39 Years Ago Captain America Created an Alter Ego That Became Much More Than a Costume

Captain America is one of Marvel’s most important superheroes. He’s the foundational idol that nearly all of Marvel’s current titans are built on. He stands for the ideals of a dream that, even though it seems impossible to reach, he will never stop striving for. His simple, pure desire to improve the world has turned him into an inspiration for generations, both in and outside of the comic book page. Steve Rogers is as much a myth as he is a man, setting a standard for heroism that none could hope to live up to, but all are called to do so, as he thinks they can. However, even though he’s the living symbol of the dream, Steve wasn’t always Captain America.

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There was a time when Steve Rogers chose to give up the shield, stars, and stripes, finding that he couldn’t reconcile what he believed with what the United States of America asked him to do. He chose to give up the mantle, which meant that it was then picked up by someone far more willing to listen to those in power, John Walker. Steve planned on stepping back from the superhero biz, but we all know that he could never stay gone for very long; with Walker wielding the shield, he needed a new identity. That new identity and costume were forged thirty-nine years ago today, in Captain America #337, when Steve became the Captain, starting an arc he never could have predicted.

A New Captain For an Old Dream

As stated above, Steve tried to keep out of superhero shenanigans, but when his old allies tracked him down and asked for his help, he couldn’t refuse. Still, he needed a way to conceal his identity, which is where Demolition Man introduced a new, black version of the Captain America suit, with the actual USA elements removed. Steve donned this costume and called himself the Captain. Instead of being a symbol of what America could or should be, he instead became a symbol of what a person should be. He was the Captain, meaning that he was the person everyone looked up to for guidance. It was the perfect way to evolve Steve’s role while maintaining his status and nickname.

Giving Steve an identity not tied to any one country gave him the chance to grow as a hero in a way he couldn’t before. It freed him from the shackles of being tied to any one place or ideology in a very interesting way. Heck, it was during his time as the Captain that Steve first lifted Mjolnir, showing that he was, at his core, a good man with a worthy soul that even a god’s weapon would acknowledge. Becoming a new hero was a statement for Steve, where he showed the world that he was going to fight for it as a symbol, no matter what. Even if he couldn’t use the shield he loved, he would still fight for us. It was a powerful, simple statement, and it was awesome.

The Identity that Became So Much More

The most interesting part about Steve’s time as the Captain is what happened after he became Captain America once again. See, during his stint in the black costume, John Walker served as the nation-appointed Captain America. He loved his home with such a fervor that it often brought him into conflict with Steve, who loved the idea of what it could be far more than the reality. Eventually, it was revealed that the mastermind behind Steve being forced to give up the costume was Red Skull, and the two Captains worked together to stop him, after which Walker gave Steve back the Captain America mantle. That wasn’t the end of his story, though.

Walker would later reemerge in Steve’s old Captain costume, calling himself USAgent. Once again, he was a warrior fighting for his nation, as his nation asked. He became a very interesting parallel to Steve, turning the costume he once used as freedom from America into a symbol of its strength. Walker is a very complicated character. In many ways, he’s much more of an anti-hero than anything else, willing to break his personal morality for the sake of orders or his country. At his best, he’s a reflection of what Steve could be and what many see him as; a lapdog of America that fights for its interests instead of its dream.

Overall, the costume of the Captain and USAgent is one of the most interesting new identities in Marvel. It started two men on equal but opposite character arcs, and we owe it all to this one issue from thirty-nine years ago.

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