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Warning: Contains SPOILERS for West Coast Avengers #5! ‘Evil Captain America’ aka Hydra Cap aka Grant Rogers has recently returned to the forefront of Marvel Comics fans’ attention as the main villain in the all-new West Coast Avengers series. Grant is the new Flag-Smasher in Marvel Comics, and, as such, he’s leading his international terrorist organization in an effort to dismantle the current status quo and take over the world under their own regime. This has always been the goal of the Flag-Smashers, but now that they’re led by a ‘Captain America’, they actually stand a chance at accomplishing it.
In a preview for West Coast Avengers #5 by Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim, the Avengers are monitoring Ultron after the evil android started his own religion, amassing followers that are ready to rid themselves of their flesh for the promise of eternal life as a machine. At the moment, Ultron isn’t doing anything technically wrong, as everyone who belongs to the church is there of their own free will. However, the Avengers are watching him closely, and as they’re doing that, they are also keeping an eye on another problem: Grant Rogers aka Flag-Smasher.
The Avengers note that Grant had just attacked a Department of Defense nuclear convoy, which – as the Avengers explain – “are beyond top secret and are changing constantly”. Flag-Smasher’s plan is to get his hands on nuclear weapons, and with them, he and his Sovereign Sons will be one step closer to achieving world domination. While Flag-Smasher’s victory is alarming, it’s just a mere taste of what ‘evil Captain America’ is capable of. And if fans need more evidence than this, all they have to do is look at the history of the original Captain America.
‘Hydra Cap’ Should Be as Dangerous as the Original Captain America
There’s No Reason Grant Rogers Should Be Worse Than Steve Rogers in Marvel Comics
Grant Rogers successfully ambushing a Department of Defense nuclear convoy, despite the fact that the locations of such convoys are “beyond top secret”, only goes to show how this evil Captain America is capable of pulling off the impossible. But, truth be told, this kind of success is something Steve Rogers is more than capable of. In fact, if their roles were reversed, fans wouldn’t be surprised at all if Captain America pulled off an ambush like this, since his battle tactics and indomitable spirit are second to none.
In other words, Marvel Comics is finally treating ‘Hydra Cap’ like the original Captain America in terms of accurately depicting his skillset. Indeed, Grant and Steve Rogers are literally the same person; their histories were just altered by the reality-changing power of the Cosmic Cube. Grant Rogers was raised as a member of Hydra while Steve Rogers’ history played out normally. Grant was inserted into the main Marvel Universe during Secret Empire, which is how he and Steve can exist at the same time. But, in truth, these two ‘Captain Americas’ are the same person, they’re just on different sides.
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So, since they’re the same person, why is Grant Rogers always portrayed as a giant loser all the time? Sure, he did his scheme in Secret Empire, and came really close to changing the world forever, but he was beaten the second the original Captain America entered the proverbial arena. Since then, ‘Hydra Cap’ has basically been a nothing character in any story he’s in – including and especially when he was Captain Krakoa in Uncanny Avengers (which was just so lame). Now, however, Marvel Comics might be ready to finally remedy that mistake.
The Future is Bright for Marvel Comics’ Evil Captain America
Grant Rogers is Once Again an Avengers-Level Threat (as He Should Always Be)
The thing about Grant Rogers is that he is a dark reflection of Steve Rogers, which means however skilled or inept he is in any given story is the same for the original Captain America. Marvel Comics must not have kept that in mind for the last near-decade, since ‘Hydra Cap’ has been portrayed as a pale imitation of Captain America, not an exact evil copy. It’s not like Grant is a clone or something (like, for instance, how Stryfe is a clone of Cable, explaining why he’s worse), he literally is Captain America, just with different alliances.
Just as Captain America is a one-man army capable of feats of unparalleled heroism, so too is evil Captain America. And now, Marvel is finally treating him like the Avengers-level threat he really is. When Hydra Cap was introduced in Secret Empire roughly 8 years ago, he was certainly an Avengers-level threat, but he also had the element of surprise on his side. Now, Marvel Comics is showing just how dangerous the evil Captain America is even when he’s out in the open – finally using him the right way after years of narrative neglect.
West Coast Avengers #5 by Marvel Comics is available March 12, 2025.
“}]] Marvel is finally doing ‘Evil Captain America’ right. Read More