Warning: SPOILERS for Captain America #6The true strength of Captain America has always been his convictions of right and wrong, even before he became the Sentinel of Liberty. After all, Steve Rogers has conquered all manner of evil throughout his lifetime, not just by using his brawn, but by using his courage. But unfortunately for Cap, it’s that very same courage that doomed him long before he ever fell into the ice.
Captain America #6 by J. Michael Straczynski, Lan Medina, Belardino Brabo, Espen Grundetjern, and Joe Caramagna recounts Steve’s early days battling against the Nazis on American soil before joining Project: Rebirth. Rogers foils the plans of a burgeoning Hydra, driving their bomb into the river and away from any civilians.
Waking in a hospital, the future Captain America learns that the physical trauma of his heroism combined with his preexisting ailments are a death sentence, giving him maybe five years to live. And while becoming Captain America clearly saves his life, this revelation makes Steve’s story the more tragic.
Captain America Just Lost His Best Weapon (Not His Shield)
Captain America’s signature weapon is his shield, but there’s one tool in his arsenal that’s even more important. And he loses it in his old age.
Becoming Captain America Saved Steve Rogers’ Life
Boiled down to his essence, Captain America is just a man who believes in standing up to bullies and protecting those who can’t protect themselves. He holds these convictions so strongly that he is willing to act on them long before becoming one of Marvel Comics’ greatest heroes. But that very same conviction also signs his death warrant, with the Super Soldier Serum and his life as Captain America being the only way to continue fighting the good fight – and entirely disrupting his plans.
All Steve Rogers ever wanted was to make the world better while living a relatively normal life in his own time. But it’s clear now that was never going to happen, with or without his superhero status. Thanks to his powers, and his time in the ice, Captain America has lived exponentially longer than he could have ever expected at the cost of the quiet life he knew and expected. Fortunately for the Marvel Universe, Steve Rogers refuses to let tragedy hold him back, reminding fans just why he stands toe-to-toe with more powerful heroes like Iron Man or Thor.
Steve Rogers’ Heroism Cost Him His Peace
Captain America was a hero long before he became a superhero as he fought for liberty on his home streets of Brooklyn. And because of that heroism, Steve Rogers never got to experience the normal life for which he fought. Time and again, it’s been shown that the Sentinel of Liberty is no stranger to sacrificing his life for the greater good. And now fans know that Captain America had already made that sacrifice before he even went into the ice.
