Captain America (2004) #46, "Old Friends and Enemies Part 1 of 3"

I reviewed an Alpha Flight issue for Canada Day and had intended to do the same for Captain America but didn't get the time to. We're going to do that now with issue #46 of the 2004 series.

Unfortunately, the rather exciting and dramatic cover does not reflect the contents of the book. Namor contributes fairly little to the story.

But first, a recap.

The story then opens with Chin in his lab speaking to a mysterious, unnamed ("old friend" is as much as we get) man in a hat and long coat. They appear to have the unconscious body of the Human Torch (the Invaders version) in a large tube. Interesting!

We then cut to this version of Captain America (Bucky Barnes) and Namor aboard the old Atlantean ship the Invaders used to ride around in. Barnes states point blank that he felt he had to do the job with Namor. During their conversation, the Avenging Son can't help but throw in a shot at the surface world's tendency to waste and pollute (he's not wrong), as well as a sort-of approval of Barnes in the Captain suit, until remembering his old frenemy.

Writer Ed Brubaker has his personality pretty well, in my humble estimation.

We spend the next few pages in flashback/backfill. The first is an Invaders scene in which Chin's wonder at the Torch's power first took place, the second is the Winter Soldier's botched attempt at killing Chin in 1968. During said attempt, Barnes instead killed Chin's fiance. Yikes.

In the meantime, The Black Widow has supplied Barnes with a general location for Chin, in Taipei City. Captain America gets the jump on the lab's armed guards but when more appear and open fire on him, Namor makes the timely save.

And that's where they part ways, as Barnes prepares to break into the facility. So for all that Barnes said he did not want to complete this mission without Namor, he basically used him to bum a ride and clear his conscience.

The Invaders flashbacks and continuity were cool and based on the solicitation for the next issue, Namor will continue to appear at least in the second part of the story. Here's to old friends and enemies.