US Agent is a character you might recognize from The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. The character, John Walker is a difficult character to have in today’s media, especially in his zenith periods. That is until classic writer Christopher Priest takes him for a spin in a way that challenges him and today’s ideologies. Although it does come with some trouble in art from Georges Jeanty, the trade writing, and John’s foils. Please note that there will be spoilers ahead.
Who Is US Agent?
John Walker is a creation of the late Mark Gruenwald from the writer’s Captain America run. Originally a foil to Steve Rogers as the sellout Super Patriot, he replaces Rogers for a time as Captain America. Only to later give the mantle back to Steve so that John could take up his black Captain uniform. As US Agent, he serves as a more flawed counterpart to Steve.
John is what you might call a “redneck”. He’s a casual racist, has a hair-trigger temper, and is patriotic to a fault. John isn’t a bad person, he’s just a less marketable everyman in how he fumbles in his tasks. The US Agent series by Jerry Ordway all but solidifies John’s reputation of American satire. Most of the time he’s somebody the government throws at for various forgettable tasks. So what makes Priest’s series so special?
American Zealot
Priest’s mini-series American Zealot is by all accounts an expensive ad for The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. But what Priest does differently from say MODOK Head Games is focusing on John’s self-consciousness. Captain America isn’t even around for comparisons, because this is John’s journey. A satirical journey of people who wish to dissociate from anyone they share traits with.
You might’ve noticed I’ve been calling him John so far, that’s because he was actually replaced as US Agent by someone else. While John insists that he quit, his former handler says otherwise. The simple version is over a protest that got violent when John accidentally (and non-violently) incites a riot. But the more in depth reason is that John protected the protestors from a missile launcher from his backer’s security. When John smashed the launcher, the bureaucrats behind him strip his shield and title of US Agent to save face with their backers. Don’t fear cancel culture people, it’s the corporate and political landscape you have to worry about.
Zealot 1: “Saint” April Manning
The only reason he is US Agent is because he thinks he’s cleverer than he really is. April believes his influence as a wealthy African American and the traumatic program made him an ubermensch. It is what allows him to get the US Agent copyright among other equipment. In truth, April’s a bootlicker willing to be as ruthless and backstabbing as the corrupt officials he identifies with. To drive that point further, he privatizes some other super soldier assets like an American Kaiju serum while hiding behind bureaucracy. He’s also more than willing to drain a town’s resources and murder people under him. Ironically that’s what connects him with John’s sister Kate.
Zealot 2: Kate Walker
The tragic part is unlike April, Kate’s circumstances are due to outside factors she had no control over. In witness protection, Kate changed her last name constantly, making her disconnect with Southern American life easier. When working with April, she ends up in a location that causes her psychosis. Wow, for a Saint, April has no foresight in relationships.
US Agent And The Appeal of Southern America
This calls back to a depiction of the values of Southern America. It’s a crucial part of history and American life but it also holds reminders of its problematic past. The South’s depiction of being a “backwards” society has Kate call southerners “hicks”. But John’s interactions with a town shows two universal values the South takes pride in. Their ability to stick up for themselves and identifying as a larger family. That is why the town takes action against the warehouse Kate is at for slowly draining away the town’s economy.
John very much represents America’s uneasy relationship with its Southeast sector. Go onto the news and you’ll see headlines about Confederate Memorial Day for an analogy. With John’s fumbling about, he’s considered an embarrassment by a number of powerful people. Even the townsfolk he identified with think John’s an idiot. Maybe that was because they thought he was Captain America and John didn’t deny it. Also he didn’t exactly save the town, he just reduced the damage. Which considering the economy was already bad, they have a right to be upset. It doesn’t look like they hold it against John though, based on the interviews.
Why So Divisive?
There are a number of complaints that fans give to US Agent: American Zealot. The most common is a problem a lot of comics still deal with, writing for trade. The mini-series begins in-medias-res where the Ephraim townsfolk are being interviewed. The title card panels make it look like a documentary. I mean sure there are a lot of movies that reenact events while giving context to people involved like Judas and the Black Messiah but what’s the point of this? Are the parts featuring John supposed to be part of a fan film? His introduction is practically all over the place. It’s the later issues where things really pick up. Even then, the back and forth interviews commenting on events can seem subjectively dull.
Also the art seems to shift between issues with Georges Jeanty and Stefano Landini. That’s an aspect that can look jarring to some people. Especially when the details and wrinkles can look distracting like making some people cross-eyed. But the panel work and angle usage really bring out dynamic action scenes.
Appeal of US Agent
What makes John Walker as US Agent an interesting character is his struggles. While far from an aspirational figure, the same can be said for characters like Indiana Jones. Indy’s no redneck mind you, but an everyman is someone with as many flaws as benefits. John struggles constantly with how he tries to help others while staying true to his Southern identity. More often than not, he fumbles in his tasks and sometimes it looks like the better thing to do was not get involved at all.
Yet, John still tries every time to be a better version of himself, especially when he messes up. Unlike Kate or April who are under illusory superiority, John has no delusions of grandeur. By the time he admits his own mistakes that led to the series’ moments, he reaffirms his beliefs. Sure he’s admitting he lost his mantle rather than quit, but that doesn’t mean he lost it for the wrong reasons. Besides, he’s willing to be someone better for the people he values like Kate and his ex-partner Battlestar.
Going Forward!
Which is why US Agent: American Zealot ends with John as the unofficial US Agent joining in on a journey in United States of Captain America. Because if a dunderhead like him can be a better man after some humbling experience, there’s hope for other everymen.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.