Captain America 002 (2025) sees Steve Rogers confront Doctor Doom
Emerging decades after his WWII service, Steve Rogers confronts his first significant challenge in the modern world within Captain America 002 (2025). Tasked with rescuing diplomats held hostage in Latveria by the tyrannical Victor Von Doom, Rogers partners with Major David Colton (the current Captain America) and a new Howling Commandos unit. Their mission quickly spirals into a moral quagmire that forces Steve to question America’s role in global conflicts.
The operation begins with tension between Rogers and Colton. Steve, still adjusting to 21st-century warfare, is unnerved by pervasive surveillance tech and global military bases, tools Colton defends as necessary for "holding the world accountable." Satellite tracking and drone oversight clash with Rogers’ boots-on-the-ground ethos, highlighting generational divides in security tactics. As they infiltrate Doomstadt (formerly Hassenstadt), Rogers grapples with the irony that modern "freedom" relies on omnipresent oversight, a stark contrast to the liberty he fought for decades earlier.
Their mission takes a sharp turn when Latverian rebels, led by a man named Marius, propose an alliance: help overthrow Doom in exchange for hostage extraction routes. Colton refuses, insisting they stick to their orders. Rogers, however, sympathizes with rebels suffering under Doom’s brutality and offers to assist Marius personally. This fractures the team, with Colton viewing Rogers as a "lost man out of time" jeopardizing the mission.
The climax unfolds as Rogers and Marius infiltrate Doom’s castle using a reprogrammed Doombot. But when Marius attempts to assassinate Doom, Rogers intervenes, arguing justice requires due process, not cold-blooded murder. In that pivotal moment, Doom springs a trap. His armor withstands Richards’ tech, and he effortlessly subdues Rogers. The dictator’s chilling recognition of Steve ("Scourge of Adolf Hitler") ends the issue on a cliffhanger, framing their confrontation as a battle between old-world ideals and new-world ruthlessness.
Throughout the comic, artist Valerio Schiti masterfully contrasts Rogers’ physical vulnerability with Doom’s technological dominance. Scenes of Steve battered by energy blasts, clutching his shield like a relic, visually underscore his struggle to remain relevant. Meanwhile, flashbacks to his time in Afghanistan (where he witnessed warlords exploiting post-conflict vacuums) inform his insistence on ethical solutions in Latveria.
Captain America 002 doesn’t just pit hero against villain; it questions whether Rogers’ principles can survive in an era of realpolitik. His stand against assassination, despite tactical advantages, reaffirms his timeless commitment to justice. Yet Doom’s mocking welcome ("Victor Von Doom Welcomes You... As Hero") hints that such ideals may be a weakness in today’s shadowy battlegrounds. As Rogers faces imprisonment, the story challenges readers: Can yesterday’s symbol inspire tomorrow’s freedom?