Secret Identity Crisis Comics Unmasking of Cold War Amer

"(W) Matthew J. Costello The Marvel superheroes that came to dominate the comic book industry for most of the last five decades were born under the potential mushroom cloud of nuclear war that was a cornerstone of the four-decade division of the world between the United States and the Soviet Union. These stories were consciously set in this world and reflect the changing culture of Cold War (and post-Cold War) America. Like other forms of popular entertainment, comic books tend to reflect and comment upon cultural trends. This groundbreaking new study focuses on a handful of titles that specifically involve political and socio-economic codes, including Captain America, the Invincible Iron Man, Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, and the Incredible Hulk to reveal how the American self was transformed during the Cold War and after."