Like Captain America, The Flash epitomizes heroic qualities that go beyond American values in his ability to unite divided peoples under a common cause. Captain America, while literally representing fundamental American values, can also be said to represent global values. These are values that most superheroes possess as a way to inspire and encourage, not only the American youth, but global youths. In the movie, Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox, it shows a hypothetical world that needs uniting, more extreme than what the United States needs, but it does not make the concept less real. Heroes in the era are divided, much like our government, and a small group of people in power are tearing nations a part. In the same way Captain America has to take care of the past, and unite the nation, Barry Allen must unite the darker, alternate reality, in a way to overcome evil.
Captain America always puts himself before others. He risked his life to save Americans, and ended up frozen under the ocean, and reawaken in the future. Barry Allen, in an attempt to save not only the city, but his Rogues, put his own life before others (villain, even), and ends up getting warped into an alternate timeline where he never became The Flash, and the world as he knows it is different. These are similar occurrences, and both Captain America and The Flash have to overcome a “fish-out-of-water” feel (Captain America with technology and modernization, and The Flash with realizing his world and everyone he knows act in direct contrast to their other selves). Still, both individuals are selfless and continue to try and put others before them. Captain America unites the Avengers, and in this movie, The Flash pulls together the start of The Justice League.
The Flash and Captain America also go through excruciating process to create ways in which they can help people. Captain America takes Super Soldier Serum, and undergoes an intense body modification process. The Flash, in turn, is forced to electrocute himself (twice) in order to recreate the process he used in his former timeline to get super speed. Both of these heroes undergo intense pain (and third degree burns in Flash’s case) in order to gain the means to do what is rigt. While this goes along with “selflessness,” it can also be used as a metaphor that people should do things outside of their comfort zone to help others. In the words of his mother (that he uses to encourage his future team), “Accept the things you cannot change; have the courage to change the things you can; and have the wisdom to know the difference,” (Justice League). Living like this could definitely unite a people.
This movie helped contextualize the “universal” meaning of superheroes—while Captain America is one part of the ideal, all superheroes have the ability to unite nations on a global scale. They have specific values (selflessness, charity, will to do right) that people can certainly learn from. While Captain America is a good literal translation of what it means to be an American, it would not be a bad thing to explore other heroes, and investigate their heroism as a tool to create unity within humankind. If people could try and emulate core superhero values, and they can work together to “do what is right,” like The Flash and Captain America exemplify, perhaps the world would be in better order. While this movie was helpful in thinking of more global terms, it might require a longer paper to explore it depths. For now, these ideas will be kept out of the current paper, but may one day be further explored into a longer one. As there are thousands of superheroes, it might be best to stick to analyzing one—and who better represents America than Captain America?
Works Cited
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Dir. Jay Oliva. Warner Bros. Animation, 2013. Film.
