Marvel Comics has revealed the third of what will be five new "local" Captain Americas that will debut during the upcoming monthly five-issue limited series The United States of Captain America, which celebrates the character's 80th anniversary.
Joe Gomez, the Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe, will debut in a backup story by geoscientist and Lipan Apache writer Darcie Little Badger and Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation artist David Cutler in August's The United States of Captain America #3.
"Something I love about Joe is his day job. It represents everything he stands for as a hero," Little Badger explains in Marvel's announcement.
"See, Joe Gomez is a construction worker, a builder in a world plagued by destruction. Every time a spaceship crashes into a bridge or a supervillain transforms a whole city block into rubble, people like Joe make things whole again.
"Work like that may seem thankless, but Joe genuinely enjoys helping his community survive and thrive. That's why he won't charge elders for home repair services (the Joe Gomez senior discount is 100%). That's also why he's willing to risk his life to save others. 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."
"I can't really express the pride I feel being a part of the team that gets to introduce Joe to the world," Cutler adds. "The Marvel Universe is the biggest stage there is, and bringing a new First Nations hero to that venue means more than I can say."
The June-debuting United States of Captain America is written by Christopher Cantwell and illustrated by Dale Eaglesham and stars Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and John Walker (who all at one time held the mantle of Captain America) as they travel across the US in pursuit of the Cap's iconic shield, which was stolen.
"And when the mysterious shield thief targets a cultural landmark in Kansas, hoping to put a permanent stain on Captain America's image, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are hot on his trail when they meet the Kickapoo Tribe's own Captain America," reads Marvel's description of The United States of Captain America #3. "But there's more to the thief's agenda than meets the eye and the three Caps may be headed straight into a trap!"
Here are the rest of the local Captain America-inspired heroes who will debut in The United States of Captain America #1:
- Aaron Fischer, an LGBTQ+ teen who protects unhoused, runaway teens on America's Railways (to debut in United States of Captain America #1)
- Nichelle Wright of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who works "day and night to bring change into a world where she feels defeated." (United States of Captain America #2)
- Ari Agbayani, a Filipino-American college student who is inspired by Bucky Barnes (United States of Captain America #4)
- Jeremy Merrick, an active Captain in the US Air Force, is a government agent for NORAD (United States of Captain America #5)
Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and John Walker all appear on Newsarama's list of the greatest heroes to wield Captain America's shield. Maybe Aaron, Nichelle, or Joe will be added to the list someday.
