Marvel Comics buries Captain America

[SlowwHand]

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jul 1, 6:31 AM ET

NEW YORK - It's a funeral fit for a superhero. In the drizzling rain at Arlington National Cemetery, thousands of grieving patriots solemnly watch as the pallbearers — Iron Man, the Black Panther, Ben Grimm and Ms. Marvel — carry a casket draped with an American flag.

Yes, folks, Captain America is dead and buried in the latest issue of Marvel Comics' "Fallen Son," due on newsstands the morning after Independence Day. After 66 years of battling villains from Adolf Hitler to the Red Skull, the red, white and blue leader of the Avengers was felled by an assassin's bullet on the steps of a New York federal courthouse.

He was headed to court after refusing to sign the government's Superhero Registration Act, a move that would have revealed his true identity. A sniper who fired from a rooftop was captured as police and Captain America's military escort were left to cope with chaos in the streets.

But the sniper didn't act alone, and didn't even fire the shot that killed the captain.

Writer Jeph Loeb has been busy working through the stages of grief in his most recent titles. A book centered on Wolverine dealt with denial; one with the Avengers covered anger; and Spider-Man battled depression.

With the story line so relevant to present-day politics, and the timing of the latest issue so precise, it's hard not to think the whole thing is one big slam on the government.

"Part of it grew out of the fact that we are a country that's at war, we are being perceived differently in the world," Loeb said. "He wears the flag and he is assassinated — it's impossible not to have it at least be a metaphor for the complications of present day."

But Loeb says he was working with more personal material: the death of his 17-year-old son from cancer.

"So many people have lost their sons and daughters over the years, for the greater good or to cancer or other horrible things," said Loeb, an executive producer for NBC's "Heroes." "I wanted this to be something people would identify with."

In the final frames of the book, the Falcon delivers a eulogy asking superheros old and young to stand up and honor Captain America. Loeb did a similar thing at his son's funeral.

"It was this moment where I realized that we were all different, but this boy, my son, made us all connected," he said. "It was powerful."

Captain America, whose secret identity was Steve Rogers, was an early member of the pantheon of comic book heroes that began with Superman in the 1930s.

He landed on newsstands in March 1941, nine months before Pearl Harbor — delivering a punch to Hitler on the cover of his first issue, a sock-in-the-jaw reminder that there was a war on and the United States was not involved.

Since then, Marvel Entertainment Inc., has sold more than 200 million copies of Captain America magazine in 75 countries.

In the most recent story line, he became involved in a superhero "civil war," taking up sides against Iron Man in the registration controversy, climaxed by his arrest and assassination.

Marvel says you never know what will happen. He may make it back from the dead after all, although Loeb says that question isn't really important right now.

"The question is, how does the world continue without this hero?" he said. "If that story of his return gets told further down the line, great. But everyone's still been dealing with his loss.

"They aren't going to wake up and it's a dream, like it's some episode of 'Dallas.'"

[DinoDoc]

Well they declared him irrelevent in the modern age, what else are they going to do with him.

[SlowwHand]

They? They, the commie no-goodnicks.

[DinoDoc]

Like the article you posted implied, they killed him to make a political point. However lame and stupid the public might find it. He'll likely be brought back sometime after Bush leaves office.

[Q Classic]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
They? They, the commie no-goodnicks.

Why do they hate America?

[Zoid]

Meh, Captain America was always a rather boring character. Who cares if he got shot or not?

[Barnabas]

Any of you know if the new fantastic 4 movie has Galactus in it?

[SlowwHand]

They're burying his patriotic ass.
I know he's Captain America, but still, ...

"They aren't going to wake up and it's a dream, like it's some episode of 'Dallas.'"

[SpencerH]

I think this is absolute bullshit! Loeb should be ashamed.

[snoopy369]

Took long enough to bury him, didn't it? No respect for the dead

[Will9]

He left his sheild to Stephen Colbert

[DRoseDARs]

Good riddance, but he should have been cremated to preclude any possibility of resurrection. Cheesy slice of Americana whose relevance ended after WW2.

[DinoDoc]

Damn straight. God damn American ideals! Who needs 'em!

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Damn straight. God damn American ideals! Who needs 'em!

Not the Republican Party or anyone who holds "conservative" values, that's for sure...

[DinoDoc]

Not the Republican Party or anyone who holds "conservative" values, that's for sure...

Like I said, Sloww. Killed to make a political point. I'd bet money on when he'll be brought back.

[DRoseDARs]

Poor conservatives. Can't get their own party's politicians to reflect the ideals of America, and now they can't even have a made-up character in a comic book to look up to. Saddest story ever told. You should make a movie about it.

[DinoDoc]

You'd enjoy the story. Haliburton won the war and is now running America.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Barnabas
Any of you know if the new fantastic 4 movie has Galactus in it?

Nope, just The Silver Surfer...

[DinoDoc]

Zoid: No, his boss was in the movie.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
You'd enjoy the story. Haliburton won the war and is now running America.

You could have them clone Reagan, over and over and over because, you know, you have diddly squat in the Presidential candidate department. Zombie Captain America can be the Vice President.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Barnabas
Any of you know if the new fantastic 4 movie has Galactus in it?

Yes, sadly I do know whether or not the new FF4 movie has Galactus in it, because I watched the horrible movie. God did it suck. Bunnygrrl said it made her want to take her brain out and stab it. Thank god I didn't have to pay to see it. It was even worse than I expected. It was so bad it wasn't even campy. What an incredible PoS.

[BeBro]

Didn't read the article, was he beaten to death by evil Joos too?

*runs*

[chequita guevara]

yes

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by BeBro
Didn't read the article, was he beaten to death by evil Joos too?

Killed by a German, actually.

[BeBro]

Oh, so it was friendly fire

[chequita guevara]

The Juwes are not men that will not be blamed for nothing

[SlowwHand]

Could you repeat that in something other than what must be pig latin?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by BeBro
Oh, so it was friendly fire

Well it was done by one of your national heroes, so I don't see how it could be anything but.

[BeBro]

That can't be a German. He isn't blond and blue-eyed.

[DinoDoc]

He had an accident while fighting for the glory of your country.