Less than two weeks after Maus author Art Spiegelman said that Marvel had refused an essay because of a critical reference to President Donald Trump, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that an essay in Marvel Comics No. 1000 that described America as "deeply flawed" and called for people to take to the streets has similarly been removed after appearing in early preview copies.
The essay, written by Mark Waid, accompanied a full page image of Captain America by John Cassaday and Laura Martin, and was intended to tie in with the 1944 release of the first Captain America movie serial. In the piece, Waid wrote about the imperfections of the current American political system.
"The system isn't just. We've treated some of our own abominably," he wrote. "Worse, we've perpetuated the myth that any American can become anything, can achieve anything, through sheer force of will. And that's not always true. This isn't the land of opportunity for everyone. The American ideals aren't always shared fairly. Yet without them, we have nothing."
He went on to write, "America's systems are flawed, but they're our only mechanism with which to remedy inequality on a meaningful scale. Yes, it's hard and bloody work. But history has shown us that we can, bit by bit, right that system when enough of us get angry. When enough of us take to the streets and force those in power to listen. When enough of us call for revolution and say, 'Injustice will not stand.'"
The essay appeared in an early version of the $9.99 release sent to comic store retailers by Marvel in July, in an attempt to raise orders for the issue. In the final version of Marvel Comics No. 1000, in stores Wednesday, the essay has been replaced by a less critical piece, also credited to Waid, that is more directly tied to Captain America, and notably less critical of the United States, talking about the way in which Captain America's mask is worn as a reminder that Captain America is representative of an ideal, not a person.
"It's a commitment to fight every day for justice, for acceptance and equality, and for the rights of everyone in this nation. At its best, this is a good country filled with people who recognize that those—not hatred, not bigotry, not exclusion—are the values of true patriotism," the new essay explains in the closest it comes to any kind of political or social criticism.
