Captain America II: Death Too Soon

Steve Rogers uses the portrait sketching as a cover to set a trap for a gang of muggers who have been stealing Social Security check proceeds from elderly residents. Mrs. Shaw complains to Rogers about the thieves, and he asks her to return for another portrait session to lure the muggers into attacking again so he can catch them in the act as Captain America.

General Miguel forces Professor Ian Ilson to resume his research into a chemical that accelerates aging. Ilson had developed both the aging accelerant and its antidote. Miguel plans to weaponize the aging chemical to hold Portland hostage for a multimillion-dollar ransom, threatening to release it on the city if his demands aren't met.

When Miguel throws the bottle of aging accelerant at Captain America, the hero throws his shield to intercept it, shattering the bottle. The chemical splashes on both men, but Captain America receives only a minor amount due to the shield deflection. His super-soldier serum allows him to withstand the effects, aging only about a month, while the chemical proves fatal to Miguel.

Miguel receives a full direct splash of the aging accelerant when the bottle shatters. Unlike Captain America, he has no enhanced physiology to resist the chemical's effects. The accelerated aging process takes less than a minute to kill him, while Captain America only experiences a month's worth of aging due to the smaller exposure and his super-soldier serum.

Miguel poses as the warden of a prison near Portland, Oregon, giving him a position of authority while carrying out his terrorist operation. He chooses Portland as his hostage city because he can leverage his fake prison warden identity and the proximity to control Professor Ilson's research facility while threatening the civilian population with his aging chemical weapon.

Miguel kidnaps Professor Ian Ilson by posing as the warden of a prison in Oregon near Portland. Using this false identity, he forces Ilson to resume his forbidden research into accelerating aging. Ilson had stopped the work, but Miguel's coercion brings the dangerous science back into play for his terrorist plot.

Captain America springs his trap by pretending to sketch Mrs. Shaw while waiting for the muggers to attack her. When the gang attempts to rob her, Captain America reveals himself and intercepts the thieves. He captures the entire mugger gang and protects the civilians, resolving the neighborhood crime wave that prompted Mrs. Shaw's complaint.

The aging accelerant affects them differently due to two factors: dosage and physical resilience. Miguel receives the full concentrated splash of the chemical directly on his body, while Captain America's shield deflects most of it away, resulting in only minor exposure. Additionally, Captain America's super-soldier serum provides resistance to chemical attacks, allowing him to survive what kills a normal human.

The antidote Ilson developed is never actually used in the story. While Ilson reveals he created both the aging accelerant and its counter-agent, the narrative focuses on the confrontation between Captain America and Miguel. The antidote remains unused because the conflict resolves quickly once Miguel is defeated by his own weapon.

Captain America learns of Miguel's threat to Portland and the weaponized aging chemical. He directly confronts Miguel at the battle site near Portland, leading to a face-to-face showdown. Miguel attempts to use the aging accelerant as a weapon against Captain America, throwing the bottle at him, which escalates into the climactic exchange that ends in Miguel's death.