Warning: SPOILERS for Captain Marvel #15
In Captain Marvel #15, Carol Danvers picks a fight with Captain America – which ends with Cap doing a very un-Captain-America thing. The latest part of “The Last Avenger” storyline sees Carol seeking out Steve Rogers to not only defeat him in battle, but “kill” him for appearances. Cap’s response is as unexpected as it is entirely rare in the history of the famously unwavering hero.
Over the last several issues, “The Last Avenger”’ has offered one of Captain Marvel’s wildest storylines, in which she is tasked to find and kill every member of the Avengers. Of course, Carol did not hatch this idea herself – the directive comes from Vox Supreme, a mutated Kree threatening mass-casualty attacks on Earth if she does not comply. Caught in an impossible bind, Carol manages to hide her defeated teammates in a pocket dimension rather than take their lives. She’s already dispatched Thor, Iron Man and Black Panther, and now must contend with She-Hulk and Captain America.
The opening of Captain Marvel #15 (from writer Kelly Thompson and artist Lee Garbett) has Carol pulling out all the stops to vanquish Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk. Carol’s next and final confrontation is with Steve Rogers, the least-powered – yet most-indomitable of the Avengers. She flies to meet Captain America on a snowy mountain top, expecting this to be a challenge all its own. But Cap knows that he’s next on Carol’s list, and asks her to explain. Carol offers her apology, and her assurance that this is the only option. Then, against all expectations and comic book traditions… Captain America surrenders.
The concept of Captain America dropping his shield and voluntarily yielding is so unusual as to be almost non-existent. But here he does exactly that, out of pure trust that Carol must have a righteous reason. Carol secures Captain America without violent fanfare (a single punch for appearances), and her mind-twisting mission is complete.
It would be wrong to say that Captain America never ever quits a fight, but in most cases he persists until he gets knocked unconscious or some other exigent condition is met. For example, in The Winter Soldier, he submits to the S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra team, ostensibly out of fear for his wounded teammates. There was a battle in Avengers #402 when he appeared to give up against Onslaught’s minions, but that turned out to a deceptive shift in strategy. In the climax of the Civil War storyline, he technically finished the fight with Iron Man… before conceding that he had “lost the argument,” opting for the non-violent means of ending their conflict.
Beyond the fact that it’s uncharacteristic for Cap to capitulate, what’s most touching about the above scene is the implied trust between the two Captains. It’s not exactly a battle of wits, nor a battle of fists, but a meeting of minds which allows Captain America to acquiesce quietly. The conventional wisdom is, of course, that Carol Danvers would eventually pummel him into submission if he chose to stand against her. But now and then, it’s nice to see a comic book problem resolved with something other than overwhelming force. Leave it to Captain America, we suppose.
Captain Marvel #15 is available now at your local comic book shop.
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