America is in the midst of a battle for survival, and thrust into the leadership of the country is Captain America, Steve Rogers. Unlike the Secret Empire storyline where Cap turned out to be a villain, Captain America #700 is filled with excitement that keeps readers glued to the panels of the comic.
Having battled the Rampart gang, Rogers was captured and frozen by the criminals in the present day, to awaken in 2025. The America Steve Rogers has now walked into is not beset with technological change, rather nuclear holocaust.
King Babbington of the Ramparts has taken over the United States, setting off nuclear missiles and destroying the security of America by making deals with tyrants and dictators around the world. With Rogers battling and defeating Babbington, Captain America is thrust into the leadership role, and having a difficult time in restoring normalcy and peace to the country.
Beset by hardships and constant battles from invading countries, Rogers is forced to make a desperate move, because there is no way for him to win the fight in the America of 2025. As he has said many times in the comic, “I don’t know how to stop.” Steve Rogers has no quit. Whether he is trying to repel an invading army, or determining how to grow crops in the Midwest, Rogers will not give up.
It’s time for a change in the battle plan, and fortunately for Rogers, Bruce Banner has salvaged a relic of the Fantastic Four, which will help Captain America pull out a victory in this no-win scenario.
My Opinion
When I first started reading comics in this Captain America series, it seemed like this story was a little lighter than previous works, like Secret Empire and Civil War. The colors seemed to covey that this story was less real and gritty than other stories. The tension that has been built throughout the series and culminating in this last book has made the wait worth it.
Captain America #700 wraps up a smartly constructed independent story that branches out from the overall large series that seems to dominate Marvel lately. Here we had a great story that allowed us to see the strength and abilities of Steve Rogers and just Steve Rogers. He is the greatest soldier on Earth, and he has the compassion and skill that leaders would benefit from.
This America of 2025 lives without rules, and has been decimated by nuclear attack. Steve Rogers has the fighting skills to guarantee him victory against Babbington and Rampart. The war with Rampart, however, was easy. It was the battles to come, in the hundreds of days after victory that would pose the greatest danger.
Writers Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have taken a lot of familiar plot lines – Captain America frozen, time travel, Captain America as the leader of the nation, a rogue militia group with nuclear weapons – and crafted a brilliant refreshing story that allows readers to sit back, relax, and watch as Captain America fights for the cause of good.
At the conclusion of the comic, we see Rogers make a decision that will alter his life, and hopefully make the future a better place. He laments on how he doesn’t know how to stop, and that hope is not a plan but you can’t win without it. These are two qualities that describe Steve Rogers perfectly. He is a character who may have gained superpowers through genetic experimentation, but his heart is always that of someone who never quit.
Captain America #700 is a delightful story, with a straightforward plot that will entertain readers. I recommend you check out this comic as well as the previous ones in the series to enjoy the whole storyline.