March, 1942. 90-pound weakling Steve Rogers doggedly attempts to enlist in the army, only to be repeatedly classified 4F. Rogers' determination and decency come to the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Rogers is the first test subject for Erskine's super-soldier serum, which transforms him utterly. When the program is abruptly ended, Rogers becomes Captain America--touring America to sell war bonds. On a USO tour in Europe, Rogers steals the first opportunity to demonstrate his worth by tangling with Johann Schmidt, a.k.a. the Red Skull, head of Hydra, Hitler's occult research and development unit. Schmidt has discovered the tesseract cube, an enormously powerful relic of Norse mythology through which he seeks to conquer the world. Assisted by Colonel Chester Phillips, Peggy Carter, weapons contractor Howard Stark, childhood friend Bucky Barnes, and Dum Dum Doogan and his howling commandos, Steve Rogers becomes more than a propaganda tool, emerging as the true Captain America.