Captain America

From dKosopedia

Writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby conceived the idea of Captain America (real name Steve Rogers) in 1941. A political creation Simon and Kirby used him to exress their revultion to the actions of Nazi Germany in the years leading up to the United States' involvement in World War II.

Captain America Comics #1 went on sale in December 1940, a year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It's cover showed the protagonist punching Hitler in the jaw and sold nearly one million copies. In interveiws years later Simon recalled getting "threatening letters and hate mail" over that cover.

When the U.S. finally did enter the war Captain America immediately became the most prominent American comic books that had ever been.

In the post-war era the popularity of superheroes faded but not Captain America who had new enemies who were more and more often thinly disguised Russian Communists and their allies.

Then in the 1980's the cold war ended.

Captain America's enemies became less and less political.

But the very idea of Captain America was becoming out of date behind the times while Batman and Superman (Incarnations of God and rage) continued to be popular Rogers was an anachronism.

Then came 9/11 and America was ready to see Cap in action again.

But this was not to last.

Ecoing real political events Rogers discovers that the US government has been lying to him.

In the 2006-2007 "Civil War" crossover, Captain America ends his 50 year relationship with the US government over the mandatory federal registration of all super-powered beings (a clear reference to the on going curtaining of civil liberties under Bush).

After a number of conflicts Rogers allows himself to be arrested.

As he is brought to a federal courthouse, a sniper shoots him in the back and Captain America is dead.

Conclution

Captain America's death isn't just the dying of a fictional superhero.

It's a symbol of the end of Eisenhower Conservatism.

Like Rogers it's been shot in the back.[1]