8 Reasons Why Secret Empire Didn't Work
1. It Made Captain America A Nazi
Marvel seems to not understand the importance of their own symbols, because you simply do not turn an anti-fascist hero into a f***ing Nazi!
Ultimately, so much of why Secret Empire didn't work can be boiled down to the original conceit that led to the whole event.
Making Steve Rogers, the Sentinel of Liberty, a hero that is the literal embodiment of the American ideal for fighting for what's right, fighting fascism and democracy into a literal fascist was a short-sighted idea to begin with.
The fact that the fictional fascists were quite clearly modelled on the Nazis made it even worse, and it doesn't matter how many times Marvel and Spencer tried to argue Hydra weren't Nazis, if they got into bed with the Nazis, then they are just plain Nazis.
Secret Empire could have still existed without this aspect of the story. It could still have been a powerful and poignant story about how dangerously easy it is to see a fascist regime rise, right before our eyes without us realising or believing it could possibly happen here, and yes, one that would have been incredibly timely right now - it could have been all of that without Captain America as the symbol of that fascist regime.
Keep Captain America as the one fighting the good fight, no matter how hopeless. Make the fascists someone even he could not have seen coming. That would have been just as powerful, and still had a stronger sense too with Steve Rogers being able to play that symbol of hope effectively, and wouldn't need a convoluted and incredibly obvious background behind it.
Instead, Marvel and Spencer went with an exploitative, shock-chasing, confusing and ultimately obvious conceit that did nothing but anger, annoy and bore fans. Thank Kobrik it's over.
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What did you think of Secret Empire? Are you as happy to see it end as we are? Let us know in the comments below!