SPOILER ALERT!!! The TRUTH and Captain America
TRUTH? I’m not faded at all regarding the power-move by Marvel that BY NOW EVERYONE KNOWS, BUT IN CASE YOU DON’T — Captain America is dead. My man Kevin Church has a solid post regarding his opinions on the issue (and a link to a news article regarding the event) that you should get down with. I think he’s got a pretty fair stance on the whole hustle and I think like most cats, he is taking it in good stride. I’d like to take it to the next-level and posit that Marvel should let fallen heroes stay dead.
Don’t hit us upside the head a year later with a resurrection of Steve Rogers as Captain America. We’ve all seen the end of Civil War, where Rogers surrenders, removes his mask and leaves it on the ground. Who scoops it up? but none other than Frank Castle, a.k.a., The Punisher. The true nature of an icon relies heavily on the mettle of the man. Does Castle really rock with the courage and fortitude that is required to stand as the symbol backed by an entire nation? I’m going to lay it out there and claim that he’s not even representative of that iconic stature.
Captain America is an ideal that was created with the blood of men who died for their country. Only one survived, and this black man was truly the first symbol that would become the icon we acknowledge today. Isaiah Bradley was the first Captain American, but he wasn’t the last. With Frank Castle holding the mantle of freedom, it’s time for a more qualified hero to step up. Logic dictates that The Falcon, a close friend of the late Rogers who fought alongside him, be the new face of freedom, and I’m down with that. BRING BACK TRUTH! — Red, White, and Black.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:23 am
I’ll agree that Frank Castle lacks the total iconic wherewithal to pick up Cap’s fallen banner, but I’ve a feeling that Brubaker is going to let him try (and probably fail). This is a good thing, if for no other reason than to give us a deeper look at one of the few moments of character building that Civil War had to offer. The way Punisher behaved around Cap, the way he respected the man behind that blue mask in a way that Castle hasn’t since he served in an official capacity, that was powerful. And now that Steve Rogers is gone … now that the only commanding officer he dared to acknowledge has fallen … what will Frank do now?
But The Falcon as a new Captain America? Maybe. Not sure I’d buy it though. Sam Wilson is a strong enough character to maintain his own heroic stature as The Falcon, provided he’s given a writer that understands him (i.e., Priest).
Besides … you know they’re going to give the shield to Bucky “Not-Dead-No-More” Barnes. ::grumble::
March 8th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Hmm. I dunno, but I guess we’ll see.
By the way, the title gives the impression that the spoilers are only going to apply to TRUTH. Luckily, I’d already gotten the scoop on Cap, but that almost didn’t happen.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:48 am
I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one.
I think that these characters will always stay relatively static, because from a cultural standpoint, super-heroes are modern mythology: the iconic status you were talking about. EVERYONE knows who Superman is, who Batman is, who Spider-Man is, whether they read comics or not. When you take secondary characters like The Falcon, or Robin, or Superboy, and give them the mantle of the legend, it dilutes the myth.
Captain America is no longer a world war 2 veteran who was frozen and resurrected in Modern Times, now he’s… a guy who used to dress like a bird and hang out with the frozen WW2 guy, who was shot, and after beating up the Punisher he took up the mantle.
This over-complicates the “ideal,” it adds too many steps to this iconic version of the character everyone already knows, and because of that these myths we’ve created need to eventually revert to their original forms…
March 8th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Thomas, I’m feeling Sam Wilson as Captain America. Of all the Black heroes that I’d consider for the mantle, he comes first. Then perhaps Battlestar. Maybe Patriot as a very anorexic third. I think it would be a busted move to put Bucky Barnes in play, especially when he’s setup the way he is by Brubaker (I think his format is pretty tight right now actually).
West, tru, tru — changed the title for clarity. Thanks for the heads up, bruh!
Casey, the overcomplication of the ideal seems short-sighted to me. Wasn’t the whole ideal of America, land of the free — home of the brave, born out of conflict, bruh? America is now apple pie and white picket fences (at least it used to be for some), but, when I consider how the country came about, it only seems fitting that the right to represent the ideal be fought for and earned.
March 8th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I wholeheartedly support this idea. The Falcon would make for an awesome Captain and somehow, the thought of (partially) insane, self righteous mass-murdering gun fetishist Frank Castle as the new face of the American Dream does not sit well with my (although the decadent european cynic in me can’t help suggesting that it might be accurate…)
March 8th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I avoided Civil War after the first couple issues left a sever taste of stupid in my mouth. Someone sent me a quote, though, about “The Punisher being like Captain America, just from a different war.” And I think Cap’s reply was, “That, and he’s a psycho.”
So, yeah, NRA-worshippers and PTSD sufferers might feel represented by Frank Castle, but I really don’t like the idea of Captain America being an anti-hero. The idea of Sam Wilson resonates wonderfully– if you’re going to make a change, then this is a good change.
The subject of super heroes and mythology is too complicated to address here. The short version, though, is that I think Casey has a kind of point. Regardless of intention or reason, I think Steve Rogers will be back. There’s no force in the universe more conservative than fandom. Personally, I think it would only be good for comics if major characters started dying– what works for immortal characters doesn’t work as well for people whose lives just keep getting more cluttered with increasingly improbable stories. However, as long as people are willing to throw money at a character, the character will return. That’s what dilutes the myth. Sam Wilson’s story could only supplement it.
March 8th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
A black Captain America would piss off soo many people in such an awesome way. Please make it so, Marvel
March 8th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
No one in comics stays dead. The exceptions to that rule used to be Bucky and Uncle Ben, but they brought back Bucky anyways. I’m thinking it was an L.M.D. or a clone or someting. Cap faked his death so he could run the rebellion underground against Iron Man secretly.
I really hope they don’t do the Frank Castle as Captain America storyline. It would just be a re-tread of when John Walker became Cap and went psycho killing bad guys.
Captain America with a gun? Doesn’t work for me. The REAL Cap has shot bad guys because he had no other choice and he hated doing it.
The Punisher without a gun? I don’t think he could hold back from killing people for long. He’s a serial killer.
Sam Wilson would make for a good Cap if it’s written right. He’d be very reluctant about wearing Cap’s suit so soon after his death. Redwing could wear a little Bucky outfit.
CAP LIVES.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
“Casey, the overcomplication of the ideal seems short-sighted to me. Wasn’t the whole ideal of America, land of the free — home of the brave, born out of conflict, bruh? America is now apple pie and white picket fences (at least it used to be for some), but, when I consider how the country came about, it only seems fitting that the right to represent the ideal be fought for and earned.”
While I agree with you that it needs to be fought for and earned, I think a big ideal in America and a part of the concept of Freedom is violence only for “The Greater Good.” And when was the last time we went to war over something that was UNDENIABLY a force for good? World War 2. Steve Rogers works so well as a paragon of choosing what’s “Right” and “What’s Wrong” because of that aspect of his character, not just the flag he wears. Being a member of “The Greatest Generation,” in my opinion, is one of the most important parts of the modern symbol of Captain America.
March 9th, 2007 at 3:03 am
I just realized a problem with Sam wilson becoming Cap. The press is voraciously eating up the Death of Cap story like they did the Death of Superman. If Sam became the new Cap they’d drudge up his past as a a pimp, drug dealer, and stooge of the Red Skull. He overcame those odds to become the second greatest sidekick of Cap (T’Challa is my favorite) but the press would dwell on it.
March 15th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Looks like the next Captain America could be Stephen Colbert. He has the shield now:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=83567
September 5th, 2007 at 2:44 am
OK are you guys stupid sam wilson as Captain America ok
1) No one can be Capt. But Steve Rogers END OF STORY
2) I love the Punisher but a Capt. from another war he is not
3) Sam Wilson is nothing but a sidekick at best
4) I think its all a ploy form marvel to drum up sales and piss ppl off Capt. is dead hes in hiding with fury in some secret place and fury had this done so capt would not turn his self in