Marvel Comics launched their latest storyline this week with Secret Empire, which had the Axis powers actually win WWII, and with the Third Reich supreme, it turns out Captain America was part of Nazi’s Hydra branch all along.
In means to promote the Secret Empire storyline, Marvel Comics made the “interesting” decision to have comic retailers dress as members of Hydra with their exclusively-designed Hydra shirts.
In addition, Marvel has also mentioned converting popular comic news sites and the Marvel app into into a more Hydra-based setting. Definitely not a great outlook – and ultimately a lot of backlash, as many readers expressed this publicity stunt as being uncalled for and even took it personally:
https://twitter.com/sapphicgeek/status/855189506550624264
We've also been asked to change our store logos to Hydra symbols. My staff are LGBTQ, Jewish, or both. We are no longer hand-selling Marvel. https://t.co/gQnBfBZC8L
— Crime Brûlée (@oneswampjuice) April 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/jason_m_heller/status/855288781217251328
Marvel’s television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pretty much already confirmed that all Hydras are pretty much Nazis too in a couple of instances, especially with the latest episode “What If…” having Jemma Simmons straight out noting “For the record? Hydra, they’re all Nazis”.
The storyline of beloved characters such as Captain America (an American hero) and Magneto (an actual Jewish survivor of the Holocaust of all things) being Nazis is already uncomfortably forced as is in the comics, but to have a real-life event push this sort of idea, even if for sake of fiction, is really called to question here for the general public. Especially considering the politics as of late with many real life Nazis coming out, the last thing many people of diverse backgrounds, religions and orientations in America may want to be reminded of is the ideology of white supremacy.
Or perhaps Marvel could be in need to stir up talk with their lack of sales.
Source: Bleeding Cool
What are your thoughts regarding the matter? Let us know in the comments below!