How fascism is presented in 2 war comics Captain America and Truth: Red, White and Black - Essay Example

They believe in a totalitarian centralized state headed by a supreme leader who dictates what the entire nation is to embrace and imparts its doctrines, education, family policies and disciplinary measures without being subject to any other authority. Political violence and war are viewed as the pathway to restoring the spirit and vitality of a nation. Conflict is a way of life and without it there would be no development of the humankind. According to fascism, militarism provides transformation in the society as well as providing spiritual renovation and education.

The military plays the role of instilling a will to dictate in people’s character and it creates national cohesion. They will also use paramilitary organizations to suppress opposition or to overthrow the government in power. Fascism does not support both class based society nor does it support individualism identity. It is also opposed to most ideologies including socialism, social democracy and communism. It does not believe in democracy and parliamentary systems and upholds action, hierarchy, will and spirit as opposed to egalitarianism and rationalism and materialism.

They are anti-clerical when it comes to religion since they view that as a competition to people’s heart and loyalty to them and that is why Hitler, a famous historical fascist figure, was keen in exterminating the Jewish community in Germany. Mussolini, another infamous fascist was initially fiercely anti-catholic but since he needed it for his political advancement, he turned into Protestants where he killed and imprisoned their leaders because of their faith. How Fascism is presented in Captain America and Truth: Red, White and Black war comics Fascism has been in a way advanced by the two comics, Captain America, by Joe Smith and Jack Kirby as well as in Truth: Red, White and black by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker.

The two comics have a similar story line. It depicts a supernatural human character that is created by the government through some chemical combinations. In Captain America, the superhero is created from an ordinary and frail man and transformed into masculinity and enormous strength. In Truth: Red, White and Black, the superhero was once a black man, representing the existing belief at the time on the inferiority of black men, who is administered with a “Super Soldier” formula to gain amazing physical superiority over the countries enemy, (Morales & Baker, 5).

This idea of creating a superhero from the frail and weak, less preferred breeds represents the fascist characteristic where they believe in eliminating the biologically and socially feeble or degenerate people while at the same time promoting the strong people e.g. through eugenics. They believed that that is the only way to survive the ever increasing national and social conflicts. The comics represent a situation where a ‘new man’ is created who would eventually transform the society just like the fascists.

Hitler himself promised to rid Germany of the weaker non-Aryan people leaving behind the strong pure breed of the Aryan race. Mussolini too promised a social revolution through the remake of the Italian people. The Superhero represents a central source of authority for the whole country regardless of race or creed. It has all the power and no one else can defeat it leaving the individuals to literary worship it in search of protection. Fascists