![]() Given the timing - Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 was released the same day as DC’s new Rebirth one-shot - and the overall history of the character, the storyline feels more like narrative shock value. Nick Spencer, the writer, and Tom Brevoort, the editor, have stated the “Captain America is HYDRA” reveal was “organic” and done so in the name of “rejuvenating” the character. The new reveal at the end of Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 undoes the core history of Captain America both as a character, a pop culture symbol, and his original design by two Jewish men. As a narrative concept, HYDRA was a science-fiction allegory for Nazism, and Captain America was the hero to save us from them. They are a fascist group, and no matter how modern-day fans or writers attempt to re-write HYDRA’s history, they are based off Nazism. While HYDRA’s design, purpose, and overall history have changed over time, retcons, and with writers, HYDRA’s original imagery and purpose have always embodied Nazism. Captain America became a political power fantasy a way to speak out against mainstream American apathy towards Jewish, Romani, Black, gay, and other marginalized individuals who were being targeted by the Nazi regime. Their response? Captain America.Ī character that not only would embody the standard idealized Nazi youth appearance but wear the American flag as a rejection of that idealized imagery. This was the environment Simon and Kirby were experiencing as two Jewish men in America at the time. So there’s a history of American general apathy, closed in various outside countries borders, growing anti-Semitic organizations popping up, and reports of inhuman acts occurring against Jewish peoples (and other minority groups) overseas. To specify, America didn’t declare war on Germany, or the Axis Powers, but on Japan in retaliation for the attack. This could have also been due to America’s strong isolationism at the time, as the American government didn’t get involved with the conflict until after Pearl Harbor in 1941. Wyman also criticized President Roosevelt’s lack of action when Nazi concentration camps became public knowledge. There was also the existence of extreme apathy towards Jewish people and the atrocities of the Holocaust from the American public.ĭavid Wyman, writer of The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust 1941-1945, criticized the American and British governments increased blockage against potential Jewish refugees fleeing Germany. The GAB was one of hundreds of organizations that feed into the anti-Semitic sentiment that had been brewing in America since the 1930s. There was a strong political party known as German American Bund (German for Alliance) that promoted anti-Semitic propaganda throughout WWII. Though current Ford and GM deny such history. It’s been reported by The Washington Post that Ford and GM were involved in supporting the Nazis by way of contributing war materials and providing them with vehicles. Something that was quite the image considering historically, America wasn’t openly opposed to Nazism, the Holocaust, and in some cases even supported Hitler’s fascist reign. ![]() In fact the very first Captain America comic, published in 1941, features what is now an iconic image of Captain America punching Hitler. Original creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby were both young Jewish men who created a character that was essentially the Aryan ideal - blond, white, and in peak physical condition - only to vehemently reject everything about Nazism. ![]() Namely that the characters creation was rooted in specifically Jewish power fantasies in a similar vein as Superman. More than the feelings of fans, there’s also the history behind the Captain America legacy and ideals. A legacy of a name built up over 75 years - in fact, Captain America just celebrated his 75th anniversary recently - and fans feel rightly protective. When The Outhousers released the spoilers for Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 the night before its release last week, fans clamored to discredit the website citing it as “unreliable,” “the comic version of The Onion,” and “satire” in an effort to brush aside the original spoiler panel of Steve in full Captain American uniform saying, “Hail HYDRA.” Understandable, this is a huge retcon of Steve Roger’s overall character and the name of Captain America. ![]() Captain America has been revealed to be a HYDRA agent all along and doesn’t this emphasize everything wrong with superhero comics today? ![]()
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