On the surface, The United States of Captain America is a cross-country mystery adventure of a Marvel comic book series about Captain America's shield being stolen. On a deeper level, the five-issue comic run examines Captain America’s legacy in tandem with the American reality. During the search for Steve's shield, he and Sam Wilson come across (and work with) a group of non-powered ordinary people across the country who are all part of the Captains Network and see Captain America as an inspiration.
The miniseries was published by Marvel Comics in 2021, but its themes of diversity, inclusion, and unity continue to make it a valuable work of storytelling.
The coexistence of Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson
As the first person to hold the Captain America mantle, Steve Rogers is the first person many people naturally think of regarding the star-spangled hero. But he’s far from the only person to be Captain America. In The United States of Captain America, Steve is the primary Captain America. It’s not long, however, until he asks Sam to help find his shield — not as Falcon, but as Captain America. The two go on to solve the mystery of the stolen shield as a dynamic duo of Captain Americas.
Steve and Sam have worked together countless times in the comics, but this instance is especially important because they’re both using the Captain America mantle. There’s no fighting about who deserves it more or that only one of them should be Captain America. They agree to share and recognize each other as Cap. It’s one thing for Steve to have passed on the mantle to Sam when he wasn’t using it anymore, but it’s another thing to still see Sam as Captain America after reclaiming that title.
More than anyone else, Steve understands what it means and takes to be Captain America. So choosing to share that mantle is incredibly telling of the respect and appreciation Steve has for Sam. It’s also a reminder that, if the original Captain America can accept and respect Sam as Captain America, then so should everyone else — comics or not.
Captain America is a hero of the people
Because of the moniker, Captain America is sometimes misconstrued as a representation of the U.S. government and nationalism. That may have been the case initially, as Captain America was created as a weapon and used as war propaganda. But the “America” part of the name became a representation of the American dream more than anything else.
Steve recognizes that the reality of living in America is not the same as the American dream. He knows the difference can be even starker for people who are not like him: white men. Captain America fights to defend Americans, not for America. That's exactly why he can serve as an inspiration for the new heroes introduced in The United States of Captain America. But it isn’t just Steve who serves as an inspiration. Isaiah Bradley and Bucky Barnes are credited in the miniseries, too. So while Steve may have set the groundwork for Captain America to be a figure of inspiration, he is far from the lone one to have the role.
Being an inspiration to the American people, instead of being a representation of the country, is also what ultimately makes Captain America something that Hydra wants to destroy in this comic book series. The fascists don’t want to stop only Steve and Sam either. Captain America, as a symbol and everything it represents, is a threat to Hydra. That means the everyday people of the Captains Network are also targets. The symbol of Captain America has become so powerful that it encourages others to stand up for what’s right and make a difference.
The United States of Captain America shows how Captain America can be anyone
The greatest appeal of The United States of Captain America is the diverse group of heroes it introduces. As fun and cool as superpowered individuals are, it's empowering to see civilians take on the Captain America mantle and be accepted by the original Cap himself. Beyond that, these heroes in the Captains Network all come from different backgrounds.
Aaron Fischer is a young gay man known as the Captain America of the Railways. Nichelle Wright is a young Black woman and former collegiate gymnast known as the Captain America of Harrisburg. Joe Gomez is a Native American man from Kansas known as the Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe. Arielle Agbayani is a Filipina American college student on scholarship known as the Campus Captain America. Jeremy Merrick is a single father and an Air Force intelligence officer with the rank of captain.
In addition to the primary narrative, the miniseries features short stories about each local Captain. From Nichelle stopping a robbery to Arielle standing up to an abusive frat boy, the supplemental tales give further insight into the heroes. They explain their motives and show how the heroes serve their communities. The stories also highlight how heroism isn’t only when superpowered individuals save the world from global threats. Everyday people who try to make their community a better place are heroes, too.
Each hero has their reasons for taking on the mantle and picking up the shield (of their own creation), and each one is accepted by Steve and Sam as a Captain America. They have no issue with any of them using the mantle. In fact, Steve anad Sam are glad to come across these civilians who are working to better their communities. It doesn’t matter what differences Steve and/or Sam have with anyone in the Captains Network. They accept the Captains Network because they share the same values and purpose. They’re proof that Captain America can be anyone as long as you have the heart and will to do good.
The Captains Network offers more representation for the American people
One of the best moments in the entire The United States of Captain America miniseries is from the beginning of issue 4. Having just met and worked with Joe Gomez, Steve contemplates his right to be Captain America. He acknowledges Joe and his ancestors' native ancestry to the land that is known as the U.S. whereas his European ancestors are colonizers who settled on stolen land. The inner conflict Steve has could never make up for anything his ancestors had done as part of taking land from Native Americans, but his recognition is important. He understands that he will never be a proper representation of the American people.
With the Captains Network, though, Captain America is a mantle that represents its people more than ever. Other Marvel heroes provide representation for groups that don’t receive as much attention in the media, but there’s something special about getting to see that representation in a Captain America. It’s a way to acknowledge Americans of all backgrounds — not just white men. Americans are LGBTQ+ youth, Black women, Native Americans, and Filipinos. They have all played a role in making the U.S. into the culturally rich, diverse place it is meant to be. Even if American history sometimes tries to erase their narratives and society tries to ignore those groups, The United States of Captain America gives people in underrepresented groups the chance to be the heroes they are.