Questions About Union Jack!

When Joey Chapman became the third Union Jack in Captain America #254 (F'81), did anyone else get the impression that he and Kenneth Crichton were more than friends? I only ask because artist John Bryne was known to subtly imply that certain characters were gay, e.g. Northstar. He also was the first creator to say the word "gay" in a mainstream comic during his wonderful run on Fantastic Four.

 

When we first see Joey, Kenneth and his mother, Lady Crichton AKA Spitfire, are arguing over Joey being there at all. It's said to be a class issue but...that's never fully stated either. The two young men are in art school together and on the wrestling team, neither an indication of anything but at the time there were inherent stereotypes for both.

 

Later Kenneth and Joey are at the pub where he calls the waitress the woman he's going to marry, though she downplays that, again as a matter of social class.

 

After an attack by the vampire Baron Blood, Cap suspects Joey of being the Baron in disguise as he appears when the fiend leaves. But Kenneth defends Joey by saying he's just a sound sleeper. In the climatic battle, it is Joey, not the "rightful" heir Kenneth who assumes the mantle of Union Jack saying that Joey is stronger than him, which I thought was an odd observation, especially the way it was lettered.

 

Obviously this all just subtext and interpretations, and I am probably wrong but if you reread #253-254 with that assumption, the story still works. Of course, none of this was ever expanded on. I'm not even sure of Union Jack III's next appearance if it wasn't Contest of Champions. He was featured in Namor the Sb-mariner, Knights of Pendragon and New Invaders before his recent excellant mini series. Joseph Chapman even romanced a rejuvenated Spitfire, which was a tad weird. Still, he's lasted thirty years as UJ, even had several action figures made when he could have been easily replaced.

 

The question about Joey's sexual preference is more relevant when it was revealed that Brian Falsworth, Union Jack II, was the partner of Roger Aubrey (Dyna-Mite, Destroyer) of the V-Battalion. It does raise some issues as to why two secretly gay men travelled to Nazi Germany before the war. Both were imprisoned with Brian becoming the first Destroyer. Or the second! I don't know if Keene Marlow, the Timely Comics Destroyer was established to have existed.

 

But the secrecy and stigma of homosexuality during this time period was a major part of the current Captain America: Patriot mini.

 

BTW, Captain America #253 (Ja'81) stated that Brian Falsworth died in a car crash in 1953. The national hero of Great Britain, a man blessed by Thor was killed in a car crash! A car crash! It's an outrage! It's a scandal! Seriously, it was said so off-handedly as to be trivial. Granted it set the stage for a new Union Jack but it was hardly a fit ending. Was there ever a more...sinister motive involved?

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  • When Joey Chapman became the third Union Jack in Captain America #254 (F'81), did anyone else get the impression that he and Kenneth Crichton were more than friends?

    That never occurred to be before, but I suppose it's possible. I haven't re-read the Stern/Byrne cap in several years, and if that subtext is there it's entirely possible I may have missed it. You could always go on to Byrne's web-site and ask him.
  • I reread it in the Captain America: War & Remembrance TPB from 1990. Except for the title page, they removed the credits from each issue/chapter nor was Stern and Bryne mentioned on the cover, front or back!
  • Really! Does that edition have the unfinished pages of what would have been the follow-up story? they had planned to set the next several issues in the UK, but Shooter enforced a "done-in-one" policy which made them walk. These stories are due to be reprinted soon in a Premiere Hardcover edition. Perhaps they'll leave the credits on this time.
  • Yes, it does, six pages of artwork! There is a text-piece where the next story arc would feature the Red Skull and would have been a three-parter. But Shooter's edict stopped all that. But there were multi-part Marvel stories happening anyway! And crossovers! So was the edict even enforced?
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