America Chavez, a former member of the Young Avengers and Teen Brigade, traveler of multiple dimensions and resident of the Utopian Parallel, is about to end her hero life for higher education. In Marvel’s America #1, she is on a journey of self-discovery through the pursuit of knowledge.
On the eve of leaving for college, America and her girlfriend breakup. Similar to many young people heading to college, the old relationship ends at the beginning of a new journey, and when America walks onto Sonia Sotomayor University campus a new life has begun. We see America experience what anyone would when they first go to college. Sororities want her to pledge, and America thinks one of her professors is out to get her. Since this is a college where other super humans and aliens attend, America meets up with Prodigy, a former mutant named David Alleyne, who happens to be a friend.
America #1
Prodigy’s personal project, a time machine which doesn’t work yet is the catalyst for America’s exciting adventures beyond the classroom. America Chavez is now off campus and into the past. She lands in Germany during World War II, meets Captain America on the battlefield and lands a punch on a villain that charts a new future for her.
My Opinion
I thought starting this comic off by asking famous figures from Marvel Comics to describe America was a nice way to introduce the star to the readers. She has been a supporting player, and a key figure in other Marvel storylines, but now America Chavez is starting a new journey, and we get to have an introduction from people we know if you’re not familiar with America.
Writer Gabby Rivera seems to be presenting America Chavez who is searching for something. America wants to hang up her responsibilities and learn more by going to college. If you have the power to travel between worlds and dimensions, why would you confine yourself to a classroom? Wouldn’t the galaxy be your classroom? Having lost both of her mothers, maybe America is craving that parental figure that she lacks. The hard case professor she encounters is one example of filling the mother void left in America Chavez’s life.
America is no fifth string hero in the Marvel world. America #1 reminds us that America Chavez is powerful and works with the likes of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and is friends with Hawkeye (Kate Bishop). America #1 is a unique look at heroes through a new lens. Those who have superpowers can never turn them off. They can never hide from the world, somehow, someway they always use their abilities or are called upon to use them. America Chavez is no different.
I enjoyed reading this comic, and would be interested to see where the story line goes from here. I could have done without some of the dialogue that make’s America look ignorant. After her first class, America asks Prodigy “What the holy menstruation are you doing here?” Cliché for sure, but it is followed with America asking Prodigy, “Don’t you, like, not have powers anymore? What are you doing at Sotomayor?” Prodigy is quick to answer with a snarky remark along the lines of just because I’m not a mutant anymore doesn’t mean I can’t go to university?
Fortunately these are few and far between gaffes in developing America Chavez. Rivera is allowed to make America Chavez a person that says the wrong thing. We all do that, so why not a superhero. Also, this line of dialogue could help establish the mentality and maturity of America. She may be all powerful, but in reality she has the sensibility of an eighteen year old.
I will be curious to see how this comic series runs. It has all the feeling of a road trip through history, and I am a huge fan of playing with historical timelines. Having America Chavez land the punch that she does in her first book, makes me wonder who else she will punch out down the road. Any story that plays with timelines and history is a fun story to me.
America #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.