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During his tenure as Captain America, Steve Rogers was frozen for decades, died, quit, and even just got lost. And either way, someone else stepped in in the red, white, and blue to wield the shield. None of them lasted, and only a few were worthy placeholders. But one person, if given the chance, could continue the legacy indefinitely, and that person is his son, Ian.
Ian Rogers, the adopted son of Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter, was introduced in Captain America #1 (by Rick Remender and John Romita Jr.). Like Rogers’ origin, Ian is created during an experiment by Arnim Zola in Dimension Z and is saved from the Nazis by Cap while trapped in the Weird World. Needing a place to perform his twisted experiments, Zola created the dimension where he also created Ian’s sister, Jet Black, and her evil versions of Captain America and the Avengers, Captain Zolandia and her mutants.
Ian was trained by the best Captain America
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Although Ian is first introduced as a child, time passes much faster in the Z dimension than it does on Earth. Steve raised Ian as his own for over 11 years, training him in combat, acrobatics and effective shield use. More importantly, Steve taught his son how to be a hero. Unfortunately, during a battle with Zola’s forces, Ian was shot and believed to have died after falling into a vat of chemicals. However, Sharon Carter later found Ian alive and continued her training. Ian eventually led an uprising against Zola, taking on the costumed identity of Nomad.
By the time he finally emerges from Dimension Z, Ian is an adult although little time has passed on Marvel 616 Earth. the absence of Steve Rogers, had taken up the torch from Captain America. Together, the two take on the forces of HYDRA, pitting Ian face-to-face with some of the most ruthless villains in the Marvel Universe.
Ian’s Abilities Exceed Captain America’s
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Due to his biological nature, Ian surpasses Steve’s strength and agility and is an expert with his shield. Among other extraordinary feats, Ian is able to hit almost any target with pinpoint accuracy. Additionally, Steve’s son is unique in that he is one of the few characters in the Marvel Universe who was trained specifically to survive alongside his father. During their time in Dimension Z, the two were side by side for years, bonding even more than Rogers did with his former partner, Bucky Barnes. As Nomad Ian confronts HYDRA, saves Sam from Batroc the Leaper, and confronts Taskmaster, Crossbones, and Baron Zemo. Ian handles all of this despite his young age and somewhat nascent superhero status.
The list of characters who have stepped in as Captain America is impressive. Marvel stalwarts such as Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, Frank Castle, and Clint Barton are some of the people who have embraced the mantle over the years. What separates them from Ian is their years of experience. While Ian Rogers may lack the temperament and experience to step into his father’s red boots now, in time he will make a lasting and worthy successor to Captain America’s legacy and elevate the mantle to new heights.
