Captain America Remembers: Captain America Vol 1 #237– September 1979
Captain America Vol 1 #237: "From the Ashes... "
I usually focus on Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel, but she’s just not important in this issue. For the first time I am not saying that it is a bad thing, even Captain America himself is not important in this issue. I would say that this issue is more about remembering the Holocaust.
Before that I do want to focus on Captain America because, whoever wrote the description of Captain America either really hates people, is really into Shakespeare or has no idea what he is talking about. “Steve Rogers has sought his destiny in this brave new world.” Brave new world is a quote from Shakespeare. However, Brave New World is mostly known as one of the most famous dystopian novels written by Aldous Huxley in 1931 and humanity does not look good there. Whoever wrote this was really hopeful or really did not like where humanity is going generally speaking. I guess I’ll leave it up to you to decide which option it is.
I guess it is the later as the issue starts with Captain America in a Senate hearing. A senate hearing for subversive activities. Apparently, the America Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan want to sue Captain America for violating their right for free speech and lawful assembly. What a joke and circus. Reporters remark that he looks tired. He has to give the obvious speech that illegal actions are still illegal. Apparently, he has been making some different statements under the influence of Dr. Faustus’ Mindgas. Then some awful reporter asks him if perhaps he had outlived his usefulness as a symbol of America’s fighting spirit. A question to which poor Captain America has no answer.
A week later Falcon, like the good friend that he is, goes to see what happened to Cap. He goes to Cap’s Manhattan apartment which has been emptied out, and his name taken off the mail box.
Falcon decides to tell the Avengers what happened. He also tells them that S.H.I.E.L.D claims that Sharon Carter died in the riots that occurred last week. The WASP realizes that this is bad, but Ms. Marvel doesn’t know who Sharon Carter is. I am not sure, but I think that it is the WASP that answers that she’s a close friend of the Captain. She also says that it sounds serious and they’ll start looking for him at once. I guess it’s a good thing that the Falcon is now part of the Avengers. Also, this just demonstrates how Ms. Marvel is more of a stranger to the group than the other newest member, Falcon.
Just as panic levels start to raise, Steve Rogers shows up. He apologizes for making them worry and tells them that he needed some alone time. He is finished with that and is ready to return to duty. In the meantime, he also got himself a new apartment in Brooklyn to change his life.
He wants to start a new life, both as Captain America and as Steve Rogers. He wants to move on, perhaps have a family one day. Starting with making his own TV dinner, which he burns, which is rather amusing, although very incompetent. Didn’t he heat his own food up until now? Apparently, his new neighbors are super friendly, and they ask him to join them for a group dinner. The hosting neighbor is Anna Kapplebaum, who is a holocaust survivor. He sees the branded number on her hand, and she thinks that he looks familiar to her.
She takes us back down memory lane when she was twelve in Nazy Germany and the night was Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass or Crystal Night. One of the first horrible events that mark the beginning of the holocaust and Kapplebaum was taken to a death camp, Diebenwald. One that was invented for the comics. Her parents were killed in front of her and she never saw her siblings again. She managed to survive all throughout the war. But at the end of the war, when loss seemed inevitable to the Germans and when they were about to kill everyone, so no witnesses will be left behind, Captain America shows up. He, all by himself of course, defeated all the Nazis in the camp and liberated all of the people, Kapplebaum included. I have to say that the shock on the face of Captain America and his soldiers in light of what they actually see seems very appropriate despite being shown in just one panel and being shown in a comic book.
Then it’s back to the present. Kapplebaum thanks Rogers for listening to her, saying that sometimes it is easier to talk and remember. Rogers realizes that one day he too will have to talk about his pains and about not being able to save Bucky or Sharon and his memories of the war. Until then, he will continue to be Captain America.
And then Nick Fury calls, calling Captain America to duty. It is time to put Steve Rogers in the passenger seat again.
I would say that by Steve Rogers listening to someone else remembering him and his actions during the Holocaust the issue simply asks the reader to remember and not forget. Kapplebaum moved on with her life in their own way, but some wounds will never fully heal, and memories never go away. I would also say that it is a pretty well combination of both real history and fantasy. Also, but talking about the American Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan at the beginning of the issue, it tries to remind the reader that some evils have not completely passed from the world. A Brave New World it is.
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