underwater drilling vehicles
Synopsis for "Chapter 1: The Sign of the Skull!"
Story continued from Avengers #156...
Having spied a strange ship watching Dr. Doom and the Avengers battle against Attuma, Captain America had grown suspicious and followed it, however its pilot then killed himself. Returning to New York City, Captain America breaks into the Latverian Embassy and fights through a swarm of robotic guards before making his way to Dr. Doom. Before Doom can attack him, Captain America shows an item that he pulled out of the spying vehicle: a scepter emblazoned with the Red Skull's crest. Doom is furious that the Red Skull would once more take advantage of his absence from Latveria.
Appearing in "Chapter 2: While Atlantis Sleeps!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and recap)
- Atlantic Ocean (Main story and recap)
- Atlantis (Main story and recap)
- Latveria
- Doomstadt
- Castle Doom
- Dr. Doom's Control Room
- Castle Doom
- Doomstadt
- Atlantic Ocean (Main story and recap)
Items:
Synopsis for "Chapter 2: While Atlantis Sleeps!"
In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the Sub-Mariner (who still believes that Dr. Doom is dead) returns to his kingdom of Atlantis and laments that his fellow countrymen are still caught in a state of suspended animation. He is disturbed by a sea-quake and goes to investigate, only to discover an underwater drilling operation being conducted by surface dwellers. Attacking them head on, he learns that they were hired by a mysterious man calling himself the "Orbiter" who is based in Latveria...
Meanwhile, in that country, Prince Rudolfo, poses as Dr. Doom and with the aid of the Shroud and a band of guerrilla soldiers, plans to take Castle Doom and establish himself as the rightful ruler of the country. When Rudolfo's cover is blown, the two men have to fight their way into Doom's control room. When they arrive, they're ambushed and Rudolfo is struck down by an energy blaster.
Dr. Doom and Captain America race through Latverian airspace to reach Castle Doom. However, despite their best efforts, they are blasted out of the sky. Back at the castle, the Shroud and Rudolfo's assailant reveals himself to be the Red Skull and that the Shroud and Rudolfo were mistaken in their belief that the real Dr. Doom is dead. Yet, despite Doom's resistance, the Skull intends to use Latveria as the launching pad for the latest iteration of his Fourth Reich.
Notes
- Cover art: modifications on Dr. Doom and Captain America's faces by Romita.
- Letters (issue pages): Saladino (uncredited) page 1, Mantlo (uncredited) pages 2, 7-31, Watanabe (uncredited) pages 3-6. Letters are miscredited to Denise Wohl.
- This story continues in part from Avengers #156
- Chapter Two of this issue is entitled "While Atlantis Sleeps".
- This issue contains a letters page, "Bad Tidings". Letters are published from Warren Williams, Jerry Wren, "Doctor Victor Von Doom", and Michael Biegel.