Honor, Duty, Sacrifice
Cover to “Captain America #11”, written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Valerio Schiti and colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover art by Valerio Schiti and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Salvation may have fallen but the war for Latveria is far from over. With General Thunderbolt Ross making his move and the shocking revelation from the previous issue as to what the late Doctor Doom’s superweapon truly is, Captain America has his hands full and then some. Can the Sentinel of Liberty rise to the occasion on behalf of a country that is not his own but needs him all the same? Let’s find out!
Warning: This article will contain spoilers for “Captain America #11”.
Doom’s Shadow, Part 6
Our story begins where our previous one left off, namely in the home of Victor Von Doom. Yes, the most infamous villain in the Marvel Universe has returned since the events of One World Under Doom. Or rather, his clone has. Steve Rogers and Nick Fury question the young clone of Victor as his Aunt Marta explains that he was created to be raised as a good man without implanted memories or a consciousness of his own. Young Victor lets it slip that he needs to escape Latveria with a machine of sorts, which prompts him to do just that, storming off with a satchel containing something we can presume is quite important. Marta covers his escape as she tries to hold off Fury, as Steve realizes that the clone of Doom isn’t the full weapon, but rather only part of it. As Victor runs off, he’s identified by Red Hulk’s surveillance, which also picks up on the energy signature accompanying him.
Cap gives chase, promising not to hurt the boy, as he knows current affairs in Latveria would result in a messy and gruesome death for even a clone of Doom. As the Sentinel of Liberty chases off after Doom, Red Hulk broadcasts an ominous warning over the speakers in Doomstadt, warning the Latverian populace to seek shelter in their homes as Latveria is now under American control. We see not just one Hulk but multiple Hulks descending from the sky like monstrous missiles as Captain America watches on in horror. Fury contacts Steve as the two realize Ross is essentially acting on his own and that civilian casualties are going to be extreme. As the two try to make sense of the warzone they will find themselves in, Red Hulk catches up to the young Victor Von Doom, relishing the chance for revenge for what the original Doom did to him for months on end. Elsewhere, Red Widow and Charles gain their bearings in the wake of the destruction around them. They share a raw emotional moment as Widow confirms she was the traitor who killed Tambling. Charles offers her an option to start over with him, accepting her for who and what she is as they make their getaway.
Meanwhile, Red Hulk has Doom dead to rights just as Captain America interferes with his shield. Red Hulk isn’t having any of it and dismisses Cap almost casually as he points out just how many times Doom has returned from death only to endanger the world. Steve is left in pretty horrible shape as Red Hulk again corners Doom, consigning him to a merciful death. But before he can murder the clone of Latveria’s former ruler, a flock of birds distracts Red Hulk long enough for the other Captain America - Sam Wilson - to arrive just in time. He rushes to Steve’s aid, but Steve tells him there’s no time and to get the clone of Doom out of there and to tell Sharon he loves her. Sam does his duty and rescues young Doom as Red Hulk rages. The other Hulks rampage across Latveria as things go from bad to worse. Despite the call to arms to his fellow Avengers, things look bleak. But Steve does what Steve does best: try to save people. Despite his mounting injuries, Steve rushes towards a child in danger, about to be crushed by a collapsing building. We flash forward an unknown length of time to see S.H.I.E.L.D looking for people in the rubble. The body of Steve has been recovered, along with the child he saved, but Steve himself, tragically, has died. Our comic wraps up as Red Hulk manages to get his hands on whatever Victor was so desperate to escape with, and we’re left with the harrowing image of Steve Rogers himself waking up in a nightmarish place only to be greeted by none other than the original Doctor Doom himself, who matter-of-factly welcomes him to Hell.
Peak Marvel Storytelling
Captain America surveys the carnage wrought by Ross and his Hulks.
This latest issue of Captain America succeeds in not only delivering one helluva entry in the stellar ongoing series written by Chip Zdarsky, but also absolutely flips the Marvel Universe on its head, just in time for Armageddon, the anticipated event (also helmed by Zdarsky) showcasing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. For months, we’ve heard that the Marvel Universe going forward is going to be redefined with Armageddon being as transformative of a work as the original Civil War event and that the Marvel Universe would be described as effectively “pre-Armageddon” and “post-Armageddon” to signify just how big of a deal it is. Admittedly, as a long time reader of Marvel and as someone who grew up in the era of constant crossover events and relaunches and MCU synergy, I am a bit skeptical. That said, as someone who is a fan in general of Zdarsky’s work and who has been singing the praises of his Captain America run thus far, I can’t help but feel as if he may just deliver, especially after this issue.
A young clone of Doctor Doom, a Red Hulk led invasion force on Latveria, and the apparent death (and damnation?!) of Steve Rogers? To say this book had a lot going on is an understatement! And yet, all these developments build off of one another and pretty organic developments given the title thus far, to say nothing of the greater Marvel Universe.
Let’s start things off with the Latverian elephant in the room. Victor Von Doom has officially returned following his fate at the end of the One World Under Doom event. This issue was quick to clarify just what this return entails and opts to go with the simplest route: it’s a young clone. This clone was specifically intended to be raised as a “good man” without any sort of implanted memories or a consciousness that wasn’t his own. As far as ways to cheat death goes, this is a pretty unique one, especially given how Doom apparently wants his younger clone to follow in his footsteps whereas the clone Victor does not. I enjoyed this reveal and while I knew Doom would inevitably return even before solicits spoiled the fact, I felt this was all in service of a good narrative. But what exactly is the machine that Doom was running off with? One of the Origin Boxes we’ve seen popping up around the Marvel Universe? Or something else?
Red Hulk is a terrifying antagonist here.
General Ross has finally had it and invaded Latveria proper…and he’s not alone. Joined by his Hulked out commandos, the Red Hulk issues a single warning to the Latverian populace before he and his soldiers start smashing just about everything in sight. Throughout this whole series, Ross has repeatedly pushed the fact that Latveria needs to be put in check and neutralized as a threat to America, but we also know that he harbors a deep rooted resentment and hatred for Doom on a personal level for having tortured him for months on end. The human cost of the “liberation” of Latveria is inconsequential in his eyes and I’m sure that some folks will be put off by such an overt political message, but last I checked, this was Captain America…the same title that had its titular character knocking out Hitler on the cover of the first issue. Political messaging, subtle or otherwise, is part of the very real world history behind the book. And I’m all for it.
But as shocking as a clone of Doom is and as surprising as seeing Red Hulk and other Hulks suddenly invade Latveria and begin tearing things apart is, the biggest twist was the death of Steve Rogers himself. Captain America laid down his life to save an innocent boy during the rampage of Ross’ Hulked out commandos and was tragically killed in the process. But death isn’t the end for Steve, oh, no. Instead he finds himself waking up in a place he never would have imagined to find himself in: Hell! More so, he’s joined by Doctor Doom himself! Now, I’m willing to bet that Steve’s arrival in Hell is one hundred percent due to strings that Doom pulled, not an indicator of his righteousness. Still, this is such a crazy ending for an issue and something I could have never predicted (especially given Ultimate Captain America died the very same week). And yes, death in superhero comics is infamously not permanent, especially Captain America who has died more than once. But for me, it’s the idea he’s now trapped in arguably the worst place to be in the universe and in the presence of one of the greatest threats in said universe. That’s compelling to me to say the least.
The arrival of Sam Wilson, Captain America, was brilliantly done.
The art is again brought to us by Valerio Schitti, who I feel provides the best visual identity under Zdarsky’s run. One of my only complaints with the title as a whole to date is how multiple artists lending their talents to the book have somewhat made it hard to have a cohesive look, but I do hope going forward Schitti remains the primary artist on interiors. Joining them is Romulo Fajardo Jr on colors. The two make magic together, capturing the intensity of Latveria being ground zero for what appears to be the war of the century. Every character depicted here is expressive and dynamic and the action here carries with it strong emotional resonance. Even before we get to the shocking conclusion, we can sense that this is momentous and significant. Red Hulk actually looks terrifying and monstrous and the depiction of Ross here is making me warm up to the idea that he might just be the big baddie Marvel wants me to believe he will be going forward. My favorite sequence here is the arrival of Captain America (Sam Wilson). He’s treated with reverence and respect by Steve, who gladly refers to him as Captain America without the narration taking anything away from Steve at all. It was perfect in addition to being a reminder that this dude can talk to birds, which is something that gets glossed over now and then. The spread of the birds, looking like an ominous storm cloud, was fantastic and a real treat for the eyes.
Final Thoughts and Review
Of all the Marvel comics I currently read and collect, I would have to say Captain America is my favorite ongoing title. I’ve probably said this before in other reviews, but I feel like I really have to double down and reiterate that the run is phenomenal and somehow each subsequent issue gets better than the last. Even without taking into account that this title is setting the stage for the Avengers Armageddon series, Zdarsky’s Captain America remains one of the House of Ideas’ strongest ideas currently.
The death of Captain America. But not the end of his story here, not by a long shot.
Final Review: 10/10
Issue #11 of Captain America gives us three shocking revelations before the end of the book, and each one is earned, resulting in a practically flawless entry in Chip Zdarsky’s already high-quality run. The stakes and drama here feel massive, and even the shocking death towards the end of the issue feels less like a gimmick and more like an important turning point in the series. Add this to your pull list immediately.