Captain America is dead (Captain America #25}. He probably won't be laid out in the Capitol rotunda. The masses won't be able to pay their respects. He might even be resurrected like his D.C. cohort Superman. Perhaps when the villains currently occupying the White House are gone. But for now, he's dead.
When an icon dies it is a moment for reflection. The death of the Capt. is clearly such a moment.
In the ancient world the people had to live up to their ideals in order not to anger the gods. So today we need to earn the right to our superheros. Capt. America was one of the modern pantheon. Not exactly a superhero - Steve Rogers actually had no super powers - but the ultimate human being. Created to fight Hitler and the Nazis in the age of FDR, perhaps he no longer had a role to play in "the new American century" represented by miniatures such as Bush, Cheney and the recently departed Rumsfeld.
Bush could never fill out the uniform.
According to the Marvel Universe:
"From art student to super soldier to symbol of America to rebel leader, Steve Rogers is the living symbol of the ideals of America."
But America has to live up to those ideals in order to justify a living symbol to protect them.
Goodbye Capt. in your 66 years you've been a true super-hero. Come back soon. Till then rest-in-peace.
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