They've killed Captain America!

[JoDog]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/16849577.htm

"NEW YORK - Captain America is dead.

The Marvel Entertainment superhero, created in 1941 as a patriotic adversary for the Nazis, is killed off in Captain America #25, which hits the stands Wednesday.

As Captain America emerges from a courthouse building, he is struck by a sniper's bullet in the shoulder and then hit again in the stomach, blood seeping out of his star-spangled costume."

snip

Apparently, this is part of the onging "Civil War" storyline at Marvel. While I haven't read it, fanboy and girl friends of mine have praised it. Apparently, in it, the US government locks up people with super powers as threats to civilians, and demands that all the superheroes register. Captain America was a leader of the anti-registration forces.

I find this interesting because throughout the life of this character, he has always been used to embody the spirit and zeitgeist--from ultra patriotism in WWII, to communist paranoia in the 1950's to questioning Vietnam and authority in the 1960's and 70's, to the dangers of nationalism in the 80's and modern terrorism. What does the death of the Captain now during the GWOT as a surrendering member of a resistance group symbolize?

Of course, in comic books, death isn't always as permanent as it is in real life...

[SteppingRazor]

1. Meh ... I'll believe it when he stays dead.

I can think of many other superheroes who have been "killed" over the years.

[AllegroRondo]

2. true - how long did Superman stay dead?

a couple months, tops.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Yeah, if that.

Weren't they cloning him like two issues later :eyes:

[JoDog]

4. true

The only ones who tend to stay dead are sidekicks and signifcant others. Neil Gaiman had the Sandman die, and that ended the series. It's common for one hero to "die" only to have the mantle passed on to someone else who then takes the hero's uniform and public identity. I think they've done that before with Captain America, and I know they've done it with the Flash and the Green Lantern over at DC comics.

What strikes me is the symbolism of having this incarnation of the character possibly die at this point in real history and in a storyline that deals with curbs on civil liberties.