Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling

Issue 39 - Captain America


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We didn't plan on it, but our Patron asked for it... so we covered CAPTAIN AMERICA! Anthony & Doc examine the Sentinel of Liberty, and what kind of responsibilities rest upon his broad, massive, sculpted shoulders. Listen now!

SHOW NOTES:

  • Intro

    • Shoutout to Stacking Benjamins podcast – (10:04)

  • Background (13:21)

    • Created by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941) from Timely Comics

    • Steve Rogers is a sickly kid from New York who volunteers for a government experiment to create a super soldier – the scientist responsible is killed after Rogers undergoes the procedure, leaving him the only result

    • Is given a bulletproof shield made of vibranium by FDR, and befriends young James Buchanan Barnes, aka Bucky

    • Battles the Red Skull, a Nazi super soldier, and other enemies of America and freedom

    • Cap and Bucky are presumably killed trying to defuse a bomb on a plane flying over the North Atlantic as World War II was coming to a close

    • Others carried the mantle of Captain America during the 1950s

    • Steve Rogers discovered encased in ice by Avengers, the super soldier serum keeping him alive in suspended animation – revived by the team and joins them

    • Befriends the Falcon, and falls in love with Sharon Carter, the niece of his wartime love Peggy Carter

    • During the 1970s, Steve becomes disillusioned with the American government and gives up mantle of Captain America, becoming "Nomad", a man without a country – takes up the suit again when he realized he could support the ideals without supporting the government

    • In the 1980s, he once again leaves the Captain America identity behind when the government forces him to work for them – becomes The Captain – John Walker becomes new Captain America – they battle, and Steve resumes his title, while Walker becomes US Agent

    • In "Civil War", Cap leads the Anti-Registration side against Tony Stark's pro-reg faction – he orders his team to stand down after realizing the fight is costing too much

    • Gets shot by assassin (revealed to be a brainwashed Sharon Carter) and "dies", but his body phases out of space-time until he is returned to the present by the Red Skull

    • Hands the Captain America mantle to Bucky, and takes over SHIELD until Bucky dies, at which point he resumes being Captain America

    • The serum in his body gets neutralized, and he rapidly ages to a 90 yr old man – Falcon takes over as Captain America, while he coordinates Avengers missions

    • After the Avengers: Standoff event, a girl named Kobik uses the Cosmic Cube to rewrite history, making Steve a HYDRA double agent since the beginning – although this was reverted, the public does not trust Steve Rogers

  • Issues (19:38)

    • Man out of time – has to adapt to all the changes associated with the new period

    • Has to be the moral center of the country/world (30:52)

    • Struggles with representing America – ideals vs government vs people (38:19)

  • Treatment (54:04)

    • In-universe

    • Out of universe (59:41)

  • Skit (67:03)

  • Ending (74:46)

References:

  • Tony Stark episode - Anthony - 16:38
  • Rip Van Winkle - Anthony - 21:35
  • "What Have You Done For Me Lately" by Janet Jackson - Anthony - 25:49
  • ENIAC - Anthony - 28:28
  • Jessica Jones episode - Doc - 32:45
  • "What Comes Next" from Hamilton - Anthony - 42:13

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Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get CounselingBy Capes on the Couch: Where Comics Get Counseling

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