Captain America’s creator son calls out rioters on Capitol Hill for their ‘disgusting’ use of superhero symbol

The son of a Marvel Comics legend speaks out after one of his father’s most famous characters was appropriated in the January 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC As the news photos show , several of the rioters were seen with symbols of Captain America, including his shield inspired by the American flag, which was given to him by his creators, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. (Simon and Kirby died in 2011 and 1994, respectively.)

In a statement released to CNN presenter Jake Tapper – and retweeted by outspoken actor Chris Evans, who plays Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – Kirby’s son Neal has strongly denounced the rioters’ use of Captain America-inspired images, pointing to the character’s origins in WWII as a super -soldier against fascism. “It was created by two New York Jews who hated the Nazis and hated the bullies,” Kirby’s statement read. “Captain American stood up for the underdog and … always stood up for what is right and never backed down.

Kirby went on to say he was “appalled and mortified” to see Captain America symbols on T-shirts and flags during the Capitol uprising. “These images are disgusting and shameful. Captain America is the absolute antithesis of Donald Trump … If Donald Trump had the qualities and character of Captain America, the White House would be a shining symbol of truth and integrity, not a festering cesspool of lies and hypocrisy.

Kirby’s statement comes as Marvel Comics faces new calls to remove the skull symbol associated with the Punisher, which was used by rioters on January 6, as well as law enforcement officials during protests from Black Lives Matter last summer. Actor Jon Bernthal, who played the anti-hero Frank Castle on Netflix Punisher series, made his disgust known by writing on Twitter, “These people are lost and lost. They have nothing to do with what Frank represents or represents.

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To date, Marvel Comics has not provided an official commentary on the Punisher controversy. Interestingly, the topic was covered in a 2019 issue of the Punisher comic book, which featured a scene where Castle confronts a group of New York City cops who pretend they’re on the same side. After pointedly telling them, “We are not the same,” the Punisher goes on to suggest a hero whom they should follow instead. “Do you boys need a role model?” His name is Captain America, and he would love to have you.

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