Warning: Contains spoilers for Captain America #14!!
Being a superhero is complicated, especially when secret identities get involved. There's a world to save, but many heroes keep private personal lives, too, and a recent revelation from Captain America confirms that secrecy keeps the Avengers further apart than other teams. Trust comes with risks – not just to the heroes themselves, but to the loved ones they seek to protect – and it's difficult to bridge the gap.
Captain America #14 – written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art by Carlos Magno – opens with Steve Rogers facing the realization he has few real friends, despite having many comrades-in-arms he'd die for. Since emerging from the ice, Cap has spent a lot of his life leading the Avengers, or working with other heroes in some capacity, but battle-forged alliances apparently don't translate to everyday relationships.
Captain America reveals that the true reason behind this is the necessity of maintaining secret identities and how easily they're jeopardized.
Captain America Reveals That Secret Identities Enforce Distance Between Superheroes – Even The Closest Allies
Captain America #14 – Written By J. Michael Straczynski; Art By Carlos Magno, Espen Grundetjern, & Joe Caramagna
The concept of "superhero" and "secret identity" are intrinsically linked thanks to heroes like Spider-Man who closely guard their real lives. Secret identities are complicated to maintain, and Captain America's lament reveals their potential damage. Every possible combination of sharing or knowing another person's secret identity has complications, judging by Steve's lengthy explanation, and that all amounts to it being difficult for the Avengers to forge deeper friendships with their teammates and allies. There are plenty of people Steve trusts to have his back in a fight, yet pitifully few to go out for dinner and speak like real people.
The MCU provided Captain America with decades of pop culture to explore, but Steve Rogers still prefers one classic over any new offering.
Secret identities are less of an issue for superhero teams like the X-Men and Fantastic Four. They function like families, and it's fairly rare that individual members strike out on their own or lead lives completely separate from the group. It's different for the Avengers, as the team is typically composed of individual superheroes choosing to join together while simultaneously keeping up personal crusades, responsibilities, or even families. The structure is similar to DC's Justice League, and the bonds forged there are more useful on a battlefield than real life, but that structure comes at a cost for the heroes.
The Avengers Could Be Stronger As A Team Without Their Individual Secret Identities
Captain America #14 – Available Now From Marvel Comics
Every hero with a secret identity has a good reason for maintaining it, as it's often to protect vulnerable loved ones. Yet, if certain names and lives were not so closely guarded, the bonds between the Avengers could strengthen, in addition to the clear upsides of honesty. People who are valued by one hero would consequently become important to (or at least protected by) their teammates and vice versa, mitigating some of the risks. Other groups already benefit from that trust. Captain Americarevealed the cost of maintaining secret identities, exposing one of the Avengers' biggest weaknesses as a team.
Captain America #14 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Initially debuting in 1940, Captain America is the patriotically themed superhero who has shared the title with only a few individuals. Beginning with Steve Rogers, Captain America's birth resulted from a frail man taking part in an experimental U.S. Army super-soldier trial, which imbued him with super-human abilities. The character is often depicted wielding a nigh unbreakable and aerodynamic shield made of vibranium that they use to defend and attack their foes.
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