Look at that speech he makes to Wolverine. ‘Furthermore, I think your general attitude –‘? What is that? I was wholly rooting for Wolverine
to take him apart, especially since Logan was on the trail of the same bad guy as
Cap (the days when Marvel misunderstanding battles were still common). That was
my perception of Captain America: He made big, boring speeches while the cool
characters tried to get stuff done, if only he’d shut up and let them do it. What
saved him? For one thing, I got a little older, my feelings changed. Characters
who stood for ideals didn’t seem so bad to me. But that’s boring and doesn’t
really involve pictures, so let’s say there’s more.
Like Kurt Busiek’s Avengers run. Put Cap up against actual
bad guys, rather than good guys he chooses not to trust, and the speechifying
is more acceptable.
What’s more, make them serious bad guys. Villains out to
enslave or eliminate the human race, and fully capable of taking down all the
Avengers to do it, let alone one man with somewhat enhanced physical abilities.
Have Steve Rogers square off against that, and still be able to make big
speeches while going on the attack, and I’m good with it. For that matter, have
him face long odds against a friend he feels has gone astray.
One of the issues that struck me the most when I first read
it was from Geoff Johns’ stretch on Avengers. Thor has Odin’s power in addition
to his own, and he’s taking a more active hand on Earth than his dad. Some
people in a small Eastern European country have started to worship him, and
when their government cracks down, Thor cracks down on the government. It’s
near the Russian border, so they get spooked, which spooks the U.S. It’s on
Latveria’s border, so Doom gets involved to make things worse, and then Iron
Man tries to fight Thor with a suit powered by Asgardian magic. Into the middle
of all that goes Captain America, and soon enough it’s just him against Thor.
Which doesn’t go real well, but it doesn’t stop Cap from
getting right back in there and continuing to try and reach Thor with words,
while also keeping him focused on Steve rather than on any of the nearby
soldiers. I remember reading something on JLA/Avengers once, someone online
saying how silly it was there’s a scene of Cap and Superman almost coming to
blows, because what was Captain America going to do? Well, that’s kind of the
point of Steve Rogers, isn’t it? If he thinks someone is wrong, is trying to
oppress or bully others, he stands up to them, it doesn’t matter how powerful
they are. He didn’t back down when faced with a Thor more powerful than he’d
ever been before. He didn’t back down from Thanos when he had the Infinity
Gauntlet. He’ll always stand up to oppose someone abusing their power, and
he’ll keep trying to find a way to win. I think he was like that when I was
younger, I just didn’t see it.
Diplomatic relations between Canada and the U.S. break down
in Captain America Annual #8, by Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike Zeck (penciler),
John Beatty (inker), Jim Novak (letterer), Glynis Oliver (colorist). We learn
genocidal androids hate trips to the dentist in Avengers #21, by Kurt Busiek
and George Perez, Al Vey (finished art), Tom Smith (colorist), Richard
Starkings and Comicraft (letterering). Cap punches Kang like he was just told Sally
Floyd will say he can’t represent America because he doesn’t watch NASCAR and
yeah, I used that joke for the Bagley post, but screw it, Civil War: Frontline
was a goddamn trash fire, in Avengers #54 by Kurt Busiek (writer), Kieron Dwyer
and Rick Remender (artists), Tom Smith (colorist), Richard Starkings and
Comicraft (letterers). Cap gets pimpslapped by a god, and still commands
respect in Avengers #63/478 by Geoff Johns (writer), Alan Davis (penciler),
Mark Farmer (inker), Dave Kemp (colorist), Richard Starkings and Albert
Deschesne (letterers).
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