Thread by @LunarArchivist

I usually wouldn't waste my time on something this stupid, but since there're lot of people out there who're hellbent on conflating wokeness with patriotism or arguing that all political statements are equal, let's discuss exactly what Captain America and Superman stand for. 1/14

The American spirit in its purest, most benevolent form represents truth, justice, and freedom for all. The fact that attempts to realize these lofty ideals sometimes produce horrific results is attributable to inherent flaws not in those ideas, but in the characters of men. 2/14

Genuine dedication to truth, justice, and freedom for all requires humility, wisdom, and a strength of character and moral fortitude that very few actually possess. With great power comes great responsibility and all that. And, unfortunately, most people aren't up to snuff. 3/14

What "The United States of Captain America" #1 gets right is that excessive patriotism can easily degenerate into nationalism or jingoism. If a misguided person tries interpreting the tenets of truth, justice and the American way...well, garbage in, garbage out, as they say. 4/14

And this is where Superman and Captain America come in: fate granted both superhuman powers - the former in a laboratory experiment, the latter as a result of his alien heritage - and they evolved to become role models to aspire to, if not paragons of the American spirit. 5/14

This means that their loyalty to America is not necessarily to the country, its people, or its government, but to the ideals upon which it was founded. If they were asked to do something which violated those principles "in the name of America", neither of them would do it. 6/14

For example, in "Adventures of Superman" #590, then-POTUS Lex Luthor asks Superman to rescue an American journalist being held hostage in a hostile foreign nation. This is, of course, a ruse, and Superman foils the assassination of that country's ruler by the "journalist". 7/14

Of course, when it comes to Superman, his excellent upbringing was instrumental in shaping who he became. He was instilled with an impeccable sense of morality, justice, and notions of right and wrong, by his loving adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. Kudos to them.😁 8/14

Captain America has had multiple existential crises over the years - even parted ways with the government because of them - because he's keenly aware of what he represents. But he's stuck to his ideals, to the point of berating both a Neo-Nazi AND a Jew for their behavior. 9/14

How dedicated is Captain America to his values? Perhaps the best example of this was seen in "Captain America" #616, where he refused to allow Sharon Carter to kill an amnesiac Adolf Hitler clone because of who he was, refusing to condemn him because of what he MIGHT do. 10/14

And this is what "The United States of Captain America" #1 gets wrong: Steve Rogers has had doubts before - about himself and the U.S. government - but to question the nature of the American Dream he's always done his best to embody and call it a lie is out of character. 11/14

This isn't new. Recent caretakers of Captain America's legacy with dubious loyalties to America's core values have used it as a rhetorical bludgeon. IMPLYING Nixon's a Secret Empire agent is one thing; WRITING Red Skull like a Trump/Jordan Peterson caricature is another. 12/14

To be clear: Captain America punching Hitler in the face or Superman dragging Hitler and Stalin before the League of Nations are political statements, yes, but ones in alignment with the American ideals of freedom and justice and their own moral characters, not "wokeness". 13/14

Bottom line: No, Captain America isn't woke, but the people who've been writing him lately sure as hell are. They've turned him and others into mouthpieces for their own beliefs irrespective of whether or not it is consistent with their characters. And it has to stop. 14/14