Whenever a superhero alters their costume, it usually upsets someone. Many comic fans are traditionalists and resist any change to a classic look, however logical it might be. However, the new super suit adopted by Captain America in Avengers #26 seems likely to spark controversy for reasons beyond simple change.
Written by Jed MacKay, with art by Andrea Broccardo, Avengers #26 details the Masters of Evil‘s invasion of the Impossible City. The sentient space station was adopted by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as a base of operations. Moreover, the artificial intelligence that ran the Impossible City was recruited onto the team.
Unfortunately, the Masters of Evil were well-prepared for their assault. They timed it so that the only Avenger in the Impossible City was Captain America. Beyond that, Sam Wilson was walking wounded following a battle with Doctor Doom. The final complication was that the Mad Thinker disabled the Impossible City AI with his own Quasimodo Mark X AI. The only saving grace was that the AI was able to download itself into one of the shape-shifting Plastoid robots it used to perform maintenance and cut itself off from the main controls.
Captain America’s new “Suit” is run by AI
Dubbing itself “Suit” this new AI reshaped itself to become a new armored costume for Captain America. Its shape-changing powers enabled it to replicate the flight powers of Sam Wilson’s damaged uniform. It also acted as a living cast, enabling him to fly and use his shield despite a broken arm.
While a temporary measure, Captain America’s use of Suit seems likely to annoy readers for many reasons. The chief one is that it seems like a general endorsement of artificial intelligence, which is a hot button issue in the real world. This is particularly true in the world of comics, where many artists and writers have had their work used without permission to “teach” AI writing and art programs. This, in turn, has led to pushback against publishers using such technology in their publications.
Another issue is Sam Wilson needing the assistance of an AI suit to save the day. While Tony Stark has been using AI assistants for years, there is some difference between Captain America and Iron Man. Many feel that Captain America, as a symbol of independence and the triumph of one man’s heart and will, shouldn’t depend on technology to the same degree. However, Avengers #26 goes out of its way to show that Sam Wilson is super, with or without Suit.
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Avengers #26 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
