Comic book fans have been given an early peek at Marvel’s first LBGTQ+ Captain America character, a teenage runaway who has picked up the comic book character’s iconic shield to protect his fellow runaways and unhoused people. The debut of Marvel’s historic new Captain America character will come during LGBTQ+ Pride Month when the comic publisher releases the first issue of its new limited series, The United States of Captain America.
To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Captain America, Marvel has created a special series that will bring together Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and John Walker — four generations of Captain America heroes — in a cross-country quest to recover Captain America’s stolen shield. But in their search for the missing shield, the men find a new group of Captains, everyday people who’ve been inspired to take on the role of Captain America in an effort to protect and defend their own communities.
First among these is Aaron Fischer, a fearless young gay teen who has become known as Captain America of the Railways. “I can’t wait for you to meet Aaron Fischer!” writer Josh Trujillo, who penned Fischer’s volume of “The United States of Captain America,” told fans over Twitter earlier this week. “Working with [artist Jan Bazaldua] @obazaldua has been a dream, and I'm beyond honored to introduce him into the Marvel Universe.”
Trujillo has described Fischer as a character who has been “inspired by heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life.”
“He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten,” Trujillo said in a statement released by Marvel. “I hope his debut story resonates with readers, and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Fischer is widely believed to be the first openly LGBTQ+ identifying Captain America in the series’ 80-year history. Of course, as a runaway teen Fischer’s superhero uniform looks a little different from the garb Captain America traditionally wears. In place of the skin-tight bodysuit, Fischer wears loose-fitting overalls over a sleeveless white t-shirt. Red fingerless gloves, a utility belt, and converse-style sneakers complete the hero's outfit.
Bazaldua, the artist behind Fischer, has said he was enjoyed designing the character and hopes he brings greater representation to the series. “I really enjoyed designing him, and as a transgender person, I am happy to be able to present an openly gay person who admires Captain America and fights against evil to help those who are almost invisible to society,” Bazaldua told Out magazine. “While I was drawing him, I thought, well, Cap fights against super-powerful beings and saves the world almost always, but Aaron helps those who walk alone in the street with problems that they face every day. I hope people like the end result!”
In honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Marvel will also release “Marvel’s Voices: Pride #1,” a collection of inspiring and empowering stories centered around the publisher’s LGBTQ+ characters, including Mystique, Destiny, Iceman, Daken, Karma, Nico Minoru, and Karolina Dean.
The first issue of The United States of Captain America hits comic book store shelves on June 2.
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