A gay, teen character will don an updated version of Captain America's iconic uniform for the first time as part of a limited edition comic series in June, Marvel Comics announced.
The new take on the classic super hero debuts in special comics released to mark the 80th anniversary of Captain America's first issue, the publisher said, adding the character would join numerous other gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters in the Marvel universe.
The character, Aaron Fischer, will appear in “The United States of Captain America,” a series which teams up the previous iterations of Captain America as the quartet undertakes a quest to locate the hero's stolen shield, according to Marvel.
"Steve Rogers [is] 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,” the company said. “Throughout the group’s journey, they’ll discover everyday people from all walks of life who’ve taken up the mantle of Captain America to defend their communities.”
A drawing released of Fischer shows him decked out in the familiar blue Captain America head covering with a white “A,” but his red boots are replaced by high-top black sneakers, his blue trousers and shirt are now blue overalls and a sleeveless white T-shirt, and he sports a nose ring, an American flag tattoo on his left arm, a red neck kerchief, and fingerless red gloves.
When in the guise of his alter ego, Aaron Fischer, he has a mohawk hairstyle with a red star tattoo on his neck, and wears a grey sleeveless hooded sweatshirt.
“Aaron is inspired by heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life," writer Joshua Trujillo said in a statement.
The original Captain America debuted in 1941 as a patriotic soldier battling the World War II Axis powers Germany, Japan, and Italy. The fearless, almost flawless "Cap" had been a sickly young man until he was transformed into the peak of human perfection by an experimental super-soldier serum.
He is noted for his red, white and blue star-studded shield, an unbreakable accessory that he uses as both a defensive and offensive weapon.
"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," said Jan Bazaldua, the artist who designed the new Captain America. "While I was drawing him, I thought, ‘Well, Cap fights against super-powerful beings and saves the world almost always, but Aaron helps those who walk alone in the street with problems that they face every day.’”