Captain America Dead at 66 327
jas_public writes to mention ABC news is reporting that comic book super hero Captain America has apparently tackled his last mission. "It ends a long run for the stars-and-stripes-wearing character, created in 1941 to incarnate patriotic feeling during World War II. Over the years, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books, published by New York-based Marvel Entertainment Inc., have been sold in a total of 75 countries. But resurrections are not unknown in the world of comics, and Marvel Entertainment editor in chief Joe Quesada said a Captain America comeback wasn't impossible."
Re:He already died back in the late 1980s (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Clearly (Score:2, Insightful)
I think the only right we have left is the one that says they can't quarter soldiers in your house.
Expect that one to be gone by the end of the year, *sigh* . . .
That'll be why he's being killed... (Score:5, Insightful)
That's Captain America's point. He stands for what America was, not what it is now. That's why he's been leading the rebel faction throughout Civil War. Captain America's death is symbolic of the death of the American principles and ideals for which he fought for so long. If America has become a monster, then either Captain America must defeat it, or he must die fighting it, because to do otherwise would be to negate his own identity.
Plus, it always shifts a shitload of comics and gets mainstream press attention when you kill off a big name like this. Even if you then just casually bring him back to life a few months later.
Steve Rogers is dead, not Cap (Score:3, Insightful)
That said, Cap will be back. Steve Rogers was not the only Captain America and he won't be the last. William Naslund, Jeff Mace, a "fake" Steve Rogers, and most recently, John Walker briefly took the mantle of "Captain America" from Rogers. I am sure another Marvel hero will assume the role of Captain America in his stead.
As a collector of the series, I am disappointed as Steve Rogers has been the one and only Captain America in my opinion and he can never be replaced, no matter who wears the costume.
Re:Captain America dead at 66 (Score:3, Insightful)
So will America.
If Captain America is the embodiment of what it means to be American, let the record show that he didn't die because he failed us. He died because we, the Americans, failed him.
Art imitates life (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe it is just coincidence that he is dead now, right when the vision of an U.S.A holding the high standards of freedom and fighting the good fights is vanishing every intervention, every occupation, every bad move in the fragile international relationships. (And I say "the vision" because, even U.S.A. making some bad movies between the end of WWII and the fall of The Wall, the fear of the communism was enough to impair the sight of the so called Free World, forgiving every single American mistake on that time, from Indochina to Central America, from Africa to South America).
I doubt the artists behind the comics would be courageous enough to make such a statement, to kill a superhero only to make a point. But the could have done. Captain America doesn't represents U.S.A anymore, America a long time ago gave up of the "land of free and home of brave" motto, gave up the "land of opportunities" ideal to embrace a no holds barred savage capitalism, where companies have the same rights but none of the duties of the natural people and can leverage their immortality to get rich at the expenses of the less favored. If Captain America was a real person in the real world, it would probably be fighting with all his strengths to restore to America everything that was lost in the past 60 years. But he isn't, so he is better off dead.
Jack Bauer is a better hero for U.S. now, anyway. Rest in peace if you can, Captain America, knowing that everything you fought for is about to be thrown away for 30 pieces of silver.
Re:Captain America dead at 66 (Score:5, Insightful)
But you know what: we voted in a new House and Senate who will hopefully change America back to the way I think it should be. How's that for an honest statement.
Re:Dead at 66? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Captain America dead at 66 (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Clearly (Score:5, Insightful)
OK, here's my problem, pal. These are just a few examples, but you get the drift. All of these were uncovered with quick Google searches. There are lots more cases that I'd be happy to share with you, or you could go ahead and look for yourself.
First Amendment: status - gone [amconmag.com]
Second Amendment: status - limited [wikipedia.org]
Third Amendment: status - Intact!
Fourth Amendment: status - gone [wikipedia.org]
Fifth Amendment: status - gone [cbsnews.com]
I'll stop there for now.
The only one spouting bullshit here is you, chief.
Wake the fuck up before it's too late.
And if you're wondering what this has to do with Captain America - well, it just made me sad, that's all.
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Clearly (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is that if you are accused of being a terrorist you can be held more or less indefinitely without legal counsel and without a trial.
The problem is that senior white house members have actually so much as said that people need to be careful what they say in these times. What? That sounds like it will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and most especially the press to me.
The problem is that illegal wiretaps are alive and well.
The problem is that people are being put on no-fly lists for, as far as anyone can tell, speaking against the actions of the government. Which is pretty clearly a violation of the first amendment.
I could go on, but it probably wouldn't do any good anyway.
It's okay, we already know it's because you lack the courage of your convictions. (I can say this without being a hypocrite, of course, because I go ahead and take my lumps.) That's why you're called an Anonymous Coward.
um. slight spoiler for THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CARE (Score:5, Insightful)
A Year. A year of waiting and guessing and theorizing about the big ending, which is still a month or so away.
So now, the ONLY people who give a crap just got a big steaming pile of **SPOILER** handed to them thanks to a too-soon press release and an unthinking media that, in spite of a multi-Billion dollar comic book movie market, still thinks no one's reading them enough to care if they ruin entire plots in the headlines.
Jack Bauer Dies on 24 This Season!
Lost Is Really On An Alien Planet!
The Cheerleader Dies on Heroes!
Harry Potter Becomes Evil In Final Book!
you'd figure at least here in geek-land, a little more care would be taken.
Re:Oh no! (Score:2, Insightful)
Torture, disregard of human rights, and pretty damn stupid.
'Twas Irony That Killed Captain America (Score:5, Insightful)
Captian America was a bit different than your gadern variety superhero. He didn't fight super villians, evil geniuses, and/or monsters/aliens. He fought for civil liberty, freedom, and rights. Analogies of those at times, but those were his core reason to fight.
Imagine then the writers dillema when they realize in order for Captian America to fight for those things, he must fight America itself. Instead of be faced with that overwhelming irony, they took the easy way out and killed him off. I would have preferred they make a stand and actually had Captain America turn his shield on the White House for a few issues. Mr. Smith goes to Washington squared.
R.I.P.
Captain America
1941-2007
Crushed by Irony
Re:Art imitates life (Score:2, Insightful)
No, I think this is exactly what they're doing. Marvel's big story event 'Civil War' finished with Capt. America realising that he wasn't representing the will and desire of most Americans. It's inevitable that he "dies" now, in at least a symbolic sense.
Re:I call Shenanigans (Score:3, Insightful)
This is why I do read a lot of manga. It has its bad parts, its own cliches, but death tends to be more "permanent." (Again, not always, but even Goku from DBZ stayed dead and just came back as an angel... thing... after a while) And the word "retcon" has never been applied (Evangelion has an "alternate universe" side-manga, but that's actually quite a good read and is still not "official.") I've noticed a lot of comic books trying to cash in on the popularity of manga by giving older characters a makeover involving giving characters much larger eyes and gravity-defying hair. Unfortunately, this is missing the key reason why manga is probably selling better: More diversity in selection (comics that not only appeal to girls, but are aimed AT them?!), more finality in storylines, and value ($8-10 gets me a book with page numbers in the hundreds, not $4 for 20 pages).
I'm not saying Americans can't do comics, or that all Japanese comics rock (because, let's face it, 95% of any form of media is recycled crap). I'm just saying American comic artists, if they really want to revitalize the industry, need to:
A) Start taking chances. Knock off some big-name heroes and villains. PERMANENTLY. Or maybe even dip into some new genres.
B) This is a little harder, but something needs to be done about the American sentiment that comics are for kids. We need to see some really mature writing, and that doesn't mean gruesome violence. We have plenty of that.
The Star-Spangled Banner (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember, the last line of the national anthem isn't a motto, it's a question:
"O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?"
Every generation has to ask themselves the question; every generation has to work to make the answer "yes".
Re:Oh no! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I call Shenanigans (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I call Shenanigans (Score:3, Insightful)
That was why I was so pissed off. Jean Grey's death, to me, was the most perfect death of a major super hero. I mean the way she died, why she died, and that little speach that the Watcher did at the end. "... more important, she died human." That was some powerful shit to a 10 year old. Now they plug captain americas ass, big deal.
Jean Grey's death wasn't just a water shed event in the X-Men but the entire marvel universe. So what did they do? Whipped out their dicks and pissed all over it.
Fuck'em
Re:um. slight spoiler for THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CARE (Score:2, Insightful)
I like comics. I hate Marvel. I quit reading for the most part after that fucktard John Byrne got rid of the kid Green Goblin, brought back Norman Osbourne, the one comic book bad guy that actually stayed dead, and brought back Aunt May after she died from cancer in one gloriously shitty storyline.
oh please (Score:2, Insightful)
Nader was a complete fucking idiot for saying that six years ago, before My Pet Goat, Katrina, Iraq, waterboarding, wiretapping, etc etc. Saying there's no difference now makes Nader, as incredibly stupid as he was at the time, look like a genius by comparison.
Re:I call Shenanigans (Score:3, Insightful)
Japanese television is the same way. While we Americans have an abundance of shows that run nearly 10 seasons (Cheers, Friends, Seinfeld, Family Matters, etc., etc., etc.), Japanese TV shows (sitcoms and such) typically run 13 weekly episodes and then they're over. The emphasis is on the actor and broadcaster instead of on the story, as far as marketing goes. "Oda Yuuji has a new drama out!" Casts also tend to be smaller in Japan (again with the lower production values so there isn't as much of an investment in a show which will end in 4 mos. time).
In Japan, everything serialized (with a few exceptions, such as Dragon Ball and Ranma 1/2) tends to run for a short period of time in which the creator is the famous one, not the work itself. In the US, everything serialized is intended to either be cancelled early on (within a year or two), or run for long time, and the work itself is what becomes famous.
More suitable hero found! (Score:3, Insightful)
Apparently Captain America no longer symbolised the new American ideals.
Instead, he will be replaced by The Punisher:
"...the Punisher is a vigilante who considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture as acceptable crime-fighting tactics."
[Source: Wikepedia]