When Captain America was killed off in the comics, I scoffed at all the "tribute" storylines Marvel created for him. Wolverine, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, etc., all weeping over his casket. And there was a moving scene where the Falcon asked every single person that Steve Rogers served with in WWII, every single person Steve Rogers saved, etc., to stand up at his funeral. And every single person ends up standing up. And Marvel goes on the news, explaining why they killed of Captain America, yadda yadda.

But the thing was? I couldn't buy any of it. Killing Captain America only served as a shock factor to sell more comics.

Because I knew it was only a matter of time before they brought him back. No one ever stays dead in comics (except Gwen Stacy and Uncle Ben, but that's a different matter).

It would have resonated more if Cap America really did die. For good. For ever. But in comics, death is meaningless. If the comic company is the kind that revives these people over and over again.

Colossus died to create a cure for the mutant plague. He died a hero. Then it was invalidated because he was brought back to life.

Barry Allen, the original Flash, died a hero in the Crisis of Infinite Earths. Now he was brought back.

And after all the pomp and grandeur of Captain America's funeral, he comes back. Well, it's heavily implied he's coming back in the new storyline.

I... really can't appreciate it. Because I can't say I didn't see it coming. A character's life and ultimate sacrifice can be invalidated by a writer and a simple new story arc. Because in comics, death is meaningless.

....

I'm one to talk. Hehe.

Thoughts?

P.S. I've heard rumors that Marvel keeps countdown clocks of their dead characters in their office to keep tabs of how long until they bring them back. I hear Jean Grey is down to a year or so.