HAIL HYDRA!

So superheroes have been in the news again. A near nuclear controversy now surrounds Captain America basically declaring himself a Nazi. "Hail Hydra" is the battle cry of the organization that the Red Skull is associated with. This is one of the greatest heel turns that could possibly be portrayed in superhero comics. I want to take a few moments to discuss why this simultaneously is and is not a big deal. 

It's Not a Big Deal

On the one hand, Captain America doing something outrageous is not really a big deal. In fact, if you take a look at the whole of superhero comics, events like this are a fairly standard practice for publishers like Marvel and DC. Historically speaking, superhero comics have always followed a magazine business model. Magazines, which are published on a regular basis, tend to follow a quantity over quality type model. This isn't to say that individual magazines have no quality; but unlike the book industry, magazines need to constantly draw as many readers as possible to pick up as many issues as possible. From what I can tell, book publishing tends to focus more on creating fewer, more polished works that entice the masses through their supposedly superior quality.

Therefore, publishers like Marvel have always, since their inception, been places that tried to create buzz around their titles to draw readers in. Characters like Tigra only exist because Marvel at one time wanted to pander to the feminist movement, and beloved favorites Black Panther and Luke Cage are similar capitalizations on cultural moments. Superhero comics are just like the click-bait articles you see around the web; they want to draw you in with a trendy promise that something unbelievable is going to happen inside. Heck, why do you think comic book covers exist at all? Marvel and DC long ago perfected the ability to generate press and spectacle regarding their products.

At the end of the day, however, these companies realize that they can't stray too far from their established characters. Anyone remember the Death of Superman? Is Superman really dead, never to be seen again in the pages of a comic? Don't make me laugh. Although Superman's death changed everything forever for comics, it only changed things forever for a short while. Superman was back to being Superman after a brief interregnum. Similarly, I feel that it was just yesterday that the we saw media fallout from the comic book story Civil War (the comic book upon which the recent film is based), which saw Captain America die. Obviously, he got better.

So it is important to understand that while this "Hail Hydra" moment is certainly buzzworthy, it is yet another moment among countless other press-hype moments. Captain America is an archetype at this point, a fictional idea. Like Hercules and other mythological constructs, he will always find a way back to the audience that loves and subsequently pays for his adventures. It's not that big of a deal. It's business as usual. Nothing to see here.

It's Somewhat a Big Deal

On the other hand, Marvel's decision to completely subvert a character like Captain America in such a fashion does have some concerning ramifications for what readers are typically seeing in superhero comics. You'll notice that earlier, I mentioned Marvel would capitalize on trends by making new characters to draw new audiences in. Notice the key words in that statement. Marvel and DC used to be far more eager to create new content that would entice readers. In my opinion, this does not seem to be the case anymore. Instead, Marvel and DC try to generate as much buzz and hype by repackaging and exhausting their existing ideas. There is certainly a politically charged, politically correct, and progressive zeitgeist in much of the media today. Rather than focus on generating entirely new characters and content, Marvel and DC rewrite their current works to reflect these trends. 

This is the part that leaves a bitter aftertaste in a true believer's mouth. Is the internet complaining about LGBTQ+ community about representation and you don't want to have to risk coming up with a new character that will likely fail in a superhero niche market? How about changing the original golden age Green Lantern gay? That will surely generate a bunch of press and take advantage of the current inclusive spirit without having to risk much. Similarly, complaints about female empowerment seem to have led to Marvel making Thor a woman who throws around feminist talking points in a manner that has the subtlety of one wielding Mjolnir.

So the real problem isn't that comic book publishers are generating excitement for their titles by advertising controversial, headline catching events. The problem is that these publishers no longer take risks by inventing new content and instead rely on subverting their own mythology constantly to keep the public interested. In a world where it is deemed acceptable by some to throw eggs at people who believe in America First, is it any surprise that company would exploit these types of feelings by making a super-patriot wearing America's colors a traitor? Is it any surprise that the Red Skull is now portrayed as Donald Trump?

True fans of these characters don't want to see their beloved heroes constantly being dragged through whatever cultural mud is going on at the moment. The reason that films like Spider-Man and The Avengers were so popular is that there is a rabid desire for  timeless, relatable, clean cut, and even (gasp) hetero-normative superheroes who stand above current events. Ultimately, it is this need for the type of mythology that superhero comics provide that will always be the genre's savior. We need idealized characters with impossible physiques to populate our collective fantasies. We who represent nerd culture and its collective monetary weight will eternally be drawn to those creators who fill our need for content that inspires and tantalizes, not that which preaches or forces trends down our throats.