How Marvel's History Affected Real-World History

Marvel

Jan 21

In the 1940s, the world witnessed the horrors of World War II as Adolf Hitler rose to power and committed genocide against the Jewish people. The U.S. joined the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor along with several other countries, turning the tides for the war in the Allies’ favor. The war in Marvel comics was largely the same but with a few superpowered differences.

The Sub-Mariner Joins The War

After the Battle of France in 1940 when the Allies invaded Dunkirk, the Sub-Mariner lost his patience and declared war on the surface. With the aid of his aquatic army, he flooded Germany but the Human Torch stepped in to prevent further destruction. This battle also saw the birth of Citizen V, the secret identity of Lieutenant John Watkins, who was presumed dead after the battle.

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The First Avenger

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government launched the Super Soldier program and turned Steve Rogers into Captain America as a foil to the Red Skull. The Super Soldier became a rallying force in the Marvel comics and real life as well as troops took inspiration from the iconic scene of the Captain socking Hitler in the jaw.

Churchill’s Rescue

In 1943, Captain America, Bucky, the original android Human Torch, Toro, and the Sub-Mariner joined forces to save Winston Churchill from Master Man. At Churchill’s suggestion, the heroes teamed up as the Invaders and lent their strength to fight the poisonous ideology of Nazism.

Nightwalker Nazis

Nightwalkers — Image Source: Mc80’s Entertainment

In 1944, the Nazis took control of Dracula’s castle. Dracula turned their commander into a vampire and used his body to kill the troops. The commander had no memory of these events and started a hunt for the vampire that killed his troops. When the evidence led to him, his second-in-command drove a stake through his heart.

D-Day

D-Day was the beginning of the end of the war when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy, France with a little help from the superpowered friends. The Invaders formed a beachhead to defend and attack. Captain America and Bucky infiltrated a Nazi base and disabled their cannons. Then, they teamed up with Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos. Wolverine, known then as Logan, was present as a paratrooper for the First Canadian Parachute Battalion.

Cap Vs. The Red Skull

At the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, Captain America and Bucky led troops to the city on a mission to capture the Red Skull. But the Skull had turned Allied Troops to his side with mind control and armed the controlled troops with explosives. In a pivotal fight with the Red Skull, Cap chooses to save Bucky from a grenade and let the Skull escape. During the same month, the Howling Commandos fought in the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted until May.

Battle On The Bridge

In March 1947, American troops with the aid of Captain America captured the Ludendorff Bridge in Germany. While in Germany, Cap had a chance to witness the horrors of a concentration camp when he was sent to free Diebenwald. On this mission, the camp’s commander attempted to take Anna Kapplebaum hostage, but Cap managed to save her life.

The Hero’s Last Stand

In April of 1948, Cap and Bucky attempted to stop Baron Zemo’s bomb-loaded drone plane when it exploded, sending both heroes to their apparent deaths in the ocean. The serum in Roger’s body put him into a state of suspended animation, where he would be revived by the Avengers.

Hitler Meets His End

Human Torch and Hitler — Image Source: Screen Rant

In real life, Hitler, after losing the war committed suicide. In the comics, he was killed by the Human Torch, who acted in self-defense. The toxic spirit of the Fuhrer lived on in the comics as the Hate-Monger. In the real world, antisemitism, like the Hate-Monger, would become a force that would have to be fought time and time again.

The War’s Over

On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. The following day, the Nazis occupying the Channel Islands surrendered, marking the end of the war. However, some Nazis refused to give up. At the Potsdam Conference, which divided Germany into zones to be occupied and monitored by Allied countries, General Brinkhaus planned to assassinate President Truman, Churchill, and Stalin. His efforts proved unsuccessful thanks to Captain American, the Sub-Mariner, and the Red Guardian. Some heroes from the Invaders and Liberty Legion joined forces and became the All-Winners Squad.

With the war effort won, the superheroes could focus on domestic issues and otherworldly threats. Just a few years later, Marvel’s First Family would team up to defend their home. Other classic supers like Spider-Man joined the ranks of heroes. Eventually, Captain America would join the modern heroes as part of a team of super-powered individuals called the Avengers, but the Nazis still posed a threat in the form of the secret society Hydra.

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