Go Fuck Yourself, Marvel.

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

I'm not gonna get too worked up over this, as we're talking about a comic book character, which when you get down to it is just a collection of pictures and words that form a shared idea.

Ideas are important though, and you don't toss one aside without considering the ramifications.

Marvel Comics has decided to kill off Captain America. This annoys me beyond reason, and would induce the RCOB if I chose to sit and stew about it.

DC Comics killed off Superman in the 90's and I didn't care all that much. I didn't collect any of the Superman titles, as Supes tends to come across as a Big Blue Boy Scout in print, and only gets interesting on the small screen (Lois & Clark, Smallville).

Captain America, though... Cap was always a favorite of mine. Diehard American, but not a jingoistic automaton. No cosmically-endowed super powers, but could hold his own with the big boys. He didn't carry the baggage of Batman's "vigilante" public image. Of all the morally ambiguous comic heroes out in the Marvel Universe, if you needed a moral center, a person who would always do the Right Thing at the right time, you could rely on Cap.

And Marvel Comics decided that wasn't important anymore.

I'm not interested in the reasons they gave for their decision. They can dress it up in all the NewSpeak they deem appropriate. It was a bad decision, and it's one more attempt to sully the reminders of what's good and decent about America.

So, Marvel, here's hoping Jack Kirby's ghost crawls up your collective asses and distributes an unhealthy collection of colon polyps as he goes... With any luck you'll all expire before you can release your next Big Idea, Koran Man and Burqa Girl.

I'm overdue for some skin ink... Wonder how this would look on a bicep?