CAPTAIN AMERICA: Soldier of the Future

Captain America and related characters are property of Marvel Comics. This is set in the same universe as "Spider-Man: Partners in Crime".

Chapter 1: You're in the Army Now

"-for these warriors will be picked from those without power, augmented by all manner of drugs, serums, and tonics, and trained as to have a working knowledge of everything from the workings of armored vehicles to the operation of aircraft."- Erskine, A. The Future of War (excerpt). Published 1936 by Kirby and Kane Books, .

FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY

APRIL 1942:

"O'Neil!"

"Here!"

"Hansen!"

"Here!"

"Abernathy!"

"Present, sir!"

"Rogers!"

"Here!"

The drill sergeant looked at the last name on his list. Before him stood a man who looked so much like the "before" picture in a Charles Atlas ad, any near-sighted person could have mistaken him for a scarecrow if he was standing still in a cornfield.

"Rogers?"

"Present, sir!"

The sergeant squinted at the new recruit.

"Alright! Tell me why you want to be in the United States Army!"

"To kick those Krauts back to Berlin, sir!"

"To kill those Nazis so that Hell itself will have to turn any more that arrive at its gates, sir!"

"To make sure my brother did not die in vain during the Spanish Civil War, sir!"

Once again, Steve Rogers found himself at the end of the list.

"To relieve the occupied nations of Europe of the yoke of Nazi occupation, sir."

The drill sergeant tilted his head.

"That's why we're fighting, isn't it?"

A series of guffaws filled the air before the sergeant sent the recruits to the barracks, while he slunk off to his office to write a telegram.

Erskine- found candidate for that super-soldier plan of yours. *STOP*. Get me team from British experiments. *STOP*. Meet you at Brown Hotel with H. Stark for dinner in two weeks. *STOP*.- J. Kern, United States Army