Man and Wolf

This issue features two stories.

"The Prowling" - In the woods of Massachusetts, a man is stalked and killed by a werewolf. His body is found the next morning by Wolverine.

At Avengers Headquarters, Captain America works out with the still minimally responsive D-Man. He then talks with Black Widow, asking her to take over as Avengers chairman while he deals with D-Man and the disappearances of his ally Diamondback, and his pilot, John Jameson. Doing detective work, Cap learns of the Moongem that once transformed Jameson into the Man-Wolf, and traces its remnants to the lab of Dr. Curt Connors. There, he talks to Connors' colleague, who discovers the crumbled gem is missing.

Elsewhere, an armored man named Moonhunter is working on taming a group of werewolves in an oubliette when he is summoned by someone he calls "Dredmund".

After a visit to John's father, J. Jonah Jameson, that yields no clues, Captain America takes his sky-cycle to the Boston home of former Avenger Dr. Druid to seek his assistance. Using his affinity for the supernatural, Druid leads Cap to the spot in the woods where the werewolf victim was found. Without warning, a werewolf lunges at them and injures Dr. Druid. Cap, wondering if he might be dealing with a newly lycanthropic John Jameson, holds his own against the beast until it is garroted and snared by Moonhunter from his hover-cycle.

"The Pit and the Pitiful" - Crossbones holds Rachel Leighton (Diamondback) captive in an oubliette in upstate New York in an effort to bend her to her will. Her mind is in a fragile state since a near drowning, and memories of her relationship with Captain America begin to fade.

Elsewhere, Cutthroat sees marks of abuse (delivered by the Red Skull) on Mother Night's face, and expresses his concern with a kiss.

This issue features two stories.

"City of Wolves" - In the woods of Massachusetts, Moonhunter hauls a werewolf up to his hover-cycle, while below Captain America watches and Dr. Druid tries to recover from the wounds inflicted by the she-wolf. After checking on Druid, who is mystically healing himself, Cap hops onto his Skycycle and pursues Moonhunter. The armored intruder outmaneuvers Captain America and disables the Skycycle as Cap leaps onto his quarry's hovercraft. Moonhunter fires two rounds from his pistol at Cap and the Avenger falls to the trees below. Watched by Wolverine, Moonhunter lands in the town of Starkesboro, hauling the captive werewolf into one of the buildings.

Captain America, recovered from his fall, removes the slugs lodged in the chain-mail of his suit, and goes to collect Dr. Druid to begin the trek to follow Moonhunter.

At Avengers Headquarters, Dr. Kincaid examines the minimally responsive D- Man, as Jarvis looks on.

In the town, Nightshade reports to her master Dredmund about the werewolf Moonhunter captured not being 'one of theirs', but one named Ferocia she had previously encountered. Dredmund surmises that other lupine beings are being drawn to Starkesboro by the Moongem. Their discussion is interrupted by an alarm signaling an intruder. Outside, Wolverine battles a pack of werewolves, until Moonhunter arrives and, with four shotgun blasts, renders the mutant unconscious.

Captain America and Dr. Druid finally arrive at Starkesboro only to find themselves immediately surrounded by lycanthropes.

"Taken to Task" - Rachel Leighton (Diamondback) dreams of her training as a super-criminal under the guidance of Taskmaster. There was a workout overseen by Blanche Sltznski, followed by combat training by Brock Rumlow, whom Rachel recognized as the killer of her brother. Rumlow, now known as Crossbones, holds her prisoner in an oubliette in upstate New York. She wakes up to his arrival, ready to continue her training.

this issue features two stories.

"Children of the Night' - In the town of Starkesboro, Massachusetts, Captain America and Dr. Druid attempt to fend off the werewolves that surround them. Using his mystic abilities, Druid levitates himself, then Cap out of the fray, also rendering the two of them undetectable by sight or scent. In her lab, Nightshade demonstrates to the town's master, Dredmund, that their captive, Wolverine, has an ability to heal that prevents her werewolf serum from transforming him as it did the townspeople. Instead, Dredmund puts Wolverine under his hypnotic control. Outside, Moonhunter searches in vain for the two Avengers.

Later in New York, Bernie Rosenthal enters Avengers HQ to visit Captain America, but upon learning he's not there, she agrees to accompany Jarvis and Dennis Dunphy on a walk to Central Park.

Back in Starkesboro, Moonhunter reports to Dredmund that the mystically cloaked Captain America and an unknown companion are somewhere in the town, Dredmund relieves Moonhunter of duty and plots a trap.

The still-undetectable Cap and Dr. Druid proceed amidst the now human townspeople who search for them, and enter the town hall. Out of the shadows, the mesmerized Wolverine lunges at Cap, and their fight carries them out into the street. Shortly, Wolverine has Captain America pinned, allowing Moonhunter the knock the Avenger out with a tranquilizer dart. Soon, Cap is strapped to a table in Nightshade's lab, where she injects him with the werewolf formula.

"Real World" - After a month of submersive training and brainwashing, Crossbones feels Rachel Leighton is ready to accompany him to meet with the Red Skull. He provides her a new Diamondback costume, and they head for Avengers HQ, where he charges her with a mission to steal Captain America's spare blood plasma. Cleared through security, thanks to her relationship with Cap, she proceeds to the Avengers' med-lab.

This issue features two stories.

"Dances with Werewolves" - Having been injected with the werewolf mutagenic formula by Nightshade, Captain America transforms into a werewolf. Maintaining a rudimentary part of Steve Rogers' mind, he avoids the hypnotic gaze of Dredmund, the master of the mutated lycanthropes of Starkesboro, Massachusetts. "Capwolf" escapes into the woods, and Dredmund orders the citizens to track him down.

In New York, as Bernie Rosenthal walks with the semi-catatonic Dennis Dunphy, a purse snatcher grabs her handbag, and she gives chase. She fails to get her purse back, and when she returns to where hse left Dennis, he's gone.

In Starkesboro, Dr. Druid confronts Dredmond and they engage in a mystic duel. In the woods nearby, Cap is frustrated by his inability to communicate with the other werewolves. Abruptly, the mesmerized Wolverine leaps at "Capwolf". Barely avoiding the claws of his foe, Cap slashes Wolverine's face, then hurls him at the approaching lycanthropes. He manages to evade his pursuers, but then Moonhunter throws a silver cable around Cap's neck. "Capwolf" runs, dragging Moonhunter off his hovercycle and on the ground behind him.

The duel between Dr. Druid and Dredmund, finally ends when the latter distracts the Avenger and renders him unconscious.

Having returned to the town, "Capwolf" reaches and confronts Nightshade, who tries to control him with her pheromones.

"Cross Country" - Avengers Security Chief O'Brien catches Diamondback taking packets of Captain America's blood plasma and confronts her. She lies, saying she needs them to set a trap for Crossbones. Believing her, he lets her sign out for the packets. She rejoins Crossbones, and they take their stolen car across the country, stopping in the Rocky Mountains. They climb a mountainside toward the Red Skull's hidden headquarters, but near the top, they are confronted by Cutthroat, Blackwing and Jack O'Lantern.

This issue features two stories.

"Leader of the Pack" - Nightshade leads the wolfen Captain America into the oubliette where the untamed werewolves are penned. There, he encounters a white-furred lycanthrope, apparently the pack leader. The leader challenges "Capwolf", who subdues him. Then Cap is approached by Wolfsbane who has also been drawn to Starkesboro, Massachusetts, by the Moongem Dredmund Druid had stolen. Wolfsbane helps Cap learn to speak in his wolf-form.

Elsewhere: Cable prepares to search for the missing X-Forcer Feral; Dredmund has Dr. Druid chained at his altar and charges Moonhunter and Nightshade with preventing any interruptions, but Nightshade has plans of her own; Bernie Rosenthal has no luck finding the missing Dennis Dunphy.

Organizing the captive werewolves, "Capwolf" leads an escape from their cell. At the lab, they run into Moonhunter and Nightshade, quickly overwhelming the pair. They also find and free the Werewolf (Jack Russell) who has been kept strapped and sedated in the lab, providing the blood from which Nightshade synthesized the werewolf serum. They strap Nightshade down in his place and proceed to the church Dredmund has made his Druid temple. But they arrive too late to prevent the villain from cutting Dr. Druid's throat. Dredmund bathes the Moongem in Druid's blood, then places it to his throat commencing a transformation.

"Fight on Skull Mountain" - Trying to reach the Red Skull's mountaintop headquarters in the Rockies, Crossbones and Diamondback are stopped by Cutthroat, Blackwing and Jack O'Lantern. The sentries try to force the pair to fall, but Crossbones and Diamondback manage to grab onto Jack O'Lantern's flying platform, and force the trio to escort them the rest of the way up. There, they are taken captive by the Skull's guards, as Cutthroat recognizes Diamondback to be his own sister.

This issue features two stories.

"Lord of the Wolves" - In the Starkesboro, Massachusetts church that Dredmund Druid has made his temple, a battle rages between the werewolves under his control, and the lycanthropes led by the lupine Captain America. Overseeing the chaos, Dredmund, having bathed the Moongem in Dr. Druid's blood, is transformed by the stone into the mystically powerful Starwolf. "Capwolf" lunges at him, but is effortlessly brushed aside. Cap leaps out of the grasp of his feral foes as the Werewolf (Jack Russell) tosses him his shield, so he may re-enter the fray.

Outside the town, Feral, of X-Force, nears, having felt the pull of the Moongem, but is knocked out by a tranquilizer dart fired by Cable. Cable continues into town to discover the melee in the church, and begins firing at the combatants. "Capwolf" disarms the X-Force leader with his shield, but the two of them become wrapped in carpet mystically controlled by Starwolf. He then collapses a monolith on top of them, apparently crushing the heroes.

Meanwhile, a white-furred lycanthrope carries the mortally wounded Dr. Druid to Nightshade's lab. The man-wolf injects the strapped-down Nightshade with her own werewolf formula, transforming her, and thereby forcing her to concoct an antidote. Elsewhere, Moonhunter escapes from his cell, releases the imprisoned Wolverine, and they head off to assist Dredmund. They pause at the lab where Nightshade is still bound, and as they enter to find out what's going on, Dr. Druid rises and negates the controlling hypnosis Dredmund has them under.

As Starwolf celebrates his apparent victory, Wolverine enters and frees "Capwolf" and Cable, who were saved by Cap's shield supporting the weight of the huge slab. "Capwolf" again leaps at Starwolf, and, with help from the now clear minded Moonhunter, succeeds in ripping the Moongem from his throat. Cap tosses the jewel to Cable who crushes it beneath his heel. Dredmund lies on the floor, human and unconscious.

"Uncut Diamonds" - In the Red Skull's Rocky Mountain headquarters, he welcomes his new prisoners, Crossbones and Diamondback. The Skull has Diamondback thrown in a cell, but unshackles Crossbones. The assassin asks for his job back, offering the packets of Captain America's super-soldier serum infused blood plasma.

Meanwhile, the Skull's henchman Cutthroat enters the cell of Diamondback, revealing to her that he is her brother.

This issue also includes a Captain America pin-up by Frank Miller and Bob Wiacek.

This issue features three stories.

"Dark Dawn" - In Starkesboro, Massachusetts, with Dredmund Druid defeated, the lupine Captain America, Dr. Druid and Moonhunter work to set things right. They compel Nightshade to administer the antidote for her werewolf formula to all those whom Dredmund had transformed into lycanthropes. The white-furred man-wolf reverts to human, and Cap is pleased to see he is indeed John Jameson, his missing pilot. Just before the antidote can be given to Cap, a demonic doppelganger of him materializes. The two Captains fight, and in the chaos, the antidote filled syringe is jabbed into "Capwolf", beginning his reversion to human. When Dr. Druid informs the now-human Cap that his opponent is not truly alive, the Avenger impales his dark double upon its own saw-toothed shield, and it dissolves.

In the aftermath of it all, Nightshade is taken into custody by Guardsmen, the citizens are relieved to be human again and out from Dredmund's control, Jack Russell and Wolfsbane go their own ways, and John, feeling way out of his depth, resigns as Captain America's pilot. Moonhunter offers himself as a replacement, along with a ride to New York.

In Central Park, as Dennis Dunphy sits on a the shore of a lake, he is accosted by a D-Man doppelganger. They tumble into the water, and only the double emerges.

"Night of the Knife" - Cutthroat tries to reassure the imprisoned Diamondback, his sister, that he will get her out of the Red Skull's clutches, and get rid of Crossbones. She protests, believing her brother no match for the assassin. He leaves her sitting in confusion torn between love for her sibling, and the feelings brainwashed into her by Crossbones.

Meanwhile, as Crossbones catches up with the Skull's woman, Mother Night, Cutthroat interrupts. Crossbones leaves, and the couple share an intimate moment.

That night, Cutthroat creeps into the room of the sleeping Crossbones, intending to kill him. The assassin awakens, takes the blade, and cuts Cutthroat's throat. Mother Night, Jack O'Lantern and Blackwing enter to find Crossbones standing over his foe's body gripping the bloody blade.

"Joyride" - The Falcon flies over New York City, enjoying his new flight-suit, when he catches sight of an unknown person piloting an Avengers Skycycle. Falcon forces the pilot down to a rooftop, then agrees to escort him back to Avengers Headquarters, where he introduces himself as Zack Moonhunter, Captain America's new pilot.

Falcon enters the building and sees Cap and Black Widow. the Avengers are convening to debrief on recent events (the Infinity War and the Citizen Kang Affair).

After the meeting, Captain America and the Falcon begin to discuss renewing their partnership.