I am a major fan of Marvel. I have been since 2008, when Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark barged into my life with, "I am Iron Man." That moment was a revelation. I fell in love with Marvel's superheroes in that moment. Three years later, pre-Captain America, Steve Rogers was asked, "Do you want to kill Nazis?" His reply, famously, was, "I don't want to kill anybody. I just don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from." If I'd been in love with Marvel before, I was an absolute goner, especially for Captain America.
Last year, Marvel Comics rebooted their whole comics universe. When the dust settled, Captain America was revealed to be a Nazi. Make no mistake, Hydra, the organization Cap is now a part of, has always been explicitly or implicitly tied to Nazism. In the comics, Hydra was run by the Red Skull and Baron Von Strucker, both Nazis. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hydra was the Nazi deep science division run by the Red Skull.
Nick Spencer, the current writer for the Captain America comics franchise, has made Steve Rogers a Nazi. Here's why I think Marvel should make Captain America punch Nazis again, instead of being a Nazi.
1. Marvel would earn even more money.
Shock dollars admittedly make up a large portion of comic money. 'How can we push things further to generate more sales?' When the powers-that-be at Marvel allowed Spencer to move forward with this horrendous plot line, they had to have assumed that the shock value would drive sales. This backfired. Steve Rogers: Captain America #1 was released in May 2016. In May 2016, Marvel still dominated the market, but sales began to shrink. Sales continued to be poor for Marvel throughout June, July, and August of last year. Fans were voting with their pocketbook against. Of course sales have their ups and downs, but it is no coincidence that turning the First Avenger into a Nazi cost Marvel money.
2. Long-time fans are giving up on Marvel.
Comics are a source of enjoyment for many. I myself have read comics for four years, no small investment of time. Others have read comics for far longer. When Steve Rogers: Captain America debuted as a title, I was excited that this was going to be a solo run. Then I heard about what had been done to Steve. Marvel took a character that was meant to fight bullies, meant to stand up for the little guy because he knew what it was like to be the little guy...and turned him into everything he stood against. Outraged wasn't a strong enough word. I was, and still am, livid. I wasn't the only one. Several of my friends have not only stopped reading Captain America comics, they've abandoned Marvel altogether.
3. Captain America is more than just a character; he is a symbol. The symbol matters.
Captain America was created at a time when America was down on her luck. 1940 was the tail end of the Great Depression. Another war was on the horizon. People needed hope. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, two Jewish men, created Captain America to give a bit of hope. People still find hope in Captain America. Who can't relate to feeling powerless against a battle that needs fought? In Steve Rogers, we have a character that was powerless, but fought anyway. We have a character that was given a chance to fight, truly fight, against the evil of his day and took it. A symbol like that is inspiring.
With the recent, terrifying rise in bigotry since the election, especially anti-Semitism, we need icons who still stand against the perpetrators. We need a politically on-point hero to stand up and say no, not here. Not again. Not ever.
4. Captain America was created by American Jewish men during the Holocaust.
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created a character who physically conformed to the Nazi ideal man - and then had that man fight Nazis. They received death threats for this. They received anti-semitic letters and hateful phone calls. In pre-World War II America, it wasn't a given to be anti-Nazi. There was debate about the merits of Nazism. Sickening, yes, but historically true. Simon and Kirby risked their lives on a daily basis to make stories about Steve Rogers. They knew that Nazis were evil. Unequivocally. Unapologetically. Evil. Making Steve Rogers a Nazi is a gross insult to these two brave men and what they suffered for being who they were.
5. CAPTAIN AMERICA WAS SPECIFICALLY CREATED TO PUNCH NAZIS
If you don't believe me, take a look at the very first cover of Captain America.
That's right. Captain America punching Hitler himself in the face. This is the Captain America I know and love.
Make Captain America punch Nazis again.
