Fallen Son, The Death of Captain America # 3 - Bargaining

Overview

How has the fall-out of Civil War affected Captain America? One side won and the other side lost – but the aftermath may have hit some heroes harder than others. Now it’s time to navigate this turbulent new landscape with the shield-slinging Super Soldier – and your guides are none other than Jeph Loeb and John Romita Jr.

Late at night, outside the abandoned Avengers Mansion, Hawkeye sends up a flare arrow to get Iron Man's attention. He gets what he was after. Iron Man catches his arrow out of the air and tells him that whoever he is, he's trespassing. Tony doesn't think it's really Clint, but the man has proof. He gives him his access codes, secret passwords, a username, and lets Iron Man scan him. When the armor's scan says that it's really Clint, Iron Man gets closer and knocks him out.

Clint is taken to a helicarrier where a battery of tests are run on his body. One of Tony's aides says that his DNA is a perfect match for Clint. He could be a clone, but it's more likely that it's him (even though that would be impossible). The scientist asks Tony what Clint might want, but Stark replies that it's not what he wants, it's what the country needs.

When Clint wakes up, he's behind bars on the helicarrier. He asks Tony why he had to hit him, then asks about Steve and what's being done about his murder. Tony responds by taking him to another room and showing him Captain America's shield. He says that two duplicates were made, one for Steve's burial and one for a museum, but this is the original. Then he offers to let Clint throw it.

On the deck of the helicarrier, Clint experiments with the shield and throws. It flies in a perfect circle and he catches it effortlessly and without incident. Tony tells him that he'd had 77 highly trained SHIELD officers try and 73 had gotten injured and 4 had hit him. Then he offers Clint the chance to become Captain America. Clint is shocked and more than a little angry. He feels that Steve Rogers can't be replaced and when Iron Man says he's talking about Captain America and not Steve, Clint says that they're one and the same. Iron Man tells Clint that he's been searching for his identity for years, and maybe the reason he came back to life was to be Captain America. Clint doesn't respond.

At a gas station not too far away, the Young Avengers' Patriot and Hawkeye handle a criminal named Firebrand. Hawkeye's first few shots fail to do anything, but then she uses a trick arrow. The arrow flies around and when it hits Firebrand in the back, it explodes like a fire extinguisher, putting him out. Patriot breaks a fire hydrant and lets the water cover the criminal to make sure he doesn't light up. After the fight is over, Iron Man, who had been on a nearby roof with Clint, flies down to arrest the two Young Avengers. Hawkeye shoots an arrow at Iron Man but he catches it. He soon realizes it was another trick arrow though when it sets off an EMP that shuts down his armor.

The kids make a break for it and Hawkeye reveals that she got the arrow from T'Challa, the Black Panther. Before they can jump into a sewer, Clint appears before them, dressed as Captain America and holding his shield. Patriot yells at him for wearing the suit since he knows it's not the real Cap. Clint looks at Kate Bishop and says that it's no worse than calling yourself Hawkeye. Kate says that she did it out of respect, and because Captain America had suggested it in the first place. Patriot chimes in and says they were showing that they're inspired by heroes, not pretending to be them. Hawkeye says that what Clint is doing is different because he's actually wearing Cap's old costume and shield.

Iron Man arrives and congratulates "Captain America" on catching the kids, but Clint says they're letting them go and he tells them to run. After Patriot and Hawkeye are gone, Clint tells Tony that his charm and fancy words had almost worked. Tony say that the world needs Captain America, but Clint says that it's really Tony that needs him. He needs a Captain America so he can ease his own guilt and handle the loss. Clint gives back the shield and walks away. Iron Man says that if he joins with Luke Cage and the others, he'll be forced to come after him too.