Warning: contains spoilers Captain America #14!!
Being a superhero is complicated, especially when secret identities are involved. There’s a world to save, but many heroes also keep personal lives private, and a recent revelation of Captain America confirms that secrecy keeps the Avengers further apart than other teams. Trust comes with risks – not just for the heroes themselves, but for the loved ones they seek to protect – and that gap is difficult to bridge.
Captain America #14 – written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art by Charlemagne – opens with Steve Rogers facing the realization that he has few true friends, despite having many comrades in arms he would die for. Since emerging from the ice, Cap has spent much of his life leading the Avengers or working with other heroes in some capacity, but alliances forged in battle apparently don’t translate into everyday relationships.
Captain America reveals that the real reason behind this is the need to maintain secret identities and how easily they are compromised.
Captain America reveals that secret identities impose distance between superheroes – even the closest allies
Captain America #14 – Written by J. Michael Straczynski; Art by Charlemagne, Espen Grundetjern and Joe Caramagna
The concepts of “superhero” and “secret identity” are intrinsically linked thanks to heroes like Spider-Man, who closely guard their real lives. Secret identities are tricky to maintain, and Captain America’s lament reveals their potential harm. Every possible combination of sharing or knowing someone else’s secret identity has complications, judging from Steve’s lengthy explanation, and this means it will be difficult for the Avengers to create deeper friendships with their teammates and allies. There are many people Steve trusts to help him in a fight, yet, regrettably few go out to dinner and talk like real people.
Secret identities are less of an issue for superhero teams like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. They function like families, and it is quite rare for individual members to go off on their own or lead lives completely separate from the group. It’s different for the Avengers, as the team is typically made up of individual superheroes who choose to band together while also maintaining personal crusades, responsibilities, or even families. The structure is similar to DC’s Justice League, and the bonds forged there are more useful on the battlefield than in real life, but this structure comes at a cost to the heroes.
The Avengers could be stronger as a team without their individual secret identities
Captain America #14 – Available now from Marvel Comics
Every hero with a secret identity has a good reason for keeping it, as it’s usually to protect vulnerable loved ones. Yet, If certain names and lives weren’t so closely guarded, the bonds between the Avengers could grow strongerin addition to the clear advantages of honesty. People who are valued by a hero would consequently become important to (or at least protected by) their teammates and vice versa, mitigating some of the risks. Other groups already benefit from this trust. Captain America revealed the cost of maintaining secret identities, exposing one of the Avengers’ biggest weaknesses as a team.
Captain America #14 is now available from Marvel Comics.