Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)
A couple of months ago, we reported on the death of Marvel Comic icon, Captain America. Cap was killed by a bullet from a rooftop sniper after he refuses to sign the Superhero Registration Act.
Now, in an issue that goes on sale Thursday, Captain America gets a funeral fit for a superhero. Cap will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery at a ceremony attended by some of the biggest names in Marvel Comics. Cap’s pallbearers will be Iron Man, Ben Grimm, the Black Panther and Ms. Marvel.
Writer Jeph Loeb has been busy working through the stages of grief in the most recent issues of Marvel Comics. A book centered on Wolverine dealt with denial; one with the Avengers covered anger; and Spider-Man battled depression.
With the story line so relevant to present-day politics, and the timing of the latest issue so precise, it’s hard not to think the whole thing is one big slam on the government.
“Part of it grew out of the fact that we are a country that’s at war, we are being perceived differently in the world,” Loeb said. “He wears the flag and he is assassinated ? it’s impossible not to have it at least be a metaphor for the complications of present day.”
But Loeb says he was working with more personal material: the death of his 17-year-old son from cancer.
“So many people have lost their sons and daughters over the years, for the greater good or to cancer or other horrible things,” said Loeb, an executive producer for NBC’s Heroes . “I wanted this to be something people would identify with.”
In the final frames of the book, the Falcon delivers a eulogy asking superheros old and young to stand up and honor Captain America. Loeb did a similar thing at his son’s funeral.
“It was this moment where I realized that we were all different, but this boy, my son, made us all connected,” he said. “It was powerful.”
Captain America, whose secret identity was Steve Rogers, was an early member of the pantheon of comic book heroes that began with Superman in the 1930s.
He landed on newsstands in March 1941, nine months before Pearl Harbor, delivering a punch to Hitler on the cover of his first issue, a sock-in-the-jaw reminder that there was a war on in Europe and the United States was not involved.
Since then, Marvel Entertainment Inc., has sold more than 200 million copies of Captain America magazine in 75 countries.
In the most recent story line, he became involved in a superhero “civil war,” taking up sides against Iron Man in the registration controversy, climaxed by his arrest and assassination.
Marvel says you never know what will happen. He may make it back from the dead after all, although Loeb says that question isn’t really important right now.
“The question is, how does the world continue without this hero?” he said. “If that story of his return gets told further down the line, great. But everyone’s still been dealing with his loss.
“They aren’t going to wake up and it’s a dream, like it’s some episode of Dallas.”
Walter says
Not gonna make it back from the dead? Ha. Then he’d be the first superhero character not to. He’ll be back, alright.
White Panther says
Well if they do not find a way to bring him back it’s just another reason for me to stop buying comics here they are killing off one of the most loved supper heros of all time. I mean Look at all the others that Marvel has killed off in the past two years. The new wrighters they have there now I just do not know what to think about them….
And then Marvel Comics it self and there rewrighting of history for there movies (Fantastic Four 1 & 2)(X-Men 1 2 & 3)DareDevil,(The Hulk 1&2)just to name some of them.
I have been into comics from 1978 and have cut back on buying them in the last few years for two reasons
#1 the Cost. #2 All the changing of the Heros. #3 The Killing off of all the Heros.
nico says
Captain America is one of the greatest superheroes marvel has to offer and killing him off indefinitely would be a huge mistake
Star Child says
– Captain America was one of my favorite Childhood heroes. And if they bring him back from the dead It will be just another nail in his coffin.
– When they kill a hero off, they should not bring them back from the dead! It’s like beating a dead horse. It would be an insult to the dignity of his death, and what it meant.
– It’s time for a New Captain America to step up and take the mantle, his child, heck his grandchildren for as long as he has been at it, someone he inspired, his student, his lover, or maybe even an old foe he reformed. Someone needs to pick up the that glorious shield and carry on the legacy in his name.
– It’s time for the marvel characters to start having babies, retiring, and hand the reigns over to the next generation of supers. The sliding timescale has ruined my childhood heroes. I grew up with the Captain, & this new stuff is an insult.