Marvel Comics writer Nick Spencer is no stranger to controversy. Back in May 2016, he set the Internet ablaze when he launched Captain America: Steve Rogers in a dark, politically-charged direction. He revealed that Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, has been corrupted by the power of a Cosmic Cube. His life rewritten, the Champion of Liberty is now an agent of Hydra!
For all the fury and outrage Spencer was subject to, sales of Captain America: Steve Rogers have been consistently impressive. In perhaps the most divisive election in the history of the USA, Spencer used the twin Captain Americas — Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson — to quietly ask disturbing questions about American self-identity. Marvel clearly approved; this year's Summer event is "Secret Empire", launching off the back of this arc.
As we all know, the USA is now governed by President Donald J. Trump. Just one week after Trump's inauguration, Nick Spencer's story has escalated, ready for the Summer event.
Fair warning- big deal Marvel Universe developments tomorrow. If you don't want spoilers, watch your internets.
— Nick Spencer (@nickspencer) January 24, 2017
Frankly, it rather feels as though Marvel Comics is declaring war on Donald J. Trump.
Captain America Commands The Marvel Universe
The cover for 'Captain America: Steve Rogers' #10 [Credit: Marvel Comics]
Captain America: Steve Rogers #10 resolves a long-running arc; Maria Hill, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is sacked. At pretty much the same time, Sharon Carter is using Captain America's name to force a controversial new bill through the US government. This bill gives S.H.I.E.L.D. more funding than ever before, and even introduces new powers; in the event of a national emergency, S.H.I.E.L.D. takes command of the armed forces, the emergency services, and even the police.
Steve Rogers's plan was simple; to give S.H.I.E.L.D. unlimited power, and to install Sharon Carter — someone he could manipulate — as Director. Unfortunately, Carter understands how controversial these new powers are, and feels that the public needs someone they can trust. They need a symbol.
They need Steve Rogers to once again become Director of S.H.I.E.L.D..
So it is that Steve Rogers, a Hydra agent, becomes Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., at a time when S.H.I.E.L.D.'s powers have been extended beyond belief.
An Inauguration
The inauguration in 'The Oath'. [Credit: Marvel Comics]
One week after the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, over in the comics we're seeing Captain America sworn in as Director of this new, dangerously powerful S.H.I.E.L.D.. That takes place in this week's other major release, Civil War II: The Oath (also written by Nick Spencer). This issue draws a throughline from the "Civil War II" event to the upcoming "Secret Empire"; it reveals that Ulysses's visions of the future had a far more significant impact than we'd thought.
One of the key events of "Civil War II" was a strange, unexplained vision that showed Miles Morales's Spider-Man killing Captain America. It seems that's still haunting Miles; but it also seems that Steve Rogers got a lot more than just that. He caught a glimpse of a world in which Hydra triumphed. And if he had to die for that to happen? Well, he was willing.
The vision from 'Civil War II'. [Credit: Marvel Comics]
The Oath is a tremendous issue, one that dives deep into Steve Rogers's mind. Carefully paralleling the end of the original "Civil War" event, Spencer has Steve Rogers give three speeches; one to the public, one to Carol Danvers, and one to the comatose Tony Stark. To say they're chilling is an understatement, but I challenge any reader not to see the political nods Spencer is making. Steve Rogers argues that Iron Man and his ilk have been so busy building a complex world that they've left the people behind, that they've lost the public's trust. Rogers's goal isn't just to change the world; it is to burn down the system and to build something new. Something that, to his mind, is greater.
Reasons to be afraid in 'The Oath'. [Credit: Marvel Comics]
Don't read this expecting the parallels to get too explicit, of course; the reality is that Spencer's book will have been written a couple of months back, when Trump's victory was known, but certain events — such as his inaugural speech — had yet to happen. So don't read either Captain America: Steve Rogers #10 or The Oath expecting to see conscious nods to those events. Instead, expect to see implicit trends, ones that closely — and disturbingly — mirror the real world.
The pieces are falling into place for "Secret Empire". Nick Spencer's arc has focused on exploring the confused, contradictory nature of American self-identity; that's set to continue. Spencer, you see, stands proudly in the traditional of comic books with political power; a tradition that runs back all the way to when Steve Rogers punched Adolf Hitler in the jaw, and beyond, to when Martin Luther used sequential images as he called for Reformation of the Church.
With the United States only more divided after that last Presidential election, Nick Spencer — and Marvel Comics — are making very public, very overt, criticisms of Donald Trump's politics. This is sure to anger some, and delight others; but, if sales of Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 are anything to go by, it will be as much successful as it will be controversial.
About the Creator
Tom Bacon
A prolific writer and film fan, Tom has a deep love of the superhero genre.
Well-Intentioned Whistleblower or Opportunist?
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By Carl J. Petersenabout 3 hours ago in The Swamp
Rivers of Death
Rivers bring water the element essential to all life on Earth but wherever rivers flow they also bring death surprise attacks Savage kills and brutal fights every day is a battle for survival on these rivers of [Applause] death I'm under the African Sun Staying Alive is hot thirsty work and among the ranks of animals jostling to get a drink lurk Killers waiting to strike but while Lions may be fearsome and the huge Nile crocodiles ruthless Predators one of the continent's deadliest River Killers is mostly vegetarian renowned wallowers spending up to 16 hours a day lounging in the water hippos could be mistaken for relaxed creatures and yet the river horse as their name translates from ancient Greek can be a very angry pony indeed with tusks up to a foot and a half long hippos are literally armed to the teeth and a charging bull Hipp can impact with the weight force of a pickup truck what's more hippos May brutally defend their territory an Impala has been chased into a muddy Watering Hole by a lion it's stuck but for fortunately for the stricken analou the lion is reluctant to follow it into the Meer unfortunately it finds itself in the domain of a hippo ill disposed to uninvited guests the hippo's not stealing the watching Lion's meal she's most likely just aggressively defending her calf and the Impala pays the ultimate price for crossing a doting mother hippos are thought to kill more people each year than the rest of Africa's most dangerous animals combined and during mating season their ruthless aggression is directed at other hippos two bulls square up the pod's dominant male and a Challenger at stake the Riverbanks Prime mating territory and a Herm of females the dominant male puts on an aggressive display posturing to show he will not yield but the interloper Demands a fight finally the dominant male is Victorious the Conqueror celebrates with a dung shower marking the border of the territory he has successfully defended while the vanquished suffers more than just the agony of defeat his back is carved open and by Sunset the crocodiles are watching closely they'd be unlikely to take on a bull in rude Health but now they Circle an expectation the hippo breathes his last the price of insurrection is life his Hulk will not go to waste the crocodiles move in swiftly to Feast on the corpse for these voracious Predators it's a considerable meal but one dead hippo is a mere snack compared with the annual Feast provided by a particular African river each year the serengetti vast grass Plains filled to the Horizon with grazing animals taking part in one of Nature's greatest spectacles around 1 and2 million wilder beast join 700,000 other herbivores on the Great Migration around 1 in six of these migrants will die before completing the 500 M circuit many are outrun and taken down down by Africa's formidable array of Savannah carnivores their Journey coming to a Grizzly end but one of the deadliest single obstacles the vast herds must Traverse is the mara River after 3 months on the move the wilderbeast are exhausted and emaciated all that separates them from the Fresh pastures of the msai mara is the width of the river and a whole bunch of huge ravit Nile crocodiles despite the chilling threat posed by these powerful Predators some of the herd are either oblivious to the danger or so thirsty they dare to take a drink anyway for an unlucky few it will be their last and these witless victims merely wet the Croc's appetite the true Feast begins when the first of the herd Braves the river in the crush and Chaos of the crossing the 16t Crocs grabs scores of victims when 1,600 lb of musc futile the marus Crocs survive on meager rations for most of the year so take full advantage of the great migrations time of Plenty they Gorge themselves eating up to half their body weight in one sitting and with so many different species crossing the river the banquet is as varied as it is Bountiful but not all Africa's Crocs have such an easy meal ticket on the banks of this Kenyon River a Croc has got too close to a pack of feeding Lions a move it's about to regret it's a fierce attack but the Crocs skin is covered in bony armor plating eventually the Lion's Uninvited Guest Retreats having taught the Crocs and dinner manners the big cats return to the carcass the Amazon is a giant of a river and and conceal some monstrous Predators which kill with a crush and in a bloody frenzy draining a lowland Basin of close to 3 million square miles around 1/5 of the water that runs off the earth's surface is carried by the Amazon this giant of a river is renowned for its oversized residence both prey and Predator around 4 ft long and and weighing as much as an adult human capibara are the world's largest rodent they're
By cacloaidongvat3 days ago in The Swamp
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