Generations: A Return to Form for Captain America

Welcome back to another edition of Comic Relief! where I talk about all the goings on in the world of nerd!

This past week has had a lot of heavy hitting comics. Tim Drake is starting his escape from Dr. OZ in the most recent issue of Detective Comics, and on the Marvel side they released the first issue of Legacy. While this release has been the subject of a lot of chatter on forums and what have you, I was honestly not too impressed. Don't get me wrong, it has the promise of something great, and I am interested in a lot of things going on, but nothing really happened in the issue. There were a lot of cool reveals, but nothing of substance happens and in that I was fairly disappointed. However, what Marvel did release, and isn't getting talked about near as much, is Generations: The Americas.

The issue is written by Nick Spencer (Secret Empire) and the art is done by Paul Renaud. The first panels open with Sam Wilson, in full Captain America Attire being interrogated by what seem to be SHIELD or some other government agents. It is revealed that during the final battle for Washington in Secret Empire, that the Avengers disappeared and reappeared in the span of one minute (this one minute of time sent the avengers to this thing called the Vanishing point where many of them interacted with their predecessors in a solo adventure, this being the entire concept for the Generations titles). They are wondering what he experienced.

Sam Wilson Leading the Tuskegee Airmen

Sam Wilson's journey through the Vanishing point sent him back to the early 40s before the US got involved with World War II. He arrives in costume like he was in DC, but quickly adapts to the time, puts away the costume and works in a restaurant kitchen. When war breaks out, he joins the army and gets to experience first hand the segregation of the time. However, even discrimination can't get in the way of Sam Wilson being a hero. We experience a new first meeting between Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers. This time a young and inexperienced Steve Rogers is under heavy fire with his soldiers and Sam Wilson leads a squadron of Tuskegee airman in a retro version of his modern flight suit. After pushing the German forces back, Sam finds Steve behind the line letting go of his lunch because of nerves and all the carnage he has witnessed. Steve thanks Sam and expresses a worry about not being able to live up to the idea of a symbol that people are expecting him. Sam gives his friend a boost, telling his old friend that he's meeting for the first time a great piece of advice:

Listen to me "Captain America." Something tells me that when the picked you, they weren't looking for the soldier-- they were looking for the man. And Something tells me that you're more than up for the job.

Sam goes on to describe how they fought on many more battlefields together, and that Steve lead them to victory, and because of this, Sam made it home. The same, unfortunately couldn't be said for Steve.

While Steve was under the Ice, Sam came home and started a new life. He started a ministry, met a woman, got married, had children. Then in the 50s and 60s Sam answered the call of another kind of war. A war for Civil Rights. From Freedom Riding to Marches, Sam was at the front of them all, leading people and taking the brunt of brutality. When victory came for those causes, Sam continued to fight for the people. He did so as a minister and a civil servant helping at shelters and kitchens. Finally, after all that time "the man who taught him to be a hero" woke up from the Ice.

You think I'd ever forget my Wing-Man?

The Avengers find the frozen body of Steve Rogers, and he wakes up. There are parades, celebrations, photo ops, you name it. Sam decides to get dressed in his class-A's (military dress uniform) and head out to one of those events. A face among a crowd, Sam watches his old friend from afar, but with time leaving its scars all over his face, Sam doesn't expect to be recognized. Much to his surprise, as Sam is walking a way a familiar voice cries out: "Wait," Sam turns back to Steve Rogers reaching out for him. The two embrace as old friends in one of the warmest scenes in comics recently.  The two go off for lunch and Steve talks about how he's not sure there is a place for him in the world. That perhaps too much time has passed, and that maybe he can't live up to these people's expectations. Sam assures him that he will, and offers to keep his door open for Steve and that he will always lend an ear to his struggles.






We get to see Steve come and visit Sam a few times in this vanishing point timeline (although Sam told Steve his name was Paul in vanishing point to prevent suspicions from arising). Whenever Steve had a moment where he felt torn on an issue, he would appear at Sam's church. They'd pray and talk. Sam would even watch Cap fight along side the younger version of himself from this world. Eventually all things led to a certain moment. Steve had just lost the super soldier serum and had come to his minister to ask advice about passing the mantle of Captain America on to his friend, Sam. He is wondering if it is fair to ask this of his friend to assume this great responsibility-- is it a blessing or a burden? Sam (the old minister) tells Cap that his partner isn't under any delusions about this being easy, and that the real challenge for his partner is Steve himself. That Steve casts a long shadow and that some people just don't have to the natural ability to take on the world and inspire the way Steve did. However, Steve has some words of his own.

Paul, you helped me win the war. You were a hero who saved countless lives--and no one even knows you did it. Heck you had to hide the fact that you were doing it from the same military you were fighting for. You came back home and You marched for civil rights. You stood up against racism and prejudice and have the scars to show for it. You spent decades ministering to generations of people-- feeding the homeless caring for the sick. The entire time you did all this you never sought any recognition, never asked any reward. Best I can tell you didn't even want anyone to notice. you just did those things because you knew they were the right things to do. So who do you think inspired me? 

Cap leaves Sam with that, and it's the last time he sees Cap in this world. Suddenly, to Sam, all of his achievements were his own. That after a lifetime of feeling like he was in an another man's shadow, he felt like a hero in his own right. With that Sam felt the pull back to reality. Sam is back at the facility being questioned about the location of Kobik, the sentient cosmic cube that started this mess. He walks out, meets with the other Avengers. Thor asks what he saw and Sam replies:

How much ground can shift under a man's feet over the course of his days. How much progress can be made. How far he'll still want to go. 

Sam ends up tracking down Steve Rogers who, after his return in the finale of Secret Empire, has been on his own. From a distance, Sam throws the shield to his mentor an friend, and Steve catches it. Attached to it is a note. The note gives Steve a mission to overcome this, just like he has overcome everything else he has endured, that he will grow to inspire again.

This book serves as the final chapter and the first in the story of Captain America. The door closes on Sam Wilson as Cap, and opens the door for Steve Rogers once again. It is honestly a bittersweet feeling. A lot of people had mixed reception about Sam becoming Cap, myself included (mainly in costume design, though it grew on me). However, his time in the costume has provided a  great look at a lot of modern injustices that needed to be shown. While I am glad to see Steve return to the mantle, Sam Wilson did a more than admirable job. It's also, I believe, an exit to Nick Spencer writing Captain America. I realize that a lot of people were not enthusiastic about his run. He made some decisions for the character that were not well received and even had some negative influences on the public. However, I feel that's less on him and more on Marvel for how they advertised his arcs. The writing that Spencer did for the character was great, and while his arcs were controversial, this is a character that started by punching a world leader in the face back in the 40's (before our country was involved mind you). Controversy is what this title is about, and in that aspect Spencer remained true to Captain America's purpose. I hope people read this book and are able to put their personal feelings aside, because it truly is a phenomenal book.

This has been another edition of Comic Relief! I hope you have enjoyed and we will see you next time!