In most continuities, Marvel Comics’ Captain America’s morality can vary depending on the timeline.
The notion of a darker Captain America shouldn’t be an unfamiliar one to the fans. After all, with iterations like Hydra Cap – and even the Captain America of the Ultimate Universe – Steve Rogers isn’t always the strait-laced moral pillar that readers know him to be. And much like Hydra Cap, the Captain America of the Age of X is no boy scout.
Captain America Takes the ‘Sentinel’ Moniker Too Far
The ‘Age of X’ crossover by Mike Carrey, Clay Mann and more presents readers with a timeline in which the X-Men have ultimately lost the battle for mutant rights. But the last few Merry Mutants are far from the only familiar faces in this timeline, and Age of X: Universe #1-2 introduces readers to this universe’s twisted Avengers, including one Captain America. This Steve Rogers believes himself to be in the right as a soldier following orders in the fight against mutants, but even he isn’t immune to the corrupting bloodlust of battle when he kills this timeline’s Mystique simply because he enjoys the violence. It’s only when he discovers that she was protecting mutant children that he sees the error of his ways, but by then, the damage to his perception has already been done.
While this Captain America does end up giving his life to protect what’s left of mutantkind, it doesn’t erase the sins he commits up until that point. Even disregarding his blatant murder of Mystique, the very notion that Captain America would willingly – and even gleefully – take part in a genocide because he’s “following orders” goes against what most fans would expect from the character. Steve Rogers is supposed to be this incorruptibly moral figure, but this timeline proves he’s anything but.
Steve Rogers Is All Too Human
Despite his track record as a hero, Captain America is still just a man. Given the right circumstance sin the right society, even he can fall under the hold of bigotry and hatred, even becoming a downright monster in the process. And while that’s probably not something that fans should expect from the prime Captain America anytime soon, it does add another lens through which to view Captain America’s frequent portrayal as a keeper of the status quo, despite his righteous nature.
Captain America is one of Marvel Comics’ greatest heroes, but not even he is perfect. While Steve Rogers may be a super soldier, he’s still a man with the same weaknesses as anyone else. And while Marvel Comics’ Captain America may still be the Sentinel of Liberty on Earth-616, the X-Men don’t have the best history with Sentinels.
