The Energon Pub

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070630/ap_ ... in_america

In the drizzling rain at Arlington National Cemetery, thousands of grieving patriots solemnly watch as the pall bearers — Iron Man, the Black Panther, Ben Grimm and Ms. Marvel — carry a casket draped with an American flag.

Yes, folks, Captain America is dead and buried in the latest issue of Marvel Comics, due on newsstands the morning after Independence Day. After 66 years of battling villains from Adolf Hitler to the Red Skull, the red, white and blue leader of the Avengers was felled by an assassin's bullet on the steps of a New York federal courthouse.

He was headed to court after refusing to sign the government's Superhero Registration Act, a move that would have revealed his true identity. A sniper who fired from a rooftop was captured as police and Captain America's military escort were left to cope with chaos in the streets.

But the sniper didn't act alone, and didn't even fire the shot that killed the captain.

Writer Jeph Loeb has been busy working through the stages of grief in the most recent issues of Marvel Comics. A book centered on Wolverine dealt with denial; one with the Avengers covered anger; and Spider-Man battled depression.

With the story line so relevant to present-day politics, and the timing of the latest issue so precise, it's hard not to think the whole thing is one big slam on the government.

"Part of it grew out of the fact that we are a country that's at war, we are being perceived differently in the world," Loeb said. "He wears the flag and he is assassinated — it's impossible not to have it at least be a metaphor for the complications of present day."

But Loeb says he was working with more personal material: the death of his 17-year-old son from cancer.

"So many people have lost their sons and daughters over the years, for the greater good or to cancer or other horrible things," said Loeb, an executive producer for NBC's "Heroes." "I wanted this to be something people would identify with."

In the final frames of the book, the Falcon delivers a eulogy asking superheros old and young to stand up and honor Captain America. Loeb did a similar thing at his son's funeral.

"It was this moment where I realized that we were all different, but this boy, my son, made us all connected," he said. "It was powerful."

Captain America, whose secret identity was Steve Rogers, was an early member of the pantheon of comic book heroes that began with Superman in the 1930s.

He landed on newsstands in March 1941, nine months before Pearl Harbor — delivering a punch to Hitler on the cover of his first issue, a sock-in-the-jaw reminder that there was a war on and the United States was not involved.

Since then, Marvel Entertainment Inc., has sold more than 200 million copies of Captain America magazine in 75 countries.

In the most recent story line, he became involved in a superhero "civil war," taking up sides against Iron Man in the registration controversy, climaxed by his arrest and assassination.

Marvel says you never know what will happen. He may make it back from the dead after all, although Loeb says that question isn't really important right now.

"The question is, how does the world continue without this hero?" he said. "If that story of his return gets told further down the line, great. But everyone's still been dealing with his loss.

"They aren't going to wake up and it's a dream, like it's some episode of 'Dallas.'

Anyone remember when Superman died?

i do... i didn't get the copy when it hit the stands

Shadowman wrote:Anyone remember when Superman died?

Yeah but Steve Rogers is gone 4 good! I hope WWHULK KILLS EVERYBODY!

Godzilla wrote:

Shadowman wrote:Anyone remember when Superman died?

Yeah but Steve Rogers is gone 4 good! I hope WWHULK KILLS EVERYBODY!

Considering Ghost Rider just fell out of it's isolated comic and smack dab in front of the hulk, I'm thinking it's time to check out of comics.

On the topic, although they've killed Steve Rogers, Captain America's too hot a commodity for marvel to bury. They'll either find a replacement or use some clone storyline to bring him back.

The Grim Locust wrote:

Godzilla wrote:

Shadowman wrote:Anyone remember when Superman died?

Yeah but Steve Rogers is gone 4 good! I hope WWHULK KILLS EVERYBODY!

Considering Ghost Rider just fell out of it's isolated comic and smack dab in front of the hulk, I'm thinking it's time to check out of comics.

On the topic, although they've killed Steve Rogers, Captain America's too hot a commodity for marvel to bury. They'll either find a replacement or use some clone storyline to bring him back.

Marvel comics for that matter!

I read the preview on IGN, from the looks of things, I'd guess Bucky will be taking up the mantle of Cap, since he's scoping out the museum where Cap's costume and shield are being held in Cap #28.

Cap is long gone! But name one character in the comics that died and never came back thats known?

Godzilla wrote:Cap is long gone! But name one character in the comics that died and never came back thats known?

Earth 616 version of Blink, she died back in the beginning of Generation X, never came back.

Thunderbird also never came back.

Senor Hugo wrote:

Godzilla wrote:Cap is long gone! But name one character in the comics that died and never came back thats known?

Earth 616 version of Blink, she died back in the beginning of Generation X, never came back.

Thunderbird also never came back.

Technically Thunderbird never came back. But warpath started off as a carbon copy (brothers and all). As for Blink, the AoA version came not too long after and that version's been around since. Not quite the same, but worth mentioning.

I wonder what their over all plan is especially with a movie in the works.

The Grim Locust wrote:

Senor Hugo wrote:

Godzilla wrote:Cap is long gone! But name one character in the comics that died and never came back thats known?

Earth 616 version of Blink, she died back in the beginning of Generation X, never came back.

Thunderbird also never came back.

Technically Thunderbird never came back. But warpath started off as a carbon copy (brothers and all). As for Blink, the AoA version came not too long after and that version's been around since. Not quite the same, but worth mentioning.

True, but usually when Marvel just pops someone back from the dead, it's usually through clones, nanobots, being abducted by aliens and leaving a clone in place, magically reappearing, or just for the hell of it.

So while Thunderbird and WArpath are brothers, and since Blink survived in the AoA verse and then the whole Exiles thing, it's not the same really the same person.

Senor Hugo wrote:

The Grim Locust wrote:

Senor Hugo wrote:

Godzilla wrote:Cap is long gone! But name one character in the comics that died and never came back thats known?

Earth 616 version of Blink, she died back in the beginning of Generation X, never came back.

Thunderbird also never came back.

Technically Thunderbird never came back. But warpath started off as a carbon copy (brothers and all). As for Blink, the AoA version came not too long after and that version's been around since. Not quite the same, but worth mentioning.

True, but usually when Marvel just pops someone back from the dead, it's usually through clones, nanobots, being abducted by aliens and leaving a clone in place, magically reappearing, or just for the hell of it.

So while Thunderbird and WArpath are brothers, and since Blink survived in the AoA verse and then the whole Exiles thing, it's not the same really the same person.

Fair enough. i'm sure there are better examples for me to use, but I'll have to come back to them. Actually, now that I think of it, bringing Bucky back was a shot out of left field.

Maybe Furry saved Cap in the hospital and replaced him with one of those pupets.
But don't flame me cos I haven't read it jet.

They will find a way to bring Steve Rogers back.. They always do (especially with a popular character).

Anyone who thinks that Rogers will be gone for good...well, I have a bridge to sell you real cheap! But seriously, everybody has come back, in some form or another. Maybe not the same exact person, and maybe it's intent is the same, to replace the character that was killed.They've even brought back Bucky for Pete's sake.
Certainly there have been minor characters killed off, but no one really cared about them to begin with.
The only major character that I can think of that hasn't been brought back is been Ben Parker (Spider-Man's uncle).

Loki120 wrote:Anyone who thinks that Rogers will be gone for good...well, I have a bridge to sell you real cheap! But seriously, everybody has come back, in some form or another. Maybe not the same exact person, and maybe it's intent is the same, to replace the character that was killed.They've even brought back Bucky for Pete's sake.
Certainly there have been minor characters killed off, but no one really cared about them to begin with.
The only major character that I can think of that hasn't been brought back is been Ben Parker (Spider-Man's uncle).

Well they didn't bring Spider-Man's clone Ben Reilly!

I think Ben was actually brought back....or we have an alternate reality version of him running around on 616....I dunno but I heard about that from a friend of mine.

Anyway it will turn out that they buried an LMD/clone/someone else who was operated on to look like Steve....or something....

Dynamax wrote:I think Ben was actually brought back....or we have an alternate reality version of him running around on 616....I dunno but I heard about that from a friend of mine.

Anyway it will turn out that they buried an LMD/clone/someone else who was operated on to look like Steve....or something....

But D.C. brought back Wally West a.k.a the Flash back! Both r Marvel and D.C. r scarred to kill off they're characters though!

Cyber Bishop wrote:They will find a way to bring Steve Rogers back.. They always do (especially with a popular character).

I agree. They killed Colossus in the X-Men comics several years back - even had him cremated, IIRC. And lo and behold, they brought him back even from that.

Reminds me of a line from an xmen flash cartoon series I saw once: "remember gang, the events that are about to unfold will echo throughout time until they are slowly retconned out of the canon over the next two years."

Cap will be back somehow, it's practically a law of comic books that nobody (important) can die. Let's see: clone, magically brought back, alternate universe cap takes over or "never died"? I wonder what it will be.

Shadowman wrote:Anyone remember when Superman died?

I do, and I still have the black bag version

Robinson wrote:

Shadowman wrote:Anyone remember when Superman died?

I do, and I still have the black bag version

He got his ass whooped by DD!

Godzilla wrote:

Robinson wrote:

Shadowman wrote:Anyone remember when Superman died?

I do, and I still have the black bag version

He got his ass whooped by DD!

I think dd got a sufficient ass whooping too

GodzillaBANNED wrote:Well they didn't bring Spider-Man's clone Ben Reilly!

And thank God for that. We do not need the Clone storyline back again.