Question that has been bugging me for a while

[ellid]

And proves that I am a very,very, very big geek:

Is Captain America still an active duty soldier, or a civilian seconded to SHIELD? And was he ever actually an officer, or was "Captain America" just his code-name? I remember from the comics that his cover identity was a wimpy private somewhere, but obviously that hasn't applied since he was unthawed.

This is driving me nuts and I have yet to find an answer that isn't fanon. Thank you and please do not mock me.

Comments

[spiderine.livejournal.com]

If I'm not mistaken, he was given the rank of Captain after the treatment. He was commanding officer of the Howling Commandos in WWII.

[samantha-vimes.livejournal.com]

I thought it was Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos? Or did they work together? Or is this one of those retroactive continuity changes?

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Nick Fury led the Commandos in the comics, Captain America in the movies, at least partially because African-Americans (like Samuel L. Jackson) didn't command white troops in World War II.

[samantha-vimes.livejournal.com]

Ah, I always consider the comics to be the true story and the movie adaptations to be solely adaptations.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I regard movie adaptations of books/comic books as fanfiction. Enjoyable fanfiction, but fanfiction nonetheless....

[zephre.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think the movies have made it clear yet what his status is re: active duty, but in the Captain America film, Steve Rogers is shown wearing captain's bars on his uniform, so I think the "promotion" offered to him by the Senator is legit. When he is working with the Strategic Science Reserve (or whatever it is), it looks like he is a Captain in and out of the costume.

The only real clue about his status in the Avengers movie comes from his willingness to accept Fury's orders. I think there were scenes cut from the film that might have offered some insight, because they featured Steve in his Army uniform. I expect some of this will come up in Cap 2, since the Army is sure to want him back if they can figure out some way to get him; then again, maybe they won't, if it means they owe him 70 years' combat pay.

A lot of the fanon seems to come down on the side of Steve being a free agent now, much as he was in the comics, and that any obligation he may have had to the Army was served out by his 70 years on ice. That makes his participation in the Avengers with SHIELD a bit easier to imagine, but I expect that if the movie needs his Army connections, they can have him assigned to SHIELD but still technically in the Army.

I guess we'll see when we start getting info from Cap 2. :D

[Or did you want a comics-based answer? I can do that, too!]

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Movie is fine - and now that I think about it, his Captain America uniform (as updated by SHIELD) is shown in a case labeled with his rank when he decides to kit up on the Helicarrier and help Iron Man with the engine. Given that SHIELD found him, thawed him out, and seems to be housing him and his gear, it would make sense for him to be active duty and seconded to SHIELD because, well, the unit he commanded doesn't exist anymore.

Thanks! *smooch*

Also, am I the only person who thinks that it's pretty cool that this ultra-masculine character fights with a defensive weapon and is an artist on the side?

[zephre.livejournal.com]

Also, am I the only person who thinks that it's pretty cool that this ultra-masculine character fights with a defensive weapon and is an artist on the side?

No, I think that's pretty awesome, too. :D I love that the movies kept him as an artist.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Of course I could see him being somewhat creeped out by finding that the stuff he did for the WPA is collectible now....

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

There was a heartbreaking little fanfic going around Tumblr this week that had Tony finding that Steve has been working on a comic about a kid named Cole Phillips, "... who dreams of superheroes and eventually grows up to be a different sort of hero, an everyman without any superpowers of his own, a hero known simply as “The Agent”. "

[ellid.livejournal.com]

What I'd love to see is something where Steve finds out that some of his old WPA art is now in the permanent collection at the Met, solely because the curators liked it and had no idea that it was drawn by Captain America. *That* I could actually see happening, and then all hell breaking loose when someone connects "S. Rogers" to the Star Spangled Man. Add in Tony deciding to get involved since he's on the Met's board (or knows someone on the Met's board, or slept with someone on the Met's board, or gave a couple million to the Met's board as a tax write-off), and....

Crap. I may have to write this myself.

*head desk*

[hotspurre.livejournal.com]

Now, keep in mind that I really only followed this back in the 80s and early 90s, but as far as I know the Comic Book version of Cap was not a part of the US Military after they thawed him. He was generally a free agent, almost always associated with the Avengers (though he wasn't always an active member,) which operated with government approval (usually,) but no active sanction.

I do know that in the ... 60s or early 70s, I think, he became dissilussioned with the American government and gave up the name and became "Nomad" for a little while (a title which was then taken over by a weird sort of retconned Bucky.) Then back in the 80s the government took the title and the shield "back" from him and gave it to a government-sponsored superhero (bit of a dick, really,) and IIRC he just went by "the Captain" at that time, and used a black version of his uniform. I believe he was eventually give both things back, but I wasn't reading the comic at the time.

Too much info? :) A lot of writers enjoyed playing Cap's optimism and sunny viewpoint against a darker government.