Warning! Spoilers for Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10 ahead!Marvel Comics‘ recent Captain America series has brought one Steve Rogers’ most iconic MCU quotes to the comic page…albeit in a dark and surprising new direction. The star-spangled Avenger’s MCU popularity at an all-time high, not only due to the acting capabilities of actor Chris Evans, but also thanks to the character’s selfless heroism and determination when paired with his superhero contemporaries.
Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Carmen Carnero’s Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10 find the titular hero taking on the insidious organization A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) and its all-new take on M.O.D.O.K., the Mental Organism Design Only For Control (M.O.D.O.C.) M.O.D.O.C. has apprehended Cap and other costumed heroes and forced them to relive their greatest failures. In an effort to mentally break Steve, M.O.D.O.C. recreates a flashback of Cap encountering the Winter Soldier. The evil M.O.D.O.C. takes the form of Bucky in the flashback, holding a gun on Captain America. As Cap begins to utter his famous MCU catchphrase, “I can do this all day,” he is interrupted with a shot to the head.
Does Captain America Truly Live Up To His Sentiments?
The MCU’s depiction of Steve Rogers is far from physically weak, but what may be Steve’s greatest superpower is his ability as a wordsmith to complement his strength of character. This shines brightest with Rogers’ famous line, “I can this all day.” Captain America’s MCU catchphrase originated in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger when Steve says it in an alleyway brawl with a muscle-bound bully. It’s repeated in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame, becoming a shorthand for Cap’s unwillingness to stand down in the face of adversity. Bringing the catchphrase back in Sentinel of Liberty reminds readers of Captain America’s determination to do what’s right, but with the added twist that, because of the mental manipulation of M.O.D.O.C., he really has to do this all day.
When Captain America utters his famous catchphrase in the MCU films, the hero regularly stands his ground and manages to muster the courage as well as strength to continue his fight… no matter how unstoppable the threat that lies ahead. And he’s faced fewer threats as unstoppable as A.I.M.’s version of M.O.D.O.K. The devilish organism has trapped Steve and his compatriots in an unending hell that repeats their worst failures and the most devastating moments of their lives. Rather than being a symbol of his determination, the phrase “I can do this all day” becomes literal, a symbol of a Steve’s torture.
The last thing anyone expects from Cap is to be gunned down after reciting his famous phrase. But it serves as a great demonstration of what Steve is willing to endure. “I can do this all day” perfectly encapsulates the character that Steve Rogers represents as both Captain America and as a man who strives to live up to the platitudes of the ideal human being.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10 is available now from Marvel Comics.