"Secret Empire" is a

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing narrative, storyline in episode, episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strip ...

that ran from January to August 1974 in ''

Captain America and the Falcon ''Captain America and the Falcon'' is a title used by multiple American comic books published by Marvel Comics featuring the superheroes Captain America and Falcon (comics), Falcon. It was used as the cover title for Captain America (comic book), ...

'', an

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

series published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. It was written by

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early li ...

with additional scriptwork by

Mike Friedrich Mike Friedrich (; born March 27, 1949) is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series '' Star*Reach'', one of the first independent comics. He is also an ar ...

, and drawn by

Sal Buscema Sal Buscema ( ; born Silvio Buscema, , on January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he had a ten-year run as artist of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as art ...

. The comic follows the superhero

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

as he uncovers a conspiracy to discredit him perpetrated by the Secret Empire, which extends to the heights of the American presidency. Englehart conceived of "Secret Empire" as an allegory for the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...

, and sought to examine how that event would have a disillusioning effect on Captain America's belief in an idealized America. The storyline was a critical success, with praise offered for its political content, though more recent reviews have noted how its typically 1970s comic book dialogue likely reads as aged to a modern audience. "Secret Empire" has been cited as an example of how comic books reflect the political conditions under which they are produced, and is credited with introducing the tension between America as it idealizes itself to be and America as it exists in reality as a perennial theme in stories featuring Captain America.

Synopsis

(Steve Rogers) is targeted by an

attack ad In political campaigns, an attack ad is an advertisement designed to wage a personal attack against an opposing candidate or political party in order to gain support for the attacking candidate and attract voters. Attack ads often form part of ...

campaign organized by the conservative

special interest group A special interest group (SIG) is a community within a larger organization with a shared interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where members cooperate to effect or to produce solutions within their particular f ...

"The Committee to Regain America's Principles", which uses deceptive claims and footage to present him as unaccountable to legal institutions and a menace to civilians. As public opinion turns against him, he discovers that the committee is a front for the Secret Empire – a splinter from the

neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...

terrorist group Hydra – which, under the leadership of the mysterious "Number One", seeks to discredit Captain America as part of a conspiracy to assume control of the United States government. In a climatic battle at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

, Captain America pursues Number One to the

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the president of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval room has three lar ...

. His plot foiled, Number One unmasks to reveal himself to be the

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, and commits suicide. Shaken by the realization that political corruption in America extends to the heights of the presidency, a disillusioned Rogers renounces the mantle of Captain America.

Development

Context

Writer

assumed authorship of the comic book series ''

'' starting with issue #153 in 1972. ''Captain America'' was at the time facing cancellation due to low sales, which Marvel editor

Tom Brevoort Tom Brevoort () is an American comic book editor, known for his work for Marvel Comics, where he has overseen titles such as '' New Avengers'', ''Civil War'', and ''Fantastic Four''. He became Executive Editor in 2007, and in January 2011, was pro ...

attributed to a political climate characterized by public opposition to the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

and a general perception among readers that characters such as Captain America who "had the seeming

mage Mage most commonly refers to: * Mage (paranormal) or magician, a practitioner of magic derived from supernatural or occult sources * Mage (fantasy) or magician, a type of character in mythology, folklore, and fiction * Mage, a character class in ...

of being pro-establishment" were "out of step". Contemporaneously, Marvel publisher

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

was pulling back in his role of running the day-to-day operations of Marvel, resulting in writers for the company operating with increasing autonomy. Englehart was given wide license by his editor

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...

for ''Captain America'' who, according to Englehart, told him that his sole expectations for the series were that "you have to turn it in on time and you have to make it sell". Englehart sought to examine what he saw as the contradiction between Captain America's persona as a 1940s patriotic wartime superhero and the political realities of America in the 1970s. To this end, he shifted ''Captain America'' away from stories focused on

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

s and towards those focused on real-life domestic social issues, such as poverty, racism, and political corruption. The shift resulted in a critical and commercial reversal of fortune for the series, and six issues into Englehart's run, ''Captain America'' had become one of Marvel's top-selling titles.

Production

As the

intensified, Englehart felt obliged to address the issue in ''Captain America'', stating that "I was writing a man who believed in America’s highest ideals at a time when America's president was a crook. I could not ignore that." Englehart was particularly compelled by the intensity of the press coverage of the scandal, likening it to an "epic movie unfolding day by day", and elected to write "Secret Empire" as an allegory for Watergate and its coverage in the media. Noting that a "story about people breaking into a campaign office ..would make a pretty boring comic book", he instead elected to reconfigure the scandal's core element of political corruption, with a focus on Captain America coming "to terms with the stark fact that America in practice is different from the ideals of America." Several aspects of the story are lifted directly from Nixon's political career: the Committee to Regain America's Principles ("CRAP") was a reference to Nixon's

Committee to Re-Elect the President A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...

(disparagingly referred to as "CREEP"), and the leader of CRAP was based on top Nixon aide

H. R. Haldeman Harry Robbins "Bob" Haldeman (October 27, 1926 – November 12, 1993) was an American political aide and businessman, best known for his service as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon and his consequent involvement in the Water ...

. As issues of ''Captain America'' were written three months in advance of their publication date, Englehart was limited in the extent to which he could comment on Watergate in realtime. "Secret Empire" would ultimately conclude before Watergate was resolved, though the decision to have Number One commit suicide at the story's climax was based on Englehart's belief that "the conclusion o the scandalseemed obvious". Englehart sought a "really shocking ending" that could lead into the subsequent storyline of Rogers' decision to give up the mantle of Captain America, stating that "Nixon didn’t blow his brains out, but he destroyed his own career and that's political suicide." While there was frequent speculation that Englehart was pressured by Marvel into not explicitly revealing that Number One was Nixon, he stated that it was at his own discretion that the character's identity was left ambiguous, but qualified that "no one in that time and place could be unaware of my point." Beyond Englehart, the creative team for "Secret Empire" included

, who served as the artist for the series.

is credited for the script for the second half of the story's first issue, the scripts for the entirety of the subsequent two issues, and is given the special credit of "Amigo" for the fourth issue. Vincent Colletta and Frank McLaughlin served as inkers; Petra Goldberg, Linda Lessmann, Michelle Brand, and

George Roussos George Roussos (; August 20, 1915 – February 19, 2000), also known under the pseudonym George Bell, was an American comic book artist best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age of comic books, Silver Age inkers, including on landmark early is ...

are credited as colorists; and Charlotte Jetter and Artie Simek served as

letterer A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic-book-reading experience. The l ...

Releases

"Secret Empire" was serialized in ''Captain America and the Falcon'' from issue #169 (

cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...

d January 1974) to #176 (August 1974). These issues have been anthologized several times by Marvel, including as a trade paperback published on December 28, 2005 that was re-printed on March 29, 2017.

Reception

Legacy and impact

As a result of the events of "Secret Empire", Steve Rogers abandons the title of Captain America and adopts the superhero identity of "

Nomad Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

, the man without a country". While this change lasted for only four issues of ''Captain America'', comics scholar Jason Dittmer notes how these issues, in which Rogers travels across the United States from coast to coast, were significant in their emphasis on "a different relationship between the hero and the polity". "Secret Empire" also contains the first appearance of The Falcon's (Sam Wilson) flying suit, which is given to him by the superhero

Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...

. "Secret Empire" has been cited in scholarship as an example of how comic books reflect the political conditions under which they are produced. Writing for '' The Journal of Popular Culture'', Andrew and Virginia MacDonald note how the storyline represented a "metamorphosis" for Captain America, moving away from his wartime roots as a character "who knew the Nazis were rotten and where his duty lay" to a figure who comes to realize that "America is not the single entity we all once thought it was". For the titular Secret Empire, the storyline represented what comics scholar David Walton described as a transformation from "one of Marvel's clichéd, subversive organizations into a metaphor for government transparency", representing "the invisible merger of private, corporate, and political interests". Disillusionment and the tension between America as it idealizes itself to be and America as it exists in reality have become perennial themes in stories featuring Captain America, notably the Captain America films of the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

(MCU). MCU producer Nate Moore specifically cited "Secret Empire" as inspiration for the 2025 film '' Captain America: Brave New World''. Marvel published a crossover storyline with the same name in 2017, though its plot bears no resemblance to the 1974 "Secret Empire".

Critical reception

According to Englehart, reader reaction to "Secret Empire" was largely positive. The political content of the story has been the subject of praise, with Kieran Shiach of ''

Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...

'' describing "Secret Empire" as "one of the most politically resonant superhero stories of all time". MacDonald and MacDonald wrote that the political shifts the series represented constituted more than a "switch in politics by a corporation anxious to pander to the prejudices of its audience. The writers have clearly tried to identify and articulate the feelings about patriotism and succeeding generations of Americans" and "accurately caught the changing moods of the past thirty years". Further, they noted that while the story "may be casually dismissed by elitist critics who sneer at the necessarily shallow and simplified comic book genre ..it is fair to say that many more Americans know about Cap than about

Richard Hofstadter Richard Hofstadter (August 6, 1916October 24, 1970) was an American historian and public intellectual of the mid-20th century. Hofstadter was the DeWitt Clinton Professor of American History at Columbia University. Rejecting his earlier historic ...

". Retrospective reviews of "Secret Empire" have acknowledged the somewhat dated nature of the story's dialogue, with Shiach describing it as "as comic-booky as they come" and Matthew Peterson of ''Major Spoilers'' writing that "Secret Empire" is "all very 70's, and by today's standards awkward, but the story is still a quick and entertaining read". Mike Avila of '' Syfy'' wrote that "some elements of the story have certainly aged more gracefully than others, but it remains a great time capsule ..of the disenchantment that permeated in large sections of America during the tail end of the Vietnam War."

Notes

References

Bibliography

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