Celebrating their 80thanniversary, Marvel Comics will release a new limited series that will include a gay superhero to mark Pride Month: Captain America.
The series, titled, “The United States of Captain America,” created by writer Christopher Catwell and artist Dale Eaglesham, will show the prototype Captain America, Steve Rogers, joined by other Captain Americas from Marvel’s past, including Bucky Barnes, John Walker, and Sam Wilson, and one newly-created version of the hero named Aaron Fischer, of whom Marvel stated, “Marvel Comics is proud to honor Pride Month with the rise of this new LGBTQ+ hero.”
The bonus issue with Fischer is written by Joshua Trujillo with art by Jan Bazaldua. Fischer is described as “the Captain America of the Railways – a fearless teen who stepped up to protect fellow runaways and the unhoused.” The various iterations of the superhero will embark on a mission to find his stolen shield, as BleedingCool reports.
“Aaron is inspired by heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life,” Trujillo stated. “He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten. I hope his debut story resonates with readers, and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Trujillo’s website notes, “In 2020, he contributed to the Ignatz award-winning anthology Be Gay, Do Comics. Trujillo’s work is also featured in DC Comics and IDW’s Eisner award-winning Love is Love, benefiting victims of the Orlando nightclub tragedy, and the Ringo award-nominated Mine!, benefiting Planned Parenthood. In 2018, Dodge City was named one of the year’s best comics by AV Club. Trujillo speaks for inclusiveness and diversity in popular media, and works alongside groups including the USC ONE Archive and Prism Comics.”
Marvel writes of Bazaldua, “Jan Bazaldua was born in Mexico. Assigned male at birth, Bazaldua worked under her birth name Oscar, and publicly came out as a trans woman in October 2020.”
Meet Aaron Fischer, the Captain America of the Railways
A new queer shield bearer in THE UNITED STATES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA designed by @obazaldua pic.twitter.com/6CANt1yhme
— ComicsXF (@ComicsXF) March 15, 2021
Bazaldua explained what motivated him: “I want to thank Editor Alanna Smith and Joshua Trujillo very much for asking me to create Aaron. I really enjoyed designing him, and as a transgender person, I am happy to be able to present an openly gay person who admires Captain America and fights against evil to help those who are almost invisible to society. While I was drawing him, I thought, well, Cap fights against super-powerful beings and saves the world almost always, but Aaron helps those who walk alone in the street with problems that they face every day. I hope people like the end result!”
“Marvel made similar headlines in January 2020 when the company revealed that it was planning on an openly transgender character to be included in a superhero movie being shot at the time. Meanwhile, in the DC universe of comic book heroes, a lesbian actress portrayed a gay superhero in the ‘Batwoman’ television series in 2018,” The Blaze noted.