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1944 Captain America: The Invaders
We should learn more about Hydra and how they operate. Introduces the Invaders team.
Build up the relationship between Cap and Stark, as well as Cap and Peggy and Cap and Bucky. Also Cap and the Howling commandos.
Peggy should get to kick butt in this movie.
This takes place after D-Day. The allies are beginning to turn the tide of the war. Our heroes, however, are fighting a different battle.
Now that Red Skull has shown his true colours, his experiments are becoming less tolerable to the Third Reich. Hydra is a massive threat to the whole world and so Cap and the others are engaged in a somewhat secret battle in France.
Because of where we ended the IAC version of First Avenger, Cap and Peggy are still estranged. The last time she saw him she shot at him!
We open on the scene where Peggy sees that Cap has a picture of her in his compass from the propaganda film, but now from her point of view. This could be proceeded by an actual newsreel on D-Day.
Peggy: Where was that video taken?
Howard: Somewhere in the French countryside I think.
Peggy: Let's find an assignment in France, shall we?
We see Cap, Bucky and the Howling Commandos (HC) following a lead to a small Hydra factory, manufacturing one type of component. This is not the first one they have discovered.
They destroy the factory, wondering what Hydra are building. It is obviously some kind of weapon, but it is hard to tell what kind from the limited number of factories and components they have found.
Meanwhile Namor and his Tri Team have been pursuing Merrano and destroying experimental tesseract powered U-boats and other Hydra naval forces along the way.
Jim Hammond (The Human Torch) has been after Master Man. He has been destroying experimental tesseract powered air support and other Hydra air and ground forces along the way.
Peggy and Howard are now in the countryside, investigating whole squads, allied and German, that seem to have been beaten to death. They find one survivor who is embarrassed to tell them that it was a woman.
They surmise that it was Julia Koenig and that she must have gained her powers from the phase 2 super soldier serum in the lab accident from the Human Torch movie.
In the debris of another battle they fine no survivors at all. Allied and Nazi soldiers bodies alike, in no fit state to send home to their mothers, as Howard puts it. There is earth overturned and scorch marks everywhere, huge tank tracks in the ground...
They wonder if Red Skull has outgrown the Nazis. They follow the trail.
Namor's team pursue Merrano to a river based field laboratory where Cap's team have also traced their next components to.
Namor: The famous Captain America. I believe our meeting is long overdue. Now we shall see if you are as great a warrior as they say.
Steve: Pleasure to meet you Prince Namor. Please, call me Steve.
(Namor proceeds to call him Captain for the rest of the movie)
After a big laboratory fight including brainwashed Talokanil and experimental tesseract weapons the heroes triumph. Namor's team captures Merrano and rescues his people and Cap's team has their new component and new leads. They destroy the factory.
Namora and Attuma head home with Merrano and the freed Talokanil. Namor joins Cap to track down the next component.
In the countryside Master Man is supposed to be marrying Warrior Woman. A propaganda wedding to please the Führer. Master Man (aka Willie Lohmer) is quite excited about it, Warrior Woman…is not. Peggy and Howard arrive at the church in disguise as guests. Peggy, of course, speaks flawless German. She has told Howard to keep his mouth shut.
They manage to overhear that not only does Julia not want to go through with the wedding (not into arranged marriages or Willie) but her powers are on the fritz. Her super strength and agility come and go as a result of getting her powers in an accident, though she keeps her enhanced physique.
All very useful until Howard forgets himself, opens his mouth and soon they are running across the countryside with shots fired after them from Hydra and the Nazis present. Howard gets caught by Master Man but then The Human Torch shows up and challenges him to a fight. Willie can't back down in front of Julia. Jim keeps him busy and then Colonel Phillips and his troops arrive. They engage the enemy and Howard is freed. Cap, Bucky and the HC arrive (they were in the area obvs) and mop up the remnants. The whole wedding party (excluding Julia) is captured. Cap and Peggy are reunited.
The prisoners are relocated to their European base. One, Lotus Newmark, appeals to Howard. She says she started working for Hydra because they could get her family out of their detention centre in New York. Two years later, the centres are still intact and her parents still interred. If they can get them released, she will take them to where Schmidt's super weapon, Panzer Max ('Panzer Max? Sounds a little patriotic for Schmidt…'), is being built. She doesn't know what it is exactly, but it is meant to end the war. It sounds like the kind of machine that could cause the horrific scene that Peggy and Howard found in France.
Howard falls for it, no mind control necessary, and gets the crew together. They all head out to this rather large but otherwise unassuming factory back in the French countryside.
When they arrive the factory is empty save for something big covered in canvases up the back and a series of workrooms and offices behind that. They smell a rat, but Lotus is gone. From a safe distance, she mind controls them to fight eachother. It is clear she is toying with them, she could have them kill each other. Cap does get shot but it is fairly superficial.
Steve and Namor are able to resist due to their powers, Jim is unaffected as he is synthetic. They are surrounded by their friends and allies. Namor is happy to kill them all but Cap and Jim won't let him. They prepare to fight.
Lotus releases them and (psychically) tells them that her part is done, and that the allies are a-holes for the way they treated their own citizens.
Then, as everyone is recovering, Panzer Max rises from the canvases. At full height it nearly reaches the ceiling. It is ridiculously decked out with minigun hands and missiles on it's shoulders. Oh and a tesseract powered laser.
Zola, Warrior Woman, Hydra goons and the Red Skull are piloting. This is the second field test, the first was unsatisfactory as it only contained two opposing military companies and some light artillery. Red Skull is disappointed that Herr Rogers didn't bring more firepower. Panzer starts to lay into our heroes. They warm up the laser.
Dugan says reinforcements are ten minutes out. Cap says they have to hold out till then.
They assault Panzer from different angles to make themselves difficult to target. Cap, Bucky and the commandos try to damage the tank treads. Namor and Jim take to the air and try to break into the cockpit.
It appears to be impervious to conventional weapons, even Cap's shield. They have also made it fireproof and waterproof to combat Namor. Peggy and Howard hit it with rocket/grenade launchers from cover (crates or something? idk), the plating holds.
The laser finally fires and hits close to the crates. Peggy and Howard go flying but survive with minor injuries.
Red Skull is disappointed as it takes the laser a long time to charge. He shoots the goon operating and takes his seat. He asks for time to get it warmed up again.
Namor gets his spear to make a dent but it gets jammed in the plating. He gets hit with a flame thrower taking him out. The group are tiring and the blasts/bullets are getting closer.
Morita gets the call on the radio, reinforcements are here, open a wall and clear a blast zone. The Torch makes the hole and the others get clear. Cap helps Namor.
Panzer takes a volley from missiles, tank shells and mortars. It is unscathed.
The laser is ready. Red Skull retaliates and takes out a tank division with the laser and some missiles.
RS: See? It's not so hard to shoot a laser.
Dying goon: '…'
Then the mini guns go on the advancing infantry. Things are not going well for the heroes. But the distraction for Red Skull gives them a chance to regroup.
Howard and Peggy have some ideas. Howard thinks that the vibranium in Cap's shield could redirect the laser to the shoulder missiles causing them to explode. Peggy didn't like that one as it puts Steve in danger. She reasoned that the operators need to breathe so their must be an intake or exhaust somewhere and they have a powerful and sentient flamethrower.
Steve says they should do both to maximise their chances. Peggy and Howard get Namor to a workroom at the back of the factory.
Surviving reinforcements start arriving at the factory and immediately start getting picked off. Steve makes his presence known and goads Red Skull into concentrating fire on him. He has a hard time avoiding the miniguns but his agility just keeps him from any serious harm.
Jim quietly searches behind it for an intake or exhaust.
The laser warms up, the miniguns fall quiet and Cap stands his ground. Taking up his shield at the strategic moment, he redirects the laser. It is difficult, and the heat is almost unbearable but he manages to get it back to the rockets before Schmidt manages to shut it off.
BOOM!
An entire minigun arm comes off.
Meanwhile the Torch has found an opening and concentrates his flame in there. As the operators frantically try to assess the damage from Rogers' strike, the fierce flames disable the operating system and spread to the cockpit.
Realising the experiment has failed Zola suggests they are now outnumbered and should retreat. The Red Skull says he will deal with Zola's design failure later and they exit with 49 Hydra goons as cover. They head for the back rooms!
As the allies head for the back rooms, Panzer explodes and Jim is caught in the blast. He is thrown into the brickwork and gets buried in rubble.
Cap, Bucky and the commandos pursue Schmidt's party to an underground tunnel. The commandos engage Schmidt's personal goons while Cap and Bucky take on Red Skull.
Zola has quietly made his way to the tesseract powered high speed underground rail transport and is frantically trying to get it started.
Schmidt manages to grab Bucky and puts him between him and Cap. This gives him an opportunity to get on board the transport but with Cap in hot pursuit. Cap manages to get Bucky clear. Schmidt uses that distraction to force Steve off as well and the transport disappears into the distance.
Meanwhile, Julia discovers Peggy and Howard protecting Namor from some goons. She goes for Peggy and Howard tries to be all manly and get in the way. She says she never got the chance to thank him properly for ruining her wedding and she means it. But then she starts to strangle him. Peggy tries to intervene but Julia easily sends her flying. Peggy picks up a wrench and knocks down the goons and stands with it. Julia derisorily asks what she means to do with it.
With a wry smile she knocks a nearby water pipe open and it floods the room. Julia realises what this means too late and is soon in a pitched battle with a revived Namor. The goons recover and keep coming for him until Julia gets the upper hand. Peggy goes to intervene again and Julia hits her but it only lands as a normal punch.
Peggy: What's the matter? Powers on the fritz?
Peggy decks her and, being in a weakened state, she is knocked out. Namor bests the goons. He is impressed with Peggy. Probably tries to flirt with her because…Namor.
Then a debrief back at their European base. Colonel Phillips congratulates the allies for ensuring that Hydra didn't turn the D-Day invasion into a failure.
Howard has charmed some Locals into giving a crate of champagne. He starts passing out glasses and bottles as Phillips speaks. When he finishes, Howard proposes a toast to his favourite Invaders (too on the nose?).
Cap should have a moment with Peggy and with Bucky while Jim is welcomed to the gang by the Howling commandos. They ask where Namor has gone. Jim says he went home to have a party of his own.
Cut to Namor having a lavish ceremony to celebrate the capture of the traitor Merrano and the return of the kidnapped Talokanil. Big celebrations!
Then we track down to the prison where Merrano can hear the celebrations. But instead of being sad, he is SMILING…
Post credits:- Lady Lotus complains to the Red Skull that her parents haven't been released yet…"You said you would free them all, raze the internment camp to the ground".
Schmidt has realised that if Steve Rogers can resist her then he can too and he needed some insurance that she would stay and carry out the next part of the plan. He will need her talents very soon…
Panzer Max idea inspired by this article:
1945 Captain America: Super-Axis
Need a better title…
We open with the scene from Captain America: The First Avenger, where SS officers demand to see Schmidt as the Führer wants the tesseract weapons for regular soldiers, not just Hydra. In addition he is worried about the growing threat that Schmidt poses.
Here we see that he means to conquer the world, including Berlin. He kills the officers, shocking Arnim Zola.
This scene would be cut from CA:FA and put here instead as, up till now, he has had the support of the Nazi party.
He now needs to bring his plans forward before he loses the element of surprise. He goes to visit Lady Lotus.
She has Hydra goons waiting on her, hand and foot. Schmidt remarks that she seems to be making herself very comfortable (implying that she is mind controlling them (which she totally is)). She says if she's going to be stuck with Hydra she may as well make the most of it.
Schmidt asks her to enact the next phase of their plan as the murdered officers will be missed soon and the Nazis will investigate their "disappearance". They can't allow any disruption after all they have worked for. She reminds him that it is not her plan. He says her parents are not safe in the internment camp so she should do as she is told. She agrees through gritted teeth.
She has installed sleeper agents at the London SSR base and also in Talokan. They had been in Hydra's custody but were 'liberated' by the allies and Invaders in the previous movie.
She activates them by psychically reciting a series of seemingly unconnected words to them, similar to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This means she doesn't have to control them all the time they just follow more general psychic instructions (e.g. you work for Hydra now).
The brainwashed Talokanil free the captured Meranno and Krang who lead them in an assault on Talokan. Namor, Namora and Attuma lead a resistance.
The brainwashed SSR agents free the captured Warrior Woman and Master Man who lead them in an assault on the SSR base in London. Agent Carter, the Human Torch and Howard lead a resistance.
Meanwhile Captain America and the Howling Commandos have just gone radio silent as they hunt down Zola, who is still on the Hydra train. The train scene proceeds as per the movie. Bucky is lost.
After 3 films showing Bucky and Steve's friendship, the fall will have more emotional weight.
Not knowing who is friend or foe, Namor's Tri-Team are forced to flee Talokan. They head to London.
Steve and co arrive at the SSR base early on the second day of the siege, Namor's team in the evening and turn the tide of the battle. Members of Super-Axis escape.
Peggy and the team are forced to fight their friends, some of whom are killed. Those who survive activate their cyanide capsules and die. The London base and the surrounding area is badly damaged.
This gives more urgency to the Zola interrogation scene and more poignancy to the blast damaged pub scene between Steve and Peggy.
Zola gives up Schmidt's last stronghold. The whole team head out there to stop him using his tesseract powered weapons of mass destruction on the world.
Steve gets them in and they spread out, looking for a way to defeat Super-Axis and stop Red Skull. Peggy and Jim find Master Man and Warrior Woman and a battle ensues. Jim goes toe to toe with Master Man and his personal squad of Hydra lackeys. Julia plays a game of cat and mouse with Peggy. It gets perilous for Peggy at times, but she is canny and manages to wound her with her pistol. Willie is bested by Jim again. Both the super soldiers retreat.
Steve and the Howling commandos are mopping up Hydra minions and pursuing Red Skull.
Howard and the Tri-Team find Lady Lotus with her brainwashed Hydra goons. Attuma and Namora easily defeat the goons. A furious Namor tries to kill Lady Lotus (she cannot control him). She turns Attuma and Namora against him.
Howard calls for them all to stop and listen.
He manages to convince Namor that despite her actions she is also a victim of the Red Skull, that she's not really had a choice. That she told him at least part of the truth when they captured her before. That her parents really are interred in California and Schmidt has been using them as leverage.
Howard suggests releasing all the brainwashed Talokanil in return for her release. Namor cannot countenance this. Howard says if she removes her control, you can defeat Meranno without fear of harming your people. He tells him about the harrowing scenes at the SSR base and the cyanide capsules.
Namor says he cannot let her go after what she has done.
Howard says why would she release your people if you don't.
Namor thinks. He says if she betrays him he will find her and kill her.
She releases Namora, Attuma and all the others. We have a very brief scene of Meranno, about to have himself crowned king of Talokan, being turned on by dozens of formerly brainwashed subjects. He flees.
Lotus says what about my parents?
Namora says, why not get them yourself? There aren't many who could stop you.
She says what about Red Skull?
Howard says leave Red Skull to us.
Steve meets up with Peggy and Colonel Phillips in the hallway as per the movie and they get after Schmidt, Steve stowing away on the plane.
Meanwhile, Meranno has arrived and joined up with Super-Axis and the remaining Hydra soldiers. The SSR team converges on their position. We cut back and forth between their battle and Steve's infiltration of the plane.
The fight between Cap and Skull should be huge as this is the last time they will fight.
Peggy manages to finish what she started and caps Julia (not before kicking some SSR butt though). Willie tries to get to her and gets caught in the crossfire. As she dies, Julia calls him an idiot.
Willie appeals to Jim as they were friends. Jim is conflicted as he has the real Jim's memories, but ultimately decides that that isn't really him and leaves Master Man to die alone. Meranno and the other Hydra forces are holding their own, but then the pursuing Talokanil turn up and the base is overrun.
Red Skull acidentally makes himself disappear with the tesseract at the climax of the battle. Steve takes control of the plane.
Peggy joins him on coms. Crash. Downer.
Red Skull has now been an impressive antagonist 3 times in a row for Cap, much better.
1st Post credits:-
We see an older Japanese American couple playing Go while others internees mill about and chat etc.
We see the guard outside wandering off.
We zoom out and see ALL the guards wandering off.
We see the residents start to realise something is going on. They look out the windows. The older couple look up momentarily but then continue their game.
We see Lady Lotus enter and say (in Japanese), "Nothing ever interrupts your Go game, does it…"
They finally look up and see who it is, their daughter.
"Hasu chan!"
They embrace. Everybody else crowds around. She smiles and says (in Japanese), "Let's go"
