Two Korean War veterans end up in the nuclear accident and emerge with powers. One becomes Blue Marvel. The other becomes his enemy, Anti-Man.
Blue Marvel emerges in 1962, taking down Anti-Man and saving the world. Onlookers cheer until his costume is ripped and he is revealed as a black man. From there, President Kennedy and his cabinet decide what to do about the fact that a black American has powers.
Yes, this is that kind of comic–one that blends real and important social issues with superheroics. But it does so very, very well.
Blue Marvel ends up being directed by the President to cease his superheroics and it’s all covered up and explained away. As for Anti-Man, his motivation involves the murder of a family member at the hands of the KKK, and so his desire to take down the U.S. government is motivated by a complicated racial history.
After the big battle in 1962, both characters go away–Blue Marvel, voluntarily and Anti-Man, believed dead. But he re-emerges in the present day more powerful than ever, and defeats all of the Avengers–including Sentry. When the team regroups, Tony Stark looks into Anti-Man’s past and the secrets of the two veterans’ stories emerges.
Because of their powers, both characters are the same age they were in ’62. Tony tracks down Blue Marvel to get his help in defeating Anti-Matter.
Blue Marvel saves the day in the end and Tony offers him a place in The Avengers, but he says he has to think about whether he wants to be a hero–even after so much time has passed.
Retcon origin stories were definitely a “thing” in this age of Marvel. Sentry and Jessica Jones both were dropped into the 616 universe fully formed and with a history. But this time, the lack of history about a character has political ties–and they’re not ones most readers will see as good reasons to erase a man out of history.
Very interesting book.
English (US) · 