CAPTAIN AMERICA
of Earth-8342
Real Name: Steve Rogers
Identity/Class: Alternate reality
(Earth-8342)
human mutate
Occupation: Adventurer, crimefighter,
consultant
Group Membership: None;
formerly Avengers (see comments)
Affiliations: General Nick
Fury, New Avengers, Tony Stark (all
Earth-8342) (see comments)
Enemies: Doctor Faustus (Johann Fennhoff), Grand
Director, National
Force, Red Skull (Johann Shmidt), Red Skull
("Red Skull II") (all Earth-8342) (see comments)
Known Relatives: Sharon
Rogers (wife), Steve
Rogers, Jr. (son), Nickie Rogers (son?), Joseph Rogers (father,
deceased), Sarah Rogers (mother, deceased), Harrison Carter
(father-in-law), Amanda Carter (mother-in-law)
Former Aliases: Nomad (see comments)
Base of Operations: New York City, USA
(Earth-8342)
First Appearance: What If...? I#38/2
(April, 1983)
Powers/Abilities: Captain America has been
imbued with the Super-Soldier serum; this has heightened his physical
form to near-pinnacle human abilities, exceeding Olympic athletes in
endurance, strength, speed and agility. He is a master of multiple
forms of unarmed combat. Age has slowed him down, albeit only
marginally.
Captain America carries a 2.5' diameter
concave shield made of a Vibranium-Adamantium alloy. This is virtually
indestructible and provides excellent defense against all manner of
attack, and can be hurled as a rebounding weapon; however, due to age,
Roger's accuracy has slightly diminished. He makes use of Stark
technology, including a Sky-Cycle and has a refractory coating over his body armor to help deflect ray blasts.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 235 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White-blond
History:
(What If...? I#38/2 (fb)) - During a battle with the
fascist National Force (led by Grand Director and Dr. Faustus) and his
seemingly brainwashed lover Sharon Carter, Captain America destroyed
the self-destruct device on Carter's uniform, saving her from from
imminent death (although it was much later revealed that her death was
only meant to be a ruse).
What If...? I#38/2 (fb) - BTS) - Realizing the depth
of his feelings for her and that he never wanted to lose her, he
married Carter. She quit S.H.I.E.L.D. and he reduced his time with the
Avengers, acting only as a consultant so he could spend time with his
wife and two children, Steve Jr and Nickie. Tony Stark's corporation
built a modem home-base with a protective shield for his family and
Stark designed a special Sky-Cycle for Steve. Ten years after saving
Carter, Captain America fought the nefarious Red Skull and the villain
seemingly perished. But the Super-Soldier
serum in Steve Rogers slowly deteriorated and 30 years after saving
Carter, age had caught up with him. His appearance had become more
haggard and his fighting skills had marginally declined.
While technology advanced and the
skyline modernized across the three decades, environmental pollution,
political corruption and economic chaos also increased, reducing the
standard of living and leading to escalating violence and crime, as
well as fomenting inflexible radical right-wing political views
(secretly encouraged by the weakened Red Skull). As
Captain America, Rogers patrolled the city and mentored the next
generation of heroes, the New Avengers. Stark enhanced Steve's body
armor with a refractory coating to help deflect ray blasts. Sharon
Rogers was concerned
that Captain America was spending too much time training the new
recruits and had General Nick Fury, also aging, come over to encourage
Steve to retire.
(What If...? I#38/2) -
General Fury advocated Steve retire, but he refused, stating that must
always be a Captain America. With that, he left on his Sky-Cycle to
investigate Punk Row, where a thuggish gang was causing major trouble.
He soon found them attacking a police patrol and quickly overcame them,
but found his aim was off when throwing his shield. Meanwhile, the
aging Red Skull (Johann Shmidt), seeking final revenge on his
arch-foe), managed to kidnap Steve's family. Captain America returned
home to see the Red Skull's aircraft streak away and gave chase,
arriving at his foe's base, shocked to see his elderly nemesis (silent
for many years) decrepit in an armed hover chair. Red Skull had set
explosives to kill Steve's family if he died, leaving Captain America
in a no-win situation, as Red Skull hit the hero with various weapons
from his armchair. Captain America lost his shield and Red Skull
revealed his son, garbed the same as his father. The son shot at the
hero, who darted and grabbed his shield, denouncing the Nazis'
ambitions for a Fourth Reich. Seeking to escape, the younger Red Skull
shot his father and fled. With seconds to spare, Captain America hurled
his shield, compensating for his slacking aim, and destroyed the bomb
threatening his family. Captain America then declared that the world
needed him more than ever to counter evil; watched on by their
children, Sharon Rogers reaffirmed her love, roused by his ideals of
"duty, honor and country."
Comments:
Adapted by Rick Margopoulos, Dan Reed, Mike Esposito.
This reality diverged from Earth during Captain
America's scuffle with the National Force and the seemingly brainwashed
Sharon Carter in Captain America I#233
(May, 1979) (with her seeming "death" by belt-mounted incinerator
confirmed on video screen in Captain America I##237 (September, 1979)).
As such, his
complete affiliations, enemies, aliases, team memberships and
occupations up to that point of divergence would be the same. NB:
Earth-616's Sharon Carter did not
die on Earth-616; her death was faked
so that she could go on a top secret mission for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Stats are adapted from the OHotMU vol.1 (1983) to
match the time of this story's publication.
Profile
by Grendel
Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Captain America of Earth-8342 has no known connections to:
- any other "Captain" or
"America" characters, or Captain America counterparts/impostors
Earth-8342
Over three decades, Earth-8342 advanced and
modernized with technology, but this also came with increased
environmental pollution, political corruption and economic chaos. As a
result, the standard of living declined and led to escalating violence
and crime. Further, the nefarious Red Skull's henchmen fomented
inflexible radical right-wing political views. However, Captain America
(Steve Rogers) maintained his role as crimefighter, and acted as
consultant to the Avengers and mentor to the next generation of heroes.
--What If...? I#38/2
Nick Fury
Due to old age, General Nick Fury resigned as
Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff in Washington, DC. He maintained his friendships with Steve
Rogers and Sharon Rogers (nee Carter). At one point, Sharon used Fury
to encourage her husband to retire from being Captain America, but
Steve ignored him.
--What If...? I#38/2
Red Skull
Ten years after Captain America saved Sharon Carter
from fanatical self-destruct devices of the National Force, the
nefarious Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) was severely weakened in a battle
with Captain America, although the hero though he had perished. Red
Skull vanished for many years from his overt activities and instead
concentrated on working behind the scenes, watching Captain America's
slow deterioration from age. Still targeting a Fourth Reich, he had his
henchmen foment radical right-wing political views in society. Red
Skull also fathered a son, indoctrinating him and garbing him in the
same uniform as his own. However, Red Skull's reliance on the
Rejuv-Drug to continue living also weakened his heart, but the Nazi's
hatred and drive for revenge on his nemesis kept him going. When
Captain America was absent from his home-base, he kidnapped the hero's
wife and two children, and planted explosives to kill Steve's family
if he died, leaving Captain America in a no-win situation in the coming
clash. As the two fought, Red Skull hit the hero with various weapons
from his hover armchair and revealed his heir. But Red Skull was shot
by his son so that the younger could escape, yet this left the father
proud. Captain America smashed the bomb at his family before it could
detonate as Red Skull died.
--What If...? I#38/2
Red
Skull ("Red Skull II")
Red Skull's son was the heir to the original Red
Skull's legacy. The son was raised in secrecy and indoctrinated to
follow in his father's footsteps, also garbed and masked the same. But
in his first fight with the aged Captain America, the younger Red Skull
shot his father so he could flee while the hero was distracted. Later,
despite his age, Steve Rogers insisted on keeping his role to stop the
new Red Skull.
--What If...? I#38/2
Sharon
Rogers
Sharon Rogers (nee Carter) married Steve Rogers after
he saved her from a destructive device from the fascist National Force.
She resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. and the married couple had two children,
Steve Jr. and Nickie, and raised them in their protected home-base,
designed by Tony Stark's corporation. She was dedicated to her family
but concerned about her husband's continued activities as Captain
America. However, after seeing him battle the two Red Skulls, she was
inspired by his dedication to his ideals and agreed to him continuing
as the heroic Captain America.
--What If...? I#38/2
Steve
Rogers, Jr.
Steve Rogers, Jr. was the eldest son of Steve Rogers
and Sharon Rogers. He appeared teen-aged with sibling Nickie and lived
with his family in the Rogers' home-base in New York.
--What If...? I#38/2
Sky-Cycle
Captain America (Steve Rogers) had a unique Sky-Cycle
specially designed by Tony Stark, who knew Steve's fondness for
motorbikes and built in similar design elements. It had room for an
extra passenger. It could hover and maneuver in proximity without a
driver. Although not having a windshield, it was capable of very fast
speeds, being able to keep up with a rocket aircraft.
--What If...? I#38/2
images:
(without ads)
What If...? I#38/2, p1 (main image)
p2, pan2 (headshot)
p12, pan1 (in action)
p4, pan2 (Earth-8342, overhead city view)
p4, pan4 (Earth-8342, street view, gang against police)
p3, pan4 (Fury)
p11, pan1 (Red Skull)
p6, pan3 (Red Skull, headshot)
p12, pan5 (Red Skull's son, running)
p2, pan1 (Sharon Rogers)
p2, pan1 (Steve Rogers, Jr.)
p7, pan3 (Sky-Cycle)
Appearances:
What If...? I#38/2 (April, 1983) - Rick Margopoulos (writer), Dan Reed
(pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
First posted: 07/04/2023
Last updated:
07/04/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let
me know.
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