Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero : Critical Essays

For more than 60 years, the iconic Captain America was one of Marvel Comics' flagship characters, representing truth, strength, liberty, and an unflappable belief in justice. The assassination of his alter ego, Steve Rogers, rocked the comic world, leaving numerous questions about his life and death. Was he a casualty of the era, or was his death a Marvel marketing ploy? Was he an anachronism in tights or was he still relevant? How are his multiple deaths to be reconciled? This book discusses topics including the representation of Nazi Germany in Captain America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation of Captain America in light of the Jewish American experience; the relationship between Captain America and UK Marvel's Captain Britain; the groundbreaking partnership between Captain America and African American superhero the Falcon; and the attempts made to kill the character before his "real" death. "The topics discussed include the ways Nazi Germany was represented in Captain America Comics from the 1940s to the 1960s; the creation of Captain America in the Jewish American experience; the relationship between Captain America and Captain Britain; the partnership between Captain America and The Falcon; and various attempts to kill Captain America before his "real" death"--Provided by publisher.