Killing off a comic book character isn’t really a rarity at this point, particularly when it comes to Marvel or DC. And you know that character is going to come back to life, sooner rather than later. But it’s rare for a publisher to kill off the same character, twice, in one day. Yet that’s exactly what happened this week with — spoilers past this point — Captain America, who was killed off in Ultimate Endgame #4, and then also killed off in Captain America #11.
Let’s talk about the second case, first, because this one is definitely an instance of “mostly dead.” In the issue by Chip Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti, Cap is dealing with multiple threats in Latveria while trying to protect a pre-teen clone of Doctor Doom from Red Hulk. Oh, comics, you crazy. In any case, as he fights Red Hulk — who he says is the strongest opponent he’s ever faced — he’s battered, and bloodied, and makes the decision to try to save one person, specifically a little girl, from a falling building. Maybe he can’t stop Red Hulk and his squad of Hulks from taking over the country (and he won’t, as that’s the inciting incident of the upcoming Avengers: Armageddon), but he can save one life.
Cap does save the little girl, but at the cost of his own life, as she’s protected under his shield while the rubble from the collapsing building crushes him to death. How do we know Captain America is dead? Because he wakes up in Hell, where the real Doctor Doom is waiting for him.
This raises all sorts of questions that will assuredly be answered next issue, like how Doom is around at all given the deal he made to save Valeria Richards’ life at the end of the One World Under Doom crossover was to be utterly wiped from existence. Hell, it should be noted, in the Marvel Universe, is part of existence. So stay tuned on that! But also: Captain America is dead for the moment, but based on the Free Comic Book Day special — sorry, Comics Giveaway Day — Marvel put out, he’s alive and imprisoned in the future by Red Hulk (oh comics, part two).
Anyway, that’s Captain America Death #1, which is definitively less than permanent, and to give credit where it’s due it doesn’t seem like Marvel is pretending he’s dead a la the “Death of Captain America” storyline from 2007-2008. So let’s talk about what is likely a much more permanent death in Ultimate Endgame #4.
Last issue of the series killed off Spider-Man, thanks to the machinations of The Maker (the evil Reed Richards who is the big villain of the new Ultimate Universe). This issue, they take pains right at the beginning to explain Spider-Man isn’t coming back, or at least not yet, as Iron Lad can’t mess with time enough to save him. Meanwhile, Captain America is fighting back The Maker’s forces outside a time bubble The Maker has created, specifically Captain Britain, aka Henry Duggary.
Duggary, who is brandishing a sword, breaks Captain America’s shield while he taunts him. Then he cuts off Cap’s hand. “Flesh wound, c’mon,” says Cap, fighting back, but Captain Britain is undeterred.
“Symbols, Captain,” he says as he smacks Cap’s helmet off. “This costume… This army… These are symbols of my station. Of total domination of my enemies.”
While Hawkeye and Quicksilver try to make it to Cap in time, Captain Britain pulls back his sword. “I have put Britain’s myths in chains. But America’s… I will simply kill.”
And with a “shunk” he decapitates Captain America. De Captain-itates him? I dunknow.
So yes, Ultimate Captain America is 100% dead here, and with one issue to go in the entire Ultimate Universe it seems likely he will stay dead, in this case. But there’s also some outs like the fact that The Maker breaks out of his time bubble, possibly making it doable for Iron Lad to mess with time. And the Guardians of the Galaxy have shown up from the future, with unimaginable powers. So hey, maybe like regular universe Captain America, Ultimate Cap is also only mostly dead.
Whatever happens next month, congrats to Marvel. Only eight more dead Captain Americas, and you get the 11th for free!
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