Major Corey oversees an important Army project, a man the enemy marks as a prime target for the intelligence he holds. On the night of a sabotage plot, he dismisses Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes from guard duty despite their warning that he is a target, insisting they are needed elsewhere and sending them off, then settles into the comfort of his study with his pipe and book.
His confidence leaves him exposed. As he relaxes, the Red Skull slips in through an open window he neglected to secure and gasses him, a chemical designed to strip away his memory for months. Captain America and Bucky arrive too late to stop it, finding the major struck down. He survives the attack, but with his memory gone, his project must be shelved until he recovers.