Captain America #176
Captain America Must Die!
After uncovering that the President of the United States was the leader of the Secret Empire and watching as he committed suicide instead of paying for his crimes, Steve Rogers entire identity has been rocked to its core and has decided that Captain America must die.[1]
This causes Captain America to think back to the events that led to his creation. It was in the early days of World War II when an idealistic Steve Rogers saw news reels about Hitler’s rise to power and wanted to do something to help America fight the Nazis. Unfortunately, due to his frail health, Steve was rejected from the military. However, his passion for wanting to fight got the ear of a high ranking military official who offered Steve a chance to participate in a secret government experiment. Steve agreed and was taken to the top-secret lab hidden in a New York curio shop. Here he was injected with the super-soldier serum and exposed to vita-rays that transformed his body into peak human perfection. While the experiment was a success, a Nazi spy managed to get into the building and he murdered the scientist responsible for creating the serum. Steve Roger’s first act upon his rebirth was killing the Nazi spy responsible. With the Super-Soldier formula lost, Steve Rogers was its only recipients. Given his trademark costume and shield he went on to embody the United States during World War II as Captain America.[2]
However, so many things have happened since those early days. Since the war and his subsequent revival in the present day, he has witnessed an America rocked by scandal and corruption that were as evil as the Nazis he fought during the war.[3] Steve’s thoughts are interrupted by Thor, his fellow Avenger, who tries to remind Captain America that he fights for right and nobility and that it is the glory of battle that makes a man feel most alive.[4] However, Captain America no longer sees much glory in the battles he fought since being revived in the present. He points out that, as a mortal, his convictions are a little more complicated than that of an Asgardian god. Thor takes no offense and departs, telling Steve that regardless of what happens next, the thunder god will be there for him should the need arise.
That’s when Iron Man attempts to talk sense into Captain America. Reminding his fellow Avenger of all the lives he has saved and the threats he combated over the years, not to mention all the work he has done for charity.[5] Unfortunately, Captain America has lost faith in the people he strove to protect after seeing how quickly they turned on him after he was framed for murder.[6] That’s when the Falcon arrives with both Sharon and Peggy Carter, who have also come to convince Cap not to quit. The Falcon reminds Captain America how Steve saved his life on Exile island and trained him to become the Falcon. He also points to all the good they have done defending Harlem together by taking down villains like Diamond Had, MODOK, and Stoneface.[7] He also reminds Cap that they have become positive role models to the children of Harlem, getting more results than Sam ever had in his civilian job as a social worker.
Peggy then tries to get Captain America to see sense by reminding him that governments come and go and that he represents the embodiment of America, and not the government of the day.[8] She speaks of how he represents the American spirit and the dream of liberty against tyranny, pointing out how Cap fought and defeated his 1950s counterpart recently, a man who warped those very ideals.[9] While Captain America admits that he represented the idea of America, however this was the unified idea of what people though America was during World War II. He now exists in a world that is much more culturally diverse than the one he knew in the 1940s and the idea of what America is and what it should be is so radically different he doesn’t know what version of America he is supposed to represent anymore. He then asks to be left alone. That’s when the Vision enters the room and suggests to Steve if he can turn away from his life of adventure. As everyone leaves, Sharon takes a moment to tell Steve that no matter what she loves the man under the mask and his decision to retire as Captain America will not affect her feelings for him.
After everyone has left him alone, Captain America circles around the same logic over and over again. No matter how he shakes it, he has lost faith in the American government due to the recent corruption and that he can no longer represent a country that he no longer has any faith in. Once he has reached this conclusion, he goes into the living room where everyone is waiting for him to make his decision. Steve then tells everyone gathered that his mind is made up and it is time for Captain America to retire.[10]
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Sharon Carter, Peggy Carter, Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, the Vision), Edwin Jarvis, Redwing
Continuity Notes
The death of the President happened last issue. While Avengers Forever #2 claims it was a high ranking government official, Captain America: Rebirth #2 confirms it was the President.
This story provides an abridged version of Captain America’s origins based on the original tale from Captain America Comics #1. Captain America’s origins have been expanded upon in Captain America #255, Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #3, Adventures of Captain America #1, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #7, Captain America (vol. 5) #25 & 27, Marvels Project #4-5, and Captain America (vol. 6) #19. Specific details include:
Steve’s military application was given 4-F classification by the military, meaning he was unfit for service, per Captain America #226.
The man who recruited Steve into the Super-Soldier Program is identified as General Chester Phillips. His last name was identified in Tales of Suspense #63. His first name is identified as Chester in Adventures of Captain America #1.
The old woman at the curio shop is actually a government agent in disguise. Her name is revealed to be Cynthia Glass in Adventures of Captain America #1.
The scientist who administers the Super-Soldier formula is Abraham Erskine, per Tales of Suspense #63. Previous stories identified him as Joseph Reinstein. Captain America #255 reveals that Reinstein was a codename.
Here, Erskine is depicted injecting Steve with the formula then exposing him with Vita-Rays. Captain America Comics #1 shows Steve getting injected, while Tales of Suspense #63 shows Steve drinking the formula, while Captain America #109 shows Steve being exposed to Vita-Rays. Captain America #255 clarifies by stating that Steve was subjected to all three treatments to become Captain America.
The Nazi spy who murders Erskine and is killed by Rogers is identified as Heinz Krueger in Captain America #109.
This story states that the Super-Soldier formula was lost and Steve was the only recipient. This is not accurate. Mystic Comics #6, Invaders #18, New Warriors #4, and Truth: Red, White & Black #1-7, reveal that there were others who were experimented upon before Steve Rogers. Copies of the formula also survived and were used elsewhere as seen in Captain America #155, Giant-Size Invaders #1, and Invaders #16.
The two page collage showing the passage of time touches on some of Captain America’s career milestones:
The depiction of the Red Skull signifies that he has been the most enduring villain in Captain America’s rogue gallery, dating back to Captain America Comics #1.
Bucky, Captain America’s wartime partner since that same issue is also depicted here. At the time of this story, Steve believes Bucky had died in 1945, per Avengers #4. In reality, Bucky survived and was transformed into the assassin known as the Winter Soldier by the Russians. Cap will not learn this until Captain America (vol. 5) #14.
Also pictured is Captain America frozen in a block of ice surrounded by the original Avengers. This is another reference to Avengers #4, which revealed that Cap was in suspended animation until he was found and revived by the Avengers.
There is also an image of Sharon Cater, Captain America’s current girlfriend at the time of this story. The pair have been in an on-again-off-again relationship since.
Also present is the Falcon, Captain America’s most recent partner. The two first worked together in Captain America #117. The formed a formal partnership in issue #133.
Thor’s recollections depict the Avengers battle against the Mole Man from Avengers #12, and their earlier battle with Kang from Avengers #8.
Iron Man specifically cites the time Cap helped the Avengers find a surgeon to save the Wasp’s life after she was shot. See Avengers #13-14.
This, of course, is a reference to the events of Captain America #169-175 when the Secret Empire used a negative ad campaign and the murder of the Tumbler to ruin Captain America’s reputation.
Captain America and Falcon’s battles against Diamond Head, MODOK, and Stoneface were chronicled in Captain America #126, 133 and 134.
Its stated here that Peggy Carter had suffered from amnesia since 1944 and only recently gotten her memory back. This is referring to how Peggy suffered a head injury during the Liberation of France in Tales of Suspense #75. She was recently saved from Doctor Faustus by Cap in Captain America #161-162. This story states that Peggy has had amnesia this whole time, that she is the older sister of Sharon. The reality is more complicated than that. Click here for more detail.
William Burnside was the man who became Captain America in the 1950s. However, an impure version of the Super-Soldier Serum turned him into a paranoid racist. See Captain America #153-156.
Obviously this proves to be short lived. Steve will return to the mantle of Captain America in Captain America #183.
Topical References
This story presents the Watergate Scandal and the subsequent fallout from Richard Nixon’s resignation were happening in real time at the time of this story. This of course is a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale. Modern stories have since generalized these events stating that it was a corruption scandal within the US Government and that a President of the United States committed suicide rather than Richard Nixon, who is implied to be Number One of the Secret Empire.
Statements that America is 200 years old at the time of this story should be considered topical due to the Sliding Timescale, particularly since (at this writing) this story is over 40 years old.