How will Cap be honored?

[Kirayoshi]

Something I've been wondering since Captain America #25 came out last week

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What will the US government do with Captain America?

Prior to his seeming assassination, he was pilloried in the press for his actions during CW. The people turned their backs on him. He was prepared to stand trial for acts of treason, with a likely guilty verdict and possible execution awaiting him.

But does that erase his deeds before it all went south?

How will America(at least in the MU) honor their fallen soldier? He was one of the best of the Greatest Generation. He literally saved the world countless times, as a soldier in the US Army, as the one-man battalion of WWII, as a modern-day patriot and one-time leader of the Avengers.

Will the public remember him?

Will he be pardoned posthumously, or denounced as a traitor?

Will he be buried in Arlington Cemetary as a war hero? A small, dignified funeral at an army cemetary somewhere? Or disposed of like an executed criminal?

Will he become a scapegoat?

Or a martyr?

Will his death reenergize the anti-reg movement? Will more and more people start weaing t-shirts with the slogan "Cap was Right"? Will the anniversary of his death be greeted by tens of thousands of Americans marching to the White House in Captain America costumes(a la the end of V for Vendetta), calling for the repeal of the SHRA and the arrest of Tony Stark for treason, profiteering and other assorted war crimes?

During Infinite Crisis, Batman snarkily told Superman, "The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead." Will Cap's death prove as inspiring?

[Jmacq1]

Given Tony Stark's current track record, I'd wager he'll make every effort to prevent a large public memorial. He probably won't succeed, but he'll try, precisely to attempt to keep Cap from becoming a martyr.

In fact, that might be the reasoning behind Ms. Marvel's whole "Oh no, he's not dead, we're trying to save him as we speak!" spiel.

After all, if people think Cap's holding on by a thread, they don't have to have a funeral, do they?

But once it all comes out into the open that Cap actually is dead, I'd wager he'll get a posthumous pardon and a plenty big hero's memorial. And if he doesn't than certain other characters likely will make sure he does (The New Avengers and Thor when he returns for one).

[Shellhead]

Captain America has already had three official funerals sponsored by the U.S. Government. Some of his other deaths passed without official recognition because they were so brief that most people were unaware that Cap had died, like that time that Korvac killed all the Avengers. When Thanos killed everybody, he seriously killed *everybody*, so there was nobody left to attend a funeral.

First state funeral was in 1969, when Cap faked his death at the hands of Hydra agents. Second state funeral was in 1992, when Cap was shot by a sniper named Frank Castle. Cap's chain mail shirt stopped the bullet, but he feigned death anyway. Probably a good idea, considering how much ammo the Punisher carries. In 1996, Cap's super-soldier serum stops working, and Cap withers to death, getting yet another state funeral.

With all these prior funerals, I could this one going either way. Maybe the Feds finally just give up on funerals for Cap, going with some kind of regulation of only one funeral per person. Alternatively, they may have made some contingency plans after the third funeral, arranging for a bulk discount rate on mortuary services and headstone alterations.

[Gordon Smith]

Senator Blowhard Goes on Campaign: ''Twenty five million dollars for Captain America's most recent state funeral was an outrageous insult to the tax-payers of America. And the government shouldn't even be involved in state funerals for anybody. That's a job for private enterprise. Send me back to the Senate next year and I will introduce legislation mandating that all future state funerals for Captain America be outsourced to Fisk Mortuary Services''.

[Kirayoshi]

Given Tony Stark's current track record, I'd wager he'll make every effort to prevent a large public memorial. He probably won't succeed, but he'll try, precisely to attempt to keep Cap from becoming a martyr.
On the other hand, maybe if Tony were to publicly honor Cap, and make a show of how they were friends before the SHRA hit the fan(even going so far as to deliver a eulogy), it might diffuse the whole Cap-as-martyr thing. He can acknowledge all the good Cap has done for America and the world, and that he even fought the SHRA because he believed it was right for America, even if it led to them being on opposite sides.

Of course that could also backfire heavily; remember when Brutus euolgized Julius Caesar in Shakespeare, and Marc Anthony rallied the crowd against him? I could easily imagine Nick Fury or Bucky delivering a rebuttal.

"But Tony said that Cap was ambitious,
And Tony is an honorable man,
As are they all, all honorable men."

[Tobias March]

How about a simple funeral for 'Steve Rogers', as the government insists Captain America still lives?

[Haunt]

maybe he'll have his coffin tipped over.

[StoneGold]

If recent funerals mean anything, it'll be a huge affair, with everyone trying to claim that Cap was really on their side. Go look at Rosa Parks' funeral for an example.

[Capt USA]

If recent funerals mean anything, it'll be a huge affair, with everyone trying to claim that Cap was really on their side. Go look at Rosa Parks' funeral for an example.

they'll half cover his face and bury him in a tarp...:)