Captain America #1 (2023)
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Artwork by Jesús Saíz
Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
Chef’s Note: I think this may be the first instance that we have encountered in this very scholarly project of food being utilized as bait.
Which is a bit odd given how prevalent a strategy it is and has been in human society: from prehistoric snares to contemporary tourist agencies and international diplomatic efforts, food has always been an effective tool to lure interest.
Here we find the innocent rumbling in Mr. Rogers’ belly ends up leading him to the German Bund rallying in the center of New York City, USA.
It is interesting to note that his confusion and shock immediately overrides his hunger – the sandwich is just left hanging while he tries to process what he’s seeing.
Billed as a celebration of “Americanism” on George Washington’s birthday, the 1939 event drew over 20,000 people, all eager to hear a speech by Fritz Kuhn, the leader of a group called the German-American Bund. Onstage behind Kuhn hung a massive portrait of the nation’s first president, flanked by swastikas. “We, with American ideals, demand that our government shall be returned to the American people who founded it,” Kuhn said after joking about the negative light in which he had been portrayed by the “Jewish controlled press.” He went on to explain that those ideals include a “socially just, white, Gentile-ruled United States.” The audience applauded.
Being quite familiar with Mr. Rogers’ moral character, I’m pretty sure that Nazi sandwich ended up as pigeon food.