The growth of captain America: from war hero to "American dream"

In 1930s, politicians, artists, actors and poets all gathered here to find their own American dream, including joe simon and Jack Kirby.

Joe simon and Jack Kirby are writing Captain America.

The Birth of Captain America Comics

1940, cartoonist joe simon from Rochester met his colleague Jack Kirby who just moved to Brooklyn. While appreciating each other's works, they were pleasantly surprised to find a lot in common: they are descendants of Jewish immigrants, love the superhero stories that have just begun to be popular, and earn too little money, so they all draw cartoons and have a father who is a tailor! Jack Kirby is not tall, but he is strong. His childhood in the poor and chaotic Lower East Side of Manhattan made him a fighter. He loved fighting injustice and didn't like bullying. Joe simon, who grew up in a slum in Rochester, New York, was often bullied because of racial conflicts. Jack is proficient in painting, while Joe has a keen business mind.

In the United States, descendants of immigrants like them are also plagued by poverty, unemployment and inequality in education and employment opportunities in various fields of society. Two young people who are searching for dreams in new york hit it off and decided to create a super American hero who combined his own experiences and feelings, and let him stand up against the raging Nazis and realize his American dream.

Thin Steve Rogers in Captain America

As a result, Steve Rogers appeared, a thin boy who was born in a poor Irish immigrant family in Brooklyn. His parents died young, fell ill and grew up during the Great Depression. Rogers is too weak to meet the requirements of conscription, so he can only make a living by painting. But Rogers advocates justice and has a loving and patriotic heart. Later, through Professor Reinstein's rebirth plan, he used the "Super Warrior Essence" to transform his weak body into a perfect fighting physique. He went to Europe with his good friend Bucky, punched Hitler and became a national hero-Captain America.

Marvel's first Captain America comic.

Heroes in war

The first issue of Captain America caused a sensation as soon as it went on the market, and soon sold one million copies, which caused great controversy. Because the United States had not really joined World War II at that time, some readers thought that the plot of the American team beating Hitler was inspiring, while others thought that it was inciting war. The Nazi Party in new york even wrote a letter threatening the personal safety of the two authors.

It was not until a few months later that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor that the United States officially entered the war. The controversy about Captain America came to an abrupt end, and the American team became a symbol of the whole people's resistance to tyranny, symbolizing a belief and experience of the American people. Young readers even fantasize about being captain America and serving their country.

Post-war predicament

Superheroes fight for victory in the war, but as soon as the war is over, people expect to return to normal life, so their enthusiasm for superheroes fades with the victory of the war and the defeat of the enemy. At this time, people prefer to read works with emotional themes: love stories, crime cartoons, horror novels, aliens and science fiction have begun to occupy a place in popular culture. With the popularity of TV, family entertainment is occupied by TV programs, and fewer and fewer people study. From 65438 to 0954, the Senate held a hearing in Tennessee, trying to confirm the influence of comics on juvenile delinquency. Since then, a cartoon has gradually stopped publishing. The cold war that began gradually was not a real war. People even think that the world no longer needs superheroes.

The return of captain America

In the United States in the 1960s, I have a Dream, the assassination of Kennedy, the space race, the success of landing on the moon, the Vietnam War and other complex social backgrounds inspired the infinite potential of American culture. At the same time, people are also confused by the rapid changes in society.

Stan Lee made a bold decision: to revive the American team. The thinking and acting style of the American team are still the same as before and during World War II, but they don't know that the world has changed a lot. Stan Lee cooperated with Jack Kirby, trying to examine the present society through such an old patriotic hero and explore the better possibilities of this country. Captain America's role image has also become more plump and complex.

Stan Lee's definition of the returning American team is that he is a superhero without super powers. He can't fly, he can't be invisible, he can't be deformed. He is just an ordinary person who does things better than anyone else on his own. He represents a universal spirit and is the best among ordinary Americans.

Only the "American Dream" is left.

The great social changes after the war made Captain America deeply confused, whether for himself, the government he served or the country. This used to be a good country, and I don't know what went wrong. In the cartoon, he was even deeply disappointed with the government because of the Watergate incident and resigned as captain America. At this time, the American team was as disappointed and confused as every ordinary American or veteran living at that time. The values firmly believed in since childhood cannot be integrated into this increasingly complex and disorderly society. Nobody knows why, but everything has changed.

When every original intention will gradually change, the government, institutions and organizations have to be suspicious, and the only thing Captain America can trust and stick to is his "American Dream".