Posted by
Catmman on Monday, February 01, 2010 9:24:02 PM
Captain America, the
intentionally patriotic comic book creation of the 1940's, has found a new enemy, a new nemesis, a new villain to fight in the name of...
?
In the newest edition of Captain America, #602 Captain America must infiltrate and take on America's newest scourge -
TEA Partiers. No, I'm not joking. See the first few pages of the comic
here,
here and
here. The iconography is there as seen in the comic's own pages, "
America[n] Not Americant!", "
No Government in my Medicare!", "
Stop the Socialists", "
America 4 Sale", not to mention the hideously anti-american phrase, "
No New Taxes!"
Just a few years ago, Marvel comics put together a crossover series of comics titled 'Civil War'. In this set of comics, the government enacts legislation requiring all persons with superpowers or who are superheroes to register with the government as "superhuman weapons of mass destruction", reveal their true identities and submit to government 'training' (what that training consisted of, I have no idea).
The superhero community breaks into two factions: Those favoring registration, led by Iron Man and those opposing registration, led by Captain America. The forces opposing registration incidentally, do so on the grounds that registering violates numerous civil rights. Smelling the irony yet?
Ultimately, the pro-registration faction wins out. How? During a climactic battle (is there any other kind in comics?) between Iron Man and Cap, Cap is on the verge of victory when a group of civilians attempts to restrain him. Instead of fighting those he is ostensibly fighting for, he surrender and orders the anti-registration forces to stand down. Certain members of the anti-registration faction (like the Punisher) refuse to surrender becoming outlaws and going underground. Captain America is arrested and led away in handcuffs.
Just analyze that for a minute. Captain America is fighting against the idea of an entire segment of the American population having to register with the government. Hello? CAPTAIN AMERICA IS FIGHTING AGAINST THE IDEA OF AN ENTIRE SEGMENT OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION REGISTERING WITH THE GOVERNMENT - AND HE'S THE BAD GUY!
All of this leads, ultimately, to the assassination of Captain America by his arch nemesis (until now) Red Skull. This villain in one form or another is either a Nazi or a Communist, depending on time frame of the comic. The Nazi/Commie/Villain Red Skull takes advantage of events to ultimately kill Captain America - by shooting him in the back.
So, Captain America ultimately does give up his life (in this story line) for Freedom and Liberty and is laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
Fast forward to 2010.
Admittedly, I don't follow Captain America (though I did buy the 'death' issue for collecting purposes) so I don't know who or what the new writers are thinking in this new thread. Forget the borrowing from the now disgraced John Edwards with the whole "Two America's" title for the series. Take a look at some of the lines:
"a grassroots, anti-government army."
"...looks like some kind of anti-tax thing."
"I don't exactly see a black man from Harlem fitting in with a bunch of angry, white folks."
Let me state now, for the record, I haven't read this comic and info about it is scarce. And, admittedly, the sited pages are only three pages from an entire comic, so the reference material is a bit 'thin'. Perhaps Cap is simply trying to keep some super-villain from using the TEA Party movement for nefarious purposes. Perhaps.
That being said, forgive me if I'm not a bit suspicious. Even if there is another intent, just in the sited pages, the implication is clear - TEA Partiers are what the MSNBC set has always said they were: racist, angry, anti-government rubes. This wouldn't be the first time the comic book world has dipped it's bits into the Lefts (particularly Barack Obama's) - well, you know where I'm going with that:
Spiderman and Barack Obama.
Savage Dragon endorses Barack Obama. Now Captain America bad mouthing the TEA Party movement as full of anti-government, angry, white folks.
Admittedly, if this is some type of attempt to influence children, it's pretty stupid. There are very few kids who read, let alone follow, comics (or books for that matter) nowadays, there's just too many other avenues for their entertainment. Comics have evolved over the last two decades to appeal more to people my age (collectors) or perhaps younger gamers in their mid twenties or thirties. So why do this?
I don't know. But even if Captain America can go after Americans for exercising their rights and freedoms (as exemplified by most in the TEA Party movement), or just those who go to rallies to voice their displeasure with an overreaching government, it's proof of one thing - there is nothing, NOTHING, safe from the encroachment of the stupid Leftist.
Addendum - In an ironic twist, there is an interesting side story involving Spiderman as a result of the superhero 'Civil War'. Spiderman was on the pro-registration side of the battle. Iron Man, the leader of the pro-registration faction, in fact became his mentor. Spidey complied with the new government law, removed his mask, and revealed his true identity to the public. What did Spidey get in return for his loyalty to the government? The Kingpin, one of Spidey's arch nemisi, shot his Aunt May. In return for getting Aunt May healthy again, Spidey made a deal with Mephisto (another enemy) which ultimately cost Spidey his marriage. Oh, and Spidey's identity was also secret again.
So, in complying with the government, Spidey's Aunt was shot by an enemy, he had to make a deal with an enemy (appeasement?), he lost his marriage to his true love, and had to have his identity hidden again knowing what consequences could result from complying with the new law.
Liberals never think anything through...