Marvel Comics buries Captain America at Arlington
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Enlarge By Marvel Entertainment, Inc., via AP

Six of his fellow Superheroes carry the casket bearing the remains of Marvel comic book character Captain America. After 66 years of battling villains from Adolph Hitler to the Red Skull, Captain America will be laid to rest in the in the latest issue of Marvel Comics, which will hit the newstands on July 5, 2007.



Share this story: Digg del.icio.us Newsvine Reddit Facebook What's this? NEW YORK (AP) — It's a funeral fit for a superhero.
In the drizzling rain at Arlington National Cemetery, thousands of grieving patriots solemnly watch as the pall bearers — 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, 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.

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Writer Jeph Loeb has been busy working through the stages of grief in the most recent issues of Marvel Comics. 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."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Was your namesake--Nick Fury--there?

What an interesting time to kill off Captain America.

Lammastide said:

ya it kinda says something. to me it's a comment on the state of liberty in the USA.

Milty said:

I was thinking the same thing. But I aasn't sure if Marvel would make such a bold statment.

And won't it be really interesting when they choose to bring him back?

Lammastide said:

it would suck if it was around the next election. but hey they killed off Hal Jordan and after several years brought him back.
but then again the comics industry has been sorely lacking any great ideas lately. i mean the Crisis thing with DC was shambles and pretty boring.
Civil War was good and topical but i suppose they'll end up having a crap run too.
[Edited 6/30/07 19:03pm]

I thought Civil War was pretty interesting... not perfect, but I liked it. It was a question that has to be asked in every superhero universe... how can the public simply accept costumed vigilantes running all over the place fighting villains, causing all sorts of damage without some sort of check...

I'm sooo sad!



Wait...did someone really get buried?

liberation said:

I think they dug a hole for a Captain America action figure.

For real?....he actually has a grave at Arlington?

liberation said:

No.

why those four?..i woulda thought, the falcon, ant-man, professor x and the wasp

So...does this effectively null any plans for a Captain America movie?

So, after long last, he and Bucky can hold one-another again.

Feh! He'll be back! No one ever stays dead at Marvel...

NovaAngel said:

LOL...true!!

Lammastide said:

No, it's gonna b boring 2 hell. Deaths of heroes has lost any value since they always come back. I say kill 'em 4 good, then i'll cry & mourn!

shaomi said:

Agreed. I stopped reading Marvel in the early 90s after they brought back the original Red Skull. It's gotten even more pathetic over the last 10 years--they brought back Norman Osbourne, Peter Parker's parents, even BUCKY for God's sake! It's just ridiculous. Let them stay dead and be done with it.

shaomi said:

I agree. That whole revolving door thing cheapens life and death. What I meant was, if Marvel is making some sort of political statement by killing CA now, it'll be interesting to see what sort of political environment will be worthy of his resurrection, at least in Marvel's eyes.
[Edited 7/1/07 15:27pm]

Lammastide said:

coolcat said:

Well, they're paying for those checks in the current World War Hulk mini-series. This is much better than Civil Wars.

Man out of his time





chortle chortle