W.US WAR MACHINE 2.0 #2
(Sept. 2003) Script: Chuck Austen. Art: Christian Moore.
The USWM team is returning from their [botched] mission of retrieving those missing nukes. Also arriving on the SHIELD Helicarrier is “Star One” – aka Captain America!! In this universe, however, Cap is none other than Bucky Barnes…who apparently was rescued by Steve Rogers on that fateful plane, while Rogers was the one who perished. Cap (and his team, which includes, it seems, Sam Wilson – Falcon – and Clint Barton – Hawkeye), like the USWM team, was also after some missing nukes, and they failed too! Wow! Eventually, intel gets something on the nukes Rhodes and co. let get away, and Fury orders Cap and the USWM squad to join forces in a retrieval attempt. But – as both groups get ready to depart, Cap notices some incoming figures approaching the Helicarrier – figures that can’t be seen on radar! Lo and behold it’s Iron Man – along with three other armored figures (Happy Hogan, Bethany Cabe and Eddie [March?]). The last splash page is the ultimate preface: IM simply says, “Hello gentlemen. I’ve come for my things.” Yowzah! One fairly big-sized complaint about this ish, though: Cap’s head-gear is simply horrendous!! Yuck!
Hube’s Recommendation: 3½ USWM patches!
