Marvel's announcement that the next superhero to take on the name of Captain America will be black brought a great deal of reaction, comparisons to the new female Thor and some wry humour about race in the U.S.
The comic book giant's chief creative officer Joe Quesada appeared on The Colbert Report Wednesday to announce that Sam Wilson, the superhero known up till now known as Falcon, would be given the vibranium shield of his long-time colleague Steve Rogers.
The move to put an African-American character into the role of Captain America had its critics, including those who said they wouldn't accept a black man in the red, white and blue suit.
- With Marvel announcing a black Captain America and, previously, a female Thor, you could be forgiven from thinking they were intentionally courting the controversy this week.
- Opposition to a black Captain American didn't come only from white comic book fans, though. Black radio personality Charlamagne tweeted about the changes and, when asked about his take, replied that he just likes keeping characters the way they were written.
Some comic fans expressed skepticism that these changes to long-standing superhero characters were anything but short-term gimmicks.
As well, those with knowledge of Cap's history were quick to point out that technically, this isn't the first time there's been a black Captain America.
In a 2003 Captain America miniseries called The Truth: Red, White, and Black, an American soldier named Isaiah Bradley underwent experiments conducted by the U.S. military.
The story echoes the origin of the Steve Rogers "super-soldier" character, but with a darker tone and allusions to the U.S. government's infamous 40-year Tuskegee syphilis study on rural black men.
Source: CBC
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