captain_america-kickapoo-mainCAPTAIN AMERICA
of the KICKAPOO TRIBEcaptain_america-kickapoo-face-smile

Real Name: Joe Gomez;
    Chiitaaska (Kickapoo name; see comments)

Identity/Class: Human;
    Native American (Kickapoo)

Occupation: Construction worker, handyman

Group Membership: Kickapoo Nation;
    Captains Network (Campus Captain America/Arielle Agbayani, Captain America of the Railways/Aaron Fischer, Captain America of Harrisburg/Nichelle Wright, Captain Jeremy Merrick, at least seven others unidentified)

Affiliations: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Captain America (Sam Wilson; aka the Falcon), Captain America, Captain America (James Barnes, aka Winter Soldier), Nikki, USAgent (John Walker);

Enemies: Bulldozer (Henry Camp), Commander Krieger (Julia Koenig; aka Warrior Woman), Hate-Monger (Adolf Hitler mental replica/energy-being), Speed Demon (James Sanders, posing as Captain America), Superior (Sinthea Smith),

Known Relatives: Unidentified mother, unidentified father (presumably deceased)

Aliases: "Thunder That Jumps Across the Sky" (English translation of Kickapoo name)

Base of Operations: Kickapoo reservation, Kansas

First Appearance: The United States of Captain America#3 (October, 2021)

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captain_america-kickapoo-shieldcaptain_america-kickapoo-cycle

Powers/Abilities: Joe Gomez is strong, agile, compassionate, and brave, more than willing to challenge superhumanly strong or fast opponents.

    He rides a motorcycle and wields a shield of unknown construction.

    A jack-of-all-trades, Joe is experienced and skilled with many forms of construction and repair, pouring concrete, working cranes, painting, repairing pipes, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.

    He is experienced with knot-tying, although he was a little sloppy when rushed during a confrontation with a super-villain.

    His favorite work is building houses, creating a home for a family.

    He is also experienced with a sewing machine, and he designed and made his own costume.


Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'4"; he was just a little taller than Steve Rogers)
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 280 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

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History:

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS) - As a youth, Joe won a toy lion for his friend Nikki via a crane game.

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS) - Joe Gomez worked as a maintenance man in his Kickapoo Reservation, doing stuff for free when he could.captain_america-kickapoo-bulldozergirdercaptain_america-kickapoo-bulldozerkick

(The United States of Captain America#3/2 (fb) - BTS) - Due to his experiences as part of one of the indigenous tribes, Joe was initially skeptical about a man called Captain America.

(The United States of Captain America#3/2 (fb)) - Joe and his friend and co-worker Nikki took a job working in Kansas City, rebuilding locations demolished by the Wrecking Crew, apparently funded by parties opposing the city's mayor.

(The United States of Captain America#3/2 (fb)) - After driving in with Nikki, Joe worked the crane. Enjoying the view, Joe took his lunch within the crane. When Bulldozer assaulted the site, Joe used the crane to swing a steel girder into Bulldozer's back, knocking him down.

     When Bulldozer pursued him into the crane, Joe ran out onto the crane's arm and tied a hasty bowline knot to the arm with the rope tied around his waist. As the charging Bulldozer asked whether he wanted to be a hostage or a corpse, Joe replied "neither" as he kicked Bulldozer's ankle, causing him to fall to the ground.

    However, the impact knocked Joe off of the crane's arm as well, and his hastily tied knot failed. Holding on with one arm and feeling his grip slipping, Joe apologized to his mother and told his father he would see him soon; however, as he fell, he was caught by Captain America (Steve Rogers). Captain America thanked him taking out Bulldozer.

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS / The United States of Captain America#3/2 (fb)) - Inspired by Captain America, Joe considered that he was one of the people of the land called America, and he claimed the role for people like himself. Adopting the role of Captain America locally, Joe helped people in his reservation when the authorities failed to do so.

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captain_america-kickapoo-face

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS) - Two days before the main story, Joe Gomez saw a dynamite order come through for a construction contractor, but he never ordered it, and it never arrived.

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS) - Pursuing Speed Demon -- who had been mind-controlled into serving Superior, was wearing the Captain America scale mail costume, and had stolen Captain America's shield -- across the country, Captain Americas Rogers and Wilson learned that Joe Gomez, the Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, was a target.

    Rogers called Gomez and arranged to meet with him. Gomez initially suspected this to be some sort of trick but then -- having heard of someone posing as Captain America and causing problems across the country -- he realized that it was legitimate.

(The United States of Captain America#3) - Gomez greeted Rogers and Wilson and welcomed them into his house. He initially suspected that they were there to tell him to stop doing what he was doing, but after they assured him that they supported his activities, he showed them his Captain America tribute room. When Rogers was surprised, Gomez realized Rogers did not remember him, but he nonetheless explained that he respected Rogers because he meant what he said, that what Captain America believed in and fought for was for everyone, and that Rogers inspired him to be a hero.

    After the three discussed the missing dynamite order and speculating on targets, Joe suited up and joined them in their investigation. Checking out the local integration site, Gomez discussed that gubernatorial front-runner Prescott, who was Cheyenne, may be a target. They were then attacked by Superior and then ambushed by Commander Krieger.

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS) - Krieger knocked out all three Captains, but <presumably> Superior slashed Sam's chest and badly beat Gomez. However, not yet wanting to kill the heroes, they left them behind.

(The United States of Captain America#3) - After the heroes awakened, Gomez noted that Prescott would be speaking in town that day, and Rogers rode Gomez's bike with Gomez holding on behind into town.captain_america-kickapoo-speeddemon

    In Topeka, Gomez was treated by EMTs, but when Speed Demon appeared and hurled Captain America's shield at Prescott's head, the Winter Soldier arrived in time to deflect the shield. Despite his injuries, Gomez rushed forward and punched Speed Demon, leading the villain to flee, after which Gomez dropped to the ground and announced that he was now ready to go to the hospital.

(The United States of Captain America#3 (fb) - BTS) - Everybody Rogers and Wilson spoke to had only nice things to say about Joe Gomez.

(The United States of Captain America#3 - BTS) - Unwilling to put his family in danger, Prescott dropped out of the race.

(The United States of Captain America#4) - Observed by fellow Captain Americas Barnes, Rogers, and Wilson, Joe Gmoez participated in the annual Kickapoo powwow.

(The United States of Captain America#5) - After Captain Jeremy Merrick identified the defunct satellite station on Mount San Antonio on which Captain Americas (Rogers, Walker, and Wilson) were being held, Joe Gomez joined Captain America/Bucky (James Barnes), Aaron Fischer, Nichelle Wright, Arielle Agbayani, and approximately seven others in confronting the villains.

    As Superior drew her gun, Joe smashed her with his shield, finishing her off.

    After Superior and Krieger had been defeated and Hate-Monger re-contained, Steve Rogers deferred a public speech -- in place of the planned Hate-Monger speech -- to the others, and Aaron proudly spoke up, ensuring anyone listening that the Captains Network had their backs. 

Comments: Created by Christopher Cantwell and Dale Eaglesham.
    Special thanks to Kickapoo consultants Keith Bluecloud and Mosiah Bluecloud.

    At the time of the story in The United States of Captain America#3, Joe was 43-years-old.

    There is only one "a" between the "t" and the "s" in Chiitaaska in the printed comic I own, but the digital version has two. I'm ASSuming that the digital version is upgrading/correcting an error in the printed version, but I'm not certain.

    Why no first name for Prescott?captain_america-kickapoo-capnetpic-alternate cover of #3

Girder image with Bulldozer cleaned up by Ron Fredricks.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe/Joe Gomez should be distinguished from:

unidentified mother and father

captain_america-kickapoo-familyJoe kept his family picture by his nightstand, and he carried a copy with him when he went to work.

While confronting Bulldover, he dropped the picture, and when he thought he was going to fall to his death, he said, "Sorry, mom. See you soon, Dad."

--The United States of Captain America#3/2

Note: Joe's statement above would lead me to believe that his mother was still alive, but his father was not.
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Captain America tribute room

captain_america-kickapoo-memoribiliaPresumably built after Captain America (Steve Rogers) saved his and he adopted the role of Captain America locally (as prior to that, he was skeptical of a man named Captain America), it was filled with Captain America memoribilia.

--The United States of Captain America#3

captain_america-kickapoo-usoca3cover

images: (without ads)
The United States of Captain America#3 cover - too cool not to include!
    alternate cover (from and back designs)
       story pg. 6, panel 1 (unmasked face);
       pg. 9, panel 5 (face, smiling);
       pg. 10 (on motorcycle);
       pg. 12, panel 1 (shield);
       pg. 19, panel 4 (punching Speed Demon);
          panel 5 (on ground, but best posterior costume view);
       pg. 21, panel 2 (Captains Network page; full);
    #3/2, pg. 5, panel 5 (girder hitting Bulldozer);
       pg. 8, panel 1 (kicking out Bulldozer's foot);
       pg. 9, panel 3 (young picture with parents);
       pg. 10, panel 5 (main; full-ish, with part of boot missing)
      

Appearances:
The United States of Captain America#3 (October, 2021) - Christopher Cantwell (writer), Dale Eaglesham (artist), Martin Biro (assistant editor), Alanna Smith (editor)
    #3/2 - Darcie Little Bear (writer), David Cutler (penciler), Roberto Poggi (inker)
The United States of Captain America#4 (November, 2021) - Christopher Cantwell (writer), Ron Lim (penciler), Cam Smith & Scott Hanna (inkrs), Martin Biro (assistant editor), Alanna Smith (editor)
The United States of Captain America#5 (December, 2021) - Christopher Cantwell (writer), Dale Eaglesham (artist), Martin Biro (assistant editor), Alanna Smith (editor)

First posted: 04/30/2023
Last updated: 05/20/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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