These three issues of Captain America primarily deal with our hero’s ongoing conflict with Connie Ferrari and the long-simmering mystery surrounding her brother David, whom she believes was killed in a hazing episode in the military for being gay, but in actuality Nick Fury has found him alive and (reasonably) well. (We also get a panel from an issue of Iron Man, unfortunately not nearly as interesting as the last one.)
Like the last two issues, Captain America #41 opens with Cap musing over his dual life…
…as we see in the (slightly rearranged) inner monologue boxes from above.
Even after military personnel on the base he was protecting notify him of the reappearance of Batroc, Cap turns to his second mission, demonstrating that even the Living Legend of World War II knows when surrender is called for.
After the mystery of the resolution of her case in the last issue is settled, Steve lets Connie know she was right to defend her client despite his secret knowledge that he was guilty (although, again, she was under no obligation to provide him with that service).
As they embrace, Dum Dum Dugan calls Steve—on Sharon Carter’s orders, both of them observing Steve and Connie from outside, not creepy at all—to let him know they found Batroc. Before Connie can object, Steve asks for the same consideration of his job as he belatedly gave to hers. (To be fair, she doesn’t know what his job is, and it has a bad habit of interrupting at the worst moments.)
Here is ze leapair, always a welcome sight at this blog…
…as well as his current employer, who is less welcome (but disappears almost as quickly as he shows up).
Although the Skull gets away on his stolen SHIELD helicarrier, Cap captures Batroc and the disk of SHIELD battle secrets he stole, and then returns to mission #2 to keep a promise to a very special person.
Issue #42 begins with Cap dropping into a fictional former Soviet republic in a stealth suit, which he is uncomfortable with—a rare reference these days to his reticence to engage in subterfuge—but he does it to find Nick as well as Connie’s brother. But first, a flashback to a recent evening with Connie…
…during which she give him a poster from the movie based on the radio show he listened to with Nick back in issue #27 (and which Connie mentioned in issue #31).
Steve hangs the poster in place of a WWII photo, which reminds Connie both of long gone moral clarity as well as her brother.
Connie leaves soon afterwards to finish some work, which gives Sharon (who is always watching) an opening to call and tell Steve she’s found Nick—which brings us back to the present, when Cap comes upon a local family in need. He finds he has to convince them he’s friendly, especially after being backlit by the extremely large full moon…
…as well as wearing colors considered hostile to their interests.
They explain the mother is sick, and after Cap tends to her with his first aid kit, he explains why he’s there—and also why he’s glad to be of service.
I always appreciate when Cap pays tribute to the soldiers from allied nations whom he fought alongside, as he does below with respect to Russian forces he served with during WWII.
Just then, he is ambushed by the Crimson Dynamo, followed by the fella below, whom Cap assumes is Connie’s brother…
…but is revealed to be none other than Nick Fury, apparently working with the Crimson Dynamo.
Issue #43 opens with Cap strung up over a missile silo in front of Nick (who we learn later is drugged with a mind control agent), the Dynamo (who it seems is just a random doofski), and David Ferrari, who apparently now goes by “the Answer.” (“Who asked?” is the natural response.)
Ferrari is full of bluster, which Cap exploits to gain time…
…until the family he helped in the last issue return the favor.
Once free, Cap defeats David, who complains about being chemically enhanced by SHIELD to serve their mission, which he forgets will sound awfully familiar to the man beating him.
After making a quick pitch for democratic action, Cap assures a recovered Nick that he will tell Connie all about David before turning to the family who saved his life.
Having taken care of them, Cap watches solemnly as the Ferrari siblings reunite…
…and is shocked that Connie is so easily forgiving of her brother’s many transgressions, though her familiar instincts combine with her lawyer’s perspective and her distrust of authority to explain it.
Now that she has had a chance to speak with Cap directly and look him squarely in the face, it hits her…
…that she’s the new Bernie Rosenthal!
Cap and Connie’s story comes to a culmination in the next issue, but before we stop for today, here’s a quick few panels from Iron Man #42, in which Cap is furiously searching for the Absent Avenger and Happy is unhappily no help.
ISSUE DETAILS
Captain America (vol. 3) #41, May 2001: Dan Jurgens (writer and pencils), Bob Layton (inks), Digital Chameleon (colors), Todd Klein (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain America (vol. 3) #42, June 2001: Dan Jurgens (writer and pencils), Bob Layton (inks), Michael Bartolo (colors), Todd Klein (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Captain America (vol. 3) #43, July 2001: Dan Jurgens (writer), David Ross (pencils), Bob Layton (inks), Michael Bartolo (colors), Todd Klein (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Captain America by Dan Jurgens Omnibus.
Iron Man (vol. 3) #42, July 2001: Frank Tieri (writer), Keron Grant (pencils), Rob Stull, Karl Story, and Rich Perrotta (inks), Edgar Tadeo (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Iron Man: The Man in the Iron Mask Omnibus.
PREVIOUS ISSUE: Captain America #40 (April 2001)
ALSO THESE MONTHS: Avengers #40-42 (May-July 2001), Thunderbolts #50-52 (May-July 2001), Black Panther #30 (May 2001), and Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Comics Magazine #4 (May 2001)
NEXT ISSUE: Captain America #44 (August 2001)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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