March 16, 2021
Expect a Gay Teen Captain America for Pride Month
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Marvel Comics will celebrate Pride month this year with a new Captain America: A gay teenager named Aaron Fischer who stands up for the underdogs, defending "runaways and the unhoused," a Marvel press release says.
The new hero will be introduced in a five-issue comic book miniseries titled "The United States of Captain America" that's timed to coincide with the superhero's 80th anniversary, according to a report in Comic Book Resources.
The Marvel press release sketches out the plot of the miniseries, saying that Steve Rogers will be "teaming up with Captain Americas of the past - Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and John Walker - on a road trip across America to find his stolen shield." Along the way, the group meets a variety of "everyday people" who have taken up the all-American cause of justice, along with the "Captain America" moniker.
Aaron Fischer is known as "the Captain America of the Railways," and will be drawn by transgender artist Jan Bazaldua, Digital Spy noted.
"I really enjoyed designing him, and as a transgender person, I am happy to be able to present an openly gay person who admires Captain America and fights against evil to help those who are almost invisible to society," Bazaldua said.
Writer Joshua Trujillo described the character by saying, "Aaron is inspired by heroes of the queer community: Activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life.
"He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten," Trujillo added.
The first issue hits stands in June.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
