These two issues finish the “Man without a Country” storyline, in which Steve Rogers is stripped of the Captain America title and his American citizenship after President Bill Clinton accused him of conspiring with the Red Skull: specifically, trading secrets about an anti-aircraft weapon in exchange for the blood transfusion that saved his life (in issue #445). Exiled to London, Steve and his trusty companion Sharon Carter search for Machinesmith, the Red Skull’s right-hand “man,” who had built the weapon in Moldavia—and who they suspect stole the information out of Steve’s head before the blood transfusion.
At the end of the last issue, Steve and Sharon flew a stolen F-15 fighter jet into Moldavian aircraft to draw out the anti-aircraft weapon, which worked like a charm—a very loud and explosive charm. As issue #452 begins, we see Steve (in the new costume Sharon bought him) diving through the wreckage after Sharon, plummeting to the ground, still strapped to her seat without the parachute activated.
After aligning his spin and speed with hers, Steve connects with Sharon’s airplane seat and she has a real “You’ve got me? Who’s got you?” moment after she realizes he ditched his parachute to save her.
She asks a stupid question, but gets a serious answer.
After getting back to Earth they camp out for the night, and Sharon wakes to Moldavian guards standing over her, and Steve nowhere to be seen—until he shows up with a sweet ride, slightly resentful that she doubted him and his faith in her skills.
As Steve keeps his mask on under his disguise—old habits die hard, I guess—the pair infiltrate the base where they believe the weapon is located. But when Sharon tries to take out the guard, Steve intervenes…
…and reminds Sharon that no one kills while he’s around, regardless of his official status (or the enemy’s). So Sharon devises an alternative plan, one that Steve goes along with surprisingly quickly. (The way he looks at his fist suggests that it surprised hm too.)
This provides enough of a distraction for Steve to rush the anti-aircraft weapon and, using the information he has about it, destroy it once and for all, resulting in yet another deadly explosion.
The scene below makes me think Steve’s watched too many 80s action movies.
At least this gives her an excuse to punch him back (even if she did ask for the first one).
They just begin to talk about what happened when they’re knocked out by a gas cannister and wake up later in Machinesmith’s command center to news reports of a summit between President Clinton and Moldavian delegates.
Machinesmith confirms that he stole the cannon specs from Steve’s brain… along with everything else he knew (to Steve’s alarm) including codes for the SHIELD helicarrier that Machinesmith just disabled. (This explains the overheard cries of distress in the final panel below.)
Steve watches on dual monitors as (a) the helicarrier heads to its own fiery explosion and (b) one of Machinesmith’s duplicates plans a similar fate for the president at Camp David.
As promised above, our story concludes in issue #453, with Cap trusting Sharon to handle the helicarrier situation—which she does—while he escapes from Machinesmith’s bunker and runs due east across the snow to the next country. (I doubt his Avengers ID card really entitles him to entry to this unique land, but it probably intrigues his ruler enough to let him in.)
You guessed it! Cap remarks silently on the docile and frightened citizenry—and exaggerates his own situation just a bit in comparison—before Doom’s Servo-Guards arrive to fetch the odd tourist.
The next four images are cropped from a wordy two-page spread, in which Cap tries to convince the Latveria dictator it’s in his interests to help Cap get back to America. But first, Cap has to wait out Doom’s patented bluster.
Cap argues the danger to Latveria of a U.S.-Moldavia war and asks Doom—nay, “allows” Doom—to help him. Doom giggles at that and then throws Cap’s recent alliance with the Red Skull in his face.
Cap dismisses Doom’s jab, emphasizing his goal and, more important, its alignment with Doom’s. And to drive the point home with flair, Cap smashes Doom’s globe.
This works, somehow, and Doom agrees to sneak him back into the country. (Perhaps he will be amused by what he expects will be Cap’s failure.)
Back in the U.S., President Clinton greets the Moldavian team, quickly revealing themselves to led by Machinesmith, who uses his mindreading ability to get the nuclear codes of the president’s head…
…and in the process absolves Captain America of any wrongdoing regarding the anti-aircraft cannon.
Speaking of whom, look who makes a very dramatic entrance.
As Cap mows down Machinesmith’s robot crew, he thinks about the costume and shield Doom gave him, referring to “the imitation suit,” which suggests it’s from a particular past storyline, but I’m at a loss as to which one. (Recently one was used in issue #444, but I don’t see how Doom would have that.)
After all of Machinesmith’s bodies have been “taken offline,” Cap wonders where his artificial consciousness could be—until he sees a countdown timer on the “football,” the president’s device to activate nuclear weapons (the codes for which the Machinesmith stole earlier). Cap throws the football into the flames from a fallen chopper (and what looks to be a bomb sitting beside it)…
…resulting in yet another deadly explosion which (once again) may have ended our hero’s life. Is the president saluting a fallen soldier, or merely shielding his eyes from the light…
…or both. Happily for him and everyone else, Cap lives to return the salute. (This panel always reminds of David Mazzucchelli’s work on Daredevil: Born Again, especially issue #233 featuring Cap.)
Afterwards, the president and the super-soldier have a follow-up meeting in the White House, at which the former apologizes for not having more faith in the latter, and the latter thanks the former for having that faith again.
Clinton gives Cap the real shield back, taking a moment to appreciate the history in his hands before thanking the Sentinel of Liberty for his continued service.
Cap dismisses the gratitude, citing his duty, for which he is grateful.
The next issue is the final issue of the first volume of Captain America… don’t miss the end of an era!
ISSUE DETAILS
Captain America (vol. 1) #452, June 1996: Mark Waid (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), John Kalisz and Mailbu Color (colors), John Costanza (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain America (vol. 1) #453, July 1996: Mark Waid (writer), Ron Garney and Pino Rinaldi (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), John Kalisz and Mailbu Color (colors), John Costanza (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Both collected in: Captain America Epic Collection: Man without a Country, Captain America: Man without a Country, and Captain America: Operation Rebirth (hardcover).
PREVIOUS ISSUES: Captain America #450-451 (April-May 1996)
ALSO THESE MONTHS: Avengers #399-400 (June-July 1996)
NEXT ISSUE: Captain America #454 (August 1996)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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