In a recent issue of “Captain America,” Marvel Comics unveiled a new story arc titled “Captain of Nothing,” written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and illustrated by Adam Kubert. In this new issue, the (formerly) patriotic superhero has once again decided to renounce his association with the United States.
Shortly after finding out the fictional president in the current run is actually a villain, Steve Rogers, Cap’s secret identity, is framed for murdering General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (played by actor John Hurt in “Avengers: Infinity War“). Cap decides to surrender to the authorities and relays this inner monologue renouncing America, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.
“How can I claim to serve my country when I constantly oppose it? How can I carry this shield and fight the government that entrusted me with it?” he ponders. “Freedom. Democracy. The right of people to choose. This is the world they’ve chosen. This is the world they wanted.”
He adds that “charlatans had claimed the dream” that most Americans want.
This is not the first time Captain America has been separated from the United States. He has had very public breaks in the 1970s, 1980s, and the more recent “Secret Empire,” which faced negative backlash from fans.
In the 1970s split, Rogers was quoted by The Hollywood Reporter as saying, “In the land of the free, each of us is able to do what he wants to do — think what he wants to think. That’s as it should be — but it makes for a great many different versions of what America is. So when people the world over look at me — which America am I meant to symbolize?”
“Secret Empire” was part of the grand experiment where Marvel Comics forced ‘intersectionality’ story arcs onto the fans. This was part of a social justice drive in comic book plots which included replacing beloved characters like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America with more “diverse” characters, many of which were written by Coates. The fans reacted extremely poorly, causing sales to nosedive.
After this negative response, the popular comic book company vowed to remove the political content from their issues and restored many of the original characters, but it would seem that they have returned to their SJW promotion.
To do a second story arc that completely rewrites one of their iconic characters for clearly political reasons shows that Marvel has clearly not learned their lesson.
This is a far cry from the Steven Rogers who, when he confronted the villainous Frank “Nuke” Simpson in “Ultimate Captain America,” said, “Peace and security don’t come easy, Simpson. And wars are never pretty, no matter the era. But we do what we can. For the greater good.”
The “intersectionality” narrative is not only affecting Marvel Comics. DC Comics is also dabbling with these storylines. In 2017, “Batman: White Knight” was released, which showed a “cured” version of The Joker using community activism to fight the Dark Knight in Gotham City. Also, “Heroes in Crisis” shows the aftermath of several Justice League members being killed in a mass shooting after a mysterious villain sneaks into a superhero sanctuary and the subsequent aftermath.
This ought to present an opportunity for the conservative movement to embrace the comic book-reading community, as the Left continues to alienate by aggressively forcing their ideology upon readers. With its own creators, the Right could potentially draw in a vast audience of people who simply want to read dynamic stories and enjoy stunning illustrations.