Marvel's Worst Captain America Reveals His Real Power & It's Perfect
Contains spoilers for "Thunderbolts" #3 (by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Geraldo Borges, Arthur Hesli, and Joe Sabino)
John Walker has a reputation for being an egotistical, self-driven "hero," but there's no denying his skills. Now, Marvel's worst Captain America has perfectly explained his superpower while fighting Shang-Chi in "Thunderbolts" #3 — he's simply mastered the art of not giving a ****.
In the newest issue of Marvel Comics' "Thunderbolts," Shang-Chi tracks down John Walker in Hong Kong as the titular superteam's representative tries to recruit him and his partner Todd Ziller in their fight against the Red Skull. However, U.S. Agent has little desire for small talk, and threatens Shang-Chi when he's told the intel for his latest mission in Latveria secretly comes from the Red Skull and not the United States government. The confrontation leads to a fight between the Master of Kung Fu and the shield-bearing Walker. As things begin to get heated, the latter tells Shang-Chi what his superpower is: "I don't give a ****."
While Walker's warning would intimidate most opponents, Shang-Chi doesn't blink an eye. In a badass moment, he kicks U.S. Agent's shield, sending him flying across the empty bar before responding, "I do." The fight ends quickly with Walker's defeat. When he wakes up and sees the destruction American Kaiju is causing, he leaps into action to stop his giant-sized friend from doing major damage to the city and its innocent residents.
John Walker marches to the beat of his own drum
John Walker's unpredictable mindset is partially what made him a bad replacement for Steve Rogers when he assumed the mantle in "Captain America" #332 (by Mark Grudenwald, Tom Morgan, Bob McLeod, Ken Feduniewicz, and Diana Alberts). After the original Cap was fired from the role, Walker proved to be a poor choice as the new Sentinel of Liberty due to his murderous tendencies and fanatically patriotic attitude. Ultimately, Walker was replaced in the role by a returning Rogers, a twist of fate that set the disgraced hero on the path of becoming U.S. Agent. While he's changed and matured over the years, he's still basically Captain America with a much darker moral compass.
Marvel Cinematic Universe audiences met John Walker when he was played by Wyatt Russell in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," where he brutally murdered a member of the Flag Smashers with his shield to get revenge for the death of his partner, Lemar Hoskins (Clé Bennett). Russell's character's violent tendencies are leading him right to the MCU's version of the "Thunderbolts," as the actor is set to reprise his role in the upcoming film. This development mirrors his comic book counterpart as the Thunderbolts follow up Walker's fight with Shang-Chi and American Kaiju by asking for his assistance in taking down the Red Skull.
Readers can see more of John Walker's hard-headed heroism in action in "Thunderbolts" #3 from Marvel Comics, which is now available in bookstores and via online retailers.