While the Space Phantom and Grim Reaper gloat over the captive Avengers, Captain America is drawn to a former Hydra base, triggering a suppressed memory of capturing and unmasking the Supreme Hydra, though Cap does not recall whose face he saw. Suspecting that his mind has been tampered with, Cap decides to retrace his steps further. Meanwhile Grim Reaper confronts the Vision and repeats his earlier offer to place the Vision’s mind into Wonder Man’s comatose form. Vision again declines, forcing the Grim Reaper to reveal his and the Space Phantom’s true plan, to give Vision Captain America’s body. This time the Vision accepts.
In a Hydra base Captain America and Rick Jones/Bucky battle agents, and eventually capture the Supreme Hydra. They unmask him, and react with shock (1). The original Avengers battle the Space Phantom (Av #2, ’63). Loki banishes Jane Foster to Limbo (JIM #108, ’64), inadvertently freeing the Space Phantom. Space Phantom strikes a deal with the Grim Reaper to find Vision a human body. He later replaces Madame Hydra and leads Hydra’s forces against Captain America and Bucky. Satisfied Cap’s body is the one he needs, he lets Captain America capture him, but once unmasked he paralyzes Cap and Bucky. Needing Cap’s mind to be at peace before the Vision’s mind can be transferred into it, and sensing Cap’s mind is troubled by the world knowing his secret identity, the Phantom uses his technology to wipe everyone’s memory that Cap is Steve Rogers. He then wipes Cap and Bucky’s memories of their encounter, promising to come for Cap when he is ready (2).
The events of Cap’s flashback are shown again in a summarized form as part of the Grim Reaper’s recounting of the Space Phantom’s recent activities, placing fb 1 within fb2. Letters page includes a LOC from future comics pro Wendy Pini.
