There's a lot of publicity going around in the news lately about Caps apparent assasination. Yes, the man was shot. But in your heart of hearts you know Marvel could never really let the character die.

If you read The Iniatiative#1 you would know that Ms. Marvel spilled the beans saying, and I quote:"He's not dead." She goes on to say that he is in critical condition and being kept under secure watch at the SHIELD Raft facility. Why do they want everyone to think he's dead? I guess so that no one tries to kill him again.

What bugs me about all this publicity is that unlike the death of Superman there was never a moment when I actually believed that Cap had died. As a matter of fact the assasination and 'ressurection' take place in the same book! And because of the ordering of the chapters we learn that Cap survives even before he is shot! So really all of the media coverage for the death of Captain America is little more than a hoax. That or the media really doesn't do its homework.

Truth be told, I don't really blame the media either. I blame Civil War. It seems to me that because CW was so far behind schedule now that it's finally over the rest of the Marvel tie-ins are rushing to catch up. For example, in the Spiderman CW books Aunt May was shot at the cliffhanger but in the parallel running Back In Black book we find out that she survives and is doing well. Because the book releases are out of sync with their original scheduling (having been held back by CW's tardiness) the dramatic content of the story is dulled. This is what I believe happened with the news of Caps death. I think he was supposed to have been shot way back when CW was originally intended to end. Then the secret news of his survival would be revealed months later, as in right about now. But because the timing between books was thrown off the emotional content that would have been associated with the loss of such an iconic character is wasted.

So what does this mean for the Marvel Univers? I guess that really depends on how soon they decide to bring Cap back into active duty. I had a discussion with someone on this subject and he referenced Caps WWII origins. From a story standpoint, it would be interesting if Cap slipped into a comma for awhile and awoke after a prolonged period of time just as he did after WWII. If, however, Marvel decides to put him back in action too soon then they'll be further wasting the momentum they were trying to build up. Here's keeping my fingers crossed.

If you read Marvel's statement about it, Ms, Marvel was wrong.

****SPOILER*****






Perhaps Warbird was talking to Spider Woman before Sharon went all nutzo and finished the job? Perhaps she just didn't have the facts right and hadn't found out about the second attack.

Btw, anyone else hear that this was originally Ed Brubaker's idea in the first place? I've really enjoyed Ed's work up to this point, but that really leaves me questioning his judgement...

What the heck is going on?

WHERE was Captain America shot? Like what comic book? The newest comic I read had him in The Raft....Frontline showed the reporters talking to him.

I've been so totally lost listening to the news and such...

He died because he didn't listen to the president.
Thats what Colbert said, anyways.

Captain America not dead? I completely agree..but for different reasons.

In the world of Marvel Comics, it would seem that Cap has indeed shuffled off this mortal coil. But who is Marvel Comics to do such a thing? Legally, Cap belongs to them but, in truth, he belongs to us.

I look on my bookshelf and Marvel Legends Cap is there, holding his shield high overhead. Below that, no less than three different Clix versions of Cap
await my orders to hurl themselves into battle. In my attic, boxes of Captain America comics (from back when comics didn't suck) lay ready to amuse me. I can turn on any one of three video games I own and Cap will be there to lay a Final Justice on the poor chump of my choosing. And, finally, lying on my living room floor is a short, chunky Steve Rogers who has no other purpose in life but to provide a solid role model for my son (and occasionally whomp up on a short ,chunky Spider-Man).

Captain America dead? Would that you and I were half as alive now as Captain America is in "death".

Cap jumped infront of a sniper bullets heading froma cop shot by Crossbones, a brainwashed Sharon Carter then shot him in the gut 3 times. THis all happened in Captain American #25 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting.

Could everyone please go read it before they talk about it anymore so we're all on the same page at least?

That's gonna be hard for a lot of people. I've heard of many stores selling out b/c of all the prospectors buying issues by the handfull.

It sounds like everyone but me has read it...and it's quite impossible for me to read it as I don't own it and won't be in the same town as a comic book shop until Wednesday.

And I wasn't hear to discuss whether or not he was dead...I just wanted to know where it happened since it was certainly not in a Civil War series and I didn't realize Cap was involved in something else currently...

Which is completely ########, but its gonna work cause they didn't print as many of them as they should. Now instead of Marvel making extra money, ebayers make extra money. Way to go Joey Q.

Yeah, Marvel's official line is that Carol in The Innitiative was LYING to Jessica because she wanted to take her in peacefully, so she was basically just telling her what she wanted ot hear.

My theory on all of this? Cap's dead, or at least will be made to appear dead for probably the next year or two. Whether he's dead or not, he will return at some point within that time and triumphantly reclaim the role. There's no way Steve Rogers is staying dead any longer than that.

I thought he might be in the role of Ronin at the moment in the latest New Avengers comic after I heard he was supposedly dead...dunno though...

Actually, from what I hear, they printed PLENTY, but retailers didn't order nearly enough because they didn't expect this to happen. On the bright side, Marvel promised to fill all orders ithin the first few days (with first print copies), since they did print up way more than were ordered.

That is my understanding also.
Marvel overprinted the book and the people paying crazy money on Ebay are in for a shock.
Of course, I figure most of those people paying crazy money on Ebay were non-comic people who heard it on the news. Batman, Superman, Captain America, I suspect they all end the same way, and this isn't the first time that someone else will have assumed the mantle anyway.
That being said, it is a possibility, however remote, that a newer, hipper Captain America could cause an upswing in the younger readership and they keep Steve Rogers on the shelf indefinitely. I just think they run the risk of turning off the older, more traditional comic readers that have been reading Captain America, and the younger readers don't bother because the concept of Captain America just isn't "cool" enough for them.
Bit of a shame, really.
Still, if Cap is gone forever (yeah, right ), then I nominate Samuel T. Wilson to take over. The only problem I have with that is that I have always liked the Falcon as a character, but he never seemed to get the high-profile roles. This would cost me the Falcon, but put the character himself in the spotlight.

See, I am not sure I even believe that. The panel before Caps gut-shots seemed to show someone wearing a jacket and tie drawing a gun. Plus the panel of dead Cap on gurney did not look like his face.

My personal theory is that Carol was brainwashed to think she killed Cap, and that Cap is still alive. I know Marvel has confirmed Cap to be dead, but honestly I don't trust what they say anyhow.