In a backup feature of Captain America #369 (by Mark Gruenwald, Mark Bagley and Ron Lim), the super soldier's arch-enemy, Red Skull, found himself buried in an underground shelter. There he was forced to face the many spirits of different people who were in his life, from Captain America to Adolf Hitler, most of whom told him to give up and accept his fate. The only one who told him to keep going was the Captain.
Midway through the issue, while Captain America was fighting robot versions of other characters, the story cuts to an image of the Red Skull sitting in the dark, a narration reveals that he has been locked in an abandoned fallout shelter at the hands of Magneto. The story leading to this begins in issue #367 when Magneto breaks into Red Skull's Washington D.C office. Magneto, a resurrected holocaust survivor, demands to know if he is facing the real Red Skull, who worked with Adolf Hitler during World War II, and the former Nazi admits that he is.
Magneto seeks revenge and the two begin to fight, resulting in the capture of Red Skull, who later wakes to find himself in the abandoned fallout shelter with his captor standing over him. Then he is left with nothing but darkness and ten gallons of water, being forced to contemplate his life and the actions that led him to his grave. That brings us back to issue #369, Red Skull is searching for something to fill the void in the darkness he was left in. At first, there was nothing, but then he starts to hear ringing and movement followed by voices. The voices of apparitions who have come to visit him.
The first voice was his father's, who calls him an abomination and regrets not killing him when he was born. When he appeals to his father, asking for help to escape his captivity, his suggestion was one word -- suicide. Upon saying it, the vision of his father disappears. The next spirit to visit the former Nazi is none other than Adolf Hitler, who demands that Red Skull lick his boots and reminds him that it was he who turned Johann Shmidt into a supervillain. Hitler is disgusted, calling him a "pretender". He goes on to repeat Red Skull's father's idea, suggesting suicide.
Some other spirits who come to see him are his daughter, Sinthea, who he gave up for adoption because she was born female. As she disappears, a shard of glass appears in his hands, she too wants him to kill himself. Next is his former right-hand man and Nazi biochemist, Arnim Zola, who also tells Red Skull that the only way out of the bunker is by way of suicide. As he begins to lose his mind another spirit appears -- his arch-nemesis, Captain America.
The Captain begins by stating that Red Skull is the most despicable man he has ever met -- but somebody has to be. If that title wasn't taken by him, it would be somebody else. He explains that despite Red Skull's misgivings and horrendous deeds, he does not wish death upon him. He tells his enemy not to listen to the other voices and that somebody will come to save him, it's just a matter of time. As Captain America's spirit disappears, Red Skull curses him for caring and being more good than he is evil. Of all the taunts and suggestions that Red Skull heard, it is the Captain's words that he heeds.
Captain America's spirit and pure intentions are so strong that they saved Red Skull when he was on the verge of losing his mind and possibly suicide. He was saved by the person he hated the most. This tells us that Captain America is the true embodiment of good and everything that a hero should aspire to be. He is someone whose only intention is to do what is right, even when it comes to someone who is considered to be the most evil villain of all time. Captain America is the perfect example of a superhero.