Captain America: Why Marvel’s Big Surprise Is Brilliant
By Jp Powell
Marvel’s recent announcement concerning Captain America’s allegiances has caused an uproar among fans, but it’s actually a brilliant move.
Captain America first debuted in Captain America #1 in 1941. The cover was Captain America punching Hitler in the face, and soon after, Captain America became the most popular superhero of the World War II era, eclipsing even Superman and Batman in sales at the time. However, it turns out that Cap punched Hitler for a different reason than what we all originally thought.
Warning: Spoilers for Captain America: Steve Rogers #1
In Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, it is revealed that Steve Rogers (the original Captain America) has been working for Hydra from the beginning. In fact, according to Marvel executive editor Tom Brevoort, Cap will continue to be part of Hydra. This actually is ingenious and we should have seen it coming. Here’s the possible “secret history” of how Steve Rogers has been working for Red Skull and Hydra from the beginning.
Captain America’s Secret History
In the late 1930s, Johann Schmidt began working his way up the ranks of the Third Reich, and by 1941, he was Hitler’s second in command. Hitler gave Schmidt a red skull mask as a reward for becoming such a fearsome pupil. Schmidt became, fittingly enough, Red Skull. He then began his first foray into infiltrating America by manipulating George Maxon into posing as Red Skull in America. However, Maxon’s true identity was soon revealed.
More from Opinion
- X-Men: 6 reasons why Marvel’s mutants are the best superhero team
- WWE: 6 superstars who should Jade Cargill feud with first (and one she shouldn’t)
- Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 17 review – Thunderclap, Part 2
- Spider-Man: Miles and Peter team-up for their first ongoing series
- Loki season 2: All 6 episodes ranked from worst to best
Red Skull got wind of a scientist in America named “Josef Reinstein” (actually Abraham Erskine) who was close to completing the Super-Soldier Serum. Red Skull finds a Nazi loyalist that he can convince to be loyal to him, instead of Hitler and the Nazis. The blond haired, blue-eyed boy is the perfect example of the “master race,” even if he is a little scrawny—something that could be fixed in America if the Super-Soldier Serum works. The boy, Stephan Rudiger, is sent to America to find the whereabouts of Abraham Erskine and get the serum.
Once in America the boy changes his name to an Anglicized version—Steve Rogers—and implements a backstory that Red Skull made him memorize: Steve’s father died from cancer when Steve was a child; his mother died of pneumonia when Steve was a teen; and Steve’s goal was to become a comic book artist before he decided to try and join the army to fight the “vile” Nazis.
The ploy worked and Steve was given the Super-Soldier Serum and became Captain America. However, Steve was kept in America to help the Allies defeat the Nazis and the Axis powers. This, in theory, would allow Red Skull to take over the German Army. Steve punches Hitler in the face and the Third Reich is defeated. What was left of the German Army was not good enough for Red Skull, so he and Steve had a final battle, faked of course, that allowed Red Skull to be trapped perfectly so he wasn’t killed. He was suspended in animation with a gas, and Steve was frozen in ice.
Red Skull’s Ultimate Plan for Captain America
Red Skull was later revived by the evil group AIM and he soon takes over Hydra. Alternatively, Steve is rescued by the Avengers and soon takes over the Avengers. Hydra and the Avengers battle throughout the years, but Red Skull wants Steve to remain as part of the Avengers. Despite hundreds of defeats, Red Skull knows that having Steve as an Avenger was going to be incredibly helpful. This became true when the US started registering superheroes to work for the government. Red Skull ordered Steve to resist Iron Man and the Superhero Registration Act.
By doing this, Steve has essentially prevented the US from forming a team capable of wiping out Hydra and any other nefarious groups or people—allowing Hydra and Red Skull to continue to exist. However, once Steve had served his purpose, it was time for Hydra to call him home for a very long debriefing. That is why Steve inexplicably gave himself up to Iron Man, which allowed Hydra to “assassinate” Steve. Due to Steve’s faked death, they were then able to be debriefed without the fear of interference from all the other superheroes.
Once the entire debriefing had been completed, Red Skull disseminated false information that the bullet that “killed” Steve actually suspended Steve in time. Oh, and Dr. Doom created it, thus avoiding any suspicion for Red Skull. He captured Sharon Carter, Agent 13, and used her to “unstick” Steve from being suspended in time, but she broke the machine instead. Steve came back anyway because he was never really “stuck” in time in the first place.
Live Feed
Still Curtain
When Steve returned to America, he found that there were other Captain Americas. Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, his long time allies, have both held the mantle of “Captain America” since his apparent death. It was now time for him to show is true colors and return to Red Skull and Hydra. So a plan was put into place that culminated with Steve declaring his true allegiances at the end of Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 by saying two simple words: “Hail Hydra.”
The evidence is clearly there that Steve has been part of the Nazis and Hydra from the very beginning—75 years ago. Joe Simon and Jack Kirby clearly knew that one day there could be a story line where Steve Rogers was actually loyal to Red Skull, so they began putting little hints here and there, but didn’t tell anyone. However, throughout the years, other writers have subconsciously picked up on Simon and Kirby’s plan and continued to add to it—all the way up until it was revealed a few days ago.
Instead of being outraged that Captain America could be a Nazi and part of Hydra, be awed by the fact that Simon and Kirby were unparalleled geniuses who could essentially foresee the future. It was both staggering foresight and incredible perception by all those involved in Marvel to have accomplished something this epic. It’s absolutely brilliant!
This is a work of satire.