Review: Secret Wars 2099 #2

Previously in Secret Wars 2099 #1

This issue jumps right into the action and gives a bit more info on Captain America’s alter, Roberta Mendez. An assassin attacks Roberta and her husband Harry while they sleep. Harry is knocked out and Roberta turns into Captain America. She subdues the man, but she’s only able to get his name (The Specialist) out of him. He won’t tell her who hired him and he has no intentions of being brought into Alchemax. He impales himself with his own sword. Cap calls it in to Alchemax and then throws the body out the window. They can pick up that trash outside.

When she’s Roberta once more she checks on Harry and then their sleeping children. While she’s gone, Harry calls into Alchemax to report the attack as well. He assures the other person on the line that Roberta is unaware of all that has happened.

In the office, Miguel fills Cap in on what they know about The Specialist - he was a samurai last employed by Stark-Fujikawa. Miguel doesn’t think the $5 million bounty on her head was the motivation though. It also seems they have an internal leak because no one should have known about Roberta.

Next, Miguel pulls Tania (Black Widow) aside and asks if she’s responsible for killing a man who’d been suspected in the deaths of his wife and lover. She swears she has no idea what he’s talking about. He threatens to have the man’s wounds tested for her DNA - apparently he was eaten - but she maintains she had nothing to do with it. He clearly doesn’t believe her, and warns she needs to hide her kills better if she insists on doing them.

The business card of a known gun runner, Martin Hargood, is found on The Specialist so Miguel assembles The Avengers to ask him what he knows about the attempt on Roberta’s life. They get to a restaurant just in time to stop an irate man from beating up Hargood due to his “after hours activities.”

Cap demands the man release Hargood, but the stranger tells The Avengers to butt out - which is something you just don’t do. But this guy can handle himself because he morphs into a giant green Hulk… with fangs and claws. He fights the team, kicking all kinds of ass before a voice demands that everyone stop fighting. The Hulk is with The Defenders. You know, the enemies in disguise The Vision warned about.

Overall Thoughts & Questions:

• Still intrigued by this story. Roberta is “activated” by the words “Avengers Assemble,” and has no idea who or what she really is. Did her life with her husband and kids come first or are they part of a cover? Is this something she volunteered for, yet has no memory of agreeing to do so?
• Um, why is Tania eating folks?
• The introduction to The Defenders was well done and I definitely didn’t see it coming. Curious to find out why The Vision warned they couldn’t be trusted.