The aftermath of the Skrull Invasion has exacted a heavy toll on Captain America, in multiple senses of the term. The Avengers respond to a call from Ellis Island that the memorial statue of Cap and Bucky has been defaced by an angry mob. The negative public perception of Cap is further fueled by inflammatory articles in the Daily Bugle with headlines painting Captain America as a traitor.
Tony Stark goes to the Bugle's publisher J. Jonah Jameson to demand that he stop printing the smears but Jameson flatly refuses, not believing that Cap's "betrayal" was due to the recent Skrull invasion. Jameson gives Tony a choice: have Captain America do an exclusive interview for the Bugle or else the next day's paper will be titled "Captain America:Benedict Arnold!". He puts Betty Brant and a certain freelance photographer named Peter Parker on the job.
The Cap is escorting Madame Viper and Cobra to the Baxter Building for transfer to 42 and has to feel the full abuse of an angry mob so understandably, he's not exactly forthcoming when Betty tries to interview him about the circumstances. Suddenly the convoy is attacked by the rest of the Serpent Society in a bid to free their comrades. Cap, Hawkeye and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents return fire and Peter is able to slip away in the confusion, then swing back onto the scene as his alter ego, the Amazing Spider-Man! His heroic entry is cut short by a cave-in that sends the convoy and everything nearby down into the abandoned flood control tunnels beneath the New York subway.
Trapped in the underground with wounded S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the prisoners, and a group of hostile civilians, it is up to Cap and Spidey to lead them all to safety while the Serpent Society could be back at any moment.
Tropes:
- An Arm and a Leg: Spider-Man does this to Bushmaster's Artificial Limbs.
- Armor-Piercing Response: Jonah is rather smug but collected when talking to Tony, with even Robbie admitting he has a point. What Tony says about the paper's questionable practices causes Jonah to start shouting and Robbie to wince.Tony: You've been doing the same thing to Spider-Man for years.
- Ascended Fanboy: Spider-Man is a huge fan of Captain America. Turns out that Cap has been reading up on Spidey and thinks highly of him, too.
- Clear My Name: Not only following the events of "Secret Invasion", but forming a convenient Plot Parallel with the predominant theme of the Spider-Man mythos. Captain America doesn't bother explaining that he was replaced by a Skrull. He decides to instead take the criticism in stride, positive that his actions will speak the truth.
- Do You Want to Haggle?: Jonah tells Tony that he can prove his claim by arranging for an interview with the Skrull that impersonated Cap. As Tony points out the danger of letting that guy out of custody, Jonah gives a knowing look. As expected, Tony haggles by offering an exclusive interview with the real Cap.
- Doting Parent: Implied with Jonah. When listing occupations of those he considers real heroes, the first is astronaut (the profession of his son, John).
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Anaconda takes the time to free a member of AIM, despite only being there for Viper and King Cobra.
- Rattler mocks Cap, saying that even the Serpent Society wouldn't sell out the planet to invading aliens.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Averted by Rattler. During the fight in the tunnel, he observes Spider-Man fending off Bushmaster and fires at the ceiling right above the civilians. As expected, Spider-Man and Cap give up fighting the villains in order to prioritize protecting the people.
- Forced to Watch: What Viper intended for the heroes when telling her underlings, "Start with the civilians."
- Foreshadowing: Cap notes his use of the triangular shield is temporary. In the next episode, he sets about getting his iconic shield repaired.
- The Gadfly: Before talking with Cap in private, Spider-Man tweaks one of the civilians that had been hassling him and Cap.Spider-Man: There is nothing to worry about... except snake monsters.
- Go Through Me: Cap's response to Viper ordering the Serpent Society to kill the civilians.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Cap in spades thanks to his Skrull double. He is faced with most people calling him a traitor and a few go as far as to destroy his memorial statue. Tony points out that Jonah's been doing the same to Spider-Man for years, which happens again in the end.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Obnoxious as he is, Jonah is right that the Avengers and other costumed heroes are vigilantes who aren't above the law. He also has a point that it's hard to believe anyone if the story about shape-shifting aliens is true.
- Late to the Realization: It takes Spider-Man until the fight in the sewer to remember that Cap's famous shield is disc-shaped, not triangular.
- Little "No":
- The red-headed woman when the group bumps into Bushmaster.
- Cap when the ceiling starts collapsing.
- Meaningful Background Event: After Spider-Man senses trouble in the tunnel, a shadow can be seen moving quickly in the background.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Guess who.
- Mythology Gag:
- Cap's triangular shield is based on the one he originally used in the comics before getting his more famous disc-shaped one.
- The speech that Captain America gives to Spider-Man is very similar to the speech that he gave to Spider-Man in Civil War.
- No-Sell: Quartermain tries punching Bushmaster in the chest. After a beat, Bushmaster simply headbutts him and knocks him out.
- Not So Above It All: Spider-Man intends to web Jonah's mouth shut for his latest smear.Cap: I'm okay with that.
- Oh, Crap!: Quartermain over being the only thing standing between Bushmaster and the civilians.
- One-Man Army: With Quartermain knocked out and Spider-Man trying to hold up the ceiling, Cap is forced to do this against the entire Serpent Society. Deconstructed in that he is progressively worn down by the villains, especially as they opt to fight him one at a time.
- Spanner in the Works: The Serpent Society's goal is to free their captured comrades, but just as Anaconda is about to get to Madame Viper, she gets distracted by the others fighting Cap and Spider-Man.
- Special Guest: Spider-Man!
- Spider-Sense: Spidey detects incoming trouble from the Serpent Society, saying it's all around them.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Spider-Man tells Cap they're in trouble a moment before the street collapses.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Cap gets a lot of grief in this episode.Madame Viper: Look how easily the people turn on their heroes.
- Undying Loyalty: The Serpent Society go to great lengths to free their leader and a fellow member.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When Spider-Man knocks Rattler and Constrictor down, the former's blaster starts firing out of control. The damage it causes to the street leads to the collapse.
- Victory by Endurance: With Cap the only one standing between them and the civilians, the Serpent Society take turns attacking him and only gang up on him after he's too weak to break free of Constrictor's cables.
- Villain Ball: Averted when the Serpent Society prepare to attack, even as the tunnel is collapsing. When Spider-Man says they're doing this trope, Viper boasts that snake-like beings such as themselves have plenty of experience surviving these kind of situations, whereas the heroes and civilians don't.
- Villain Has a Point: Viper needles Cap about how easily the people can be turned against their heroes, whereas her underlings never waver in trying to free her. Anaconda had even taken the time to help an AIM scientist, due to being a fellow villain.
- Whole-Plot Reference: To the '90s Sylvester Stallone movie Daylight.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Cap continues doing his job as a hero and doesn't fight back against the accusations, saying he's certain the truth will come out eventually.
