I Really Wish Marvel Would Bring Back This Version of Captain America

The comic book industry has a tendency to pass iconic superhero mantles around. Over the years, Marvel has found many ways to handle changing mantles. For example, Carol Danvers left her title of Ms. Marvel behind to pick up the Captain Marvel mantle in honor of her mentor. In turn, Kamala Khan picked up the title of Ms. Marvel, continuing a trend of raising heroes inspired by other heroes. Then there’s the multiverse, which opens the door to countless varieties of famous and beloved heroes. While Spider-Man is probably the most famous for this treatment, Captain America is no exception, as a few variants are running around in the greater universe. Frankly, we miss one version of Captain America in particular.

Shannon Carter of Earth-982 is a hero in her own right and a lesser-known variation of the Captain America theme. She goes by the hero name American Dream, but there’s no denying who inspired her to act when needed – Steve Rogers. In a way, Shannon embodies the two Marvel methods of swapping mantles. She was raised on the tales of Captain America and inspired by him while growing up in a different universe from Earth-616 (the Sacred Timeline).

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Who Is Shannon Carter?

Even in the world of comics, family trees can get a bit complicated. Shannon Carter is the cousin of Sharon Carter, the famous S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. This also makes her Peggy Carter’s niece, which explains how Shannon grew up hearing tales of Captain America. The family is quite good at making heroes across the multiverse. Shannon, like many of us, grew up fascinated by heroes. However, in her universe, heroes are real. Obsessed with the stories of Captain America, Shannon began working as a tour guide at the Avengers Mansion (yes, really – that’s a thing, and we wish we could take a tour).

While that doesn’t sound like a typical superhero story, it is her origin. Her role at the Avengers Mansion put her in a position to join the Avengers team, and obviously, she wasn’t about to turn down the offer. Shannon went all out on her costume design, including many hat-tips to her favorite hero. Most notably, she included the stars and stripes theme, plus tiny weapons that looked like Captain America’s shields (but mini!).

In case her origin story didn’t make it clear – Shannon Carter doesn’t have access to any special superpowers. Nor was she the lucky recipient of a super soldier serum. Through hard work and extensive training, Shannon got herself into peak superhero shape, and we should give her more credit for this feat. In addition to her physical skills, Shannon Carter is a born leader who has worked hard to hone her skills. She led a team called the Dream Team and has created many allies for herself, both inside and outside of her universe.

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The American Dream

As a hero, Shannon Carter, now American Dream, proved herself in grand fashion. They say you should never meet your heroes, but Shannon’s story is the exception to the rule, as the time she met Captain America is the thing of dreams. It all begins when the “original” (Earth-616) Avengers team gets stuck in a dark parallel world, putting heroes such as Shannon in the position to step up and save the day. Steve was so impressed with American Dream that he encouraged her to pick up the shield and continue her good work. Since she didn’t have a proper Captain America shield of her own, she was given the one from Earth-9907. Her story must have felt like a dream come true, but it’s all thanks to her hard work and dedication.

Outside of rescuing her hero, American Dream has survived many battles against the villains of her universe. These include Galactus, Doctor Doom (Kristoff Vernard in this universe), and Loki (who’s still, well, Loki). Years later, American Dream would be one of five variants assembled to protect Steve Rogers’ legacy against Superia.

All things said and done, there are plenty of reasons to love this hero. Shannon Carter’s origin story speaks to our hearts, as she’s inspired by the same heroes many of us grew up learning about. She turned that motivation into action, training and perfecting her skills until she finally obtained her goal. As American Dream, Shannon has saved her universe and her idol while forging her own story. We could learn an important lesson from her story, which is part of the reason why we so desperately want to see Shannon Carter of Earth-982 come back to the world of comics. Now is the perfect time, but as fans of this hero, we might be biased on that front.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!