10 Comic Book Betrayals We All Should Have Seen Coming

4. Captain America Joins Hydra - Captain America: Steve Rogers #1-2 (2016)

Hail Hydra
Marvel Comics

The reveal that Captain America was secretly a Hydra agent caused the biggest stir in Marvel Comics in years. The idea that the most moral superhero would not only join, but lead the world's biggest terrorist organization, shook many readers to their core.

However, there were some fans who weren't surprised in the least. But they didn't think this twist was obvious because it was foreshadowed. Some readers suspected Marvel would try something like this for one simple reason - comic sales are in massive decline. Even though the MCU is dominating cinema, comics haven't been selling for years. Out of desperation, publishers have recently tried the usual gimmicks such as mini-series, crossovers, first-issue relaunches, and relaunching entire universes.

And what better way is there to get comic fans talking than by using the classic "good guy turns bad" angle? Even though the Secret Empire storyline was reviled by almost everyone, a lot of people bought the comic to see what the fuss was all about. However, this is a problem since the comics' success will give publishers more incentive to churn out stories centred around shock value rather than character and plot.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows