Marvel Makes Major Change to Captain America

Acclaimed author and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates is following his re-invention of the Black Panther lore by putting a modern day stamp on Marvel Comics Captain America, and he just made major shift in the character! With the release of Captain America #12, Coates brings Steve Rogers back to a pivotal place he's been before, as the Star-Spangled Avenger feels compelled to (once again) retire his Captain Americapersona for the foreseeable future.

Issue #12 concludes the "Captain of Nothing" storyline that saw Captain America framed for multiple murders (like General Ross) by an imposter working for The Power Elite, helping to foster the false public notion that the Evil HYDRA Cap from the "Secret Empire" crossover is the one and true Captain America. Steve Rogers may have broken out of prison, but he's still a fugitive who can't actually show his face as Captain America anywhere in the world.

So what does Steve do? Well, on the council of Sharon Carter, Rogers strips away his Captain America costume and shield and re-dons the suit he wore in the Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier era nearly ten years ago.

This is not nearly the first time Captain America has left his iconic suit and name behind. In fact, Steve Rogers has had an interesting oscillation in and out of his Captain America persona over the years: he became Nomad in the '70s; became disillusioned with the America government in the '80s and became "The Captain"; and Marvel even made a world-resonating political statement when it "killed" Captain America off in the Bush era.

Given the character's status as a living symbol of America's ideals, it's not surprising that Marvel Comics has to face tough decisions about how to treat that symbol, over the course of changing times and socio-political climates. Coates take on the character is a timely metaphor, examining how Captain America, as a symbol of American ideals, could be publicly defamed and misconstrued as a tarnished symbol of liberty.

In "retiring" Captain America, but continuing to fight for justice as "Steve Rogers," Coates seems to be suggesting that one doesn't have to wrap oneself in the flag or ideals of America, to be an effective citizen / ambassador of those ideals. That's a pretty deep notion to consider in this divided modern age, where many Americans feel like the ideals of the country are being embarrassed by the behavior of its leaders. It'll be interesting to see how that metaphor plays out when the new "Legend of Steve" storyline begins in issue #13.

Captain America#12 is now on sale.