Since 1941, the mighty Captain America has thrilled comic book fans with thrilling stories, stunning art and plenty of patriotism. A saviour for all of the world, Cap became one of Marvel’s biggest icons in both comics and pop culture. His arcs often explore what it means to be a hero when your country’s actions are at odds with its stated values, and his enduring popularity as a character has seen him transcend comic books to become a cultural icon.
In a bleak future, Steve Rogers awakens to find the country is in ruins and in the clutches of a tyrannical regime called Rampart. He links up with a band of survivors and sets out to topple the tyrannical rule. This is a very simple story, but it’s very well executed, and it really gets to the heart of what makes Captain America so special as a character.
Remender’s run has been solid so far, and this arc brings it all to a head. It also features some interesting lived-in dialogue, be it a stakeout-gone-wrong with the Hulk that ends in awkward apologies or a bit where Cap and Bucky watch a movie about heroes and joke about the overreliance on CGI.
With this story, we see the conflict between pro and anti-registration heroes as it reaches its pinnacle. Choosing to remain unregistered, Cap and the other anti-registration heroes are declared criminals and fugitives by S.H.I.E.L.D agents, police and even their former friends and enemies. This climax is a real tearjerker, and it’s one of the best things about this arc.