The Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies, or S.T.R.I.K.E., was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s counter-terrorism team headed up by Captain America. The team was sent on a mission to rescue hostages from a S.H.I.E.L.D ship, the Lemurian Star, which had been hijacked by the mercenary Georges Batroc and his band of pirates. S.T.R.I.K.E. fought the pirates and rescued the hostages, but with some difficulty when Agent Romanoff abandoned her part in the mission to pursue a mission of her own. Her mission to retrieve restricted data from the ship allowed Batroc the opportunity to escape.