Capt. America: Dead

Marvel Comics is kiling him off with a sniper's bullet in an issue that hits stands today.

"It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now," saidco-creator Joe Simon, 93, after being informed of his brainchild'sdeath.

Looks like it's a bit of a political experiment, if not an explicit political statement:

Series writer Ed Brubaker - who grew up reading Captain America comicswhile his father, a naval intelligence officer, was stationed onGuantanamo Bay, Cuba - said it wasn't easy to kill off the character.The 40-year-old, however, wanted to explore what the hero meant to thecountry in these polarized times.
"What I found is that all the really hard-core left-wing fans want Capto be standing out on and giving speeches on the streetcorner againstthe Bush administration, and all the really right-wing [fans] all wanthim to be over in the streets of Baghdad, punching out Saddam,"Brubaker said.

Killing off Capt. America in a time of war seems just a tad mean-spirited and defeatist, doesn't it?

Well, "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" already bit the dust in the most recent Superman movie, as he became an "international superhero." Capt. America's star-spangled uniform and origins as a decidedly un-nuanced Nazi-fightin' machine are undoubtedly not inclusive or understanding enough, either.

By the by, what does it say about the Left that it wants even its comic book characters standing around on street corners with inane protest signs? Not to denigrate protest, which is obviously an important part of democracy and free speech, but we're talking superheros, here, and the Left wants them doing what any partially employed hippy with a Sharpie and a case of Bush Derangement Syndrome can do. Seems like a serious misalocation of national resources.

H/t Dan Riehl.

Update: Perhaps having him die a heroic death is better than Capt. America in the mold of a liberal hero? Make way for Capt. America, the "bashful poet!" Very intimidating.

Update: Someone notes in comments, rightly, that comic book characters usually die and come back, so here's hoping for a swift recovery.