Marvel Comics: Captain America Says Tea Parties Are Dangerous and Racist

Publius Forum ^ | February 8, 2010 | Warner Todd Huston

[myknowledge]

Marvel Comic’s Captain America is the mightiest soldier with the super powerful secret soldier formula that makes him a super man. Sadly, this muscle bound hero that took on the whole Nazi army during WWII seems to be afraid of those American people who’ve joined the Tea Party movement. Not only is Cappy quaking in his little red booties, but he’s sure that the Tea Party folks are dangerous racists, too.

Isn’t it wonderful that a decades old American comic book hero is now being used to turn readers against our very political system, being used to slander folks that are standing up for real American principles in real life — and one called “Captain America” at that?

In issue number 602 of Captain America, a new story line has begun called “Two Americas.” In it the current Captain (there have been a few of them, apparently) is on the trail of a faux Captain America that is mentally deranged and getting chummy with some white supremacist, anti-government, survivalists types going by the name of “the Watchdogs.” While investigating this subversive group, Captain America and his partner The Falcon — a black super hero — have decided to try and infiltrate the secretive organization.

In preparation for the infiltration, Marvel Comics depicts the two super heroes out of costume and observing from a rooftop a street filled with what can only be described as a Tea Party protest. The scene shows crowds of people in city streets carrying signs that say, “stop the socialists,” “tea bag libs before they tea bag you,” and “no to new taxes.” Naturally, the people in these crowds are depicted as being filled with nothing but white folks.

The black character asks the out of costume Captain, “What the hell is this?” And follows that with, “looks like some kind of anti-tax protest.” The Falcon character then snidely tells his partner the Captain, “So I guess this whole ‘hate the government’ vibe around here isn’t limited to the Watchdogs.”

The two then discuss their plan to infiltrate the subversive group that Marvel comics seems to be linking to the Tea Party movement. This discussion culminates in The Falcon wondering how a black man would do such a thing. “I don’t exactly see a black man from Harlem fitting in with a bunch of angry white folks,” he tells the incognito Captain America.

The Captain tells him, “no it’s perfect… this all fits right into my plan.” After this we find that the Captain’s plan is to send the black man into a redneck bar to pretend to be a black man working for the IRS and to get everyone all mad… because… well, you know that every white person is a racist that hates black civil servants, right?

So, there you have it, America. Tea Party protesters just “hate the government,” they are racists, they are all white folks, they are angry, and they associate with secretive white supremacist groups that want to over throw the U.S. government.

Bet you didn’t know that when you were indulging your right as a citizen to protest your government that you were a dangerous white supremacist that wants to destroy the country, did you? Bet you didn’t realize that your reverence for the U.S. Constitution was a subversive thing to do, did you? And I’ll also bet that you never imagined that you’d scare the little blue panties off of Captain America!

Nice going Marvel Comics. Thanks for making patriotic Americans into your newest super villains.

[Ted Grant]

Looks like it's working...their sales figures rarely top 100,000 in a nation of 300,000,000.

The average Marvel Comic in the sixties and seventies had much larger circulations than 100,000 per issue. Take a book like 'Amazing Spider-Man,' which had a paid circulation in the mid 300 thousands for most of the second half of the 1960s and a paid circulation in the higher 200 thousands through most of the 1970s.

Comics are more expensive now, though, $2-3 for monthly comics and $5 comics are not unusual. And some editions cost more.

And they aren't so interested in the comics as they are licensing the characters for movies, television, video games, etc., where they make a fortune.

In the late 1960s, a paid circulation of 100,000 would have got many comics canceled.

[ripley]

“...the Founding Fathers hated democracy anyway...”

The point was that Progressives hate non-Progressive thought and will characterize opposing opinions as those of ignorant rabble.

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!”

Benjamin Franklin

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!”

Benjamin Franklin

[thulldud]

Yes, Hollyweird breeds them like children.

Or, possibly, as a substitute for them, since most of their proclivities do not tend to favor biological reproduction.

[who knows what evil?]

In the late 1960s, a paid circulation of 100,000 would have got many comics canceled.

Exactly...Detective Comics, the book that introduced Batman; was nearly whacked back in the mid-seventies when the circulation 'dipped' into the 250,000 neighborhood. Today; that would be considered a SALES MONSTER...LOL! Wonder where they learned to spin like that?

[who knows what evil?]

Someone should send this montage of photos to Marvel Comics...E-I-C Joe Quesada and Captain America author Ed Brubaker might be interested in seeing them...

[GOPJ]

And they follow Liberal Economics, too...as their sales drop, they raise the price on their product.

Liberals use kid logic: "Dad, if I charged $10 for a glass of lemonade, I could buy a bike sooner - can we do that?"

It's charming with a 7 year old - not so charming when it's adults who should know better.

[Jack Hydrazine]

What’s needed is to have Capt. America show up at Tea Party rallies. Any one have the costume that can attend or even make one for a future attendee?

Oh yeah! We need Capt. America to show up at Palin rallies! Would that be cool or what? Make sure he gets great face time standing next to the Palinator shaking her hand! Go Cappy!

[who knows what evil?]

Somebody costumed as the ‘Falcon’ would be even better...

[Ted Grant]

Yes, that's certainly true.

To further put it in some historical context, the late, great comic book convention promoter Phil Seuling told me years ago that in the early to mid 1940s, the Fawcett Captain Marvel collection of titles (Whiz, Captain Marvel Adventures, Captain Marvel Jr., Mary Marvel, and Marvel Family) regularly had a monthly paid circulation of over 8 million copies a month.

5 comic tiles, 8 million copies sold, per month.

Shazam!

[FOXFANVOX]

Thanks for the ping, nutmeg, and the photo that shows the Tea Parties cross racial as well as political lines.

Sad that these Lefties try to influence kids with their distorted use of the entertainment media.

[who knows what evil?]

“Shazam!”, indeed...those were good comics....

[Ted Grant]

Those are great comics, indeed, and in my opinion hold up the best of the so-called 'Golden Age' of Comics. They have a great sense of escapist fun and are still a treat.

Silver Age and Bronze Age Marvels hold up very well too, I think. The thing is as the sixties dragged on and we entered the 1970s, a lot of the references get increasingly dated. It's unusual, though - a 1964 Spider-Man comic isn't as dated as a 1974 Spider-Man comic. Weird.

And people may be hard on Stan Lee - he hasn't been writing monthly Marvel Comics in ages.

[Ted Grant]

Detective Comics, the book that introduced Batman; was nearly whacked back in the mid-seventies when the circulation 'dipped' into the 250,000 neighborhood.

By the way, the 1970s incarnation of Batman (or 'The Batman') is my personal favorite version of the character of all time. There were some great Batman & Detective Comics runs in that decade. I like the depiction of The Batman as the greatest detective of all time, so different from the nihilistic nutburger they increasingly felt compelled to depict him as in the later 1980s and beyond.

The 70s take a lot of heat but there were still a lot of great comics being made. In some ways, I consider it comic books' last stand.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Bringbackthedraft]

I’ve always wondered why this guy has been passed over for promotion to Major for 70 years ................................... No MRD??? I thought the same thing. Maybe he just owns a charter boat?

[Bringbackthedraft]

From what I see, it looks like he’s high on steroids too.

[SunkenCiv]

Boycott of stores that carry this swill, and movies based on Marvel characters? Last I’d heard, the anti-American jerk who runs Marvel was pulling the plug on Captain America.

[Let's Roll]

“They can’t read so they look at the pictures.”

Hence the popularity of ‘graphic novels’. Have wondered if it would make more sense, given the targetted audience, to cut straight to animated - then the ‘readers’ wouldn’t even have to turn the pages.