Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Danielle Cage Is the Best New, Alternate Captain America

Steve Rogers passing the “Captain America” name and shield to Sam Wilson never made sense to me.  I really tried to give this new Cap a chance, but up until now he hasn’t won me over.  The “wings + shield” look doesn’t aesthetically appeal to me – to be honest, I find it cheesy.  He doesn’t have the characteristics and history that made Steve Rogers an impeccable fit to the idea and essence of “Captain America.”  In fact, among all the dramatic status quo changes that happened to Marvel’s A-tiered heroes in the past few years – Jane Foster replaces the Odinson as Thor (keeping fingers crossed in seeing Portman in that role), X-23 take’s the name (and costume) of Wolverine after Logan’s death (plus, Old Man Logan is around), Amadeus Cho replaces Bruce Banner as the Hulk – only Sam Wilson as Captain America didn’t work for me.

I understand that the move to make the former Falcon the new Captain America is just part of Marvel’s recent inspired initiative to inject diversity to their comics.  However, if diversity was the main rationale, I believe Marvel had only been months late in introducing the new Captain America who perfectly nailed that intent.

In the 2015 underrated mini-series called Avengers: Ultron Forever (Sam Wilson debuted as Captain America months earlier, in December 2014), wherein various Avengers from different time periods team up to fight Ultron, the Captain America of the not so distant future was introduced…

Yes, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’ daughter, Danielle Cage – this girl…
Born in 2006.  Still a toddler ten years later. Lol.
…grows up to become Captain America!  That’s so awesome.

I was effectively impressed of the character’s introduction.   When she said the words “…my dad was an unbreakable man named Luke Cage. And my mom? Jessica Jones? She was even tougher. And I got their powers. So I don't just throw the shield-- I am the shield!”, we immediately get that she’s a badass and has legit superhero pedigree.  In just two pages, I felt that she had more organically inherited the “Captain America” title than Sam Wilson did.  Furthermore, you want to have diversity?  Not only is this Captain America black, but also a woman.  She easily brings more “diversity” than Sam.

That’s why I’m excited for this new U.S. Avengers team (the next incarnation of the New Avengers/ Avengers Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) team founded by Roberto da Costa, a.k.a. Sunspot) debuting this fall, for DANIELLE CAGE CAPTAIN AMERICA IS PART OF IT! YES!
Curiously, with her entry to the main continuity, there are now four Captain Americas roaming around the Marvel Universe: Steve Rogers (still the best and definitive Cap, despite the recent HydraCap concept – which was not only annoying, but also cheap and idiotic in a storytelling sense), Sam Wilson, Roberta Mendez (another female Captain America from the alternate future of 2099; introduced during last year’s Secret Wars, and currently hanging out in the Spider-Man 2099 comic), and, now, her – Danielle Cage.

I hope she stays in the present for a while (just as the teenage X-Men of the past have become expats in the present time period).  And, also, if ever there would come a need to cut the number of Captain Americas in the Marvel Universe, I wish it’ll come down to Steve Rogers and Danielle Cage.

Seriously, move over, Sam Wilson.  You’re okay as the Falcon.  As Captain America?  Not so. 

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