 On July 4, 1917, Steve Rogers was born in New York City to Joseph and Sarah Rogers. He grew up frail and sickly, frequently picked on by kids bigger and stronger than him. His parents died early on; his father in 1920, and his mother in 1934. By 1940 Steve was an aspiring artist, subsisting by painting murals on subways for the Works Progress Administration. Horrified by the Nazi atrocities depicted in newreels. Steve tried to enlist in 1940. He was rejected by the examination board but his enthusiasm and dedication managed to gain the attention of others. He was then recruited by General Chester Phillips for a special program called Operation Rebirth. After that, Steve underwent some months of tests and training, and was finally injected with the Super-Soldier serum. The experiment worked; the combination of formula and radiation treatment combined to artificially bring and maintain his body at the highest possible peak of human development, instantly making him stronger, more agile, and faster than any Olympic athlete. His endurance was increased tremendously, and all fatigue-producing chemicals removed from his system making him almost virtually tireless. However, a Nazi spy had gained access to the experiment observation gallery. Trying to protect the interests of his country, the spy shot Dr. Abraham Erskine, the inventor, and was himself accidentally killed by Rogers. Over the next week, all the remaining scientists on the project were presumably eliminated too. After that, Steve was given the costume and name of Captain America to serve as a symbol, an embodiment of all of the virtues which make the United States great.  He was very specifically designed to counter the terror of the Nazi master-agent, the Red Skull. Initially based at Camp Lehigh, he took on a bumbling though friendly persona where he met Bucky Barnes. Snooping around, Bucky discovered his secret and was roped in to become his partner. Captain America and Bucky fought the Nazi menace alone and as part of the Invaders. Close to the end of the war, during an attempt to prevent Baron Zemo I from sending an experimental drone plane to his masters, Bucky was killed in a booby-trap. The blast hurled Captain America into rapidly freezing waters and he was cast into a state of suspended animation, prevented from dying by the Super-Soldier serum. He would remain in the ice until rescued by the Avengers. In 1964 Namor fought the Avengers, and was defeated. Coming upon a group of Eskimos worshipping a figure trapped in a block of ice, an enraged Namor threw the ice-block into the ocean, where the warm currents of the Gulf stream began to melt it, releasing the figure within. Pulled out of the waters by the Avengers, the frozen man woke from his decades-long sleep; Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, had returned. He joined the Avengers, living at the Avengers Mansion. When the other founding members of the Avengers retired, Steve led a team of reformed villians - Hawkeye, the Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver - as the new -Avengers. Steve fought evil wherever it would occur whether alone, among the Avengers, or together with agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. While in the field, he fell in love with Sharon Carter (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 13), the younger sister of an espionage agent he had known romantically during World War II. Once, a disenchanted Cap even retired and took the role of Nomad, Man Without A Country. While Steve adventured about in his Nomad identity, several people tried to take on the identity of Captain America. The last of these, a young man named Roscoe, was killed by the Red Skull for the impersonation; the feelings of responsibility for his death drove Steve back into action as Captain America. Shortly after the apparent death of Sharon Carter, Steve moved to Brooklyn Heights. There, Steve met Bernadette "Bernie" Rosenthal, with whom he fell in love. The cunning lady managed to deduce his secret identity after meeting him in his costume. During this time Steve encounters and fights a number of new threats, among them the Serpent Society, Flag-Smasher, Super-Patriot, and Scourge ("Justice is served!"). During this period Bernie goes off to law school. The long distance puts a strain to their relationship and the two finally break up. Subsequently, Steve meets a member of the Serpent Society who is trying to reform (or at least will try to if it gives her a chance at Steve) named Diamondback (Rachel Leighton). She alternately spends the time either trying to land him or kill him. In 1987 the U.S. Government Commission on Superhuman Activity exerted their influence, and attempts to make Captain America their own operative. Steve refuses, and they demand that he return the shield and costume, as they contend that it is government property. The Commission appoints John Walker (formerly the Super-Patriot) as the new Captain America. Steve adopts the identity of the Captain, with a wakandian vibranium shield supplied by the Black Panther. John Walker spends some time in the Captain America identity, slowly losing the disrespect he had for the do-gooder Steve. It seemed that there was more to being Captain America than just donning his uniform. Tragically, John's parents are captured and killed by members of the Watchdogs, a subversive ultra-right wing group. He suffers a breakdown and Steve is forced to capture him for treatment. The Commission changes its mind about the wisdom of having anyone but Steve in the identity of Captain America and gives him back the shield and mantle. John later takes on the costume of the Captain and continues as U.S.Agent. Early in the 1990s the Red Skull returned from his death in a body cloned from Steve Rogers. He has been busy while dead, and is the driving force behind many of the subversive agencies which have been plaguing Captain America. He is joined by his special group of henchmen, the Skeleton Crew, headed by Crossbones ( who has ties with Diamondback ). Steve becomes romantically involved with Diamondback, and spends much of his time building infrastructure for both his own headquarters and the Avengers. But he still finds the time to go on a few dates with the reformed Diamondback. The Avengers are led by Cap in Operation : Galactic Storm against the Kree, and splits up with many of his old friends and colleagues at the end of the war when they decide to kill the Supreme Intelligence to forstall further hostilities. In 1994 Steve becomes frequently wracked with pain; upon examination he is told that the Super-Soldier formula which has kept his body running at the peak of human efficiency for all these years is deteriorating, and if he keeps going into action he will soon die. With what time he has left, Steve goes canvassing for a successor, introducing both Free Spirit and Jack Flag. As his condition deteriorates even further, he begins to use a utility belt full of gadgets, and finally is forced into a Stark-designed exoskeleton. He breaks up with Diamondback when she sells her services to Superia in exchange for an antidote for his condition; he rejects the antidote, which is stolen by the Red Skull (since the Red Skull has the same biology, he would also presumably need the serum). Finally, Steve's body fails, and he ostensibly dies although his body vanishes. Steve is soon revived by his old enemy, the Red Skull, and finds that Sharon Carter is very much alive ( albeit turned into a harsh and bitter woman for some reason ). The three of them work together to thwart Hitler's plan but in co-operating with the Red Skull in assaulting a U.S. Army base, he falls unders suspicion. When secrey plans which only he and the President know about are leaked to Moldavia, Steve is summoned to the President who revokes his costume and citizenship, exiling him. Even in exile, Steve is busy doig what he does best and in time, he manages to save the President who gratefully re-instates him as Captain America. He comes back just in time to lead the Avengers against the mutant menace known as Onslaught. Steve, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and most of the non-mutant heroes sacrifice themselves in battle to allow the assembled X-teams to defeat Onslaught. As far as the Marvel Universe knows, they have all died. However, they were actually somehow shunted into a pocket universe called by some the "Franklinverse". The "Franklinverse" was a pocket universe made through the power of Franklin Richards, in which the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and miscellaneous others had been transformed and reborn. Franklin manages to bring them back from this alternate world. Steve returns to this reality and arrives in Tokyo. It is a very much different world in which he returns to. With his heroic death and his subsequent rebirth, the world now regards him as an idol and are intent on worshipping him. Toys, books and merchandise are based on his name and the local McBurgers carry his logo. Our big blue guy, Steve is appalled by all this attention. Soon, it is found that all the media hype is a bid by the Skrulls to gain their revenge. In a short and hopelessly brief fight, Steve is wrapped up, tied up and left inside a nondescript room. A Skrull takes on his identity and is set loose on the unsuspecting world. But there is no doubt that Cap is much more than his muscles and brawn for he manages to free himself ( using his wits! ). Once free, the evil Skrull gets his come-uppance ( though a lil too late as the Skrull's machinations have made the crowd a lil too disillusioned with Cap-mania ). The poor Big Blue doesn't even get a break. Just getting over the Skrull debacle, Steve is immediately thrust into the midst of a Kree War... and the insubordination of an Avenger. The take-charge Miss Marvel / Warbird, Carol Danvers loses control of herself in the fight and subsequently loses her position in the Avengers roster. A deep sea mission also causes Cap to lose his beloved shieled... which is later found in fragments ( so much for indestructible.. ) But the ever helpful Sharon Carter produces a special pulse shield, which is no longer limited to a mere shield but can assume various shapes and also release a powerful beam of force. It is here that we see how attached to the original shield Steve has become. The loss of the shield is almost like losing his arm and he almost doesn't pay any attention to Sharon's babble about the new star-spangled toy. But Steve has more to contend with, especially with the return of the Red Skull who has been transformed into a god-like being ( with the help of the the ever exciting Cosmic Cube ). This time, he is determined to take over America ( and also crush Steve's spirit by doing so ). With all this problems, the Avengers are also having problems of their own as a lack of leadership and the various problems faced by individual members have severely endangered the morale of the team. Steve Rogers is a changed man. Manipulated by a classic Avengers villain into committing a shocking act, Captain America must now follow his foe into the future -- a future enslaved by this man -- and the Cosmic Cube! Stranded years from home, our hero has only one hope left -- a hope that may have been shattered by his recent actions. What kind of sick game is Korvac playing? With the Red Skull, powered by the Cosmic Cube, laying waste to the good ole U.S. of A,Korvaca power-mad. U.S.Agent’s back and his using something very much like Cap’s long-lost shield to fight off the forces of A.I.M. Plus, is a new love blooming for Steve Rogers? He sure could use a friend, now that Sharon Carter’s gone A.W.O.L. Dropping in on his old buddies at S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap
finds the helicarrier in the middle of a technology meltdown and it all ties in with why the Star-Spangled Avenger lost his shield in the first place! All this, and a Sgt. Fury backup feature that pits the old war dog against a Nazi vampire!
Sorry I just don't have the time or money to keep reading Cap comics, although I would like to. |
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