The Origins of

Captain America

 
 
 

Vocabulary

design	compel	counterpart
frail	peak (2)	storyline
effort	commit	imagination
unfold	enhance	primarily
deed	empire	intensive
reject	human	character
due to	atrocity	convince
join	explore	passionate
plea	chance	real world
bullet	formula	opportunity
covert	unique	experiment
create	superior	operation (2)
horror	physical	test subject
tale	activate	chose/chose/chosen
serum	expose	suspense
spy	rebirth	transform
reveal	identity	commit to memory
crucial	portion	top secret
whirl	scientist	propaganda
shape	prevent	model (3)
agent	persona	counter (3)
role	strength	intelligence (2)
kite	goal (2)	freedom
shield	pick (2)	bullet-proof
proof	replace	indestructible
disc	achieve	miraculously
mask	head (2)	accompany
follow	expand	happen upon
honor	sidekick	swear/swore/sworn
foe	face off	fight/fought/fought

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Influenced by real world politics, Captain America is unique from most of his superhero counterparts.

Welcome to watchmojo.com, and today we will explore how a sickly young man was enhanced to the peak of human perfection to help the Unites States win their war effort.

As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past.

We have primarily chosen to follow the storyline, which unfolded in the original Captain America comics, and was expanded on in Tales of Suspense number 63.

Steve Rogers was born on July 4th, 1922, in the Lower-Eastside of Manhattan.

It was the horror of the Nazi deeds in Europe and the atrocities committed by the Japanese Empire that convinced Rogers to join the army.

Rejected due to his frailty and sickness, his passionate pleas to be given a chance to fight for this country, compelled General Chester Philips to offer him a unique opportunity.

Rogers was picked for a top-secret experiment called Operation Rebirth, designed to create physically superior soldiers for the American military.

Chosen to be the first human test subject by Dr. Joseph Reinstein to receive the super-soldier serum, he was exposed to vita-rays, activating the chemicals that had been put into his system.

While he was in the transformation process, a covert Nazi spy revealed his true identity, and killed the scientist, knowing that Dr. Reinstein had committed crucial portions of the formula to memory.

Rogers killed the spy with his new found strength — but it was too late: the Nazis had achieved their goal of preventing the US military from producing any more super soldiers.

As the only superhuman, Rogers was given a superhero persona and a uniform modeled after the American flag.

Bound to serve as both a counter-propaganda force and counter-intelligence agent, Rogers was reborn as Captain America.

In this role, he would stand as a red, white and blue symbol of freedom, armed with nothing but a gun and a kite-shaped, bullet-proof shield.

Later, President Roosevelt replaced both with an indestructible, disc-shaped shield.

Miraculously, it could be whirled at foes, yet always return to his hands.

Facing off against Red Skull, the head of Germany’s terrorist operations, he was accompanied by James Barnes, a soldier who had happened upon Rogers’ tent as he was changing to his masked identify.

Sworn to secrecy, Barnes underwent an intensive training program under Captain America and became his sidekick, Bucky.

Together they fought the fascist forces and became the two most honored names in adventuredom.

Questions

1. Captain America is different from other superheroes. True or false? How is he different?

2. Is there one, single version of the origin of Captain America?

3. Was Steve Rogers accepted or rejected by the army recruiters? Why was he rejected?

4. Rogers agreed to take part in a scientific experiment. Is this correct or incorrect? What was the purpose of the experiment?

5. Did everything about the experiment go according to plan?

6. Steve Rogers became Sergeant Rogers and wore an army uniform. Is this right or wrong?

7. Who is Captain America’s main enemy?

8. Captain America fights alone. Yes or no? Does Bucky have superpowers?

 

A. Did (Do) you read comic books? If yes, who were your favorite characters?

B. My friends and I like superhero movies. Yes or no? Who is your favorite character?

C. Would your friends like to be a superhero? Would you like to have superpowers?

D. Are the superheroes persona and icons a big industry? Is it big business?

E. What will happen in the future?