Chasing Captain America

Could we create a real-life superhero by changing human biology itself? The form and function of the human body, once entirely delimited by nature, are now fluid concepts thanks to recent advances in biomedical science and engineering. Professor, author, and comic book enthusiast E. Paul Zehr uses Marvel’s Captain America — an ordinary man turned into an extraordinary hero, thanks to a military science experiment — as an entry-point to this brave new world of science, no longer limited to the realm of fiction. With our ever-expanding scientific and technological prowess, human biological adaptability is now in our fallible human hands. Thanks to the convergence of biology, engineering, and technology, we can now alter our abilities through surgery, pharmaceutical enhancement, technological fusion, and genetic engineering. Written in an accessible manner, Chasing Captain America explores these areas and more, asking what the real limits of being human are, how far we should bend those limits, and how we may be forced to reshape human biology if we are to colonize planets like Mars.

The first look at the philosophy behind the CaptainAmerica comics and movies, publishing in advance of themovie release of Captain America: The WinterSolider in April 2014. In The Virtues of Captain America, philosopher andlong-time comics fan Mark D. White argues that the core principles,compassion, and judgment exhibited by the 1940’s comic bookcharacter Captain America remain relevant to the modern world.Simply put, "Cap" embodies many of the classical virtues that havebeen important to us since the days of the ancient Greeks: honesty,courage, loyalty, perseverance, and, perhaps most importantly,honor. Full of entertaining examples from more than 50 years ofcomic books, White offers some serious philosophical discussions ofeveryone’s favorite patriot in a light-hearted and accessibleway. Presents serious arguments on the virtues of Captain Americawhile being written in a light-hearted and often humorous tone Introduces basic concepts in moral and political philosophy tothe general reader Utilizes examples from 50 years of comics featuring CaptainAmerica, the Avengers, and other Marvel superheroes Affirms the value of "old-fashioned" virtues for the modernworld without indulging in nostalgia for times long passed Reveals the importance of the sound principles that America wasfounded upon Publishing in advance of Captain America: The WinterSoldier out in April 2014.

Collects Captain America and Black Widow #636-640. Captain America and the Black Widow are on a deadly collision course, as Kashmir Venemma and her multiversal corporation have sent them on a wild goose chase through countless worlds. Chased by a superpowered kill squad, Cap and Widow jaunt through the multiverse, battle corporate-sponsored alien war machines and face - Lizard-Ock!? But as the two Avengers battle ever closer to their goal, the stage is set for a final assault against Venemma Multiversal! Guest-starring Hawkeye, Iron Man, and - Dr. Doom?

#1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz delivers an all-new, original Captain America graphic novel! In this thrilling historical adventure, 18 year-old Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes are fighting in WWII when they encounter a threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace. How can Cap and Buck fight something that's already dead? And just what does the mysterious Baron Mordo, sitting in his castle atop nearby Wundagore Mountain have to do with this? Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz (Refugee, Ground Zero) merges the worlds of historical fiction and super hero comics in this one-of-a-kind graphic novel that is sure to be met with major enthusiasm from fans of all ages.

Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it? Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman? Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian. A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable—though extreme—level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero.

"E. Paul Zehr physically deconstructs Iron Man to find out how we could use modern-day technology to create a suit of armor similar to the one Stark made"--Jacket.

Collects Captain America (1968) #247-260. Captain America is the people's choice in a timeless run by Roger Stern and John Byrne! These legendary creators begin their Cap adventures with the Machinesmith and his army of robot replicas. But Steve Rogers soon winds up in an even tighter spot: a race for the presidency?! Next, Batroc is back, with Mister Hyde and Cobra by his high-jumping side! The Stern/Byrne run concludes with a timeless tale of horror from Captain America's war-torn past as the vampiric Baron Blood seeks to conscript Cap into the army of the undead - plus a 40th anniversary celebration that explores Cap's all-American origin! This top-shelf Masterworks also includes a return appearance by all-time great Cap artist Gene Colan and the beginning of Mike Zeck's iconic run!

Collects Captain America and hawkeye #629-632, Captain America and Iron Man #633-635, Captain America and Black Widow #636-640, Captain America and Namor #635.1. Captain America spends some one-on-one time with his Avengers buddies! Something is eating the locals in the San Andres Mountains - Cap and Hawkeye had better hope that arrows and a shield will be enough to defeat a hive of dino-monstrosities! Then, Cap and Iron Man head to Madripoor for a technology expo - but when Batroc's Brigade shows up, a nightmare is unleashed! Back in World War II, Invaders Cap and Namor face a huge problem when the Thule Society releases the Kraken! And Captain America and Black Widow are chased across countless worlds by Kashmir Vennema and her multiversal corporation! It's all leading to a huge confrontation involving Hawkeye, Iron Man and...Doctor Doom?