It's Independence Day, that time of year when Americans can sit back, relax, and embrace everything that makes America great: time off work, barbecue, and fireworks. But what if you're looking for something a little more deep? That's when you turn to the inspirational example that is Captain America, a superhero who has spent more than seven decades fighting for his country and feeling intense levels of angst about what it means to be an American.
Unfortunately, the prospect of reading through the various Captain America comics published to date might be a little too time-consuming, even on a holiday weekend—there are more than 600 of them, after all—so we've selected five of the best for you to learn from at your leisure. If this man can't teach you the true meaning of the Fourth of July, who can?
In the wake of Watergate—or, really, its Marvel Comics equivalent, which saw faux-Richard Nixon commit suicide in the White House after leading an armed insurrection against the government, because comics—Steve Rogers ponders the role of Captain America and whether he can represent a country he might not believe in any longer. Start off your patriotic quest with some hard questions and the comic that accidentally launched this meme!
(It's a Photoshop job, sadly; he really says "solid advice.")
How to read it: Available digitally.
Thankfully, Cap had recovered his patriotic fervor in time for America's 200th birthday, which he celebrated in the best way possible: by traveling through the past of his proud nation, inspiring the creation of the flag, and bypassing any even vaguely problematic moments along the way. Thank Jack Kirby, the creative powerhouse that co-created the character three decades earlier and still had plenty of ideas where to take him, as you'll be able to see for yourself when Cap accidentally overshoots and ends up in the future during his return journey. It's the American history textbook your school wasn't cool enough to give you.
How to read it: Available digitally, and in the Captain America: Bicentennial Battles print collection.
If Captain America loves his country so much, some might snark, why doesn't he just become president? This classic answers that question, as the hero finds himself being courted by both Democrats and Republicans as the ideal presidential candidate. Spoilers: he decides against running, but just think about what we missed out on as a result. The other Avengers could've been his cabinet! Falcon as veep! Black Widow as chief of staff! Iron Man as secretary of defense! Oh, wait, they did that one.
How to read it: Available digitally.
There are numerous versions of the story where Cap wakes up in a block of ice and comes to terms with the modern world (The first one is in 1963's Avengers Vol. 1 #4), but arguably none have told the story as well as Mark Waid and Jorge Molina's Man Out of Time, which explores how Cap came to terms with modern America, as well as his place as a patriotic icon. Subtle as well as action-packed, it might make you want to get frozen in ice for a number of decades yourself. (OK, probably not.)
How to read it: Available digitally and in the Captain America: Man Out of Time print collection.
Captain America #19 (2012)
The final issue of Ed Brubaker's lengthy run as *Captain America'*s writer, which lasted seven years and two different series, wasn't just a fitting farewell to the character but also a great look at the modern-day Captain America and how he fits in with the world around him. It's a nice bookend to the 1970s issue that started this list, and maybe a little bit of a glimpse at how America itself has changed in the last four decades, as seen through the prism of the hero who was literally created to be the best of us—or, at least, the most American.
How to read it: Available digitally and in the Captain America by Ed Brubaker Vol. 4 print collection.
Happy Independence Day, everyone!
