Here’s the thing with comics: when you come down to the core of comic books they’re essentially dramas. With any drama you need to have big plot twists, ‘Earth-shattering’ events, and characters that keep you coming back for more. Marvel Comics dropped a bombshell on us, something completely unexpected: Captain America uttering the words: “Hail Hydra.”
Yes, there is a possibility (we don’t know yet) that one of Marvel’s greatest heroes may also be one of its greatest villains as well. And, yes, this is the real Steve Rogers uttering those words. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly executive editor Tom Brevoort told the publication: “yes, this really is Steve Rogers.”
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That being said, we now have one of the medium’s (and now cinematic’s, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe) most iconic characters turning to the dark side, or someone who has always been there. Some fans may be shocked, outraged, or even threaten to leave Marvel’s readership for good (just read the comment sections on any comic book-centric website). The reality is that it actually makes sense.
As Brevoort put it in an interview with Time: “We try to write comics in 2016 that are about the world and the zeitgeist of 2016, particularly in Captain America.”
Hey, just look at all of those Captain America movies (not the old ones – God, not the old ones) for proof of this concept. The Winter Soldier and Civil War has managed to captualise current events within their narratives and portrayed them in an almost tidy, family-friendly action movie package.
In America, no, the world today, there is a lot of mistrust, shady government dealings, and politicians looking to line their own pockets, and no clear-cut winners in the world of war economies. This isn’t the 1940s where the Axis and Allies fought for right and wrong, for and against the holocaust. Though some may argue that those within the ranks fought for what they thought was right on both sides.
To me, this change in Captain America can make a lot of sense, especially if he’s a written avatar for the government or system as a whole. It changes the whole of the Marvel universe, makes it feel a little more real, and as I wrote in the opening paragraph, is a dramatic plot twist.
He may not be a mad titan after gems of power, an alien race looking to take over Earth, or even an almost immortal mutant, but he is someone almost every single superhero looks up to. And that makes him a powerful villain if true.
Captain America may or may not be an agent of Hydra, maybe he’s actually a Skrull, or will be redeemed in some way. Either way, he’ll probably go back to being ‘good’ at some point.
After all, even if you wear your country’s flag, no one is truly good.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
