Marvel Comics adding gay teen superhero in Captain America series
Marvel Comics is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Captain America with a gay teen superhero.
The newest hero, Aaron Fischer, is making his debut June 2, the publishing company said in a news release. He’ll be featured in a limited series titled “The United States of Captain America.”
The series will feature the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, teaming up with Captain Americas of the past — including Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson and John Walker — traveling across America to find his stolen shield.
As they go on their road trip, they will discover “everyday people from all walks of life” who have taken up the mantle of Captain America to defend their communities.
The groundbreaking new series is being written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Dale Eaglesham, who will work with a different pair every issue. The first, co-written by Jushua Trujillo with art by Jan Bazaldua, is honoring Pride Month with the debut of Aaron Fischer.
“Aaron is inspired by heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life,” according to Trujillo. “He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten.”
Fischer, as designed by Bazaldua, has a mask similar to Captain America’s, and a white star printed on his overalls.
He also has multiple tattoos and piercings, and sports a mohawk haircut.
“I want to thank Editor Alanna Smith and Joshua Trujillo very much for asking me to create Aaron,” Bazaldua said in a statement. “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.”
The artist also noted that, while Captain America “fights against super-powerful beings and saves the world almost always, Aaron helps those who walk alone in the street with problems that they face every day.”
Fischer, the “fearless teen who stepped up to protect fellow runaways and the unhoused,” was described by Marvel in a news release as its “new LGBTQ+ hero.”
Responding to a Twitter user who asked if anyone knew if he was transgender or a cisgender gay man — “since the release says he is LGBTQ+ , which is not exactly how that works” — Smith clarified that he is a “gay cisgender man.”
“You’re right that the release could have been more precise about that,” the editor wrote.
Each new issue of
“The United States of Captain America” will feature a new hero, who will highlight how everyday people can also be heroes.