Captain America: Nostalgia at its Finest

After capturing the hearts of many in the first film from 2011, Captain America makes his return in the sequel “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” that comes out in theaters on April 4. Comic-based movies such as Captain America have brought a newfound appreciation for comics that we’ve decided to dig deeper into the history of Captain America.

Captain America’s debut preceded the nation’s entry into World War II. He was the ultimate manifestation of patriotism and idealized freedom fighter who possessed the character to win and triumph over evil. Steve Rogers was not born with great powers, but rather had the powers bestowed upon him as a gift, contribute to his popularity. The serum that he was injected with gave him the ability to use human strength and power at its full potential. However, because he is not immortal, he is still vulnerable to pain and ultimately death. This leaves room for the readers to believe that this could happen to anyone, even him or herself.

During The Golden Age of comic books, Captain America was Marvel’s greatest successes as well as one of the top-selling super heroes of all time. However, after the war, Captain America seemed to have lost his purpose throughout the 50’s because the war, along with the emphasis of America and patriotism, were also over. Eventually Captain America made his return in the 60’s as a part of the Avengers.

Decades later, after vast improvement of technological advances and popularity of other media outlets, comic books became a thing of the past. Many superheroes that once touched the lives of the American people were now forgotten.

In 2009, Disney’s decision to purchase Marvel sets forth the revival of comics. The deal permits Disney to utilize Marvel’s vast array of characters and properties across different media platforms and in many other markets across the globe. Audiences of all generations are now able to come together to experience the magic that was once prominent in American culture. For Captain America, his character provides a sense of nostalgia during the present, even among those who were too young to have first-hand experience.

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Will you be watching “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”? Do you or anyone you know have a Captain America comic? Will you have a better appreciation of these comics after watching these films? Comment below!