Captain America #169-176, the story of the Secret Empire, is one Marvel's seminal stories. But, more than that, it was also one of the most political stories they ever published. The Secret Empire was an organization within the US government that managed to infiltrate Roxxon's Brand Corporation subsidiary. They tried to discredit Cap's reputation through the Committee to Regain America's Principles. The leader of the Secret Empire, the mysterious Number One, was attempting a coup d'etat of America by threatening to detonate nukes unless power was turned over to him. Cap confronted Number One in the White House and when he (but not the audience) discovered Number One's identity, he committed suicide. The comic only ever said that Number One was someone in a position of high power in the government, but it was heavily implied that he was the President of the United States. The government covered all this up, however, and Steve was so disillusioned with America that he gave up the Captain America identity and took on the identity of Nomad for a time. The story was published in 1973 and writer Steve Englehart specifically intended the story to be a metaphor for Nixon's administration and the Watergate scandal. And the parallels are obvious, not only in Nixon/Number One but also the similarity between the Committee to Regain America's Principles and the real-life Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRAP/CREEP). What other political issues from Captain America comics do you remember? Sound off in the comments!
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
