Warning: Contains spoilers for Captain America #3!!
Captain America has faced some of the strongest enemies in the Marvel Universe and lived to tell the tale – and his newest enemy, the Emissary, will seemingly have him punching above his weight once more. Juiced up on a cocktail of a cocktail of super-soldier serum, gamma radiation, and magic, the Emissary is a villain like few Cap has ever encountered.
Captain America #3 – by J. Michael Straczynski, Jesús Saíz, Lan Medina, and Matt Hollingsworth – introduces the latest in a long line of people gunning for Steve Rogers. The Emissary seems to be something Cap has never seen before. He’s the latest and greatest creation of A.I.M.’s new team, pairing a serial killer mentality with a host of superhuman abilities.
Immediately upon his introduction, the Emissary is set up as having the potential to be one of the most dangerous enemies Captain America has ever faced – and he’s out to obliterate everything Steve Rogers is, was, or could be.
Captain America’s Best Weapon Isn’t His Shield
As impressive as Captain America’s shield is, he has even better weapon, strong enough to bring down the X-Men’s most formidable adversary.
The Emissary Is A Mélange Of Marvel’s Most Dangerous Elements
Although Steve Rogers has faced down everything, from cosmic beings to other super soldiers, the Emissary manages to pull together a unique collection of deadly qualities. Henry Cavenaugh, the man who volunteered to take the title, is already a killer in his own right. A.I.M doses him with a serum reminiscent of the one that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America. While it isn’t a perfect replica, the treatment is bolstered by a dose of gamma radiation like that which created the Hulk. Already an imposing mix, A.I.M. adds one more terrifying ingredient – the supernatural, as Cavenaugh fuses with the demon Asmoday.
This process turns Cavenaugh into the Emissary, a deadly combination of science, magic, and technology. Captain America #3 suggests that it may very well take all of these things and more to bring the new villain down. Of course, Cap is up for the challenge. As he says in the issue, “The only thing that really matters is what you stand for when standing is the hardest.” He’s proven that he’s able and willing to do that, but willingness doesn’t mean he has what it takes to gain a victory against the Emissary alone. Though it may not immediately call in the Avengers for back-up, Steve Rogers does have help against this threat.
Even In His Solo Series, Captain America Isn’t Alone
Defeating this foe will take the kind of power even Steve Rogers doesn’t have on his own. In Captain America #3, Steve’s ally Misty Knight pulls Dr. Strange into the mix, as there is plenty of occult business and eldritch magic afoot. Using Asmoday’s power, the Emissary has already left behind a trail of impossibly burnt ash from one of his victims, with the same fate likely what he has in mind for Cap. The Emissary is one of the most dangerous antagonists to go up against Captain America in some time, and it’s going to take everything he has just to survive.
Captain America #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #3 (2023) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
