One major change awaits Captain America following his apparent departure, and Doctor Doom is responsible for it. Steve Rogers surpasses the peak of human capabilities, yet his body is still bound by human anatomy. Captain America can't simply shrug off extreme trauma, as he's vulnerable enough to be fatally pierced by a conventional sniper’s bullet, as tragically seen in the aftermath of Civil War. Likewise, Steve's body wouldn't resist the sheer force of a direct attack from a Hulk if he were completely crushed under the overwhelming mass of cosmic powerhouses like the Hulk.
Steve's inherent vulnerability is precisely what makes Captain America's greatest feats of skill and tactical genius more impressive than those of his super-powered peers. Unlike Thor, the Hulk, or even Iron Man clad in heavy armor, Captain America lacks the luxury of simply tanking an attack. Since a single unblocked blow from a supervillain comes with certainly lethal consequences, every single movement he makes on the battlefield requires an extraordinary level of precision and foresight. Hence, Captain America is used to avoiding every possible error using a combination of martial arts and battlefield strategy to survive deathly blows from opponents as tough as Thanos.
Captain America isn't infallible, though, as showcased by Steve Rogers' near-death encounter with Red Hulk at the beginning of Marvel's Armageddon.
Captain America #12 reveals that Steve Rogers' catastrophic battle with Red Hulk in the former Doomstadt has left Steve in a coma, which is especially difficult to overcome as Steve's Super-Soldier physiology makes most drugs unpredictable and unreliable in his treatment. What Tony Stark and the Avengers don't know is that Steve is fighting for his life in a more literal way, as Doctor Doom welcomes him in Hell and reveals to him that their souls are now linked. According to Doom, the villain attached his "silver cord" to Steve's soul, suggesting Doom could use Steve's death to come back to life.
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Doctor Doom's decision to link his soul to Captain America's directs Steve Rogers to Hell. However, this connection may go even deeper. Steve is able to punch the unmasked Doctor Doom similarly to how he punched Adolf Hitler in World War II, which suggests he may be able to fight his way back to the world of the living and use Doctor Doom's silver cord in his favor. Doom's silver cord may also allow Steve to decide whether the Latverian dictator remains dead or resurrects, or perhaps even to decide the fate of Doom's soul, similarly to how Mephisto came into possession of the soul of Doom's mother.
For Doctor Doom, Captain America's life-or-death situation provides him with a possible bridge back to life, as well as a potential champion to spearhead a war against Hell’s king, Mephisto. Meanwhile, cooperating with the Latverian monarch in Hell offers Steve Rogers an unexpected escape route back to the mortal plane at a crucial moment in Earth-616's history. If they put their differences aside, Doctor Doom and Captain America could use their intertwined souls to escape Hell and help the world's heroes fight Red Hulk and his gamma mutate forces.
Returning alongside the living symbol of American freedom would grant Doctor Doom an unparalleled level of geopolitical leverage and moral armor after his downfall in One World Under Doom. While the world wouldn't forget his dictatorship, a key role in toppling Red Hulk could help his optics and perhaps even return the kingdom of Latveria back to him. However, before any of this can happen, Doom will double down on his villainy in Hell, as September's Black Panther/Namor: Doomed will see Doctor Doom send his own demonic forces to Wakanda and Atlantis.
How do you think Captain America will return?
Captain America #12 is available June 24 from Marvel Comics
