The battle is ending in Secret Empire #10 and the ones who are left standing have the most difficult task. Where does one go once the war is over? How do you move on from a war that has divided the world, and seen the death of friends and family?
The Secret Empire series has challenged a lot of long time fans of Marvel to accept that golden boy Steve Rogers, is a Hydra agent bent on destruction and reshaping the world to his own vision. Steve Rogers is a bad person through out the whole series of comics, and in this last issue he has merged Stark technology with the cosmic cube Kobik, and though the army of superheroes is knocking down his door, Steve Rogers is invincible.
At least he seems invincible, but we know that the good Captain America, the true version of Steve Rogers should prevail. The fight that comes is something we readers get to enjoy as the heroic Steve Rogers reclaims his life.
My Opinion
From issue 0 to 10, I knew that Steve Rogers, the good all-American hero would prevail, but wow, this comic was so much fun to read. I had found some recycled plot points in past issues throughout the series, but the best part of the story is that writer Nick Spencer has challenged the reader to endure watching Steve Rogers battle the two sides of himself. Sometimes your worst enemy can be yourself.
The Hydra Steve Rogers is a bad guy through and through, but once we see Kobik reform and brought back by Bucky Barnes with the true memory of the real Steve Rogers, we get to watch the most epic fight of all time.
I enjoyed the banter of the Avengers while they were developing the plan to stop Hydra and Rogers, and the partnership of Scott Lang and Bucky Barnes was fantastic. I think they would make a great duo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was the final battle of Steve Rogers vs. Steve Rogers that makes this comic so fantastic.
This clash of the two sides of Rogers is what the whole series is about. Can we accept that in some way, Steve Rogers could be the bad guy? He always comes off as being honest and true, but no one is perfect no matter what you see, and having Steve Rogers become the villain was a great way to illustrate to readers that no one is infallible.
As writer Spencer says brilliantly in his text during the final fight that Rogers was, “at war with his worst enemy, a twisted reflection of himself.” Rogers had said it so many times throughout the series, that this was the real Steve Rogers. That’s what made me as a reader want to see this through.
I love Captain America, and I was thrilled when they brought him back from the dead. He is the best example of honesty and integrity that any decade or generation can identify with, and he represents so much of the ideal virtues of humanity. To see him also possess the worst that humanity has, was refreshing and bold to do.
Kobik did return to the timeline and help rebuild the world that was ravaged by Hydra and Rogers, but Kobik left the scars from the war, in hopes that everyone would remember. If Steve Rogers is restored to the wholesome side that he has always been, he will have to live with what he did. It will be interesting to see where Captain America goes next.