These issues of Captain America and Avengers comprise the first half of the “Taking AIM” crossover, in which Captain America assembles a team of heroes to help him investigate strange energy emissions from AIM Island—which have also attracted the attentions of the Red Skull.
The story begins in Captain America #440 as Cap asks his old friend Dennis Dunphy, aka D-Man, to join his team. Dennis demurs, though, citing his responsibility to the Night People of Zerotown, whom he has been protecting since issue #418. (And it’s strange that Cap tells Dennis he “didn’t feel right” asking the Avengers to help, because we saw him do exactly at the end of Avengers #386.)
Speaking of Sam, he seeks out Jesse Black Crow, the Native American mystic who saved Cap’s life in issue #300, to see if there is a supernatural cure for his former partner, but no luck. Next, he joins Free Spirit and Jack Flag (fresh from Arnie Roth’s hospital bed), Fabian Stankowicz, Zack Moonhunter, and Nick Fury in Cap’s aircraft, joined shortly by Cap, who asks Sam about Hawkeye.
Is it just me, or does Sam look like he completely forgot to ask Hawkeye?
Jack Flag and Free Spirit insist on joining the mission, and when Cap balks, they play the Bucky card—which could have easily backfired if it reminded Cap of his history putting young sidekicks in danger, but luckily for the Wonder Twins it went the other way (which Cap explains later). And before Nick bails, he updates the crew on the nature of the energy coming from AIM Island, which certainly explains the Red Skull’s interest as well.
There are two more people interested in the goings-on, but for a different reason: Superia and Diamondback, the latter disguised as Snapdragon, the woman she killed and whose place she has taken with Superia in exchange for developing a cure for Cap. For his part, Cap is getting ready for an amphibious sneak attack on AIM Island, and after Fabian explains the scuba gear to the team, Cap notes that he didn’t use a goofy name when addressing him, suggesting that Fabian appreciates the solemnity of the situation, especially as Cap’s time on Earth is limited.
As Cap’s new Kooky Quartet takes a swim, he thinks about why he allowed Jack and Cathy to come along, and chalks it up to the stakes, while remembering what happened in the past with Bucky and Rick Jones (although calling Jack Flag and Free Spirit “experienced” at this point is a stretch).
After they surface, Cap sends the kids to disable the island’s defenses—where they see the Red Skull but wisely do not engage with him—while he and Sam approach from above, falling easily into old teamwork patterns. When they find the sources of the energy flares, Cap decides to jump in with both feet over Sam’s objections, with a morbid rationale.
Even though the next energy burst misses Cap, it does disrupt his armor—none of which Sam sees, triggering his greatest fear.
Sam would be happy to know that Cap fell to the ground near the crater, although he is completely paralyzed again… at least until Superia comes along with a gift.
The story continues in Avengers #387, where a small boy and his dog find Cap’s armor and then Sleeping Beauty himself. (There’s a Marvel No-Prize in it for anyone who explains how Cap got out of his armor.)
As Cap is startled awake, he mistakes the boy for Bucky… before he clearly sees Bucky standing nearby. (The dog helpfully confirms this Bucky isn’t just a figment of Cap’s imagination—assuming the dog is real, that is!)
At the same time, the Avengers have landed on the Island and are fighting AIM agents, who they discover are actually Adaptoids, androids who can mimic the appearances, skills, and abilities of others and use this talent to torture the Avengers with visions of lost friends and lovers. Cap isn’t aware of this yet, and struggles to reconcile Bucky’s sudden reappearance with other recent events, but he seems to intuit what’s going on—and still holds out a small bit of hope when he watches Bucky move exactly like he remembers.
Just like with Sam earlier, Cap falls into old patterns with Bucky, and even though he realizes this is not the real Bucky, the new arrival does seem to want to help, so he is welcomed to join the team. (This includes Jonny Quest and Bandit too, I guess.)
Cap and his new friends search for Sam, but as they climb a hill Cap’s muscles give out for a second, and Bucky saves him from falling. As they look over the cliff to the waters below, they see Sam lying unconscious, atop an Adaptoid he was presumably fighting, on the rocks…
…but before they have a chance to go to him, they’re hit by an explosion, caused by a new MODOK, whose menace will lead off the next issue of Captain America in the next post.
ISSUE DETAILS
Captain America (vol. 1) #440, June 1995: Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi, Marie Severin, and Don Hudson (inks), Ashley Posella (colors), Joe Rosen (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Captain America Epic Collection: Twilight’s Last Gleaming.
Avengers (vol. 1) #387, June 1995: Bob Harras and Terry Kavanagh (writers), Mike Deodato, Jr. (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Bill Oakley (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Both collected in: Captain America Epic Collection: Twilight’s Last Gleaming and Avengers Epic Collection: Taking A.I.M.
PREVIOUS ISSUES: Captain America #439, Avengers #386, and ClanDestine #8 (May 1995)
NEXT ISSUES: Captain America #441 and Avengers #388 (July 1995)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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