RIP Captain America.

[Justin24]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_en_ot/captain_america

Comic book hero Captain America dies

NEW YORK - Captain America has undertaken his last mission — at least for now. The venerable superhero is killed in the issue of his namesake comic that hit stands Wednesday, the Daily News reported.

On the new edition's pages, a sniper shoots down the shield-wielding hero as he leaves a courthouse, according to the newspaper.

It ends a long run for the stars-and-stripes-wearing character, created in 1941 to incarnate patriotic feeling during World War II. Over the years, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books, published by New York-based Marvel Entertainment Inc., have been sold in a total of 75 countries.

But resurrections are not unknown in the world of comics, and Marvel Entertainment editor in chief Joe Quesada said a Captain America comeback wasn't impossible.

Still, the character's death came as a blow to co-creator Joe Simon.

"We really need him now," said Simon, 93, who worked with artist Jack Kirby to devise Captain America as a foe for Adolf Hitler.

According to the comic, the superhero was spawned when a scrawny arts student named Steve Rogers, ineligible for the army because of his poor health but eager to serve his country, agreed to a "Super Soldier Serum" injection. The substance made him a paragon of physical perfection, armed only with his shield, his strength, his smarts and a command of martial arts.

In the comic-book universe, death is not always final. But even if Captain America turns out to have met his end in print, he may not disappear entirely: Marvel has said it is developing a Captain America movie.

___

Information from: Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com

 

[BVS]

Damn terrorists have won.

 

[coemgen]

They killed Batman and Superman, too, didn't they?

I never really got into comic books. Batman's cool though.

 

[JCOSTER]

What kind of comic book is that? You can't kill superheros...

 

[pepokiss]

why don't they kill someone who doesn't really care... like Cyclps

 

[randhail]

You kill off superheros so they can make a big dramatic return...and sell some more comic books when they do.

Superman was killed and Batman was more or less crippled and not killed...but both happened right around the same time. I think ~93-94

 

[trevster2k]

Robin, Elektra, Jean Grey, Superman, Supergirl, Flash, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow were all killed but returned either the same or in a slightly different incarnation.

It's just a marketing gimmick. Look for the same thing to happen in the tv show Heroes, someone will die only to return later.

 

[LMP]

It's because no one cares about Captain America anymore, it's ridiculous.

If at any point, Ghost Rider is thought to be a more marketable movie than Captain America, there's a serious problem.