Meet Isaiah Bradley, the First Black Captain America

Captain America casts a long shadow across the Marvel Universe. Despite his rousing speeches, steadfast dedication to his ideals, and world-saving heroics, the Super-Soldier also inspired cruel experiments in attempts to replicate his powers. 

While top secret government programs like Project: Rebirth left most of their subjects dead, Isaiah Bradley survived, and he briefly carried on Captain America's legacy during World War II after Steve Rogers disappeared. The details of his heroism remained secret for decades, but the truth about Isaiah eventually got out, and he rightfully took his place as a respected forefather of today's heroes. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at Isaiah Bradley and his secret history. From his wartime heroics to his crucial role in assembling the Young Avengers, this is how Isaiah left his mark on the Marvel Universe, as told in stories found on Marvel Unlimited. 

WHO IS ISAIAH BRADLEY?

Isaiah Bradley debuted in TRUTH: RED, WHITE, & BLACK (2003) #1 by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker. As Steve Rogers got powers from the Super-Soldier Serum and fought in World War II as Captain America, Isaiah fell in love with Faith Shabazz and married her in New York. 

While Faith was pregnant with their daughter Sarah, Isaiah joined the army. Although the Super-Soldier Serum formula was lost when Doctor Abraham Erskine died, Colonel Walker Price and Doctor Wilfred Nagel continued working with Project: Rebirth to replicate it. Isaiah became one of 300 Black soldiers who were forcibly given an experimental Super-Soldier Serum. Most of the test subjects died, but Isaiah survived. 

Although this version of the Super-Soldier Serum did not replicate Steve's powers, it put Isaiah in peak human condition. At the height of his powers, Isaiah could lift roughly 1,000 lbs. and run at a top speed of 40 mph. Thanks to his super-dense muscles, Isaiah was able to recover from serious injuries like broken bones within a few days, and his stamina allowed him to operate without tiring for hours. Although the serum significantly slowed his aging process, Isaiah's mind gradually deteriorated in his later years.

HOW ISAIAH BRADLEY BECAME CAPTAIN AMERICA

Before Isaiah Bradley joined the war as Captain America, he went into action with the other survivors of Project: Rebirth's Super-Soldier research. While their families were told they had been killed in battle, Isaiah and his teammates formed a covert operations team. 

On the group's final mission, Maurice Canfield and Luke Evans were killed, which left Isaiah as the team's last surviving member. For his last mission, Isaiah was tasked with killing Doctor Raymond Koch, who was trying to create a Super Soldier Serum for Germany, and destroying his research in TRUTH: RED, WHITE, & BLACK (2003) #4 by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker.

Before jumping into action, Isaiah stole a Captain America costume and a steel shield featuring a bald eagle and the "Double V" logo, a historic symbol representing victory in the war against racism in America. Although he successfully killed Koch, Isaiah was captured by the Germans, who unsuccessfully tried to recruit him before planning to dissect him to send a symbolic message to America. 

Ultimately, members of the German resistance rescued Isaiah. When Isaiah got back in touch with the military, they court marshaled him and sentenced him to life in prison for stealing Captain America's costume.

LIFE AFTER CAPTAIN AMERICA

While his wartime exploits slowly became legend, Isaiah Bradley sat in solitary confinement for 17 years. Faith, his wife, wrote President Eisenhower monthly letters asking for his release, and Isaiah received a full pardon during the president's final moments in office. However, Isaiah's health deteriorated considerably while he was in solitary confinement due to the untreated side effects of the Super-Soldier Serum. 

Although his family had been sworn to secrecy, the legend of the "First Black Captain America" spread through word of mouth. Over the years, several heroes, celebrities, and political figures quietly visited Isaiah and paid their respects to the elderly hero, who affectionally came to be known as Captain Bradley. When Isaiah's tattered costume resurfaced, Steve Rogers met Faith, learned about Isaiah's history, and embraced Isaiah as his fellow Captain America in TRUTH: RED, WHITE, & BLACK (2003) #7 by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker. 

At the wedding of Black Panther and Storm, Isaiah was honored as a special guest, although some of the heroes present still did not know his story. Now, Isaiah's time as Captain America is effectively an open secret, and he is still celebrated as a forefather of the hero community.

JOSIAH X

Isaiah only wore Captain America's costume briefly, but his son Josiah X carried on his legacy for some time after he debuted in THE CREW (2003) #1 by Christopher Priest and Joe Bennett. Using blood samples from Isaiah, Project: Rebirth genetically engineered Josiah so they could continue testing the Super-Soldier Serum. 

After his surrogate mother helped him escape, Josiah ended up at an orphanage and took the name Josiah Smith, as detailed in THE CREW (2003) #5 by Priest and Bennett. He served in the military and escaped government custody again, allowing him to discover his relationship with Isaiah and his father's history. When he met Isaiah's family, they turned him away—but only in fear for his safety, since they were under constant government surveillance. After a brief stint as a mercenary, Josiah converted to Islam and took the name Josiah al hajj Saddiq. 

Thanks to improvements in the Super-Soldier Serum, Josiah X possesses the same abilities as Isaiah, but he also has enhanced intelligence and memory. While working at a mosque in Brooklyn, Josiah joined War Machine (James "Rhodey" Rhodes) and the small team he assembled after his sister's death. 

To help Rhodes take down the criminal Triage and his 66 Bridges Gang, Josiah picked up his father's shield and donned a costume inspired by Captain America. Despite regularly visiting the Bradleys and embracing Isaiah as his father, Josiah eventually cut off contact for unknown reasons.

PRESIDENT BRADLEY

In one alternate reality, Isaiah Bradley was a celebrated hero and public figure who was eventually elected President of the United States. To save his future, President Bradley traveled to the modern Marvel Universe in CAPTAIN AMERICA (2002) #28 by Robert Morales and Eddie Campbell. 

On his world, Isaiah Bradley became Captain America instead of Steve Rogers, and he adventured with Bucky throughout World War II. When Isaiah had a daughter named Becky, Bucky effectively raised her since Isaiah never had time for her. After Bucky died in battle, Becky went mad with grief and tried to kill her father through time travel. 

However, Becky ended up in the Marvel Universe, where Steve’s friend Rebecca Quan killed her in self-defense. When President Bradley tried to follow his daughter, he landed in the Marvel Universe and met Steve Rogers. 

As they untangled what happened, the two Captains and Rebecca traveled to President Bradley's comic book-obsessed world and stopped Becky from jumping across dimensions with the reality-warping Infinihedron. After President Bradley saved his daughter from falling to her death, Steve returned home with Rebecca.

ISAIAH BRADLEY AND PATRIOT

Eli Bradley, Isaiah's grandson, also carried on his family's heroic legacy as Patriot starting in YOUNG AVENGERS (2005) #1 by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. After the Avengers broke up, a young, time-traveling version of Kang the Conqueror called Iron Lad wanted to recruit Josiah X for a new team. However, he found Eli, who claimed to have powers from a blood transfusion he received from his grandfather. 

In reality, Eli faked his powers using mutant growth hormone (MGH), a drug that briefly gives its users superhuman abilities. As Patriot, Eli helped the Young Avengers take down Kang, began using one of Captain America's old shields, and replaced Iron Lad as one of the group's leaders.

Once his use of MGH was discovered, Eli briefly left the Young Avengers, but he rejoined the group to help save his kidnapped teammate Hulkling. When that escalated into a battle between the Kree and the Skrull aliens, Eli used his body as a human shield to save Captain America from gunfire. Severely wounded by this heroic act, he received a blood transfusion from Isaiah that saved his life in YOUNG AVENGERS (2003) #12 by Heinberg and Cheung. 

After that, Eli finally inherited his grandfather's powers, which he used to help the Young Avengers through crises like CIVIL WAR (2006). The Young Avengers then disbanded after helping the Avengers save the Scarlet Witch in YOUNG AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE (2010). Eli effectively retired as a hero after that, although he has jumped back into action as Patriot on a few occasions. Eli continues to maintain a good relationship with his grandfather. 

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