Superheroes, Patriots Mourn Death of a Symbol
Cap's death and funeral heavy in solemn symbolism.
July 7, 2007 — -- It's raining as a lone white horse draws the flag-draped casket down the street toward Arlington National Cemetery. Thousands line the street in silence, paying their respects to a hero who served their country selflessly for more than 60 years. Sam Wilson, the Falcon, delivers a touching eulogy and then it's done. Captain America, also known as Steve Rogers, the quintessential symbol of goodness in America, is buried.
The funeral appeared in the fifth issue of Marvel's Fallen Son mini-series, which hit newsstands Wednesday, nearly four months since readers read about sniper bullets downing the red, white and blue crusader in Captain America issue No. 25.
But unlike his death, which was highly controversial for its strong political undertones, the Sentinel of Liberty's funeral was inspired more by a personal tragedy for the writer, Jeph Loeb.
"He lost his son to cancer," said Ethan Sacks of the New York Daily News, who was the first to break the story about the Captain's death when it hit newsstands in March. "A lot of that seeped in. It was one of the best issues I've ever read in a while, very moving."
During Captain America's funeral, Sam Wilson asks those who had been influenced by the fallen hero to stand and show how their lives had been connected to "Cap," a gesture based on something Loeb had done at his own son's funeral.
"I wanted to show how many lives the boy had touched," said Loeb in a Marvel.com interview. "It was just extraordinary to turn around and suddenly realize that we're connected."
"And that's a really important moment for me in the story, because it's where it's all building to."
Captain America first appeared on newsstands in 1941, literally punching Hitler in the face.
Since then the shield-wielding superhero has battled Nazis, communism, corrupt politicians and, finally, overzealous national security measures.
Rarely did Cap's world shy from reflecting the struggles of the real one, and the latest fictional conflict was no different.
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