I have written before about the death of Captain America in Fear Itself #3. You can read my objections with the issue and the book as a whole. Recently I undertook a Saturday to “fix” the death of my favorite character, Bucky Barnes. I view this more like the “Phantom Edits” where an editor re-edited the first two prequel movies of Star Wars to offer a better telling of the films. The following is such an attempt for the death of Bucky within the Fear Itself event–an event that I personally feel is a bigger disaster than Secret Invasion.

Disclaimer: All characters and events in Fear Itself are copyrighted by Marvel. This merely represents an attempt at fan fiction to offer the story I would have like to have seen published to set up the big death in the event.

Thus without further delay, Fear Itself: Captain America #1

[Update: It was brought to my attention that the above paragraph was a bit too harsh and I can see where someone might think that given that I said I thought the event was a "disaster." It was not my intention to disrespect Matt Fraction or the others. I was hoping that by offering a script that I'm not someone who just says something sucks and never offers up something positive to show what could make it better. I have enjoyed Matt Fraction's work on Iron Man. It wasn't my intent to be disrespectful but merely to criticize and to offer up something that I would consider improvement upon what I believe to be a "disaster."]

In June of 2011 comic fans witnessed the death of Captain America…again. Just like in 2007, the iconic character was brutally killed. But this time it wasn’t Steve Rogers, World War II legend, but his former partner, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. After he was believed to be killed after World War II, only to be revived by the Soviet Union and turned into their super spy/assassin, Bucky was asked to take on the role of Captain America upon Steve’s demise. But his Soviet past caught up to him and he was forced to give up the role. However we find him in Fear Itself #3 fighting his final battle in the role before he is brutally killed by the daught of the Red Skull, possessed by an ancient Norse spirit. That’s right, Bucky died again.

The real problem for most readers is that this story, the Death of Captain America/Bucky, had no emotion. There was no build up to the death and there was no emotional fallout to the death. At a recent panel discussion about the Fear Itself event, author Matt Fraction spoke about this issue–to some extent or other. He acknowledges that there will be no tie-in to explain how Bucky got from forsaking the mantle of Cap to fight the damage his Soviet identity, Winter Soldier, caused to dawning the shield in Washington CD. This, in my opinion will hurt the series overall because it forces Bucky into a story he simply doesn’t belong in. Fear Itself #3 almost exclusively deals with killing Bucky as if it was something Fraction wanted to do so he was doing it, rather than making it an integral part of the story. However there will be an issue, Fear Itself 7.1, that will show some of the other Marvel characters react to his death (only Black Widow reacted for two panels in Fear Itself #4).

To fix this lack of emotion, I think the following story as a single-issue tie-in would be effective at giving a proper emotional buildup to Fear Itself #3 so that Bucky’s dying will carry the weight it needs for such a beloved character whose very existence in current continuity is controversial enough. He is a character built on emotion and so he should go out with emotion.

Fear Itself: Captain America #1 of 1, or Captain America #620, would chronicle Bucky returning with the Black Widow to America to find the Serpent, the villain of the event, invading Midgard–the Asgardian name for Earth. Bucky picks up the Falcon to enlist his help. They then fly to Washington DC to find Bucky’s suit to go into battle one last time, because this battle is what Captain America was created for. Rogers had put Bucky’s suit and shield on display in a memorial room to Captain America. As Bucky begins to suit up Rogers catches him. The two legends have a very heated, heart-felt argument about Bucky putting on the suit and going out to fight.

Bucky gives an impassioned speech about how this was the battle that FDR created Captain America for. His entire career in the role as Cap, Bucky was living up to Steve’s legend. In fact, one of the few weaknesses of Brubaker’s writing of Bucky-Cap is that Bucky never embraced the role. Brubaker would write the character as if he was going to fully embrace the role and then pull him back. Bucky would tell Steve that once the legend came back, Bucky continued in the role because Steve asked him to continue–Steve never wanted the role but just to be a soldier. Now he was doing this because this is what Cap does and Bucky is Cap.

Steve would inform Bucky that an ancient Asgardian god has returned, powered by the fear that runs rampant across the country, and has empowered eight villains and heroes with mystic hammers like Thor’s to be his evil lieutenants. Bucky doesn’t stand a chance and will die. Steve can’t lose Bucky for a third time–counting Steve’s own recent death. Steve reminds Bucky that when he died he became the enemy assassin, Winter Soldier, and unleashed an unholy terror across the world during the Cold War. Rogers can face that again. He begs Bucky not to go.

Bucky would respond with one resounding point: Steve would go out and fight. Too many times during World War II did Rogers take on such impossible odds. Rogers will bring in the fact that Bucky is an international fugitive and Rogers is required to take him in. But he won’t because Bucky is his brother. And as brothers, he is begging Bucky not to fight. Bucky refuses. The world needs Captain America and Steve said he didn’t want the job. Only Bucky can fill that role if Steve won’t. Rogers, as Bucky’s superior, orders Bucky to stand down. And Bucky accepts the order.

The issue concludes with Widow and Falcon standing on the roof of the building. We see an outline of Bucky in a doorway leading to the roof. Widow asks Bucky what Rogers said and Bucky tells her he said no. Falcon asks him what Bucky was going to do. Standing in full view and in his full Captain America uniform, smiles at them. In the second to last panel Bucky says, “The world is calling for Captain America to save her…” In the last panel he’s pulled the cowl on and says, “And I’m going to answer that call.”

I think this works on three levels. One, we see how Bucky gets from the Russian gulag to Washington DC. This has been a biggie for fans because the end of Captain America Volume 5 (issue 619) has Bucky going off on his own mission to confront his former life as the Soviet spy/assassin, the Winter Soldier. And all of a sudden he has rallied his partners to fight back against the possessed new Red Skull. It’s a huge narrative gap that needs to be filled to help involve Bucky in the story if he’s going to be featured in such an important way. Suddenly appearing in the issue and then dying is more shock than substance. This doesn’t require him to be in Fear Itself #1 or #2 and keeps #3 as is.

Second, one of my problems with Brubaker’s run on Captain America with Bucky as Cap is that Bucky never embraces the role. Brubaker puts Bucky on the precipice of embrace. But pulls him back and has Bucky relearn the same painful lessons over and over. This issue sees Bucky embrace his role as Captain America. His final mission as Cap is the one where he not only gets it but accepts it and becomes the role for himself and not for Steve Rogers.

Thirdly, this could be the final argument for why Steve Rogers must reclaim his former role as Captain America. Not only is it his duty to his country, if not the world at this point, but something else happens. Bucky donned the shield and cowl to, first, honor Rogers’ legacy. Then to honor Rogers’ choice upon his return. Now Steve can put the uniform back on to honor Bucky and his courage and bravery. The role reverses. Like Brubaker, Steve isn’t doing this because it’s what he wants. He only wanted to be a soldier. But it’s a role only he can fill and it’s the best way to honor Bucky what it meant to Bucky in the end. Thus when Brubaker penns Fear Itself 7.1, he can really have fun with Rogers’ emotions in reaction to Bucky defying his orders to rpotect life.

As a stand alone issue, Fear Itself #3 does some cool things. Bucky, as Captain America, gets to call out the famous command, “Avengers! Assemble!” His death is legendary in that he is truly being Captain America, defending America from the Nazi blitzkrieg (although this Nazi leader is the daughter of the Red Skull and is possessed by some ancient Norse spirit). The way he dies is pretty…epic. But it doesn’t flow well with the story up to this point in the story. I think my Fear Itself: Captain America #1 of 1 (or Captain America #620 if you like, ending the series on a nice even number).

With the first two events receiving a new plot, it’s time to conclude this massive story. The event that Bendis wrote and Coipel illustrated wasn’t half bad. But it flows out of a completely different story. Having totally given new plots to Secret Invasion and Dark Reign, Siege had to receive a new plot as well. I hope that this plot is more exciting.

And I want to say of this entire effort, I am in no way saying that if I were to try and put pen to paper this would work better. It’s just this is what I would have like to have seen. Conceptually it might work–and that’s a big “might”–but I may not be able execute it. So I don’t want to come across as thinking I’m better than Bendis, who was the brains behind all three events. He’s great at what he does and I love to read his books.

With that in mind, here’s my attempt at Siege.

Siege

#1: Steve and Bucky’s team join up with everyone else on the Mutant Island. There they prepare to strike back against the Skrulls by attacking the Skrull Queen. The Skrulls however are aware of this Island and they prepare to move against them, destroying the last pocket of resistance.

#2: The heroes move against the Skrulls. They divide up against the Skrulls. Iron Man leads his team to retake SHIELD and the Stark Mainframe. Rogers and Thor will move against the Skrull army with the New Avengers, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Asgard. Bucky and the Black Widow will move against the Skrull Queen. Rogers/Thor are heavily out gunned with against the full Armada. The main thrust will be the initial action and Mighty Avengers retaking SHIELD.

#3: The main battle of the Thor/Rogers team is the center piece as Iron Man is able to retake his Tech and unleash SHIELD ariel units to counter the Skrull navy. The surprise element for Earth’s defenders wears out as the Skrulls are able to surround Team Rogers and Team Stark. The Skrull Queen is ready finish off and take total control of Earth.

#4: As Team Rogers and Team Stark struggle to stay alive, Bucky and Black Widow infiltrate the CIC for the Skrulls. They fight through the Queen’s personal body guard of Super Skrulls and take the Queen captive. She is made to halt her invasion the Skrulls are forced to surrender to Rogers. When the world governments are able yo get up and running in a meaningful capacity, Tony Stark steps down as Director of SHIELD. The organization is shut down and Rogers, the commanding officer of the heroes that won the war, is appointed to Stark’s position. Rogers commissions the Avengers Initiative to replace SHIELD. The teams break down to where they are in current continuity.

All tie-in issues during Siege will focus in greater detail the various roles each character(s) play in the event

In the previous post I outlined my four-issue event I were the author of Secret Invasion. The following continues my replotting of this period of Marvel publishing. The Dark Reign period of Marvel history put the villains in charge of the main Marvel Universe, led by Norman Osbourne himself.

But much of what was published under this narrative didn’t need the Dark Reign set up. The New Avengers selected a new Sorcerer Supreme since Doctor Strange no longer held that title. The Mighty Avengers did little with the rest of the Marvel U. Spider-Man was doing Brand New Day and Ed Brubaker pretty much kept Bucky in his own corner of the universe. The Dark Avengers took the Thunder Bolts and changed the name. So with that in mind, keeping the same format, here’s my Dark Reign in light of my Secret Invasion.

Dark Reign
Mighty Avengers: I have in mind two major cross overs for this team. First the mighty Avengers drive the mutants their island off the coast of California led by Cyclops and Emma Frost. This island would be a stronghold for mutants and Cage’s Avengers. The second major crossover would be the destruction of Asgard and the defeat if Thor and his people. This book would follow the Skrulls and their conquest of earth.

New Avengers: this book would show the atrocities the Skrulls commit, almost Nazi-like despite their promises of salvation and peace. The Avengers would first try to find the missing team that Iron Man had led. Once the teams are reunited. Then they would be trying to find this new Captain America who has been waging a one-man resistance against the Skrulls like the French Maquis of WWII or Mark Millar’s Batman in his Superman: Red Son.

Iron Man: Tony first has to rebuild his Extremis suit, the Mark VI, so that it ends up being the design it is now. This new suit will allow him to retake the Stark Mainframe. Then Stark will join the Captain America cast to bring back the not so dead Steve Rogers.

Thor: Thor will be out away from Asgard when the attack occurs. He will help slow down the onslaught but unable to stop it. After being able to view the atrocities of the Skrulls, Thor and Balder lead Asgard against the Skrulls. The Super Skrulls are able to destroy the city and deliver a crippling blow to the Asgardians.

X-Men: The team is pushed out of America and on to the Mutant Island that Matt Fraction led them to in the DR cross over. The X-Men open up this Island to Asgard and the Avenger teams as a base of operations and safe haven from the Skrulls. Then the X-Men attack the SWORD base in orbit and retake it.

Fantastic 4: The family helps devise a way to identify any remaining sleepers as well as help Tony rebuild his Extremis armor. Then they travel to the Negative Zone to shut down the backdoor the Skrulls used to speed up transit time for their armada.

Captain America: Bucky leads a resistance movement with Black Widow in the spirit of the French Maquis of WWII. He takes out key targets the cripple the Skrull occupation. At each attack he leaves a calling card that alerts the general population to the fact that Captain America is still fighting. Cap is no longer the soldier that leads from the front but becomes the symbol people need to carry on, allowing Bucky to utilize his assassin and spec ops skills that he learned in WWII and the Cold War. He uncovers that Steve is suspended in time and dispatches the Falcon and Sharon Carter to bring Steve back. Bucky continues to attack and make himself the focus of the Skrulls’ ire to blind them to Rogers rebirth.

A couple of years ago, Marvel Comics published Secret Invasion. The premise was that the alien race of Skrulls had figured out how to shape-shift in such a way to infiltrate and conquer Earth. As part of their plan, they were able to turn the heroes of Earth against each other by taking advantage of the SHRA and the superhero civil war that created distrust amongst heroes. The heroes were able to set aside their trust issues and fight back, repulsing the Skrulls. The unfortunate downfall to this victory was that the Spider-Man villain Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, was able to wrest control and seize power from Iron Man, Tony Stark, who was the head of all heroes.

However, the eight-issue series/event was less than successful. At time the comic seemed too slow and was very formulaic in light of the House of M (HoM) event, written by Secret Invasion (SI) author Brian Michael Bendis. On the whole, the resulting year-long event Dark Reign (DR) and four-issue title Siege fell flat and continued to disappoint, promising much and delivering little.

One of the apparent influences on SI was the popular Sci-Fi show Battlestar Galactica (BG), with obvious parallels between the Cylons of BG and the Skrulls of SI. But the title felt like it wanted to borrow from the TV show but yet not. If I were to plot and write these three Marvel events — SI, DR, and Seige — I would have admitted the connection and ran with it. Here is what I’d do.

Secret Invasion

SI #1: A commando team of Super Skrulls attack the SWORD outpost and neutralizes the agency. The team then opens up a portal to the Negative Zone to unleash the Skrull military upon the Earth. Tony Stark assembles his Avenger team.

SI #2: The Skrull military attacks SHIELD and Avengers Tower. A computer virus disables the Iron Man Extremis ability and disconnects him from the Stark Mai frame, giving the Skrulls command of all Stark tech. SHIELD is defeated and the Mighty Avengers confront the Skrulls.

SI #3: As the Skrull military continues its invasion of Earth, the Mighty Avengers engage the Super Skrulls, becoming pinned down inside their own base when Spider Woman is revealed to be the Skrull Queen. The New Avengers are called in to help the Mighty Avengers escape.

SI #4: The Mighty Avengers hold off the Super Skrulls while the New Avengers and the Black Widow try to escape Avengers Tower with Tony Stark. The sleeper Skrulls on the New Avengers are revealed. The United States officially surrenders when the Mighty Avengers appear in the White House with the Skrull Queen to plead for surrender.

Continuing my thinking in the Justification Debate between N. T. Wright and those who hold to the traditional Reformed position, I heard an argument for the belief in the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s obedience to the believer. It was a pastor who was arguing for this position, using a pastoral argument. His argument was that in his ministry there are some people who doubt their own salvation and are in need of assurance will move from that doubt to leaving the country on mission for the Gospel because they were taught imputation.

Now I’m not going to throw away this argument because it’s pastoral and not exegetical, though he. It is interesting that people will hear this doctrine and go from doubting their own salvation to boldly going out on to the mission field to lay down their lives for King Jesus. The pastor seemed to intimate that no other doctrine was able to demolish the doubt, as in the pastor preached everything he could, and it wasn’t until he came to imputation that assurance finally came.

But here’s the problem I’m really having with imputation. I really don’t think the legalism and systematic merit theology that became so prominent in RCC and prompted the Reformation is what was going on in the New Testament era that prompted Paul’s writings. And so while I think imputation is a good answer to that mind-set, I’m not certain it’s the one Paul had in mind. It seems to me that, after reading Romans 1-8, what is imputed to the believer is Christ’s death and resurrection. That is to say that I think it is Christ’s vindication (a better term for the dik- word group than “righteousness”) that is counted as ours until it is enacted in us at the last day. Because we are new creatures and part of God’s new creation through Christ, we cannot earn our salvation by nationalistic righteousness or moralistic righteousness.

Thus I wonder if by presenting the traditional view of imputation is reinforcing the wrong worldview. It is a doctrine that, at least, rose to prominence during the Reformation to counter Rome’s merit theology. The narrative we should be presenting and reinforcing is that of creation-fall-incarnation-recreation, not a works narrative.

Here’s what I mean. If John Doe came to me wanting to know if he has done enough to get saved. I would want to counsel him that he is starting at the wrong place. Like the Reformed position I would say no. But my answer wouldn’t be, “John, God requires you to be perfect to get saved. Have you lived a perfect life? No. But Jesus has lived a perfect life for you and by faith that perfect obedience is yours.” Rather I want to tell him, “John, no there isn’t a work you can do. And you are correct to feel you are under God’s wrath for your sin. But God has provided a way through his own wrath in Jesus Christ. Through his death God gets his act of justice against your rebellion and through his resurrection you have been made a new creature part of God’s future, eternal kingdom.” I’m not providing an answer within the narrative that is creating doubt. I’m trying to create a new narrative.

Now the pastor made a correct observation that the soul bent on doubting will doubt anything you tell it. Thus John Doe will still doubt his own place in the kingdom upon hearing my narrative as much as he will the narrative of imputation. As that pastor said, only the Holy Spirit can overcome that doubt and does so through God’s apostolic word. The exegetical debate must be had so that we can preach to the doubt what the Spirit will utilize to defeat doubt.

God said through Isaiah that his words and ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts. So why do we present an answer to doubts that are rising out of narratives not constructed from God’s word? Imputation, traditionally defined (I would still want to use the term as I did earlier but what is imputed is different), is a doctrine that operates within the wrong narrative, one of self-help, moralistic works. I don’t think that is the narrative God presents in his Scripture. It’s one of creation-fall-incarnation-recreation. Because we are new creatures in Christ, we can be about the business of being new creatures.

Last week America had her off-year general election. A major change happened in that the Republican Party was able to convincingly retake the House of Representatives after losing it in 2006 to the Democratic Party. So now the Congress is a house divided in that the House of Representatives is a Republican, conservative controlled body while the Senate remains a progressive, Democratic Party. In the wake of such fervor over the direction of the country it seemed appropriate reread “Captain America: Two Americas.”

To get the comic review out of the way, this is a good read. Brubaker moves the plot along at a good pace. Each issue has a very good cliff-hanger to conclude the first three issues. The end of the story is nicely executed as the story is left open yet still has a sense of conclusion. The artistic team of Luke Ross, Jackson Guice, and Dean White do an excellent job of grounding the scenes in reality. They do an excellent job of keeping the kinetic energy of the story up even when it slows down for exposition.

Ed Brubaker uses this story to examine the country in the wake of President Obama’s election and the feelings of both sides of the election. And the reader is allowed to look at the country to the eyes of a mad man and central antagonist to the story, Captain America from the 1950s. In an experiment to recreate Captain America in the wake of his apparent demise and the end of World War II, the government seemed to be successful until the experiments drove the man insane. Now 50 some years later this Crazy Cap has returned in the wake of previous events to see what America has become.

Stephen Rogers, formerly known as William Burnside of Boise, Idaho, returned to his home town to find his home torn down and replaced by a strip mall that was itself out of business. During his trek from New York to Boise, in this modern America he saw the Great Depression all over again. Empty homes, long unemployment lines and unlike in the 1940s, the two wars being fought by America weren’t helping to fix the economy. In the 1950s when he was Captain America, America was strong under President Eisenhower. Schools were the best in the world and our workers were the best workers. The country was great. But that country is so long ago that it is almost mythological to him now.

Burnside returns to his home of Boise to find many Americans feeling the same way. The government is not on their side anymore, over spending to the point of the country becoming a socialist nation. The government is sticking its nose in their personal lives, telling them how to live it and thus perverting the American dream. That’s the image of one America. Trying to recover the strength of Eisenhower’s america that was lost at some point along the way.

The current Captain America is the old 1940s sidekick, James Buchanan Barnes, a.k.a. Bucky. He took the mantle when the original Steve Rogers, the first Captain America, was shot killed by the Red Skull. In Brubaker’s story Bucky is looking to bring this Crazy Cap in for treatment and to stop his terrorist plot. Bucky’s partner is Roger’s old partner, the Falcon, Sam Wilson. Wilson is an African-American from Harlem who grew up during the racist days of this country. He represents the modern America. Gone is the backwards thinking mentality that led to racism and the oppression of women. The government has stepped up to the plate and is fighting off social injustices, making sure all Americans have Medicare. The government isn’t socialist in the truest sense of the word. It’s doing what needs to be done in order to save this country from certain collapse. It might mean more taxes but it’s the price to pay.

So there are two Americas. One in power and one out of power. The older America knows it’s out of power and feels its loss. It feels ostracized and without a voice. It needs someone to rally around, someone strong to bring back the America it remembers and loves. It sees hippies and commies running the country. In Brubaker’s story, that symbol and leader is the Crazy Cap.

He has come to Idaho to begin his crusade to retake America. He has begun to draft an army and made plans to fire his “Shot Heard Round the World” reminding us of the country’s birth in the American Revolutionary War. Indeed Burnside believes himself to be launching a new Revolutionary War to retake the nation. He recognizes something that most people don’t. These two America’s are at war with each other. There is a war being waged in this country that is more important than the wars in the Middle East. For Burnside, winning the war is everything.

I think Brubaker is on to something in this story arc. His analysis of both sides of the debate as there being two Americas is pretty much spot on. The Conservative America does want to get back to the wealth and prosperity of Eisenhower America. They see moral degradation increase with the implementation of Liberal, Progressive ideals. They want to get back to a strong country in terms of its morality, politics, and economy. The only way to get back there is to get back to the ideals of America from the 1950s. Let each man

But the other America, the Progressive America, doesn’t want that. It means a return to racism and the oppression of women. It means taking back the rights of Americans it has fought so hard to win. It sees this America as wanting to take a step backwards in time. The answer to the problems that Burnside sees is not in going backwards but in moving forwards, with the government leading the charge.

Indeed these two Americas are fighting each other. Consider the election this past month. Republicans used Obama-Care as a rallying cry and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid as piñatas to get their people into office. In Florida, President Clinton tried to persuade the Democratic candidate to bow out to keep the Tea Party candidate out of power. Some Republicans advocated the people to simply not vote to keep Democrats out of power. President Obama countered with saying that Republicans are stymieing the people’s rights as Americans because they know the people will continue to vote for Obama’s change. Republicans tell media outlets that they will refuse to compromise with the President to keep his policies from being enacted.

The problem that Brubaker identifies, quite correctly, is the extremism. In his story it’s Crazy Cap and his Watchdog militia that are so bent on their ideals and narrative that they were willing to actually start shooting guns. There is no compromise, no willingness to come to the table and negotiate. There is no debate and no getting the issues on the table. To them, this country is past the point of no return. Elections cannot help this country. It is up to them and the other extremist groups to rise up and force the change.

Even the Falcon is guilty of this extremism. Early on in the story, Bucky and Sam sees a rally protesting big government and spending additional taxes. Out of this community the Watchdog Militia arrises and so he assumes the community as a whole is part of the extremism. But then, after being captured by Crazy Cap, Sam meets Dave. Dave is a regular American who wants the conservative America of Eisenhower, but refuses to go the militant route. This is a gut-check for Sam who realizes that though they may disagree about the best way of doing America, the other side is not all crazy extremists. His prejudices are forms of extremism.

Brubaker’s solution to the problem, aside from Bucky and Sam defeating Crazy Cap and his Watchdog Militia, is for people to be like Dave. To have strong convictions but being willing to sit down at the table and debate, which is truly doing America. The best solution lies in rational Americans leading the country, not the extremists. The views of the extremists will be well represented. But the prejudices will be left where they belong, outside of America.

Captain America and the Falcon save the day. America will live on. But we have to be on guard for extremism and our prejudices. Just as the demise of the Crazy Cap couldn’t be verified, so the threat of these enemies are still out there. We must be on guard and unite together and forge a new way forward, one that will bring about the best of the two Americas in one glorious USA.

When Ed Brubaker gave Steve Rogers’ mantle to his partner Bucky the idea was to use Bucky as a foil for the reader to understand Steve Rogers better and what it meant to be Captain America. Unlike DC and the Superman team, Brubaker tried to get the audience to buy into Bucky and believe in him as Captain America. Every time Bucky took a step forward in his new role as Cap, the reader cheered him on and celebrated that the disgruntled man was living up to Steve’s legend and bringing him honor. Now that Steve is on the verge of his rebirth/resurrection, many Cap readers don’t want Steve back, or at least donning the shield and cowl again. They want Bucky to stay AS Captain America. A very different picture from what happened when Superman died.

My favorite difference between Superman’s death and Steve Rogers’ death is the fact that when someone tried to replace Superman, it didn’t work and Kal-El was needed back. When someone tried to replace Steve, it worked and the new Captain America was embraced the world–both within the comic and by readership. Bucky was able to carry on in Steve’s place where the four Supermen weren’t able to carry on in Kal-El’s. There are other differences, but I really love this one.