Captain America: the best comedy acts of the 2000s
Captain America has long been a major character in the Marvel Comics pantheon. The 2000s, in particular, were a monumental time for the hero as he acquired a new look and a new sense of heroism. Cap began to wear more stealthy combat gear and even ditched the classic wings of his helmet.
As for his leadership skills, he’s still the optimistic leader of teams like the Avengers, albeit with a cynical worldview. Sometimes he reflects on the futility of war by letting go of his old-fashioned chauvinism. Stories like Civil war and The Ultimate test your limits as a leader. All in all, he has experienced a healthy metamorphosis during this decade.
The Ultimes (Limited Series)
The Ultimate is Mark Millar’s reboot of the Avengers, presenting the set in a darker, more modern form. Nick Fury brings together powerful allies like Captain America to fight an alien enemy, but the miniseries is more than that battle. In fact, most of his problems center on team strategies as they struggle to fight with each other.
Captain America has its own moment to shine as the first issues take place entirely in flashback during WWII. A valiant and honorable soldier, Steve Rogers is frozen in time until he leads the Ultimates in the modern age. As fans will notice, The Ultimate played a major role in inspiring the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Civil war (limited series)
Arguably one of the most memorable Marvel comics for essential reading, Civil war pits Captain America and Iron Man against each other as they disagree over state control over superheroes. As Iron Man sides with the government, Captain America wants the heroes to have more freedom.
Violent conflict leads to the severing of close ties and also forces the captain to rethink his own decisions. Even though he’s mostly the reliable team leader, he becomes perplexed when faced with several Avengers opposing him. While he’s always been at odds with Stark, Rogers doesn’t want their rivalry to get so ugly.
Captain America’s Death (Captain America Vol 5 # 25-42)
Out of eighteen numbers, Captain America’s death is a pretty big storyline for 2000s Captain America. After traveling to SHIELD in the aftermath of the Civil War, Captain is unknowingly murdered by none other than his own lover Sharon Carter. After Carter is brainwashed by Doctor Faustus, Red Skull executes his long-awaited plan to kill his nemesis.
The shocking and dramatic event has far-reaching effects on Marvel’s continuity. Among other things, Red Skull initiates a police state through a puppet politician while Bucky swears revenge on Iron-Man, believing him behind the captain’s death.
Truth: red, white and black (limited series)
While Steve Rogers became an all-American hero with the Super Soldier program, many others were sadly treated like lab rats. Isiah Bradley was one of those unfortunate people. Belonging to a unit of 200 African American soldiers, Bradley has been subjected to intense experimentation by the United States military to create more super soldiers.
The socio-political metaphors and the racial divide show the fallacy of the American dream. Bradley’s frustration was also mentioned in major scenes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Fans of the Disney + Marvel show should definitely read Truth.
Avengers Disassembled (Crossover)
A multi-issue crossover series, Avengers Disassembled is iconic to reconstruct the intrigues of the Avengers in the 2000s. With many deaths and the breaking up of the titular team, most of the characters go through low phases in this scenario. As for Captain America, he hallucinates a romance with Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch.
Even though their romance wasn’t real, Captain America manages to open up to Scarlet Witch about his own issues, especially the guilt he feels for Bucky’s death. Such scenes from the comics further humanize the character of Captain and make readers sympathize with him.
What if Age Of Apocalypse (One-Shot)
The what if The essential one-shot comic series always conjure up unimaginable and oddly fun storylines. In this case, Captain America rules an alternate version of the Avengers, with other heroes like Logan (without his adamantium claws) and Captain Britain (who dons iron armor).
As for Captain America’s own appearance, he doesn’t wear a mask and wields a powerful version of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. Thor’s hammer-wielding avenger is still an iconic moment, just like in act three of Avengers: Endgame.
JLA / Avengers (limited series)
The premise of this ambitious crossover limited series is evident in the title itself. DC and Marvel Universe characters clash as chaos ensues in both dimensions. But as the story progresses, the titular groups join forces to find 12 mystical items (including the Infinity Gauntlet) that can restore balance.
The opening fight sequences at the start are great entertainment that turns the pages as Batman takes on Captain America. The two heroes resort to skillful melee combat on a rainy night while their other peers fight in the background. Later, Cap and Superman make several strategic decisions to unite the two parties.
Captain America and Nick Fury: The Otherworld War (One-Shot)
Set in the epic days of the captain during WWII, The war of the other world unites him with Nick Fury (in his former pre-Ultimate avatar) in pursuit of an artifact stolen by Red Skull. However, this precious eventually opens up another dimension that prompts the two heroes to fight Dormammu.
The sixty-eight-page one-shot is an adrenaline-fueled adventure that highlights the power of strategy that Steve Rogers and Nick Fury emulate. Instead of relying solely on their muscles, they are also putting their brains to good use.
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America (Limited Series)
Even though Captain America was resurrected with the Reborn scenario, Fallen son continued to include a period when Captain America was indeed presumed dead. Each of the five numbers describing the five stages of mourning, Fallen son revolves around different Avengers trying their desperate methods to make sure Captain America is alive.
However, he continues to be dead and barely makes an appearance on the show. Even the coldest superheroes like Wolverine are moved by his disappearance and do their best to find him. Moments like this show how much Captain America means to other heroes in the Marvel Universe.
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