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University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses

Fall 12-18-2014

Invincible: Legacy and Propaganda in Superhero

Comics
Natalie R. Sheppard
University of New Orleans, nsheppar@uno.edu

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Invincible: Legacy and Propaganda in Superhero Comics

A Thesis

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the

University of New Orleans
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts
in
English Literature

by

Natalie R. Sheppard

B.A. University of Akron, 2012

December, 2014
 Table of Contents

Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii

Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1 ..............................................................................................................................4
Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................10
Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................................18
Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................................28
Works Cited .......................................................................................................................41
Vita.....................................................................................................................................44

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 Abstract

Captain America and Iron Man are both iconic American heroes, representing different

American values. Captain America was created during the Golden Age of comics and represents

a longing for the past, while Iron Man was created at the height of the Cold War and looks

forward to a new America. This paper will first establish the historical and cultural relationship

between comic books and propaganda, beginning with the first appearance of Superman. It will

pay special attention to the similarities and differences of Captain America and Iron Man,

focusing on their representation of American values over time, and discuss how that aspect of the

characters affects their ongoing titles today.

Comic Studies, Comic Books, Superheroes, Cold War, Iron Man, Captain America, Marvel

Comics, Propaganda, Superman, Stan Lee, American Studies

iii
Introduction:

The Iron Man movie premiered in 2008 and singlehandedly revived the superhero movie

genre while laying the foundation for a series of movies called the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As Entertainment Weekly pointed out prior to the films release: To be clear, Iron Man isn't an

ironclad blockbuster. For starters, the character lacks the bigger-than-comics profile of Spider-

Man and Superman (Jensen). While it is true that Iron Man has never been one of Marvels

most popular heroes, the movie was a wild success. Grossing over $100 million opening

weekend, the film was also nominated for two Oscars and won the American Film Institutes

award for Movie of the Year.

How is it that Iron Man has stayed appealing throughout the years? Much of it has to do

with the updating of Iron Man from a Cold War hero into a War on Terror hero. Iron Mans

origin story remained virtually unchanged from the 1963 premier comic book issue in the first

movie, with the small exception that it occurred in the Middle East rather than Vietnam. This

transition is one that occurs in modern comics as well as the films, especially in the Marvel

Comics crossover event, Civil War, which was published in the aftermath of 9/11 and shows Iron

Man as a highly conservative enforcer of a superhero version of the Patriot Act. In addition to

fighting terrorism, however, Iron Man is still battling Cold War villains. In Iron Man 2 Iron Man

takes on Ivan Vanko, the son of the Soviet scientist and classic Iron Man villain, Anton Vanko or

The Crimson Dynamo. In addition, former KGB spy Black Widow still plays a prominent role in

both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the comic books. It is clear that in many ways the Cold

War never ended, at least not for Iron Man and the Marvel Universe. The Cold War still

resonates with todays comic book readers. Unlike World War II, which saw all of the worlds

major powers in a military conflict killing millions, the Cold War involved no direct conflict

1
between any great powers. Although on the surface the Cold War took place between the United

States and the Soviet Union, these two powers instead fought by proxy using other countries,

through the threat of warfare, and through propaganda, espionage, and assassination.

Occasionally the great powers sent in troops, such as in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, but

generally they avoided direct conflict. The Cold War was actually an attempt to suppress the

opposing countrys sphere of influence. By spreading their own economic and military influence,

and by stocking up on nuclear weapons, each country hoped to gain an advantage over the other

without ever engaging in a war which could potentially destroy the world. Although the U.S.

believes that the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the recent

conflict in Ukraine as well as Russias continuing strategic partnerships with communist

countries such as China and Cuba leave many wondering if the Cold War ever truly ended. In

addition to this, the legacy of the Cold War survives in the U.S.s War on Terror in the Middle

East. The U.S.s decision to fund insurgent groups in Afghanistan directly led to the formation of

terrorist organizations such as the Taliban. In addition, both the Cold War and the War on Terror

differ from previous wars because they are against the spread of ideologies rather than the

imperialism of a nation. During the Cold War, America was fighting communism wherever it

reared its head. The same is true of the War on Terror, which the recent rise of the ISIS terrorist

group and President Obamas action against it proves. The similarities between the Cold War era

and todays War on Terror make Iron Man not only an easy hero to update, but an appropriate

vehicle for propaganda both then and now.

The popularity of Iron Man is more perplexing when considering the history of Captain

America. Wildly popular during World War II, Captain America has never regained a large

following; at least not until this past spring with the second Captain America film, Captain

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America: The Winter Soldier, a movie based on the Ed Brubaker comic, with strong Cold War

influences. Created during World War II for the express intention of fighting the Germans and

the Japanese, Captain America had little to do after the war ended and was soon cancelled. In

1953, Marvel tried turning Captain America into The Commie-Smasher in an attempt to make

Captain America relevant during the Cold War, but this run was cancelled after only three issues.

It wasnt until 1964 that Stan Lee would revive Captain America again, this time ignoring the

Cold War completely and instead emphasizing his anachronism. The appeal of Captain America

in both the 1960s and today is that he is not easily transferred into the contemporary age.

America has changed so much since the 1940s that Captain America does not quite fit with

modern ideals. Stan Lees revived Captain America in 1964 would appeal to a new generation of

Americans who were deeply questioning if not outright against their government and the wars in

which it was involved. Both Captain America and Iron Man have origins in propaganda and war,

but Iron Man seems to have made the transition into the Modern Age with grace and ease

whereas Captain America still struggles. What aspects of the characters allow them to maintain

appeal in eras vastly different from their own? While Iron Man and Captain America are both

embodiments of American ideals, they each operate as propaganda in modern society in vastly

different ways. Though both were created to extol the benefits of American life, Captain

Americas virtues are virtues that the country longs to regain, while Iron Mans virtues

represents the ideals of a future American. Captain America encourages the reader to look back

fondly on the innocence and patriotism of the past, while Iron Man makes the reader look

forward to a new age of wealth and technology.

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Section I: Propagandist Origins in the Golden Age and World War II

Superman was created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two young Jewish men

from Cleveland, Ohio. Superman would not, however, find a publisher for another five years, in

1938, when he became the worlds first superhero. During this time, America was in the throes

of the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt had been elected that year by promising a

New Deal for the American people. Supermans motto in Action Comics #1 proclaims that he

is "the champion of the oppressed. The physical marvel that had sworn to devote his existence to

helping those in need!" (Siegel & Shuster, Action Comics 1:4). In his first appearance Superman

lives up to this description by rescuing a woman from her abusive husband, saving a wrongly

accused woman from death row, punishing a group of hooligans who harass Lois Lane, and

stopping a criminal from corrupting a senator. There are no monsters or aliens or supervillains in

this premier issue; instead Superman was battling societal ills. Superman helps those unable to

help themselves, the oppressed and downtrodden the victims of the Great Depression. Jeffrey

K. Johnson writes in his book Super-History that Superman would have all of the New Deals

goals but would be bound by none of its limitations (11) and that Supermans value was that

he was one of the only people in late 1930s America that could help fix society. No politician,

Supreme Court justice, city hall boss, or even the law itself could stop the Man of Steel from

doing what was right (13). Superman, unlike politicians and Wall Street bankers, was

incorruptible; he was an indomitable force of goodness and morality unbound by the confines of

the law. The Superman created by Siegel and Shuster acted as a political commentary on

contemporary America, a trend that would continue even through modern day comic book

superheroes.

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 Superheroes are a uniquely apt to voice political ideas. Johnson writes that one of the

most important attributes of popular culture is that it quickly changes to meet a societys needs.

Popular culture often serves as both a mirror and a molder in society and is frequently one of the

best gauges of a societys current hopes, fears, wants, and needs (34). Superman appeared in

American popular culture precisely when Americans needed him most, and serves as a reflection

of the hopes, fears, wants, and needs of the victims of the Great Depression. Unlike the heroes

who would appear during World War II, Superman was a true vigilante outlaw who answered to

a higher authority of morality than the law. Johnson notes that:

Before the war comic book heroes like Superman and Batman had been Great

Depression social avengers that fought outside the law to right the wrongs that

government could not. During World War II these same heroes quickly became

law abiding patriotic citizens that encouraged Americans to support the war effort

and to follow all new governmental mandates. Much like American citizens,

during World War II superheroes voluntarily gave up many of their freedoms to

support the greater good. Even the heroes that had previously been radical and

uncompromising happily fell into that line. Comic book superheroes stories soon

became a form of governmental war propaganda and began to provide a clean cut

image suitable for young (and old) Americans to model. (37-8)

Unlike in previous years, when corruption and poverty abounded and Americans needed a hero

to fight their own system, World War II saw a massive emergence of patriotism and an

unquestionable loyalty to the American government. However, this created a problem that many

superheroes would need to contend with in the coming years; where does a superhero like

Superman, who theoretically has the power to end the war, fit into it? And should that story even

5
be told? Time magazine published an article in 1942 titled Supermans Dilemma in which they

discuss just that:

Superman is now in a really tough spot that even he can't get out of. His

patriotism is above reproach. As the mightiest, fightingest American, he ought to

join up. But he just can't. In the combat services he would lick the Japs and Nazis

in a wink, and the war isn't going to end that soon. On the other hand, he can't

afford to lose the respect of millions by failing to do his bit or by letting the war

drag on. (Supermans Dilemma)

National Comics, which would later become DC, took a very conservative stance when it

came to their superheroes and comics. While they made it clear that their superheroes supported

the war effort by publishing propagandist covers, their heroes mostly stayed out of the war.

Superman in particular was highly problematic because he was so powerful he could easily win

the war single-handedly, and people expected him to do so. In a special two page comic created

especially for Look magazine in 1940 titled How Superman Would Win the War, Superman

does just that. He flies to Germany and picks up Hitler by the collar of his shirt, then stops over

in Russia to pick up Stalin (who was not yet an ally of the U.S.), and delivers them both to the

League of Nations for trial. Julian Darius points out:

Because of where the story appeared, not to mention the title that suggested the

speculative nature of the tale, the story was neatly out-of-continuity for Superman

comics. In his own comics, even after Pearl Harbors bombing, Superman would

be far less aggressive. He occasionally helped train troops, foiled Axis agents

within the U.S., or transported supplies behind-the-scenes, and derogatory

6
 references were made to the Axis. But Superman did little else, and the same with

DCs other characters. (10)

In another, more official issue, Clark Kent attempts to sign up for the army but is deemed F-4

(undraftable) after he accidentally uses his x-ray vision to read the eye chart in the next room,

causing the doctor to believe he is practically blind. Not only does this cause Superman

disappointment, but Lois looks at him with renewed disgust. Superman soon shrugs it off and

decides that he is of more use on the home front, declaring that the United States Army, Navy,

and Marines are capable of smashing their foes without the aid of a Superman! (Siegel &

Shuster, Superman).

One Superhero who not only took part in the war, but was created specially to fight it was

Captain America. Captain America was first published in December, 1940 by Joe Simon and

Jack Kirby with the express intention of spurring Americas involvement in World War II. A full

year before Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, Captain America Comics #1, cover dated March

1941 but actually available December 1940, premiered with a cover image of Captain America

punching Hitler in the jaw. Captain America wasnt some rogue alien, like Superman, or a

billionaire, like Batman. Steve Rogers was a young man from Brooklyn who grew up during the

Great Depression and was desperate to do his patriotic duty, but prevented from doing so

because of his skinny, sickly body. Although not Jewish himself, and in fact being drawn to

resemble the ideal Aryan man with blond hair and blue eyes, Steve Rogers was from an area of

New York where many Jewish immigrants had settled and he also embodied the frail, passive

Jewish stereotype. More explicitly, an Einstein-inspired Jewish immigrant, Dr. Reinstein, is the

scientist who invents the super-soldier serum that he intends to give to all of the American

troops in order to boost their performance and give them an unquestionable advantage against the

7
Axis powers. After testing it on Steve, Dr. Reinstein is fatally shot and the recipe for the serum

dies with him. This makes Steve Rogers the first and last recipient of the super-soldier serum,

which grants him the super athleticism of Captain America.

Unlike Superman and other previous superheroes, Captain Americas heroism hinges on

his identity as a soldier. In addition to the patriotic loyalty required of a man in his position,

Steve Rogers owes his Captain America powers to the United States government and military.

Captain America could be anyone; he wasnt born great, but rather had greatness injected into his

arm flu-shot style. A true American success story, Steve Rogers began his life as an underdog.

Like most superheroes, he was orphaned by the time he was a teenager; and despite an

overwhelming sense of patriotic duty, he was denied the opportunity to serve his country because

he was physically unfit. Steve Rogers could be any young man who doesnt feel like he fits into

the masculine requirements of the 1940s, and the super soldier serum could act as a metaphor for

the transformation any young man would go through in military boot camp. Captain America is

far more overt propaganda than many other superheroes at the time. In addition to wearing the

American flag as his costume, it is also plastered onto his iconic shield. The shield is perhaps the

most ingenious aspect of Captain Americas costume because it appealed to isolationists of the

time as well. It implied that America was only defending itself, not attacking. In addition to this,

Captain Americas unwavering sense of morality and justice make it easy to claim Captain

America is America personified. Or, at least, what U.S. citizens want and believe America to be.

Captain America represents strength, loyalty, tolerance, and an unwavering moral compass.

Because of these traits, Captain America was the perfect hero to fight the evil Hitler and his Axis

allies. Captain America was one of the best-selling superhero comics during WWII. Along with

8
his kid sidekick, Bucky, Captain America was fighting Nazis long before any real life American

soldiers were.

9
Section II: Iron Man and the Cold War

World War II saw nearly all of the comic book superheroes taking part in the war. They

were doing what superheroes did best and punching the bad guys. World War II had clear and

obvious villains in Adolph Hitler and the Axis powers. But after the war ended, the superheroes

had no one left to fight; the Axis powers had been defeated and America was no longer plagued

by an economic depression. Johnson notes that

Superheroes had transitioned from social avengers to patriotic super-citizens

during World War II, and after the conflict the characters could not return to their

previous incarnations. Superheroes had seemingly become socially irrelevant and

creators and publishers were unsure how to react. Writers and artists provided

numerous new external threats, including those of the social, nuclear,

communistic, and space alien varieties, but there seemed to be little for

superheroes to do. The U.S. had changed and Americans no longer needed

superheroes as they once did.Postwar American society now reveled in its

stability and demanded that nothing, not even superheroes, attempt to change it.

(71)

For years after World War II the superhero would suffer. Captain America would be cancelled in

1950 because of poor sales. He was revived in 1954 as Captain AmericaCommie Smasher!

but cancelled again after only three issues. The most successful superheroes in the coming years

would not be the ones who fought outside villains, but the ones who extolled the values of

American life. Numerous heroes would get married, form makeshift families, and live superhero

versions of everyday life. Superman would be joined on Earth by his cousin, Supergirl, who

would become his surrogate daughter. They lived an idyllic country life in Kansas together and

10
would even be joined by Krypto the Superdog. Johnson points out that The underlying narrative

seemed to be that if Superman chose to live as an American, then it must be the best possible

society (57).

The transitional period in the 1950s was one of fear. Fear of the bomb, fear of

communism, fear of poverty, fear of change. The McCarthy trials and the Red Scare thrived on

this fear, and it is in this era of fear that the Comics Code Authority was established. David

Hajdu writes that:

Comics were getting worse at the worst possible time. In the same weeks that

legislators such as Carlino, Moran, and others were making speeches on their

statehouse floors, urging action to protect young people from the insidious effects

of comicsJoseph McCarthy was railing in Congress against the Communist

subversion he imagined in the heart of the United States government. (209)

The Comics Code Authority, or CCA, was established in 1954 as an alternative to government

interference. Fredrik Stro mberg writes of Dr. Fredric Werthams bestselling book Seduction of

the Innocent (1954) that The most all-encompassing and thoroughly effective propaganda

campaign in the field of comics was not with, through, or even for comics it was against the

medium all together (90). Following the publication of Seduction of the Innocent, which argued

that comic books caused juvenile perversion and delinquency, a U.S. congressional inquiry was

held. The results of this hearing were that if the industry did not begin to regulate itself, the

government would do it for them. Not only did Seduction of the Innocent lead to heavily

enforced censorship, but parents and schools held comic book burnings in an attempt to protect

their children from these negative influences. The CCA demanded that criminals never appear

sympathetic and crime must always be portrayed as sordid and unsavory, government officials

11
should never be disrespected or shown in a negative light, and good must always triumph over

evil. In addition, the CCA banned all use of excessive violence, sexual themes and nudity, the

words horror or terror in the titles, profanity, and the appearance of werewolves, vampires,

zombies, ghouls, or cannibalism (Nyberg). Although the CCA focused on horror, crime, and

romance comics, comic book sales plummeted across the board. Superhero stories became overly

simplistic and boring, limited as they were in their portrayal of crime and violence.

All that changed with the arrival of comic book icon Stan Lee. In collaboration with

several artists, including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Stan Lee co-created some of Marvels most

popular superheroes and superhero teams including Spider-Man, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four,

Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Thor, The X-Men, and, of course, Iron Man. Stan Lee also

successfully revived long cancelled Golden Age heroes such as Captain America and the Sub-

Mariner. Stan Lee revolutionized the comic book industry in many ways, but most notably by

making his superheroes more flawed and human, while still adhering to the strict guidelines of

the Comics Code Authority. His first creation, The Fantastic Four, debuted in 1961 and was

unique in that it was about a family of superheroes and focused on the relationships within that

unit. Partially influenced by popular team-up comics like Justice League, The Fantastic Four

was also very modern and contemporary. Inspired partially by the Space Race between the U.S.

and the U.S.S.R., The Fantastic Four gain their superpowers during a scientific mission to outer

space, during which they are exposed to cosmic rays and become Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible

Woman, The Human Torch, and Thing. The transformative power of radiation would become a

regular resource for Lee, who used it as an origin story for other characters such as Spider-Man,

Daredevil, and the Hulk. This trope was a typical move for Cold War comics, which turned the

destructive force of the atomic and nuclear bombs into a source of power. Much as Captain

12
Americas super-serum served as a metaphor for the transformative power of Americas military

establishment, radiation served as a metonymic figure of American nuclear power. But not all of

Lees superheroes would have their origins in nuclear power. Some, like Thor or Dr. Strange,

owed their powers to magic, while the X-Men achieved their powers through genetic mutation.

Still rarer within the Stan Lee canon is an unpowered superhero, such as Iron Man.

Tales of Suspense #39, conceived by Stan Lee, scripted by his brother, Larry Lieber, and

illustrated by Don Heck, premiered in March, 1963 and is filled with anti-communist propaganda

and xenophobic imagery. The story follows Tony Stark, a weapons manufacturer and future Iron

Man, while he is in Vietnam showing an army general his newest invention: tiny transistorsso

powerful that--they can increase the force of any devicea thousandfold! (Lee & Tales of

Suspense 39:2). Only two pages later, Tony Stark is injured by a booby trap, which leaves

shrapnel in the area around his heart. One communist North Vietnamese soldier remarks, Bad!

Much shrapnel near his heart! Impossible to operate! Cannot live longer than one week! (ToS

39:4). Stark is kidnapped by guerrilla forces, who tell him that if he builds them a powerful new

weapon, they will have a surgeon save his life. Stark knows they are lying, but, with the help of

fellow genius prisoner Professor Yinsen, uses the technology they provide him with to build a

mini transistor-powered chest piece to save his heart and power the famous Iron Man suit. Iron

Man goes on to defeat the guerrilla general who imprisoned him, calling him a heartless man of

evil who is about to pay for his misdeeds! and identifying himself by saying this is Iron Man

who opposes you, and all you stand for! (ToS 39:10).

The pro-war propaganda and anti-foreign imagery packed into just this first appearance is

staggering. Our hero is a military industrialist, in many ways a war profiteer, who makes money

from the invention of weapons. Although Stark does not invent a gun or a bomb, he tells the

13
general that he is confident that his tiny transistors are capable of solving your problem in

Vietnam (ToS 39:2). With the help of Starks transistors, the American armies are capable of

carrying mortars and other heavy weaponry through the dense jungles of Vietnam, giving them a

distinct advantage over the guerrilla army. The reader is also never permitted to forget that these

are communist troops that theyre battling; nearly every reference to the North Vietnamese refers

to them as reds. The North Vietnamese are also portrayed as savage and greedy, in the broken

English of the unnamed guerrilla soldier and the callousness of the Vietnamese general. The way

the North Vietnamese are drawn is also caricaturizing, emphasizing the yellow skin, narrow eyes,

and large teeth common in portrayals of Chinese and Japanese of the times as well. Nathan

Vernon Madison points out that:

Whereas the portrayal of the European Communists relied heavily upon

demonization of the actual Marxist ideology, as opposed to physical abnormalities

or deformities, imagery depicting Communist Asians often relied on bodily

characteristics. These were the same characteristics that the pulps of the 1920s

and 1930s utilized, and the war-time comic books of the 1940s. Also, as was the

case during World War II, distinctions were drawn between the good Asian and

the bad Asian. The good inherited traditional American values and ideologies,

and the bad was demonized using standard depictions attributed to Asians in the

past. (178)

Professor Yinsen is portrayed as a good Asian. Although he possesses stereotypical physical

features as well, his appearance is far more frail and kindly than that of the North Vietnamese

soldiers. Though his home country is never mentioned, it is possible that Dr. Yinseng comes

from the America-friendly South Vietnam and was kidnapped by the reds (ToS 39:6), a fate he

14
says is worse than death, for the same reasons that Tony Stark was kidnapped. Not only does the

world famous genius physicist claim that helping Stark build Iron Man would be the crowning

achievement of my life! (ToS 39:6), he also sacrifices himself in order to provide a distraction

for the white male heros escape. If Tony Stark represents the power of American ingenuity and

capitalist enterprise, this sacrifice implies that the South Vietnam are willing to sacrifice

themselves for American ideals, rather than what they believe or are capable of building

themselves.

The bulky, grey iron suit of Iron Mans origin would not last even two issues. Midway

through Tales of Suspense #40, Iron Man paints his suit gold after hearing cries of Oh how

dreadful looking he is! and Ugh! He looks like a creature in one of those science-fiction films!

(ToS 40:5) as he saves a circus from various escaped big cats. At the suggestion of his date, Stark

paints the Iron Man suit a bright, garish gold so that when people see his golden armor, they

wont panic! Theyll know he has a heart of gold and an appearance to match his golden deeds!

(ToS 40:7). Of course, the color gold has other associations as wellthose of wealth and status.

Tony Stark is in the top one percent and is in many ways a model of the American Dream. Like

Steve Rogers, Tony Stark represents the American ideal, albeit in different ways. Where Captain

America represents courage and morality, Iron Man represents all the benefits of American

capitalism. Michael J. Costello points out that Of the many geniuses who populate the Marvel

universe, none are academics. All are independent scientists whose autonomy makes their

scientific breakthroughs possible (66). Iron Mans wealth is the result of individualism, hard

work, and ingenuity, and he uses his wealth for good. Iron Man fights on the side of America. In

addition, Iron Man is the first and only member of the Avengers who has a paying job in the

private sector as a sort of superhero for hire. Part of Iron Mans cover story was that he was

15
employed as a body guard at Tony Starks weapons factory, which would explain why he was

always around when Stark or the factory was attacked. The gold suit would only last for eight

more issues, changing to something similar to todays more streamlined suit in issue #48. The

changeability of Iron Mans suit is a key component of his character, and representative of the

adaptability of American capitalism. Iron Mans suit will change many times over the years and

is still changing today, unlike other superheroes whose iconic costumes are rarely changed. One

message is clear: unlike stagnant communism, capitalism encourages change and ingenuity.

In addition to producing iconic characters such as Iron Man, Stan Lee also headed one of

the most successful character revivals in comic booksthat of Captain America. In Avengers #4,

written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby, the original Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, The

Wasp, and Ant-Man, discover the frozen body of Captain America. Rather than simply

transplanting the original Captain America into the tumultuous 1960s, Stan Lee takes the

anachronistic Captain America and turns him into one of his complex, naturalistic heroes.

Captain America becomes a man from the uncomplicated Golden Age of World War II, during

which the enemy was clear and all he had to do was sock him in the jaw, and is forced to contend

with the more complex and convoluted politics of the Cold War. In addition to the shock of

waking up like Rip Van Winkle after twenty years of sleep, he must also contend with the death

of his kid sidekick, Bucky. Captain America, both today and in the 1960s, serves to evoke a

nostalgia for the good ole days. Being frozen for years saved him from the corrupting

influence of the Cold War, and he still has faith in the American way of life.

Beginning in issue #58 (1964), Iron Man would share the pages of Tales of Suspense with

Captain America. Aside from this issue, however, in which Iron Man fights Captain America, the

two would rarely team up or even meet on the pages of that title. When they did interact, it was

16
in the pages of other titles such as The Avengers. The pairing, however, is an interesting one.

Both Captain America and Tony Stark represent different aspects of American ideals that other

heroes, such as Spider-Man or Thor, do not. The sharing of a title by, say, Iron Man and the Hulk

would not have had the same patriotic effect as such sharing by Iron Man and Captain America.

Captain America also lends Iron Man a more patriotic and propagandist tone. While many of

Captain Americas tales are flashbacks to his World War II days, Iron Man stays firmly rooted in

the present, fighting many communist villains. While Jason Dittmer claims that counterpointing

Captain America with communism or other real world threats to the United States would be

unpalatable to vast swaths of the young, radical audience (97), the juxtaposition of Nazis with

communists and Captain America with Iron Man does lend the book a manipulatively

comparative nature. Just as Captain America represented America during the Golden Age (of

WWII), Iron Man represents a new America, one founded on the pursuit of wealth and scientific

advances. The comparison of Nazis to communists makes the communists that much more

insidious and blatantly evil, despite the massive differences in ideologies. The comparison,

however, is an apt one. Just as the Nazis were difficult to other in the 1930s because many

Americans were of German descent, the Russians were also similar to us in appearance.

Additionally, the threat of the enemy within and communist spies meant that anyone could be a

communist or communist sympathizer. Iron Mans constant victory over the communist scourge

reinforced the superiority of American capitalism over the spread of communism, and the

presence of Captain America served as a reminder that Iron Man was the good guy.

Section III: The Red Scare and the Communist Scourge

17
 Nearly all of Iron Mans arch nemeses were communist or directly affected by

communism. This narrative strategy is not unique to Iron Man, as Captain Americas villains are

nearly all Nazis. Iron Man and Captain America are uniquely suited to battle these sorts of

political enemies because, unlike Spider-Man or The Hulk, the comic series in which they appear

are primarily propagandist in nature and represent various American ideals. Where the Nazis

were intolerant and reprehensible, Captain America is tolerant of nearly everybody and has an

unwavering moral compass. Where the communists are portrayed as restricted and greedy, Iron

Man is free and generous. Both Captain America and Iron Man represent everything their

enemies are not.

One of the first communist villains Iron Man readers were introduced to was The

Crimson Dynamo. The Crimson Dynamo is an Iron Man-like suit worn by various Russian or

Soviet scientists. Though the man inside the Crimson Dynamo has changed over the years, he is

always defeated by Iron Man. The first Crimson Dynamo was a Soviet scientist named Anton

Vanko, an Armenian born Soviet scientist who specializes in electricity. His suit has the power

to generate and control electricity in all of its forms. He is tasked by the Soviet Union to defeat

Iron Man, but fails. Out of fear for his life following his failure, Vanko defects to the United

States and serves as one of Starks leading scientists. This story is simplistic in its propaganda

and its antagonist is typical of most of the villains Stark will face in the future. It features a

jealous Soviet Union, eager to produce its own Iron Man so that they can defeat America, but

even the Soviets best scientists cannot recreate Starks armor because communism limits

creative ingenuity. Stark always defeats the Soviet copycats because America allows for greater

creativity and enterprise. The communist fears punishment for his failure and defects to the U.S.,

18
falling in love with capitalism and the freedom it allows him to work to his full potential in

Starks laboratory. Matthew J. Costello writes that:

The veneration of individualism in the Marvel Cold War story generates a logic to

the ideology of the books. Because the core value is defined as liberty, the central

evil of the communist system is its trampling of individual freedom. The books

suggest there is an inherent desire among all humans for such freedom, even

among communist agents. (67)

Anton Vanko will later sacrifice his life, just as Dr. Yinsen did, to save Stark when the second

Crimson Dynamo comes to kill him. Before he is killed, Vanko reaffirms his newfound

patriotism and declares I would dare anything for this countrywhich has been so good to me!

(ToS 52:13). Storylines such as these suggest that the communists would be capitalists if only

given the chance. This possibility of defection and redemption is one not seen in typical Captain

America story arcs, as the Nazis are seen as irredeemable.

A common trope in both early and modern Iron Man comics is the copycat suit. In

addition to the Crimson Dynamo, Iron Man was often pitted against Titanium Man. The first

Titanium Man was created by Boris Bullski, a former KGB agent and high ranking Soviet

official, who was demoted to running a labor camp after displeasing his superiors. Calling to

mind images of the Russian bear, Bullski is large, with a square head and a thick scar running

down the side of his face. While at the labor camp, Bullski commissions various Soviet scientists

to build him a suit similar to Iron Mans, but made of titanium, using Anton Vankos laboratory.

As one scientist remarks after being told the plan, Titanium! It will be stronger than Iron! (ToS

69:4). In an attempt to return to his former glory, Bullski comes up with the idea of publicly

challenging Iron Man to a three round fight in front of a worldwide television audience. The

19
story unfolds over the course of three issues, Tales of Suspense #69-71 (1965). Of course, the

defeat of Iron Man is only the secondary goal in a challenge like this, the first being a

propaganda victory over the US in front of the world. Seeing Soviet technology and strategy

defeat an American hero would be beneficial in many ways to Soviet morale, and detrimental to

the Americans. The reader is told that A special telestar satellite hangs in orbit, to beam the

battle throughout the world! (ToS 69:9), indicating that not only is this battle important to the

Soviet Union and the United States, but that the entire world cares about the outcome. The

winner of this battle would prove to the world that they have better technology and better men to

wield that technology, and were therefore the superior world power. This acknowledgement of

the power of propaganda is particularly fitting given that this series is itself blatant American

propaganda. Though purely fictional, the victory of Iron Man over Titanium Man is

representative of many things. Titanium Man was designed in many ways to be similar to Iron

Man, but more closely resembles the early, bulky grey and gold suits. Bullski sees this as an

advantage, as his suit, being larger, is significantly more powerful than Iron Mans. However, the

battle plays out much like a battle between David and Goliath. Though Iron Man appears to be

losing, he makes a comeback in the final round and uses a new invention to win. Though Russia

is larger and has similar, if unpolished, technology at its disposal, America will always win

because the technology is superior and the capitalist system allows for more freedom to

experiment and try new things without the fear of being punished for failing. Undaunted by his

loss, Bullski makes improvements to his suit and challenges Iron Man to an impromptu rematch

above Washington DC. Once again defeated, Bullski attempts to retreat to a Soviet submarine in

the Atlantic Ocean, but discovers that he has been abandoned by his country. Both Bullski and

20
Iron Man refuse to surrender, reflecting their respective countrys own persistence and ongoing

tension.

Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo are very similar villains. Both use Soviet

technology to try to copy and improve upon the Iron Man suit in order to defeat him and prove

that the Soviet Union is the better country. The propagandist implications of this are that the

USSR, like its hero Bullski, wants to steal American technology and use it to win the Cold War.

A common belief about communism is that it limits creativity and inventiveness, so that the

communist scientists cannot conceive of their own weapons against America. Instead they must

steal American technology and alter it in ways they believe will make it more powerful, in the

case of Titanium Man, for example, by making it physically larger and stronger. However their

lack of creativity in the lab is replicated in the field. Bullski lacks strategic creativity and

ultimately loses the battle against Iron Man. In addition, Bullski is repeatedly abandoned by the

very country he serves so devotedly after both of his encounters with Iron Man, indicating a lack

of loyalty in communists. This is also a common theme in Iron Mans villains, and causes some,

such as Anton Vanko, to defect and others, such as Boris Bullski, to try even harder to defeat

Iron Man and thus be allowed back into the Communist Party.

One of Iron Mans most popular villains is the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff.

Although today Black Widow is reformed and working to atone for her past, the Black Widow

was originally a KGB spy whose mission, like that of our other Russians villains, was to steal

Iron Mans technology for use in Russia. In her first appearance in the 1964 issue Tales of

Suspense #52, Black Widows main power is her seductiveness. On the cover and title pages of

this issue, she is described as the gorgeous new menace and introduced as the breathtaking

beauty. She manages to secure a tour of Stark Industries for herself and her partner, the second

21
Crimson Dynamo Boris Turenov, by her beauty alone. Stark is so taken with Madame Natasha

(ToS 52:4) that he offers to let Boris show himself around the factory so that he may take

Natasha out on a date. This is a rare failing on Starks part and makes the point that the

communist scourge could be attractive, even to those trained to defeat it. Natasha successfully

distracts Stark while Boris kills Anton Vanko and raids the factory. Stark soon gets a message

detailing the events at the factory and takes off as Iron Man to defeat the new Crimson Dynamo.

Though Black Widow does not take part in the battle physically, she once again distracts him at a

critical point by pretending to be helplessly trapped under some machinery. When Iron Man

turns to help her, he is blasted with a jet of water, which short circuits his suit and gives Crimson

Dynamo the upper hand. The new Crimson Dynamo is, of course, defeated, but the Black

Widow is forced to flee. The final panel shows Black Widow in a foggy street, looking over her

shoulder and thinking I must keep movingI know too well the penalty for failure!! (ToS

52:13).

Black Widow would go on to appear in several more issues, each time operating in the

same way and being touted as irresistible and seductive, just as communism may appear at first

glance. Stark is distracted by her many times, but always remarks on her coldness as a

fundamental flaw. The coldness of women is one associated specifically with Russian women in

comics, who are in many ways so seductive because they are unfeeling and manipulative. Black

Widow later uses this power to manipulate Hawkeye, another villain, into attempting to defeat

Iron Man. Fortunately, opportunities for redemption abounded Peter Lee writes, Women who

rediscovered their capacity for love and romance inevitably found their way to the Western

powers (39). In Tales of Suspense #57 (1964), we see Clint Barton, before his Hawkeye days,

performing trick bow and arrow shots on Coney Island. Hawkeye soon decides to become a

22
superhero like Iron Man, using his superior archery skills to fight crime. However, his plan goes

awry when, after catching a jewel thief, he is caught with the jewels and thought to be the thief.

Black Widow comes to his rescue, and the reader is told that thus, smitten by the Black

Widows fatal beauty, the man called Hawkeye enters into a dramatic alliance which is to change

the course of both their lives, and Iron Mans as well! (ToS 57:7). During the course of their

romance, Black Widow hides her status as a red spy, and supplies Hawkeye with his

trademarked trick arrows. Black Widows beauty, as well as her seemingly endless supply of

arrows, convince Hawkeye to do things he would normally find abhorrent, such as fighting for

the communists and helping them defeat Iron Man. With the help of Black Widows technology,

Hawkeye nearly defeats Iron Man. But at the last second, Black Widow is injured and Hawkeye

chooses to save her, crying out She has to live!! She has to be mine!! Shes the only one Ive

ever loved!! (ToS 57:17) as he runs into the mist.

The love story between Hawkeye and Black Widow is a complex one. Though based in

lies and manipulation, Hawkeye and Black Widow do come to genuinely love each other. While

Hawkeye is manipulated into fighting for the Soviets by Black Widow, in many ways

representing those strong men who are seduced by communism itself, Black Widow also comes

to fall in love with Hawkeye, representing her eventual defection to the West. Only seven issues

later, in Tales of Suspense #64 (1965), Natasha has gone from thinking It is fortunate that he is

taken with my beauty! I will be able to twist him around my little finger! (ToS 57:8) to telling

Hawkeye that I had to come backto see you once more!! To feel your strong arms around me!

(ToS 64:3). Although the reader might be tempted to believe it is just another trick, it appears

that Black Widow has genuinely fallen in love with Hawkeye, and it is this love that causes her

to tell her communist superiors that Im through serving your evil purposes! (ToS 64:3). Black

23
Widow goes on to reveal that after her previous failures and new found morality, the Soviets

threaten to harm her parents if she doesnt don a new, powerful costume and enter into a rigorous

training program. After becoming forcibly separated from Black Widow, Hawkeye comes to his

senses and joins the Avengers. Understandably, the Avengers are hesitant to let Hawkeye join

them, but he tells them that he always wanted to be a hero until Black Widow seduced him. He

goes on to assure his new friends that Ill make up for what Ive done! Ill devote my life to

making amends! (Avengers 16:7-8). Hawkeyes monologue reveals many things about his

transition from good to evil [and back again to good?], and foreshadows Black Widows own

defection, later. It is Iron Man who officially announces the addition of Hawkeye to the

Avengers, symbolizing his ultimate forgiveness of and newfound trust in Hawkeye, though

others would remain suspicious of Hawkeyes true intentions. Hawkeyes redemption is unique

among the communists because he started out with good intentions, but was lured into fighting

for the reds by Black Widow. His seduction by Black Widow serves as a warning that

communism can be alluring and may seduce even a would-be hero into doing its dirty work.

Even in America, constant vigilance is needed. Of course, in the case of Hawkeye and Black

Widow, the side switching goes both ways, though Black Widow would never return to her

Soviet masters. Once Black Widow truly falls in love with Hawkeye, she falls in love with

America and attempts to defect. Unlike the Avengers, however, the Soviets are much less

understanding, and force her to continue fighting for them by making her a weapon. One tactic

the Soviet communists often use in comics is brainwashing. After one such instance, Black

Widow comes back to America to fight the Avengers (Avengers #29), but after seeing Hawkeye,

the brainwashing wears off and she helps him defeat her communist comrades (Avengers #30).

However, Black Widows redemption arc is not as simple as Hawkeyes. Black Widow would

24
not join the Avengers until 1973, eight years after Hawkeyes own initiation. She would,

however, be a powerful ally for not only the Avengers, but other heroes such as Spider-Man and

Daredevil as well.

Black Widow ultimately defects to the United States, but her sordid past makes her an

anti-hero rather than a true hero. She uses her unique skillset to work for the United States and its

heroes using tactics that they are uncomfortable using themselves. Despite the Avengers having a

strict no killing policy, for example, Black Widow, as an ally but not a full member, is able to

kill for them in cases where it may be necessary but unsavory. As an ex-KGB spy, her moral

compass has been permanently skewed, but she works with people and agencies she believes are

good so that she never has to rely on her own crooked view of the world in order to redeem

herself. Unlike Anton Vanko, who simply begins working for Stark and is so patriotic that he

dies in an attempt to protect his country, Black Widow will constantly be working to redeem

herself of her past, implying that female communists have far more to overcome than their male

counterparts. However, this story arc suggests that communist spies like Black Widow can be

useful to American organizations, particularly if they continue to act in the same ways for their

new leaders. American organizations like The Avengers cannot officially endorse killing, but

they are only too happy to allow former communists to kill for them.

A discussion of Iron Mans villains would not be complete without mentioning The

Mandarin. The Mandarin is Iron Mans primary arch-nemesis, a fitting opposition given that The

Mandarins powers derive from magic while Iron Mans come from science. The Mandarin,

however, is not a communist, and in fact, like Iron Man, hates the communists. His origin,

however, also serves to denigrate communism in a unique way. Written by Stan Lee, the title

page of the 1965 Tales of Suspense #62 notes that this tale was specially produced by Mighty

25
Marvel in answer to more than 500 requests for Mandys origin! It goes on to inform the reader

that The Mandarin is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, that his parents died shortly after his

birth, and that his family had been one of the wealthiest in China. However, after the rise of

communism in that country, his palace and riches were seized by the government, rendering him

no better than a peasant. However because of his training and pride, The Mandarin still considers

himself noble and refuses to work. Instead he finds the valley of the spirits (ToS 62:3) and a

spaceship that contains ten rings of power. Using the rings, The Mandarin returns to China,

where he begins to conquer various small villages. He then tells Iron Man that his plan is to give

the Chinese a missile to be test fired, and unbeknownst to them the missile will land in Formosa,

starting World War III. Iron Man escapes The Mandarins clutches and manages to reverse the

missiles trajectory, causing it to explode in China and The Mandarin to be called a traitor.

This origin story is intricate in its detail, from The Mandarins nefarious ancestry to the

Cold War conflict between China and Formosa. Though not a communist himself, The Mandarin

is an example of what communism creates. Though The Mandarin was probably never an ideal

leader, it was the communists interference that caused his transformation into a truly evil and

powerful figure. Though communism is what caused his descent into super-villainy, The

Mandarin hates America, as well, because it lacks an aristocracy. His desire to cause World War

III is an attempt to destroy both nations, as Formosa was an American defended province now

known as the sovereign state of Taiwan. By sending a missile into Formosa, The Mandarin

would be sparking a war between China and the United States, a war that many other countries in

the world would be involved in, essentially setting the Cold War on fire. The Mandarin serves as

a warning to Americans about the effects of communism; rather than ushering in the rise of the

proletariat as communist theory claimed, the introduction of communism was likely to have

26
precisely the opposite effectit would enrage the wealthy classes who would retaliate and seek

the destruction of both democratic and communist states.

27
Section IV: Hail Hydra, the Winter Soldier, and Civil War

Superhero comic books are unlike most other forms of literature in large part because

they are not owned by their creators. In the case of a novel, for example, every aspect of writing

is usually controlled by a single author. A new author cannot take the characters of the old and

continue the story without the original authors permission. In the case of superhero comics,

however, this is the norm. A character like Superman, created by Siegel and Shuster, is sold to a

major company like DC and then passed along to various writers and artists. When Siegel and

Shuster stopped writing and drawing Superman, DC assigned new creators to the title. In this

way, superheroes are passed along from writer to writer, artist to artist. Different creators will

inject their own vision of what a certain superhero is or represents into their stories, but core

values and traits follow the character from its inception into the present day. Iron Man, for

example, remains a billionaire genius playboy philanthropist in all of his comics, despite being

passed along between dozens of creators. The archetypal values of Iron Man and Captain

America were originally created as a response to the Cold War and World War II respectively,

but modern creators have taken these characters and forced them to contend with current events,

while still maintaining their original virtues.

In modern comics, both Captain America and Iron Man are still fighting the wars of their

times in many ways. Captain Americas biggest enemy is still the Red Skull, a Nazi agent.

Though German Nazism was destroyed in 1945, the Red Skull works for Hydra, a terrorist

organization with neo-Nazi goals. Hydra, like the monster from Greek mythology after which it

is named, represents the difficulty, if not impossibility, of utterly eradicating the Nazi threat.

The original Hydra was a many headed monster that Hercules was tasked to kill. He does so

eventually, but he discovers in the process that for every head he cuts off of the monster, two

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more grow immediately in its place. Largely funded by Nazi plunder, the Marvel Hydra seeks to

establish a fascist new world order through subversive and terrorist means. Hydra first appears in

Strange Tales #135 in 1965, which features Nick Fury, agent of law enforcement and espionage

agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and Tony Stark, who is in charge of the special weapons division at

S.H.I.E.L.D. In this issue, Tony Stark tells Nick Fury that Fury is going to be made head of

S.H.I.E.L.D. and that his primary mission will be to destroy Hydra. Hydra, the reader is told, has

its arms all around the globe and is a dangerous terrorist organization. Before the issue ends,

however, a panel showing a man in a Hydra mask proclaims But, Hydra is immortal! Cut off a

limb, and two more shall take its place! (ST 135:12).

Hydra is similar in many ways to Cold War communism. Though various countries have

communist leaders, such as Joseph Stalin in Russia and Mao Zedong in China, the American

view of communism is that it is an infiltrating and insidious idea the world over. Even in

America the McCarthy trials proved that communism was believed to be everywhere, especially

in politics and Hollywood, and capable of manipulating even the most patriotic of men. Hydra is

not aligned with any one country, as Nazism was with Germany, but rather is an organization

unto itself. The inclusion of Iron Man in the first appearance of Hydra makes these similarities

even more striking. Though previous attempts to make Captain America a Cold War hero by

transforming him into the commie smasher were unsuccessful, the invention of Hydra allowed

Marvel to modernize and update the hero while retaining the elements of Nazism which made it

such a fitting villain for the hero.

The 2014 release of the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a sequel to 2011s

Captain America: The First Avenger, moves beyond Ed Brubaker and Steve Eptings brilliant,

Eisner Award winning comic book series by including Hydra. This inclusion ties the two films

29
together, but it downplays the blatant Cold War references in Brubakers story. Indeed, the title

Winter Soldier refers to the Winter Soldier Investigation, an event that took place in 1971. The

Winter Soldier Investigation was sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW)

and its intention was to expose American war crimes and atrocities that occurred during the

Vietnam War. In both the comic book and the movies, the Winter Soldier is a highly trained

Russian assassin, but hes also more than that. The Winter Soldier was once an American soldier,

who had been brainwashed by the Russians and forced to commit atrocities. Nick Fury calls him

A Cold War myth thats turning out to be true and says that he is supposed to be the KGBs

secret weapon. A guy who could pass for American and slip behind enemy lines (WS 8.9). Even

worse, by the end of the comic it is revealed that the Winter Soldier was not just any American

soldier, but the sidekick of Captain America himself; Bucky Barnes.

Before 2005, it was widely believed by fans that there were certain comic book

characters whose deaths could simply not be undone. Batmans parents, for example, can never

walk back through the doors of Wayne Manor because it would undo Batmans motivation to be

Batman. The brutal neck snapping of Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man has always been a major event

in the Spider-Man universe. The death of Bucky Barnes was among those iconic deaths. The loss

of Bucky is what made Captain America such a complex character when Stan Lee resurrected

him in the 1960s. It turned him from a character who fought in World War II simply out of

patriotic duty into a tragic figure, haunted by the death of his pseudo-brother. Ed Brubaker took a

major risk when he brought Bucky Barnes back to life, but it was one that paid off immensely

and once again made Captain America a popular character. In addition to bringing Bucky back to

life, Brubaker changed the nature of his character. In a flashback of their final battle together,

Captain America tells the reader:

30
 The official story said he was a symbol to counter the rise of the Hitler

YouthAnd there was some truth to that, but like all things in war, there was a

darker truth underneath. Bucky did the things I couldnt. I was the icon. I wore

the flagBut while I gave speeches to troops in the trenchesHe was doing

what hed been trained to doAnd he was highly trained (WS 5.11).

The panels accompanying these words show Bucky sneaking up on enemy soldiers, stabbing

them in the back and slitting their throats under the cover of darkness while Captain America and

the accompanying American soldiers hide in the bushes. Brubaker here acknowledges the

previous view of Bucky as a counter to the Hitler Youth, but tells the reader that there is more to

the story. While the front of both Captain America and the United States is one of honor and

ethics, men like Bucky will always be needed to get their hands dirty. Captain America, as the

face of the United States military, must always be an upstanding soldier, but he is surrounded by

men like Bucky who are willing to stoop to fight fire with fire.

The story arc of Captain America: Winter Soldier begins with the mysterious

assassination of Red Skull in an empty apartment. Symbolically, this kills the last Nazi enemy

Captain America has. Convinced that Red Skull is not really dead, Captain America begins to

investigate. The investigation leads to the discovery of the Winter Soldier, a Russian superspy

and assassin who has, within the realm of this comic, been seen intermittently over the years

since the end of World War II. Through the course of the story arc, Steve Rogers discovers that

Bucky had been kidnapped, not killed, in their final adventure together. The Soviets had

brainwashed him and altered him physically, both with a super-soldier serum similar to Steves

and a metal arm made of the same indestructible material as Captain Americas shield. In many

ways, especially for Steve, this is worse than Bucky dying. Steve remembers Bucky as a hero

31
who gave his life for the greater good. In reality, Bucky was broken apart by a fascist

government and rebuilt to be a weapon of mass destruction. The Winter Soldier has no memories

of being Bucky, of being Captain Americas sidekick, of being anything. He only remembers the

mission--the face of the man he is supposed to kill next. In addition to the pain of seeing his

friend tortured, and the monster hes become, Steve is also forced to acknowledge that it could

have easily been himself who had been turned into the Winter Soldier. At the end of the Captain

America: Winter Soldier collection, Bucky begins to get his memories back. He goes off in

search of them, ultimately regaining his heroism, though like Black Widow he has too much to

atone for. Following the events of the Marvel Event Civil War, Brubaker and Epting created an

18 issue story arc (Captain America volume 5, issues 25-42) known as The Death of Captain

America. Steve Rogers is assassinated, and Bucky, believing it is Tony Starks fault, attempts to

kill him in retaliation. Immediately, the reader is faced with the stark contrast between the

upstanding Steve Rogers and the corrupted Bucky Barnes. During his confrontation with Stark,

however, Stark offers to make Bucky the new Captain America. Bucky agrees, so long as he

doesnt have to take orders from anybody; he will agree to the assignment only if he can act as

an independent agent. Though Buckys role as Captain America was only meant to last six issues,

Bucky remained Captain America for years due to the popularity of the character.

The Marvel event Civil War took place from 2006-2007, after Winter Soldier and before

The Death of Captain America, and is vital to understanding the implications of both texts. Civil

War was a crossover event built around the mini-series created by Mark Millar and Steve

McNiven. The story begins with a group of amateur superheroes who accidentally blow up a

neighborhood, killing 600 people and prompting the government to enact The Superhero

Registration Act. The Superhero Registration act would require all super-powered humans to

32
register with the government, making their identities known, and superheroes would be subject

to the same kinds of regulations as other public servants, such as police officers. The superheroes

of the Marvel Universe divide, with one side led by Iron Man and the other by Captain America.

Iron Man, burdened by the guilt he feels after speaking to the mother of a little girl who was

killed in the explosion, is in favor of the Registration Act while Captain America strongly feels

that superheroes should not be required to register. Marc Di Paolo observes:

By and large, the Civil War storyline portrayed the faction represented by Tony

Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man), which favored national security over civil liberties in the

style of John Ashcroft, as the villains. The group led by Captain America, which

opposed the governments initiatives to limit the rights of the individual, in the

spirit of Susan Herman, was portrayed as the storys heroic underdogs. (98)

It is a story of a frightened populace who choose to exchange their freedom for security. The

story arc is a direct comment on the Patriot Act, which was quickly passed following the events

of 9/11. After continued escalation and some betrayals, a final battle takes place between the

followers of Iron Man and the followers of Captain America. During the course of the battle, city

blocks are decimated, possibly injuring countless numbers of people. The non-superpowered

citizens attack Captain America just as hes about to deal a final blow to Iron Man, prompting

Captain America to turn to Falcon, drop his shield, and say Oh my God. Theyre right. Were

not fighting for the people anymore, Falconlook at us. Were just fighting (Civil War 7:21).

Captain America surrenders to Iron Man and orders his troops to stand down as hes led away in

handcuffs. He is then assassinated while in custody, and the events of The Death of Captain

America take place.

33
 The Death of Captain America is an analogy for the death of Americas golden age ideals

in the face of the Cold War. Bucky, a Cold War agent, becomes the new Captain America and

represents Americas new ideals. Costello writes

Where Steve Rogers had become increasingly a paragon of American virtue, an

idea to emulate but impossible to replicate, Bucky as Captain America offers a

more flawed, less virtuous ideal. Where Rogers had slept through the deepest dark

of the Cold War, Bucky is an agent of Americas enemy. Rogers brought World

War II values to the late twentieth century; Bucky upholds those ideals, tempered

by the reality of four decades of Cold War transformations. Where Steve Rogers

stood as an example of the America could be and a condemnation of the failure of

others to be that ( although he himself was never one to condemn), Bucky is one

of the people, an everyman trying to do his best. Where Steve Rogerss constantly

questioned whether his values still mattered in a changed world, Bucky assumes

that those values matter wholeheartedly, but also knows he will probably never

live up to them (240).

It is important that this change occurs after the events of Civil War because Civil War is a

contemporary, post 9/11 story. Captain America is faced with this new world in which he cannot

survive, in which his morals and virtues are no longer wanted or needed. Instead, the American

people want heroes like Iron Man and Bucky. Iron Man is willing to enforce regulations on

superheroes, refusing to trust them absolutely as was once possible. Iron Man even becomes a

part of the government, just as big business in America has substantial influence over various

government agencies. Bucky is willing to do whatever is needed to be a protector; he attacks and

defends.

34
 Captain Americas death itself echoes a political assassination like that of John F.

Kennedy rather than a superhero death. Captain America is shot on live TV and dies on the steps

of a courthouse. Compared with the death of Superman, who is pummeled by a villain

Doomsday in an epic battle that levels several city blocks (Superman vol. 2 #75), Captain

Americas death seems almost mundane. Superheroes die often of super deaths, at the end of

brutal battles with other super beings. They do not die like normal people; they do not die from

being shot. The underwhelming scene does, however, reinforce the image of Captain America as

a political leader, a slightly larger than life human rather than a titan. His death is not the result

of a grand battle, but a political assassination, the goal of which was to finally kill the American

ideals that Captain America represented. But as Costello observes, The dream has not died with

Steve Rogers, but has indeed been revealed to be a dream, an aspiration rather than a description

(241).

Winter Soldier, Civil War, and The Death of Captain America all take place in a post-

9/11 world and feature both Captain America and Iron Man. Ideal candidates for their roles in

these stories, Steve Rogers remains the freedom fighter and sentinel of liberty while Tony Stark

is willing to sacrifice that freedom for collective security, as many who grew up in the midst of

Mutually Assured Destruction and McCarthyism, as well as in the aftermath of 9/11, also would.

In all of these story arcs, Captain America represents an ideal, what we believe America is. Iron

Man represents the gritty reality, what America really is and is becoming. While Captain

Americas love of freedom and hatred of tyranny is a nice ideal and one Americans are often

nostalgic for, it has no place in this post 9/11 world. Cold War heroes and antiheroes like Iron

Man and Winter Soldier are far more appealing because we live in similar times. World War II

and the heroes it created are far too simplistic in their world views. To heroes like Captain

35
America, there is good and there is bad and there is no in between. Characters like Iron Man and

the Winter Soldier are far more aware of the sacrifices necessary to ensure the greater good.

They question Americas authority while maintaining it. In order for Captain America to survive

in this new world, Steve Rogers had to die. Bucky Barnes, who had seen and done evil, is the

new Captain America, a post 9/11 Captain America. Where Steve Rogers carried only his shield,

Bucky Barnes carries a pistol and a combat knife. The world wherein America was isolated and

only defended itself, used its shield as its greatest weapon, went out the window during the Cold

War, when America intervened in other countries politics in order to prevent the spread of

communism.

Iron Man, however, has translated well over the years into a war-on-terror hero. Unlike

many golden age heroes like Captain America, he was never truly innocent and simple. He was

born in the middle of the Vietnam War, the height of the Cold War, a time when the American

people were divided in their patriotism. Stan Lee has said in numerous interviews that Iron Man

was created because

I was drunk with success and power, because our other characters were doing so

well. Once I decided I wanted a guy in a suit of armor that would be able to do

almost anything, I figured Im gonna make him the kind of guy that normally

young people would hate. Obviously, young people hated war and I dont blame

them they were all in favor of peace. So I figured, Im gonna make the hero a

guy who manufactures war materials and weapons, and things like that. On top of

which, Im gonna make him a member of the military industrial complex. Hes a

big businessman, hes a multimillionaire. And I said, Im gonna make them like

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 him! Because hell still be brave and inventive and well make him likeable.

(Mangels 6)

Stan Lees goal in creating Iron Man was to make him a Howard Hughes type character, a man

the young people, especially those in the counter-culture movement that would reach its peak

just a few years later, would want to hate. Iron Man stood for all the things about America that

young people hated: imperialism, war, big business, capitalism, and Stan Lee succeeded in

making him likeable. Stan Lee made these attributes appealing to his young readers, and Iron

Man became very effective propaganda for these new American virtues. Today, Americans, and

especially American youth, are still conflicted over these same issues. The wars in the Middle

East are every bit as controversial as Vietnam. The recession that began in the early 2000s led to

an increased criticism of the capitalist system that allows Iron Man to make his profits. In

addition to all of these things, the social justice movement has made Americas youth more

aware of Tony Starks privilege as a wealthy white male. And yet when Iron Man debuted in

theaters in 2008, it was a critical and box office success. The self-described genius, billionaire,

playboy, philanthropist (Favreau, Iron Man) spoke to a generation of youth who identified with

Iron Mans desire to do good for his country, but constant betrayal by the very establishments he

was trying to serve.

Iron Mans origin translated easily into the 21st century. In the 2008 film, all that was

needed was to turn Vietnam into Afghanistan and mini-transistors into mini arc-reactors; nothing

else was changed. Afghanistan and American presence there mimicked the controversy

surrounding the Vietnam War, while the change to nuclear arc reactors are a comment on clean

energy. It is one of the most faithfully updated adaptations of all time and one that has changed

the least. Marvels decision to adapt the Iron Man story to film speaks volumes to the characters

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continued appeal. Unlike comic books, which are read by only a small population, movies must

appeal to a much wider audience. If a film were to receive the same sales numbers as a comic

book, it would be considered a colossal failure. Choosing Iron Man as the hero through which to

introduce the Marvel Cinematic Universe implies that he is just as relevant to todays audience

as he was in 1963.

Over the course of the movie, Stark learns that the weapons he designs exclusively for

use by the U.S. military are being sold to terrorist organizations by someone in his own company.

His decision to don the suit comes from his desire to right that wrong. His selfishness and willful

ignorance led to innocent people getting hurt and his goal is to make amends for that. W. Bryan

Rommel Ruiz notes that:

Favreaus film is thus a provocative story about contemporary American foreign

policy in the aftermath of September 11th, and the longstanding debate regarding

advancing American interests or American ideals in global geopolitics. Where

interests and ideal can work simultaneously, at times they conflict in the

international arena, particularly in the case of American business and foreign

policy interests. Iron Man chiefly focuses upon the role of American capitalism,

and the ways its imperatives corrupt those who seek profit above the ideal that the

United States is a force for moral good in the world. (257)

Ruiz goes on to point out that Starks philosophy of peace is having a bigger stick than the other

guy (Iron Man) is reminiscent of Reagans policy during the Cold War when the United States

accelerated its weapon production, forcing the Soviet Union to do the same, as well as Teddy

Roosevelts foreign policy: Speak softly and carry a big stick! Of course, these two points in

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our nations history are linked, since America sold weapons to insurgent groups in the Middle

East, essentially funding terrorist organizations like the Taliban.

In movies following the first Iron Man film, Iron Man and Captain America would butt

heads again, especially in Joss Whedons film The Avengers. A freshly unfrozen Captain

America is still largely ignorant to the corruption that has infiltrated American politics, and

demands unquestionable loyalty from the rest of the team. Iron Man, however, has been fooled

before and takes a closer look at S.H.I.E.L.D.s classified files, discovering plans to amass high

technology weapons. In the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America has

learned from Iron Man and experience not to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. or any government agency, and

instead relies on his own moral compass. One of his rules that he sticks to is to not kill anyone.

In one instance where Captain America and Black Widow have captured a Hydra agent, they are

threatening to throw the agent off the roof if he refuses to give them information. The Hydra

agent says Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof?

Because it's really not your style, Rogers. To which Captain America responds, Youre right.

Its not. Its hers. And allows Black Widow to kick the man off the roof (Russo, Captain

America: The Winter Soldier). This seemingly simple interaction speaks volumes to the nature of

Captain America. Captain America doesnt kill people, but hes surrounded by people who are

willing to do the dirty work for him like Black Widow and Bucky Barnes. Captain America must

remain clean and sanitized and uncorrupted for public consumption, but there are things that he

acknowledges must be done in order to win and protect the American people. Iron Man, however,

is able to do his own dirty work because he is not an agent of the United States military or

government, but an independent businessman who occasionally uses his super powers to help the

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government or military. He is an agent unto himself who, unregulated and unforced by any

outside agency, still uses his wealth and power to do good works and save people.

Iron Man and Captain America have interacted on the page and on the screen countless

times since their inception. The two characters complement each other in ways other heroes do

not because they represent American Ideals and American Interests. Captain America is the

morally upstanding, incorruptible sentinel of liberty who looks out for the little guy. Iron Man is

the ultimate capitalist success story, a genius who uses his intellect and wealth for good. Captain

America represents what America wants to be, whereas Iron Man is much closer to what

America is becoming. Both heroes are constructed for propagandist purposes; they personify the

ideals of a nation in a way that encourages readers to rally behind them, even if those ideals are

outdated or corrupt. While the heroes never quite move beyond their respective times, those

times become relevant to todays world in a variety of ways. While we no longer believe Nazis

and Commies are a risk to our way of life, the threat of terrorism, nuclear war, and the recession

still loom large. Despite comics being a serial media subjected to the various thoughts and ideas

of many creators over time, the core values of these heroes and the ways they express these

values remains similar to the incarnations present during the Cold War. The political nature of

these heroes means that while Iron Man is easily converted into a modern hero, Captain

Americas appeal is that he is a lost ideal. One that the audience looks back on with fondness, but

worries is gone forever. He must repeatedly be corrupted, first by the Cold War and now by

current affairs, in order to teach the reader that even if Captain America is an impossible

standard, it must still be strived for. Both heroes, however, still endorse the American way of life

and stay true to their propagandist origins.

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Vita

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Natalie Sheppard was born and raised in the very small town of Creston, Ohio. She obtained her

bachelor degree in English Literature from The University of Akron in 2012. She joined the

University of New Orleans graduate program in English in 2013 and has spoken on the subject of

comic books and popular culture at the University of Florida, The Rocky Mountain Comics

Conference, The Comics and Popular Arts Conference, and the Popular Culture/American

Culture Association in the South.

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