Marvel has made a lot of bold moves over the years and this year has been no exception. Of course, just like any other company, some of those moves have been more controversial and the most recent one was the reveal of Captain America as an undercover Hydra agent.
The timing could not have been worse for such a storyline. Captain America: Civil War showcases Steve Rogers going against authorities because he doesn’t believe that he can do what’s best under their thumb. It’s also his 75th anniversary as a comic book character.
And while some people, such as the writers, think that this reveal is a great twist and a way to explore new territory, most people are not pleased. #SayNoToHYDRACap began trending on social media shortly afterwards. While it may seem like it’s for obvious reasons, the real disrespect of a much cared for character goes far deeper than many may realize.
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, both Jewish men, created Captain America and were first published in March 1941. This predates America’s entrance into World War II, which might not seem significant to us now, but back then America wanted nothing to do with the war. The very first issue’s cover featured Captain America punching Hitler in the face. Captain America existed to fight Nazis, which Hydra was not only based on but was seen as a more extreme, super powered version of.
Captain America: The First Avenger, he has one line that sums up his entire character: “I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they come from.” Why would someone who believes that suddenly be retconned as someone who is actually part of an organization that tortures and kills based on a person’s background?
And there are still people who say that it’s no big deal, after all, Captain America is just a character. But there’s a huge flaw with that idea: he’s not just a character. Characters represent different things to many people, but many times, they can be used to show morals. When we read or watch stories come to life, we’re usually told that certain characters are bad and others are good. We experience redemption arcs and learn from these characters and stories. There are kids out there that are upset to learn that a man that they aspired to be like has now turned out to be a member of an evil organization.
It’s bad enough that many people like and excuse characters that are based on Nazis (Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Marvel), but now there’s a character that it meant to represent all that is good and a perfect ideal of America and turned him into a Nazi. And that’s just not right.
