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Contains mentions of self-harm and suicide.
Marvel put Captain America on the map when they allowed him to punch Adolf Hitler in the face, but DC Comics returned Hitler himself to the map decades later. Captain America Comics #1 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby marked the title character’s first appearance, famously gracing the cover by giving the planet’s most evil man a punch right to the kisser. It instantly made Captain America into an iconic and unforgettable figure.
However, some readers forgot that getting punched by Captain America wasn’t Hitler’s only appearance in superhero comics, as DC Comics added its own spin. Adventures of the Outsiders #33 by Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis, Adrienne Roy, and John Workman marks the return of Hitler as a clone created by supervillains hellbent on giving birth to a Fourth Reich.
However, as the next issue was promoted, DC promised this was “not just another Fourth Reich story!” Unexpectedly, DC used Hitler’s rebirth in the following issues to tell a story about the value of redemption for the average person, as well as their endless potential to change.
How Did DC Comics Bring Back Adolf Hitler After Captain America Punched Him?
Hitler Was Cloned by an Enemy of the Outsiders
The Outsiders (which included heroes like Black Lightning) combated Nazi collaborator Baron Bedlam, who had nefarious plans up his sleeve. He cloned Hitler not only in hopes of securing world domination but in hopes of using his fingerprints to unlock a secret chamber that gives him access to the all-powerful Proton Cloud Generator. While the latter task is successful, world domination is easier said than done as Hitler’s clone is a blank slate with no memories of his evil deeds.
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To jog his Führer’s memory, Bedlam puts Hitler under the care of a Jewish chambermaid, under the impression that she’d serve as the clone’s big test, expecting Hitler to kill her when his memories return. In Adventures of the Outsiders #35, the maid actually saves the clone’s life as he chokes on his food. Later, while being shown footage of the Holocaust and noticing the maid’s Star of David necklace, his memories return. However, Hitler is so disgusted with such heinous actions that he shoots himself.
DC Comics Uses Hitler to Convey a Message Essential to Any Superhero Story
Redemption Is Always Possible
After destroying the Proton Cloud Generator, Outsiders member Geo-Force kills Bedlam. After the Outsiders find the dead clone, Black Lightning illustrates the book’s message at the end, saying:
It looks like both Baron Bedlam and one of the most evil men in history each got a second chance. Bedlam made the worst of his, but the other… well, if even he could fight his evil nature – even at the cost of his own life – I’d say there’s hope for the rest of us as well.
Using Hitler as the central, redeemable subject is a controversial choice, but the sentiment resonates when readers take Hitler out of the equation.
It’s a weirdly endearing message that’s less about Hitler and more about the idea that no one is beyond redemption. Using Hitler as the central, redeemable subject is a controversial choice, but the sentiment resonates when readers take Hitler out of the equation. The moral of the story is ultimately that, for the most part at least, everyone is capable of changing themselves and their bad habits. The DC Comics story suggests that everyone is capable of redemption, even a man as wicked or vile as Adolf Hitler, without the need for a swift punch in the face from Captain America.
Adventures of the Outsiders #33 is available now from DC Comics.
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