WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Empyre: Captain America #1-3
The war fought between humans and the Cotati in the pages of Marvel's massive Empyre event is proving to be one of Captain America's bleakest battles yet thanks to the zombie-like nature of the infectious enemy. As a World War 2 veteran, Captain America is no stranger to getting his hands dirty, but when the Cotati, under the leadership of Quoi and the Swordsman, take their revenge on all animal life in the universe - starting with earth - Cap finds himself leading an exceptionally brutal fight for human survival.
Armed with the ability to control all surrounding plant life, the Cotati have given the combined forces of the Marvel Universe a formidable challenge. Their self-righteous thirst for revenge is amplified by their quest to dominate all human life. But what really elevates the Cotati into the ranks of horror is their power of possession. The Cotati's ability to infect people with spores and take full autonomous control of their victims make them frighteningly deceptive. The most notable example of this being when the Cotati secretly killed She-Hulk and turned her into a sleeper agent, eventually using her to attack her Avenger teammates when they least expected it.
Cap's three issue miniseries, Empyre: Captain America, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, features arguably the most horrifying depiction of the Cotati yet. The first issue opens in Washington, DC as a squad of soldiers fights off a horde of the Cotati lead by Shi Qaanth. Cap shows up to turn the battle's tide, but not before one of the squad's soldiers, Specialist Bennett, gets tangled in Shi Qaanth's weaponized plant vines. Bennett appears to be fine after Shi Qaanth retreats, reassuring Cap and his fellow soldiers that he will be okay. But shortly after, a close-up shot of Bennett admitting that he doesn’t feel like himself sets an eerie tone. Cap and the squad arrive at the Pentagon where General Woodley, the highest ranked military leader on site, is confronted by a disturbed-looking Bennett. Suddenly, a stream of plant-like vines erupts out of Bennett's mouth, overtaking the general in grotesque fashion.
By the second issue, Cap and his military unit catch Bennett infecting multiple soldiers within their ranks. After killing the infected, Cap realizes General Woodley must also be infected. Under the control of the Cotati, Woodley infiltrates NATO Headquarters and attacks the congregation of earth's leaders after erupting into his monstrous plant form. Just in the knick of time, Cap and his fellow soldiers thwart the Cotati and rally the world leaders. The third issue's final battle for Mexico City depicts a savage clash between monsters and men, raising the horrors of war to an all-new level.
By showing Cap on the ground, fighting alongside fellow soldiers who are protecting their world from an invasion, allows for a truly grim depiction of the Cotati that doesn't have the same chilling effect as when seen through the eyes of the larger-than-life Marvel characters. It brings to memory Cap's origins of fighting evil Nazis, only in this war, the terror has been dialed up to both show the reality of the Cotati's horrifying nature as well as metaphorically convey the very real horrors of war. In doing so, it shows Cap's resilience and ability to inspire the common person in even the bleakest of battles.
Empyre: Captain America is certainly not the first comic to show Cap tussling with infectious enemies, the most notable of which being the Steve Rogers of Earth-2149 who was turned into a zombie in the pages of Marvel Zombies. And in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directors Anthony and Joe Russo even had a plan very early on in the development stages of Captain America: Civil War to feature the Madbomb storyline where Cap would be forced to fight off zombified civilians in the third act. However, Cap's Empyre miniseries has proven to be one of the character's most disturbing battles fought yet, all thanks to its spotlighting of the alien Cotati at their most frightening.