In the new issue of Captain America, the most dangerous and controversial Captain America is back in comics. This issue sees Steve Rogers back, and while Captain America is trying to keep the teenage clone of Victor Von Doom (Vic) safe, it isn’t the Steve we all know and love. Right now, Nick Fury Jr. is trying to get his hands on the clone, and he is sending SHIELD agents to attack Steve Rogers, which is not going well for Fury or any of his men. However, no one knows that the Captain America with Vic wasn’t the real Steve Rogers, and it isn’t until the end of this issue that Steve and Sam Wilson realize the truth.
Captain America #17 (2026) by Chip Zdarsky and Ton Lima sees Steve Rogers trying to get his bearings after his long trip to Hell, where he and Doctor Doom fought to take down Mephisto. Now back, he has left the hospital, but he finds himself hunted down by Nick Fury Jr. and SHIELD, who believe he is harboring Vic. However, it’s not Steve Rogers who is harboring Vic. It’s Grant Rogers, the Hydra Captain America.
The issue opens with Steve Rogers on the run with Vic. As the two head across the country, Steve explains to the teen how to fit in and seem like a real American. The next panels show Steve Rogers in his hospital bed, having woken up from his coma. He is watching TV and seeing what happened with the Red Hulk and how most of the world has banned superheroes. It seemed this issue was flipping from the past to the present to show how Steve ended up where he is with Vic. But that isn’t what is happening here.
A nurse explains to Steve how she always felt Captain America was the one who could hold things together. While he was in a coma, the entire world went to hell, and she finishes by saying, “I’m afraid it’s time for you to clock in again.” Steve snuck out of the hospital without a word and then tried to call Tony Stark, only to realize he was gone. He then met up with Nick Fury Jr., who made veiled threats after admitting that Bucky Barnes had died. When Steve told Fury to stay out of his way, it only caused the SHIELD director to send a team after him, a team that Steve defeated easily.
The issue kept flipping back to Steve and Vic as they traveled what looked like the Midwest. This led to the moment of truth, with two scenes playing out at once. Steve and Vic went to protect a woman whose husband was abusing her publicly. At the same time, Steve Rogers went to Sam Wilson to ask about the teenager. It seemed this was going to show how he got Vic to protect. However, Sam said that he had already turned the boy over to Steve and given him his shield back. At that moment, the other Steve killed the abusive husband and left with Vic, while Steve said it had to be one man: “Grant Rogers, Hydra’s Captain America.”
Grant Rogers was the Steve Rogers from another timeline who was the man who betrayed America in “Secret Empire.” He debuted as Captain America in Captain America: Sam Wilson #7 (2016), and everyone believed he was the real Steve Rogers. However, he was from Earth-61311, an altered timeline created by Kobik, a sentient Cosmic Cube. As a child, he was recruited by Madame Hydra and joined Hydra, believing they were changing the world for the better. When he said “Hail Hydra” in Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 (2016), it shocked the world. It caused many readers to begin a boycott of Marvel Comics, believing the real Captain America had turned evil and refusing to let the story play out.
However, the story did play out to show that this was all due to the machinations of Kobik, and Grant Rogers was the man who was running the country when he led Hydra on a hostile takeover of America. When Kobik returned Steve Rogers to his prime after a few years of him being an elderly man thanks to losing the Super-Soldier Serum from his body, Kobik, in fact, replaced him with Grant. It was this fake Captain America who was part of the “Civil War II” storyline, and this led to “Secret Empire.” The “Secret Empire” storyline was very similar to the events from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but in this case, Hydra actually won.
This all ended with a trap, where Sam Wilson helped gain the last piece of the cosmic cube that had shattered early in the story, and when Grant reformed it, Bucky was shrunk down and went into it to retrieve and bring out the real Steve Rogers and Kobik. With Steve Rogers facing Grant Rogers (now Hydra Supreme), Kobik undid everything that was changed in the reality, and Steve was able to defeat Grant and shut down Hydra. Grant was imprisoned, but when he was released, he was murdered. He ended up being resurrected and became Captain Krakoa alongside Orchis in the war with the X-Men, and then he renamed himself the new Flag Smasher. Now, he is back again, pretending to be Captain America, and he is putting young Vic in danger every step of the way.
What are your thoughts about the return of Hydra’s Captain America? Let us know how you think this story will play out in the comments below.
