As you probably know by now, “the real” Captain America returned last month near the conclusion of Marvel’s latest mega crossover event, Secret Empire. But now that the altruistic Steve Rogers we all know and love begins to reacclimate to the world, he’s found himself in a bit of an existential crisis.
Believe it or not, Cap was given a cruel taste of reality this week in the pages of Marvel Legacy #1 when he went to do something not unfamiliar to superheroes. Basically, he attempted to dig a young boy out of a mass of rubble left by the latest smackdown to level a populated area, and was instead met by fear. In other words, the wee lad saw not a Sentinel of Liberty, but rather, the Hydra Supreme that had just terrorized the planet.
As such, this has forced Steve to examine his place in society, with us being led to believe he may favor seclusion for the time being. In fact, a news reporter was heard to ask “Where’s Captain America?,” thus implying we’re probably going to see him attempt to get his groove back over the next year of storytelling. But whether he can undo the damage done to the brand by Hydra Cap – and, more specifically, Nick Spencer and Marvel editorial – remains to be seen.
Additionally, this brings up the philosophical question of who is the “true” Captain America because, technically, it’s Hydra Cap. Think about it: He’s the guy that the Avengers and the rest of the Marvel Universe have gotten to know over the years, regardless of having his history rewritten. This “classic” Cap only recently came into being thanks to Kobik and, despite having a lifetime of memories, is arguably the impostor.
Marvel Legacy #1 is now available in comic shops. For more, be sure to check out our review.