In revisiting Robert Morales and Kyle Baker’s Truth: Red, White, and Black, a powerful comic series, through the lens of online discussions, the symbolic weight of Captain America became increasingly apparent. This exploration delves into how Captain America is presented in this narrative, specifically focusing on the ever-present Captain America Uniform and its multifaceted symbolism. This analysis expands upon previous discussions and aims to provide a deeper understanding of this iconic symbol within a complex story.
A striking observation upon rereading Truth is that Captain America is perpetually depicted in his uniform. We, the readers, are never offered a glimpse of Steve Rogers, the man behind the star-spangled suit. Every appearance is marked by the Captain America uniform, often accompanied by his shield. This consistent imagery underscores his existence as a symbol of America, an enduring emblem constantly positioned at the forefront of the narrative. This begs the crucial question: What does this unwavering symbol truly represent within the context of Truth?
Captain America’s formal entry into the storyline occurs at the close of issue #5. In a pivotal scene, he is seated at a kitchen table with Faith, who is wearing a niqab. Faith’s words to him, “Whatever made you think Isaiah was dead?” immediately establish a challenge to conventional perceptions of America. This scene visually juxtaposes Captain America, adorned in his iconic stars and stripes uniform, with Faith, representing Muslim identity. This deliberate contrast highlights the ideal of America – what it should be – against narrow, prejudiced views of what an American is perceived to be. This tension sets the stage for the themes explored in issue #6, aptly titled “The Whitewash.”
Captain America sitting at a kitchen table with Faith, who is wearing a niqab.
“The Whitewash” centers on Captain America, still in his Captain America uniform, and FBI Agent Damian Spinard interrogating Phillip Merritt. Merritt, a comic book shop owner, embodies a distorted interpretation of Captain America’s symbolism. Remarkably, despite being confronted with a litany of his crimes by Captain America himself, Merritt reacts with admiration, even requesting an autograph on a Captain America comic. Merritt’s perception of Captain America is rooted in white supremacy and racial prejudice, not in the purported ideals of the nation. He wrongly sees the superhero and his uniform as an extension of his own racial identity and a validation of his supremacist views. In this sense, Merritt functions as a warped mirror of the audience within Truth: Red, White, and Black, misconstruing the symbol of Captain America through a white supremacist lens.
Merritt’s skewed perspective directly relates to the issue’s title, “The Whitewash.” The historical erasure of Isaiah Bradley and the other Black soldiers in the narrative by the US government is a form of whitewashing, intended to maintain a prejudiced status quo. When Merritt learns from Captain America about Isaiah Bradley and the unethical experiments conducted on Black soldiers using the super-soldier serum, his shocked reaction is palpable. For Captain America, this revelation is a confrontation with a hidden, uncomfortable truth that shatters his previously held, perhaps naive, beliefs about the nation he represents in his Captain America uniform.
Captain America and FBI Agent Damian Spinard interrogating Phillip Merritt in a comic book shop.
The concluding issue, “The Blackvine,” further develops this theme. The cover art depicts Captain America in his uniform in the lower right, contrasted with silhouettes of Faith and Isaiah in the upper left, separated by a maze. This maze symbolizes the arduous path Captain America must navigate to uncover the truth. Through Faith, the narrative explores how individuals project their own beliefs and biases onto symbols and figures.
In a kitchen table conversation, Faith removes her veil and reveals her profession as a professor of comparative religion. She explains that her choice to wear the veil is a conscious effort to emphasize her words and intellectual contributions over superficial judgments based on appearance, especially in a climate of Islamophobia. She notes how people tend to project their pre-conceived notions onto her. This observation directly leads her to question Captain America: “Do you get that sort of thing because of your costume?”
Faith talking to Captain America at a kitchen table, Faith has removed her niqab.
Faith’s question is central to understanding the symbolism of the Captain America uniform in Truth. Because Captain America is consistently presented in his costume, he functions as a perpetual symbol. Readers, like the characters within the story, are compelled to project their own interpretations of America onto him. Merritt’s white supremacist interpretation is one such projection, a distorted “whitewashing” of America’s complex reality. The comic challenges us to consider our own perspectives: Do we see Captain America as naive, innocent, or complicit in the historical injustices he represents while wearing the Captain America uniform?
Ultimately, Captain America, as depicted in Truth, is portrayed as aspiring to embody the nation’s ideals, yet ultimately falling short. His encounter with Faith, in particular, offers a glimpse of what America could be – a truly inclusive, multicultural nation. This is especially poignant considering the comic’s publication context, shortly after 9/11 and the onset of the War on Terror. However, even these moments of potential are overshadowed by Captain America’s inability to fully embody true national ideals.
In the final confrontation, Captain America meets Isaiah Bradley, a man silenced and erased by history. Captain America offers apologies for the injustices Isaiah and his family have endured, stating, “I wish I could undo all the suffering you’ve gone through. If I could’ve taken your place.” He confronts the deeply rooted racism of the United States, but his response is limited to words and a symbolic gesture: offering Isaiah his old, tattered Captain America uniform. This action raises a crucial question: Is this enough to truly rectify the past and address present injustices?
Captain America and Isaiah Bradley standing side-by-side, Isaiah is wearing a tattered Captain America uniform top over his clothes.
The final image of Captain America and Isaiah together is telling. Both men are smiling, with arms around each other. Isaiah wears the worn Captain America uniform top, while Captain America’s uniform remains pristine. This visual suggests a superficial reconciliation, an “absolving” of history that feels inadequate. It implies, through the symbol of Captain America, that “Everything is ok. We’ve righted the wrong. Now go about your business.” However, this conclusion is deeply unsettling. The suffering endured by Isaiah and Faith cannot be erased by mere apologies and symbolic gestures. Thus, the enduring symbol of the Captain America uniform, in Truth: Red, White, and Black, ultimately reflects the perpetuation of the status quo, a poignant and critical commentary on American identity and history.
