Every Time Captain America Has Run For President In Marvel Comics

The first time Captain America ran for president was announced was Roger Stern and John Byrne’s milestone 250th issue of “Captain America,” published in 1980. The cover depicts a “Captain America for President” campaign pin, with Steve’s smiley face stamped on it.

The issue features the “New Populist Party” trying to draft Captain America to run for president as their candidate. Steve is quite reluctant, but the idea takes the media by storm. In the end, Cap gives a public speech rejecting the candidacy, saying that it is his duty to represent the American Dream. Basically, he is there to be a symbol that other Americans strive towards, and the realities and compromises that being a politician takes are contrary to that.

Sure enough, the issue is purposefully vague about Cap’s own political leanings (if he even has any). That is why it is a fictional third party that tries to draft him; the story never hints at what the NPP really stand for (beyond wanting to break the two party duopoly), they are there so the issue doesn’t tie Cap to’ the elephant than the donkey. “Popular” is a vague description which has been used by both leftists a fascists, but he is doing suggesting someone on the side of the little guy like Cap is. (This is why all factions of the political spectrum are trying to use him.) Once the idea of ​​Cap running is dead, both Democrats and Republicans send letters to the Avengers mansion asking him to be the nominee. to them, much like how, early on. 1950s, both sides tried to recruit a real American hero of World War II — Dwight D. Eisenhower (which, of course, went for the Republicans.)

In “Captain America” ​​letters page #250, Stern revealed the background of the issue, and also that it wasn’t all his idea. A few years earlier, “Captain America” ​​writer Roger McKenzie and artist Don Perlin approached Stern (who was the book’s editor) with a pitch: Captain America would run for president, and win. Then, the next four years of “Captain America” ​​would follow him serving as president in Washington DC

Stern dismissed the idea out of hand, saying it would be “too much of a distortion of reality.” The Marvel Universe is meant to mirror the real world in fundamental ways, like who is currently in the White House. Then, a few years later, when Stern had become the writer of “Captain America” ​​​​and issue # 250 was approaching, he sarcastically suggested that they do the “Cap for President” story that McKenzie and Perlin introduced. Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter agreed, saying they could use the issue to show why Cap is president he wouldn’t work. Stern agreed, and the rest (including story credits to McKenzie and Perlin) is written in colored ink.