With the second episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we found ourselves face to face with a secret hidden in the Marvel Universe. Steve Rogers was not the only Captain America. Another man wore the mantle of Captain America and his name was Isaiah Bradley. He served his country and the government hid him like the hide so many things. A hero is a hero no matter their race, religious views, or even gender. Why did the government hide Isaiah? Because he was the result from countless experiments done on African-American soldiers known as Project: Rebirth and they couldn't face the truth.
In the 2003 limited series Truth: Red, White & Black, the World War II Super Soldier program of 1942, used African-American test subjects to re-create the super-soldier serum that had previously been used to turn Steve Rogers from a skinny, but patriotic, army reject into Captain America. Only five subjects survive the original trials. In the name of secrecy, US soldiers execute the camp's commander and hundreds of black soldiers left behind at Camp Cathcart. The government tells the families of the three hundred subjects that their loved ones had died in battle. (Another government lie)
Due to field missions in Europe and internal strife, Bradley emerges the sole survivor of his test group. He steals a spare costume and a shield intended for Captain America before he engages in a suicide mission to destroy the Super-Soldier efforts of the Nazis at the Schwarzebitte concentration camp. There, he is able to assassinate Koch, but the mission ends when the Germans capture Bradley. Bradley is later rescued by German insurgents, only to be court-martialed and imprisoned at Leavenworth around 1943. In 1960, Bradley is pardoned by President Eisenhower and released.
Considered to be the "Black Captain America", Isaiah Bradley is depicted as an underground legend among much of the African-American community in the Marvel Universe. A number of the most noted Africans and African-Americans of the twentieth century's last four decades visit Bradley as a sign of respect and, in many cases, hero worship. He receives visits from Malcolm X, Richard Pryor, Muhammad Ali, Angela Davis, Alex Haley, Nelson Mandela, and Colin Powell. Outside the Black community, he remains largely unknown. When he arrives as a special guest at the wedding of Storm and Black Panther, several African-American heroes are awestruck, including Luke Cage (who describes him as "the first me"), Goliath, Monica Rambeau, Triathlon, and Falcon. Canadian-born Wolverine is totally unaware of the man's identity or importance.
Isaiah is also the grandfather of Elijah Bradley (aka Patriot of the Young Avengers). Elijah initially claims that his powers originated from a blood transfusion from Isaiah, whereby he gained the abilities of the super soldier serum. However, it is subsequently revealed that this is a lie, and Elijah really gains his powers artificially from the drug Mutant Growth Hormone. The Young Avengers convince him that he does not need superpowers to be a superhero and he becomes the head of the Young Avengers using his intelligence and natural athletic abilities. After Eli is critically injured in a battle with the Kree and Skrulls, he gets a blood transfusion from his grandfather which enables him to have his grandfather's abilities.
Publication Information
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: Truth: Red, White & Black #1 (January 2003)
Created by: Robert Morales (writer)
Kyle Baker (artist/inker)
Axel Alonso (editor)
Background Information:
Name: Isaiah Bradley
Team Affiliations: Project: Rebirth
Notable Aliases: Captain America
Abilities: Trained unarmed combatant
Peak physical attributes
Slowed aging
Extraordinary immunity to disease
Carries a concave triangular metal shield
I hope that Marvel takes the lead from the interest of Isaiah Bradley since appearing in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and make a series telling his story. I think it needs to be shared and his contributions to the Marvel Universe need to be celebrated.
Until next time, get your READ on!
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