Warning! Spoilers for The United States of Captain America #3 below!
Steve Rogers is set to team up with the new Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe, Joe Gomez, in an upcoming adventure starring the new shield-bearer. Marvel Comics revealed on Thursday The United States of Captain America #3 will feature the debut of the first Indigenous Captain America in a brand new story from Lipan Apache writer Darcie Little Badger and Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation artist David Cutler.
The United States of Captain America by Christopher Canwell and Dale Eaglesham will feature Captain America's shield being stolen. He will go on a cross-country trip to locate his shield and will encounter all of the heroes who wore the shield after him, including Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and John Walker. The series will also introduce "Captains," who wear the shield to protect their own communities. Marvel has already teased Aaron Fischer, a new Queer shield-bearer, as well as Nichelle Wright, who's the new Captain America of Harrisburg.
The United States of Captain America #3 will introduce the third captain, Joe Gomez, the Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson will follow the shield thief (whose identity is currently unknown) to Kansas, where they'll run into Gomez. Little Badger, who created Gomez alongside Cutler, said Joe is a construction worker who uses his skills to help assist in cleaning up the destruction in wake of alien or supervillain attacks. Gomez loves helping his community and doesn't charge elders on the Tribe for his assistance. Little Badger said Gomez reminds her of people from her own community.
I know lots of people like Joe--many of them my Indigenous relatives--so it was wonderful to help develop a character with his values, strength, and extreme crane-operating skills.
Cutler said allowing to bring a new First Nations hero to the Marvel Universe "means more than I can say." Check out his incredible design for Gomez.
Marvel Comics is doing something quite cool and special with The United States of Captain America. Giving fresh, diverse voices the opportunity to craft different versions of Captain America from communities much like their own will allow new kinds of stories to be told in the Marvel Universe. Hopefully, characters like Gomez get the chance to star in other adventures as well. It would be a huge missed opportunity if Gomez and the other Captains just made one single appearance. The United States of Captain America #3 will be available in comic book stores later this year. The series first issue will be available on June 30.