Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1's an attack on the Fourth of July.

[thanekos]

It's the opening move in the Century Game started in this April's Captain America #0.

Steve Rogers, sitting in his apartment (which he'd moved into earlier in this issue, to live a life outside " holographic bunkers and security clearances "), picked up on it while chatting with friends.

' They call us the Greatest Generation.. ' he thought to himself.





They focused on the message.



Steve put the cipher and the code together.



So, on the Fourth of July, Steve and Bucky were watching over the celebrations in New York.

Bucky picked up someone on the East River, in a boat with " a strange energy signature - antimatter explosive. "



(It's not a one-to-one with the original Destroyer outfit, but it is a clear derivative.)



The Destroyer hit Steve with a blast that even Captain America's " vibranium-steel alloy " shield could only barely keep back.

Then he turned his action to Bucky, bounding up to meet him.

Steve followed, in a series of small leaps instead of a single big one.



Steve blocked the bullet: " There's been enough destruction today.

" It's time for answers. "

He shattered the Destroyer's mask and disarmed him.

There was a strange crystal in the Destroyer's gear, something that glowed with power and puzzled Steve and Bucky.



The Destroyer went on.



Steve was left with the conviction in the Destroyer's words.



Bucky, back at his own residence, also processed the situation - and updated his own understanding of it, beyond Steve's just-widened one.



Above the situation, one of the players of the Century Game addressed the others.



(" .. you never learned to play checkers. " might be a nod to " Think of [me] as a chess-not-checkers kind of guy. " from Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1.

Pagecount here's just under 10 of 30 from June 2022's Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1.

Writing's Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly.

Art's Carmen Carnero, letters're Joe Caramagna, and colors're Nolan Woodard.

Publisher's Marvel.)

Comments

[starwolf_oakley]

I doubt this is the first time Steve has fought someone who keeps saying “You really don’t know, do you?” And “This is just the beginning!”

[donnblake]

...

So nobody told him about pawn promotion, then?

[onsokumaru]

A character playing the "Century Game"?
Apparently wearing a yellow suit under his coat? With blue boots and blue gants?
And it's maybe just the lightning, but his face is blue-ish too.
Grandmaster, is that you?

[mastermahan]

I'm calling it now. This is all setting up the dramatic return of Turner D. Century.

[blues32]

God, I hope so. People just don't put the effort into a mustache like that anymore.

[john_drake1964]

Mayhaps this time instead of a flying tandem bike, he may steal a runabout, and no one will ever no?

[blues32]

He'll have his revenge on those confounded Dover Boys!

[windleopard2]

So is Bucky a villain now? I'm a bit confused by what the page is supposed to be implying.

[donnblake]

At the very least he seems to know something about the Century Game and be withholding that information from Steve. Could just be habits from decades of traumatic covert work.

[nyadnar17]

Honestly love the idea that one of these behind the scene player types was tired of a stalemate so they put a fucking Superhero on the board on purpose.

[john_drake1964]

You know, the usage of chess and checkers comparisons probably wouldn't work as well if you used other games when you come down to it.

"You wanted a route from Seattle to New York, but I connected Calgary-Seattle already!"

"You bet $10,000 dollars on that "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, but it was a forgery all along!"

"You believed it was Prof. Plum in the Study with the Candlestick, but you I hold the candlestick card!"

[donnblake]

RISK has the possibility of being extra confusing. "While you squabbled over Asia, I've been biding my time, building up forces in Australia."

"Wait, I thought you were based out of a particularly evil part of New Jersey?"

"Right. But within the idiom of the metaphor..."