Hey, Steve-o,
how you doing, buddy?
Real good, man.
Real good.
Yeah? Where you been?
I figured you got outta the marines two weeks ago.
Oh, I've been coming down
the coast slow and easy, you know, kickin' back.
Pretty mellow set of wheels.
Yeah.
It's my home on the road
for the next few years. All right.
Did I get any mail?
Yeah, I think a couple.
Hey, take this.
Hey, thanks, man.
You're welcome.
[no audible dialogue]
Here you go.
[chuckles]
This is the fourth telegram I've gotten
from this guy Simon Mills.
Three at the base
and one waiting for me here.
- - What's he selling?
- Who knows?
Somethin' wrong?
- - Can I use your phone?
- Yeah, sure.
Thanks.
[rings]
Uh, Jeff Haden.
Yeah. Jeff?
Yeah, it's Steve.
Hey, it's good to hear
your voice again, Steve.
Hey, listen.
I just got your letter.
Uh, can you tell me
what's wrong?
Uh, not at the moment.
I've, uh, got
to see you, Steve.
Can you come over
to the house?
Yeah. I'm just up the coast.
I can be there in a little while.
Uh, I'm gonna be,
uh, stuck here until late tonight.
How about 9:00?
Fine. I can see
this guy Mills in Thousand Oaks on the way into LA.
- - I'll see you at 9:00.
- Oh, thank you, Steve. I'm very grateful.
Hey, if you need me, you got me.
You know that.
I'll see you tonight.
Okay.
[handset settles
in cradle]
Hey, thanks, Jer.
Yeah, sure.
Yeah, I'll be
talking to you.
Stay well, hear?
Okay.
[engine starts]
- - He's on his way.
- Okay, I've got him.
Roadwork ahead.
You'll have
to take the detour over the mountain road.
Yeah, okay.
- - He's on his way over the hill.
- Okay. Get out of there.
On our way.
He's coming at you.
Pull out now.
Right.
Dr. Mills,
a Mr. Steve Rogers is here to see you.
Oh. Good.
Ask him to come in.
Come in, please.
STEVE: Thank you.
Steve.
I'm Simon Mills.
Uh, I'm afraid
I don't place you.
Well, I'm not surprised.
We've never met.
Though I feel I've known you
ever since you were a kid.
Your father was
my doctoral adviser.
I assisted him
in most of his experiments.
I used to get daily reports
on his son the motorcycle racer and motocross expert.
Yeah, well,
that was a while ago.
You still ride.
Yeah, just for
the fun of it now.
Oh, I'm glad you
could finally come and visit us here.
I've been wanting
to show you our work.
Why? I mean, uh--
Why me?
Well, for one thing,
everything we do here
is based on your father's primary research.
Were you familiar
with that at all, Steve?
No. He never really
talked about it much.
I just knew it was
very important to him.
Hmm. Your father
developed and perfected the ultimate steroid.
He synthesized it
from his own adrenal gland
and then,
through long research,
developed
a super hormone.
He called it FLAG.
That's right.
F-L-A-G.
Full Latent Ability Gain.
I'm not sure I'm following you.
Well, science has known
for a long time
that man
in all of his endeavors-- mental, physical--
uses very rarely
more than one-third of his capacity.
And with FLAG?
Close to
a hundred percent.
Come on over here.
I'll show you what I mean.
This little guy
is the world's weight-lifting champion.
Watch.
In human terms,
he's lifting something over 2,100 pounds.
FLAG?
He was injected
four days ago.
That's fantastic.
He's running
the human equivalent of 57 miles an hour.
But he's also dying.
Dying?
And so is the weight lifter.
I've had six years
of failure, Steve.
And Dr. Day,
who has taken over for me, has had three.
Using your
father's cultures,
we've duplicated
the formula, we've produced the serum,
and we've seen it work
time and time again.
There's a tremendous increase
in the strength and agility.
And each time
within two weeks after injection,
the test animals
slowly madden and die.
You have any idea why?
Cell rejection.
Same problem
they had in the early heart transplants,
if you remember.
You see, Steve,
we're still using
the original formulations left us by your father.
And that's why
I asked you to come here.
He developed the serum
out of his own cells--
the same cells he gave
by natural process to his only child.
You.
All I'm asking is that you
let us do a few tests.
- - [door opens]
- Simon.
Oh. Um, there's
a phone call for you in my office.
I'll get back.
They said it was important.
Oh. Uh, Steve,
this is Dr. Wendy Day,
who's in charge
of FLAG research now.
Steve Rogers.
I won't be
a minute.
Hi.
So you're in charge
of FLAG now, huh? Yes.
Tell me something.
What's he do?
Oh. Simon spends most
of his time in Washington right now.
Um, I'm not sure
exactly what he does.
But I do know he talks
to the president a lot.
Has he talked to you
about letting us do some tests?
Yeah.
I gather you said no.
Oh, I didn't say yes or no.
Steve, I wonder
if you have any idea
what a tragedy it was
when your father d*ed.
Now, I mean, of course
not just for yourself, but for this entire nation.
Maybe I don't.
But he was my dad,
and I loved him.
And then one day
he was gone.
And all I had left
was a letter from the president, a man I didn't even know.
Well, with your father, Steve,
FLAG was a great deal more than just a lab experiment.
What do you mean?
I mean...
he injected himself
with the serum,
and it worked.
It worked, Steve.
Do you understand what that means?
[sighs]
Because it worked,
he could accomplish things
no other man could hope to.
And so he dedicated his life
to helping the little guy in our society--
to righting wrongs
that the law wouldn't or couldn't touch.
You mean he was
a super crime fighter.
In one sense,
I suppose you could call him that, yes.
And now you want me
to take his place.
No one else can.
We're only talking
about some tests, Steve.
Let me tell you something.
All my life I've been taught
to live by the three words
inscribed in the statue
at West Point--
duty, honor, country.
Hey, it hasn't been
a bad life,
and lots of times
I feel pretty good in here.
But it's been
"yes, sir," "no, sir"
for as long
as I can remember.
Three m*llitary schools
and the marine corps.
And that's been about it.
I think I've paid
my dues to Uncle the way my dad would have wanted.
Now I just wanna
get out on the road,
look at the faces of America,
maybe get some down on canvas.
I don't wanna report in
or check out.
I don't wanna look
forward to weekends.
I want every day
to be the same.
I just wanna kick back
and find out who I am.
Besides, a friend of mine
has some heavy problems right now and needs my help.
Good luck
to both of you.
[sighs]
What do we do?
I don't know.
Hey, Jeff! Steve!
You in here somewhere?
Hey, Jeff!
Jeff?
Hey, Jeff!
It's Steve!
Jeff?
Jeff?
[object taps]
Jeff, can you hear me?
[weakly]
Kathryn.
Take it easy.
JEFF [weakly]:
Kathryn.
Steve.
Please.
[groans]
2129 Prospect.
Please. Please hurry.
[horn honking]
WOMAN [on PA]:
Maintenance, report to loading dock.
GUARD:
Evening, Mr. Brackett.
Well?
Haden's dead.
And the film?
What about the film?
Just the camera.
Empty.
And the desk calendar
because he had your name written on it.
[camera thuds]
Who did you
send in there, Harley?
- - Parker.
- Parker.
Just one tiny
but very important little question--
what idiocy prompted Parker
to k*ll Haden
before we got
our hands on the film?
I'm sorry, Mr. Brackett,
but it was an accident.
Haden said he wasn't
gonna give up the film, that he'd changed his mind.
Parker only meant
to scare him.
And with his
usual deft touch, Parker k*lled him.
Well, that film has to be
in that house somewhere.
Another problem came up,
Mr. Brackett.
Yeah.
While Parker was in there,
Steve Rogers showed up.
Rogers, huh?
I thought
we took care of him
on the road
we dumped oil on.
It was him.
Parker dodged him okay
and got out while Rogers was phoning for the paramedics.
But he said Haden told Rogers
something before he d*ed.
- - What did he tell him?
- Parker couldn't hear it.
Then it's fortunate
your "accident" didn't work out.
Get hold of Rogers
and find out if Haden told him where that film is.
And then arrange
an accident that works.
Sooner or later
Steve Rogers is gonna be given that FLAG serum,
and I want him
out of my hair before that happens.
Are we clear?
Clear.
I'll go tell Lester
the bad news.
[drill whirring]
Mr. Brackett,
you're supposed to put the dust-free gown on
before you come
into the room.
I know, Lester.
I'm sorry.
- - Did you get the film?
- No. Something went wrong.
Well, without
that last film sequence, I can't proceed.
You're aware of that?
We'll get the film.
Well, we're running
out of time,
and there's
no way I can measure that neutron link
without Haden's
linear time equation.
[sighs]
We're at a dead stop.
All we have now
is an exceedingly expensive and very accurate timepiece,
not a neutron b*mb.
[beeps]
The device is ready.
[beeps]
All except the missing link.
I don't intend
to fail now, Lester.
We'll have the film.
[radio police chatter]
Can you remember,
within a minute or two,
what time is was
when you got to the house?
I told you.
It was about 10 after 9:00.
Is that
within a minute or two of being accurate?
Does it really matter?
It matters.
Hey, wait a minute.
Can I ask a question?
Go ahead.
How are you involved in all this?
I'm in charge
of the project Haden was on.
I thought you
were in charge of the FLAG project.
I'm in charge
of several projects for our government.
Oh, Steve,
this is Charles Barber, Los Angeles FBI.
How are you?
I'd like to ask you
a couple of questions, okay?
Sure. If you can think of any
that Simon hasn't already asked.
How long have you
known Haden?
All my life.
He was a close friend
of my father's.
Steve, earlier today
you mentioned a friend who was in trouble.
Was that Haden?
Yes.
You sure he gave
no indication of what his problem was?
- - Absolutely not.
- And when he was dying?
He said "Kathryn,"
my name and "please."
That's it.
Does that mean anything to you?
Anything special?
Kathryn's the name
of his wife.
You, of course, know
what happened to her?
I know she was k*lled
in a plane crash in Europe last year.
What about
his daughter, Tina?
She's at USC.
We haven't been able to locate her yet.
Oh, great.
Now, look, I would like you
to look at this room very carefully for me
and try and remember
if it looks exactly the same
as the last time that you saw it.
It looks the same.
Now, take your time. Take your time.
There was a very sophisticated
little camera here.
It's not there now.
- - Anything else?
- Wait a minute.
There was
a desk calendar here too.
You remember anything
written on it? A name maybe?
No.
[door opens]
Inspector,
Tina Haden's downstairs.
STEVE:
Does she know yet?
Only that
something is wrong.
She might have seen
the coroner's car leaving.
Let me tell her.
[door closes]
Oh, Steve.
What's happening? Where's Daddy?
You've got
to be strong, honey.
He's dead, isn't he?
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I just talked
to him today.
He said that you were
coming over to see us.
He sounded so happy.
I called earlier to see
if anyone was home, but--
Why, Steve? Why?
[sobbing]
[door opens]
[door closes]
I've given her a sedative,
but I recommend the hospital for a day or two.
I'll call for an ambulance.
[clock chiming]
[door closes]
Simon.
What exactly does being
"in charge" of these projects really mean?
How do you really
figure in all this?
Let's say that Barber
and I work for the same boss.
FBI?
No.
My classification is
a little more complex than that. Don't explain.
I just don't wanna
get involved.
We're all involved
in this one, Steve.
Our friend Haden,
Tina, you, me,
maybe a lot more.
I'm sorry
about Haden, Steve.
Yeah.
What was he
working on, Simon?
He was director
of one of the most secret and carefully guarded projects
this nation has.
Its code name is Zeus.
Never heard of it.
It's the neutron b*mb.
Now you can understand
the implications. The camera.
Hey, wait a minute.
Do you think Jeff
was giving out information about the b*mb?
I think somebody is trying
to get that information.
We don't know yet
if Jeff gave it to them.
I hope we're wrong.
Hey, I can't believe it.
I won't believe it.
Simon.
Hmm?
If he was photographing
classified material, it's got to be another reason.
Jeff Haden was no traitor.
I'll stake my life on it.
Good night, Steve.
[door opens, closes]
[phone rings]
Hello.
HARLEY: Steve Rogers?
Yeah. Who's this?
A friend.
A friend who's very upset
about what happened to Jeff Haden.
Well, what do you
know about it?
Don't interrupt.
I haven't got much time.
There's a gas station
on Pine Canyon Road
about two miles north
of Interstate 5.
Do you know where that is?
Yeah.
If you can be there, alone,
in 20 minutes,
I'll tell you who did
that little job tonight and why.
But wait--
Twenty minutes. No more.
STEVE:
Who are you guys?
What have you got
to tell me?
You got it all wrong.
It's what you can tell us.
We're here to listen.
- Where's Haden's
film strip? - I have no idea.
He talked to you
just before he d*ed, didn't he?
- - How do you know that?
- [chuckles]
Do I have to explain that?
[motorcycle engine revving]
[monitor beeping]
Dressing.
Finish the dressing,
please, Susan. Yes, Doctor.
Simon, I'm afraid
it's very bad.
SIMON:
What about a heart pacer?
I'm afraid
it's too late.
MAN:
Jason, blood pressure 52 and falling.
Tissue anoxia.
[beeping continues]
Is it that bad?
[sighs]
Medically, he's dead now.
I think there's
just one chance-- the FLAG serum.
We can't.
We don't know what--
Wendy, he lost too much blood
before they brought him in.
Nothing has been able
to reverse the shock.
Bring me a vial of the serum
from the lab, quickly.
Simon, we can't.
We haven't tested--
I'll take full responsibility,
and I'll do the injection. Now, do as I say.
He's gonna die anyway.
Don't you understand?
We're committed.
[sustained beep]
[rapid beeping]
Get a blood sample.
Simon!
There's no rejection.
There's no cell rejection.
STEVE:
I think I've almost been had twice now, Simon.
What do you mean?
On the way over
to your lab the other day,
an oil truck spilled crude
all over the road and sent me flying.
I thought it was an accident.
Now I realize
it wasn't.
I wish you'd told me
about that earlier.
Why?
What's going on, Simon?
Who's mad at me?
I might have
the answer to that, Steve,
but first I, uh--
There's something
I have to tell you.
You were almost gone
when they brought you in here.
We tried everything,
but nothing worked.
I made a decision,
on my own.
I felt that the FLAG serum
would give you that one chance--
a chance for your body
to use its full latent recuperative powers.
So you used it? FLAG?
I used it.
And you're alive.
So what happens now?
[sighs]
Frankly, I don't know.
But there's
no cell rejection, Steve.
I was right about that.
- That means I don't die
like a laboratory rat? - That's my guess.
Your guess? Is that
the best you can give me?
Well, nothing is
a hundred percent, of course.
- - Uh-- What I mean is--
- What you mean is you really don't know.
Do you?
Are you talking
about a guarantee?
I'm talking
about my life, Simon.
Yeah, I'd feel pretty good
about a guarantee.
You're right.
But it is
my best medical opinion
that you will experience
only beneficial results from the serum dosage.
Beneficial?
Like the super strength and all?
Yes.
Well, when do we find out
about that?
We'll find out
about it together.
As soon as
you're well enough, we'll start testing.
No, Simon, we won't.
What do you mean?
We will not test.
We're not going to find out
what FLAG may have done to me, 'cause I don't wanna know.
Steve, you owe it
to science to continue--
To continue something
I didn't start?
Something that may k*ll me
in a week, a month, a year?
To continue something
your own father started
and that so far
has saved your life, not taken it.
I'm grateful for that,
but I'm not grateful
for the fact that for the rest of my life,
I'll never really know
how long I have.
Hey-Hey, it's okay.
I understand.
But it's over.
I'm not unconscious now.
The choice is mine.
I don't choose to play.
When can I get out of here?
In a day or two.
Your healing powers are
really quite remarkable now.
Well, if you should ever decide
to change your mind about this--
I know.
I'll get in touch.
Good-bye, Simon.
Good luck.
How am I?
About as fully recovered
as any patient in the history of medicine.
Well, when can I leave?
Doctor told me
in the morning if you like.
Get dressed, Mr. Rogers.
We're gonna take a little trip.
[hammer cocks]
It won't make a sound, pal,
but it'll make a very big hole.
Now, move it.
Guys from
the gas station, right?
So we meet again.
Fun, huh?
I still need that film.
I still don't know
what you're talking about.
[grunts]
HARLEY:
We've got as long as it takes, pal.
Now, let's try it again.
Get him up.
Your friend Haden took
some very important pictures for us.
Then he got cute
and hid the pictures.
And then he got dead.
Now, we know
he said something to you that night.
We need to know what.
Ain't that simple?
- - What's in it for me?
- You get to live a little longer.
- You wanna live as long
as possible, don't you? - Yeah, I guess so.
Fine. Where's the film?
Once more.
Where's the film?
I don't know.
[grunts]
Well, Mr. Rogers?
Get him!
[b*llet whizzes]
Yes. I've got a message
for Agent Barber.
Tell him there's
three suspicious characters
down here at Pearson Brothers
Meat Packing Plant,
and they may know something
about Jeff Haden's death.
Oh, and, uh, tell them to hurry.
I think they're getting
a bad case of frostbite.
Not bad.
You've got talent.
It's what I had in mind
for maybe the rest of my life. Until I met you.
It's different now.
How does it
make you feel, Steve,
being, well,
more than other men?
- - Frightened.
- Not exhilarated?
Well, that too, sure.
But it's scary
and a big responsibility.
If I'm not thinking
about what I'm doing, I could hurt or k*ll somebody.
If I move this pencil
too quickly
or hold it too tightly--
[cracking]
How would you feel, Simon?
I understand.
And I also can't help thinking
how your father would've felt
seeing his life's work
coming to fruition in his own son.
I never knew him well enough
to be able to make a judgment on that.
SIMON:
He was truly the most patriotic man I ever knew.
And not in
a typical flag-waving, corny politician way,
but in the real sense
that he believed in the American ideal
and he tried to live it.
He put his life
on the line for it time and time again.
The American ideal.
It's a little tough
to find these days, isn't it?
Not if you know
where to look.
Right on.
It was the spoilers
of that ideal your father went after.
The real criminals.
The bosses. The organizers.
The ones
in the really high places.
Yeah, I never really got
that picture before.
He shook so many of them
out of the trees
that they coined
a nickname for him--
Captain America.
Captain America?
They meant it
as a mockery, of course, but in a way it fit.
Steve, I'm authorized
to offer you a job.
Very much like mine,
only... using
your very special talents.
You don't mean painting,
do you?
You know what I mean.
Sure.
Full Latent Ability Gain.
That's a big part of it.
Only four people would know--
you, me, Wendy and the president.
Does he really
know about me?
And you're gonna make me
look bad if you refuse.
I've even gone so far
as to have some
very special equipment designed with you in mind.
I'll think about it.
Anything you say.
For your scrapbook.
[gasps]
Sensational.
Can I keep it?
It's all yours.
Steve, think about
what I said, huh?
And, uh--
Stay in touch.
Okay.
Who'd you talk to?
Does he know
his business?
Uh, hold on.
I've got Phoenix
on the telephone, Mr. Brackett.
They verify the time locks
for noon tomorrow. Anything else?
Not for them.
All right, good job.
[handset settles in cradle]
In less than 24 hours we'll be under way.
Get as many men as you need
and stay on Steve Rogers.
I don't want him in the way.
Is that clear? He won't be.
You got a line on that film yet,
Mr. Brackett?
Oh, the film is in
the house somewhere.
Haden was tailed
every minute. It has to be there.
There will be agents
under every bush. How are we going to get back in?
WOMAN [on PA]:
Tankers 21 and 22 are ready for dispatch.
I think
I can work that out.
[laughing]
STEVE: Come on. Let's go.
Oh, the water's freezing.
[both laughing]
It's cold.
Hey, the water's not cold.
[laughs]
[laughs]
Oh, gosh!
[exhales]
[laughs]
[laughs]
How'd you manage
to get away from Mills?
I promised to try
a little special recruiting technique.
Okay, begin.
My heart isn't in it.
Hey, what's that suppose to mean?
Steve, I'm not even sure
I want you in the company.
I thought you ran
an equal opportunity store.
Look, you've been
run off the road, you've been blown up,
you've been kidnapped.
Maybe you ought to
get the message.
Are you worried about me?
Maybe.
I wish you hadn't done that.
Why?
Simon's looking.
[laughs]
I hope
I'm interrupting.
Well, I've been
on the phone with Inspector Barber.
He's been going over
Haden's background with a fine-tooth comb,
and there's nothing.
[sighs]
You and I were his only friends.
We and a heavyweight
industrialist named Lou Brackett
who came up
with some endowments to the university over the years.
- - Clean, as far as we can tell.
- That put us right back where we started.
Except for one thing--
the death of Jeff's wife.
It was an accident.
STEVE: Maybe. But don't forget.
One of the last words to me
was his wife's name.
- - Why?
- Why what?
Why would he say "Kathryn,
please," instead of maybe telling me who k*lled him?
SIMON:
Maybe he didn't know who k*lled him.
I think there's something there.
Something to do with Jeff's wife.
The crash was an accident.
It was checked out. STEVE: Maybe.
It's still the only
unusual event in Jeff's life.
We checked with Tina.
She doesn't remember anything unusual.
Well, she can't remember
'cause she's really upset.
Why don't you
take her to lunch,
try and get
to know her.
I'd be delighted.
Where do I find her?
Oh, Barber tells me
she moved back into her house.
Here.
I'll see you guys later.
[footsteps receding]
She really is something,
isn't she?
She sure is.
Made up your mind yet?
The boss is gonna
want an answer one of these days-- in or out.
You'll be the first to know.
Well, in that case,
I wanna show you something that might help you to decide.
Get your clothes.
Come on.
Stand by, chopper.
They're getting ready to leave.
STEVE:
How'd you get ahold of that?
We borrowed it
from the people you had repairing it.
We finished the job
and added a few little touches of our own.
Those the touches
you wanted me to see?
Mm-hmm.
Doesn't look
that much different.
The difference wasn't
designed to be noticeable. [clicks]
[whirring]
Hey, this thing
scramble eggs on Sunday too?
[chuckles]
And it whistles "Dixie."
Well, how do you
get it out of here?
Rocket assist for launch
out of the van
and jet assist for
high-speed acceleration.
Come on over here.
There's a switch under here
keeps it standard.
You flip it back
and it's whisper silent.
Now, look.
The material and the aerodynamic
design of the shield is really interesting.
It's bulletproof
and a rather deadly w*apon.
Why don't you try it out,
see what it can do.
[jet whirring]
[engine silent]
[engine noise resumes]
[g*nsh*t]
[jet engine]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
MAN [on radio]: I'm with
him now. I'm pulling up. MAN #2 [on radio]: Faster!
MAN #1 [on radio]:
I'm trying to keep up.
MAN #2 [on radio]:
He's getting away.
[helicopter approaching]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
MPs!
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
[g*nsh*t]
Now, put this thing down
slow and easy.
And do it now!
Anything you say, mac.
Anything you say.
I've dreamed about this
for nine years,
and now I saw it and
I still can't believe it.
It's incredible, Simon.
It's not just
strength and agility. It's vision and hearing.
I could see everything.
And I could hear them even over the sound of the chopper.
Of course.
We should have anticipated that.
How much more, in gain,
will there be?
You've attained maximum
capability by now.
From here on,
it's just discovering what that really means.
Learning to adapt to it,
how to live with it.
[helicopter engine
shutting down]
Yeah. That'll be
the tough part.
BRACKETT:
Tina.
Tina, come here.
Look, I know how you feel
about your father.
I know he wasn't a traitor
to his country.
But I also know that
you and I can prove it.
How do we do that?
Applied logic.
Sit down.
You know,
I've never known a father
and daughter closer than you two were.
It was really something
very special to see, Tina.
Your father was a bright man.
I can't believe
he would hide that film
so you couldn't find it
if anything happened to him and clear his name one day.
He never said a word.
Well, he wouldn't.
He couldn't.
Tina, think back.
Was there something
between the two of you,
something special
that nobody else could know?
What were the things
you did together?
Things you both loved?
Just the two of you.
There were so many things.
Reading. Games.
Fishing.
Fishing.
Go on.
- It's silly.
It's too far out. - Try, Tina.
Well, I was probably
only 11 or 12.
We used to play a game.
We'd hide little notes
from each other.
If we couldn't find them, we
had to do whatever the other one had written down on the note.
Things like, he'd have to
take me fishing with him or buy me something.
He would have done it
for me anyway.
Once, I hid the note so well
he couldn't find it.
So I had to drop clues
until he caught on.
Where did you hide it?
He was cleaning
some fly rods.
So when he closed his eyes,
I rolled up the note
and dropped it inside the hollow part of the rod.
I see.
I remember because that's
what he was doing the-- the night--
Where, Tina?
Where was he cleaning them?
Upstairs in his den.
[doorbell rings]
Tina, would you see
who that is?
[doorbell rings]
It's a woman.
I don't know who she is.
I do.
She works for the government.
She can help us.
Miss Haden?
Yes. Come in.
Thank you.
Now we'll all take
a little ride.
How long has it been
since Wendy checked in?
Almost 12 hours.
They're either onto something
or the other side has made a move.
If that's it,
we'll hear from them.
Tina's just a kid.
[phone rings]
[line ringing]
[ringing]
Mills here.
BRACKETT:
I have two visitors here.
Are they all right?
For the moment, yes.
WOMAN [on PA]: Tanker 33--
But they're aware
of certain facts
that I can't afford
to have made public right now.
Let me talk
to one of them. Just listen.
If you ever hope to see
either of them alive again, you will do absolutely nothing.
[Brackett low, indistinct]
WOMAN [on PA]: Put that tanker in pumping bay 7.
You will keep the FBI
out of this.
And most important,
you will keep Steve Rogers out of this.
Disobey and they will die.
The truck's ready.
[clicking]
Finished.
Is everything understood?
Parker and I drive you
in the truck.
Everyone else
arrives by helicopter at eight minutes after noon.
The timing must be precise.
Our man has synchronized
the time locks to open at exactly 12:00 noon.
We detonate the b*mb
at exactly...
11:58.
The b*mb.
All right,
get it on the truck.
The radiation suits too.
Unless, of course,
you care to die in Phoenix.
[chuckles]
Got a hundred men
in the field now, but where?
Give me something
to go on. I've told you all we know.
What about the guy's voice?
Accent, timbre, inflection. Anything unusual.
It could have been
anyone, Charles.
Simon.
Remember when I told you
what FLAG did for my hearing and all?
Well, during that call,
I think I heard something that might help us.
Like what?
I'm sure I heard somebody say,
"Put that tanker
in pumping bay number 7."
- -Does that mean anything to you?
- Well, a tanker, sounds like, uh--
Sounds like oil or gas to--
Wait a minute.
That rings a bell.
A company called Andreas Oil
made several research grants to Haden over the years.
So--
Lou Brackett owns Andreas Oil.
Brackett was one of Haden's
oldest friends. They worked together as young men.
My guess is he knew exactly
what Haden was working on.
And probably has Tina
and Wendy right now.
It also explains how come an
oil truck accidentally spilled all over the road you were on.
Lou Brackett.
Andreas Oil Company.
Could it be?
Well, let's find out.
STEVE:
Hey, wait.
If we're right,
he'll be ready.
We go in there in force,
we'll never see Tina and Wendy again.
He's right.
Simon, I'd like to
talk to you alone.
I'll be outside.
[door opens, closes]
Simon, you have the authority
to make a decision stick. I want you to make one.
Don't make it too tough.
I could do this my way.
I go in there alone.
So we both know
I have the talent. Barber wouldn't understand.
But you make it
stick anyway.
Okay. But I've got
one condition. Well, you would have.
You gave me the idea yourself.
Steve, FLAG has made you
a marked man. You know that.
They've tried to k*ll you
three times already
just on the chance that you
might turn out be the man your father was.
Think about it.
Every time you use that strength or special skill of yours,
intentionally or otherwise,
it'll be like writing your name in the skies.
It's possible.
All right.
You're gonna need something
to protect you on that bike anyway.
Why not make it a disguise?
Something that will make it
impossible for them to remember or even recognize you at all.
You got to be kidding.
This is my drawing. Why not? It's perfect.
They ridiculed your father,
remember?
Called him Captain America
and finally m*rder*d him.
Be Captain America, Steve.
Jam Captain America
down their throats
and, at the same time,
protect yourself.
Will this work?
As long as your heart
continues to b*at, the b*mb won't detonate.
Until, of course,
you disconnect and trigger it.
Mm. What if we run into trouble,
like the police?
[clears throat]
Well, they dare not sh**t you. The b*mb goes off.
That's your safe passage.
[clicks]
[jet motor]
[engine silent]
Hey!
All guards to area 4.
WOMAN [on PA]:
Tanker 21 and 22--
[g*nsh*t]
The girls,
where are they?
In a room
under number two stack.
They-They're all right.
Where's Brackett?
He's gone.
Show me where
his office is.
Where's Brackett's
confidential papers?
In the cabinet.
Open it up.
Come on, little man.
WOMAN [on PA]:
Clear area 7. Clear area 7.
Go!
Check this file. I think
you'll find it interesting.
Get out of here.
WOMAN [on PA]:
[indistinct]
Where's Brackett?
There's nothing you can do! It's too late!
Too late for what?
It's too late to stop him.
They pulled out four hours ago.
What's he going to do?
All right, tell me.
[gagging]
He's got the b*mb. Neutron b*mb.
What's he going to
do with it?
At noon,
they're all going to die.
Barber's had his best
interrogators working on Wiant for over two hours.
He won't tell them a thing.
"At noon, they all die."
Who dies? Where? Why?
Well, if Brackett
has the neutron b*mb,
that could mean
an awful lot of people.
But why? Brackett
is no mad-dog k*ller. He is after something.
The question is what?
Whatever it is, it's got to be
within a 500-mile radius of Los Angeles.
Why? What if they're
traveling by jet?
No, Wiant said "pulled out."
That doesn't sound like
an airplane to me.
Simon, how big
is a neutron b*mb?
About 2,000 pounds.
You'd need a truck.
Right. Andreas Oil
has lots of trucks.
And trucks pull out.
We're looking
for an Andreas Oil truck within about 500 miles.
Let's find out
from National Security
what the prime
secure targets are in that area.
Is your computer
operative? Sure is.
Access route AX1A1.
WOMAN:
Stand by for voiceprint ID. Standing by.
Insert voiceprint ID,
please.
Willow tree 100.
You're cleared for access.
Let me have an update
on prime secure targets within 500 miles of Los Angeles.
Hard copy.
[printing]
Okay.
There are 12 in place missiles
within that area, four mobile missiles,
Los Angeles gold repository--
the Far West National Emergency
Command Center under the San Bernardino mountains,
and the Phoenix
International Gold Repository-- 1.4 billion in bullion.
And a neutron b*mb
only kills people. The gold will be intact.
Simon, that's got to be it.
If it was
an LA repository, they'd be there by now.
Why would they settle
for 100 mil when there's over a billion available?
- - What time is it?
- Six minutes to 10:00. We've got about two hours.
Could the air force help?
If they could have that truck
blown sky high--
Along with every man,
woman and child in the area. It's got to be done by hand.
Simon, can you still
jock a helicopter? A fast one?
- That's something
you don't forget. - I'll meet you at the pad.
There's the road.
Anything?
Nothing yet.
Of course not. They wouldn't
take this main highway.
It has an inspection station
and a truck scale.
Which road do you think
they'll take?
The old road.
We can get to it by crossing the reservoir.
I think I make
a truck up ahead marked Andreas Oil.
- - I don't see it.
- You will in a minute.
Where do you
wanna get off, Steve?
The road turns south
up ahead.
Get down low over the desert
and I'll go out there.
Then what?
I don't know yet.
I'll stay in touch
by radio.
Okay.
- - Chopper One, do you read?
- Loud and clear.
I just dropped
my bike, Simon.
I was watching.
My people are picking it up now.
Okay.
[coughs]
Henry! Henry!
What-What's the matter?
What are you saying?
You better pull over, Parker.
[pounding]
Henry! Stop the truck!
Henry--
[coughs]
Parker, give me the keys!
Chopper, do you read?
SIMON: Go ahead.
I'm inside the trailer.
I'm looking at a large
metal object 10 feet by 2
set into a soft
suspension cradle.
Are there any lights or dials
on the thing?
Yes. There's two blue lights
and one green blinking light. There's also a digital clock.
Is there a faint hum
just a little louder than an electric clock might make?
Yes.
Well, it could be
a neutron b*mb. That's for sure.
Is Brackett there?
Yes. He's a little sick from some fumes I routed in here.
[clicking]
[wheezing]
[clicking]
Chopper.
Go ahead.
Simon, this guy's got
some device strapped to his chest.
What is it?
It looks like a dead-man switch of some kind.
I guess it's
reading his pulse.
If you're right, it probably
means the b*mb goes off if his pulse stops. How's he doing?
Not so good.
[wheezing]
Describe what he looks like.
His lips are blue.
He's gasping for air,
and it kind of rattles
in his throat when he does breathe.
[wheezing]
All I can see are
the whites of his eyes.
That doesn't sound good.
Uh, roll him over
on his back, Steve.
Make sure his throat is clear
and that he's not strangling on his own tongue.
If he dies, we all die.
I'm almost there.
[clicking]
How is he?
You're the doctor.
[wheezing]
Hold that right there,
Steve.
[labored breathing]
Pulse is steadying up.
[breathing normally]
He's breathing easier now.
It's all right.
- - He gonna make it?
- [siren blaring in distance]
- That means we're all
gonna make it, right? - Right.
[sighs]
[siren continues]
Sounds like the calvary
is about ready to arrive.
Cops, MPs
and a b*mb squad from the Atomic Energy Commission.
Wait for me in the chopper.
I'll turn this over to them and we can get out of here.
- - You're the doctor.
- Will you stop saying that?
Right. Thank you.
Barber's bringing
your mom over now.
I can't believe it.
I can't believe she's really alive.
You better believe it.
The whole plane crash was faked.
Brackett held her prisoner
all these months.
Tina, the pressure
on your father had to be incredible.
Not being able to
tell you the truth.
Knowing your mother's life
depended on him delivering film on the neutron b*mb to Brackett.
How can I thank you all?
Just be happy.
- - [horn honking]
- It's Mother.
That's beautiful.
Yes, it is.
Captain America
did a pretty good job.
Yeah. He did jam himself
down a few throats, didn't he? [chuckles]
What do you say, Steve?
Do we put Captain America on a permanent basis?
Yes. But there's still
one thing bothering me, Simon.
If I'm going to be
Captain America,
I want to be the same
Captain America my father was in every way.
I don't just wanna do
the things he did.
I want to look
the way he did as well.
How do you like it,
Simon?
Magnificent!
[laughs]
Captain America (1979)
Moderator: Maskath3