Superhero shot, and it’s for real

Captain America is dead. But will he stay that way?

In the latest issue of his comic book, Steve Rogers, the star-spangled hero with the gleaming shield and World War II roots, is shot to death -- and his publisher, Marvel Comics, pledges that it is neither a dream, a hoax nor a short-term stunt.

The issue hit stands on Wednesday and shows the iconic hero gunned down on the steps of a federal courthouse; he was arriving there as a fugitive, a resistance leader to a federal Superhero Registration Act that has been a key Marvel story line for the last year.

The role of homeland rebel is a far cry from the hero’s early days. He first appeared in March 1941 and became the most popular of the purely patriotic comic characters drawn up for wartime duty and by far the most enduring of them.

Marvel has plans for a “Captain America” movie in the next few years, so there is cause to wonder whether the character (or at least the costume) will make a return of some sort.

-- Geoff Boucher