BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Come Sept. 5, perhaps Captain America can show citizens the way to courage, truth and justice after all.

Captain America is once again entering the consciousness of American popular culture by fighting the war on terrorism in the new six-part action series, “Captain America: The Chosen.”

View Slideshow: Images of David Morrell and Captain America

New York Times best-selling author and creator of Rambo David Morrell has written the stand-alone comic series that follows Captain America’s involvement with a war-tired U.S. marine unit in Afghanistan.

Yet the question remains about the fate of America’s superhero, Steve Rogers, a k a, Captain America. Earlier this year in issue No. 25, Rogers was killed on courthouse steps in New York City.

According to Morrell, the new series pre-dates the superhero’s fictitious death and takes place in a separate Marvel Comics universe.

ABC23 managing editor Nick Belardes spoke with David Morrell at the premiere Yosemite Writers Conference to discuss Morrell’s dive into the world of Marvel Comics.

“I was called by Marvel Comics about two years ago and they thought it would be interesting if the creator of Rambo did a piece about Captain America,” Morrell said.

See ABC23 interview with Rambo's creator at Yosemite Writers Conference: View google video

Although Morrell had to learn some aspects of stop-action storytelling, he said he informed Marvel that he wanted to create a story that would be a little more serious than some comic books.

“I didn’t want it to be over the top or campy,” Morrell said.

Morrell and Marvel Comics decided the series would be emotion-driven and depict the burden of being a superhero in today’s often terrorized world, especially a superhero named after the United States. Originally, Captain America was created out of the anti-Nazi mindset of the 1940s and told the tale of Steve Rogers as a skinny, sickly kid transforming into a super soldier.

Christopher Knowles in the forthcoming book from Red Wheel/Weiser, “Our Gods Wear Spandex,” due in bookstores Sept. 28, describes Captain America as a generic superhero but who perhaps mirrors the uncertain relationships some modern American intellectuals have with patriotism. Knowles writes, “Sophisticated readers need more from their messiahs than mere flag-waving,” and wonders if Marvel killed off Captain America simply because of souring attitudes in relation to the Iraq war.

Morrell said the new series is “very real and deals with specific real issues.” He adds there are images of Sept. 11, 2001 as well as the bombings in Madrid and London.

The story follows an anti-terrorism marine unit in Afghanistan.

Asked if Captain America is pro-war, Morrell said Captain America is a lot like the Rambo character he created in 1972, whom he considers a reluctant warrior-hero. “I see Captain America in the same way,” he said.

While Michael Liebel of Russo’s Books worries if Morrell’s writing will be good enough to please readers, Roger Mathey of Darkside Comics lost interest in Captain America as an important pop cultural icon, partly from what he called an “insignificant death” in issue No. 25.

“I like Captain America as a read. But I find his death as insignificant. There was no big heroic American death,” Mathey said. “He didn’t die in battle like you’d expect from a super soldier from World War II.”

Although Mathey said he would read “Captain America: The Chosen” when it comes out, “the truth is marvel comics has a history of not keeping their characters dead for long. Whoever they get to fill his shoes in the meantime is insignificant.”

While the tired marine character in Morrell’s new series may be a successor to Captain America, Mathey said Marvel has appointed successors to Captain America in the past, including Nomad and U.S. Agent. Both replaced Steve Rogers for a short time. “You’re not doing the fight right,” Mathey said about Marvel Comics’ strategy with Captain America. “Clark Kent is always Superman. Steve Rogers is always Captain America.”

Mathey went on to add, “The myth that is Captain America. This skinny kid became this fighting force that became ‘practical America.’ He’s a symbol of everything that’s great in America.”

According to Morrell, his series portrays a persistent refrain of courage, honor, loyalty and sacrifice. “I think basically we’d all be better, nevermind the military, but in our general day to day lives if we thought courage, honor, loyalty, and sacrifice were the way to run our life ...”

“Captain America: The Chosen” is being released in stores Sept. 5.

After six issues, the stories will be compiled into a graphic novel.

Click for a download of David Morell’s keynote speech from VWtapes.com at the Yosemite Writers Conference where he discusses his upbringing in an orphanage, his biography related to being a writer, and discussion of “Captain America: The Chosen”. Download cost: $10.

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