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For the funniest guy in comics, Chip Zdarsky sure is good at breaking your heart. As one of the industry's biggest writers of the past ten years, Zdarsky has overseen some truly tragic characters over at the House of Ideas, as well as a certain varmint-garbed billionaire across the street at DC. But according to the Sex Criminals co-creator, the saddest comic book character he writes is one you might not expect:

Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America. 

Zdarsky made the claim during an interview he did with YouTuber Dom of X, posted April 30. In the discussion, Zdarsky's interviewer asked him what drew the Canadian writer to the Sentinel of Liberty, and got a little window into the Avengers Armageddon scribe's personal history with the character as a fan.

"It comes back to Secret Wars issue 7," Zdarsky said, "Captain America was the main guy on that cover, and I was fascinated with him as a kid because, in that storyline, they make it very clear he's the one without powers. Like, he's got powers, but not powers powers. [But] he's the one they all listen to and he's the one that leads them. So there's something about that character that just engenders respect from the other characters."

In case you aren't aware, loyal Popverse reader, Zdarsky is referring to a 1984 comic issue by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, which does frame Steve as an underdog in the cosmic battle to which he's been fated. But according to Zdarsky, it isn't just the fact that Steve Rogers doesn't have adamantium bones or gamma radiation that makes him an underdog.

"Ultimately," Zdarsky continued, "Ae's a tragic figure could because of the sci-fi aspect of him being a man out of time, fighting for an America that will never be what he wants it to be.I love a good sad character; I've had Daredevil be quite sad, I've had Spider-Man be quite sad. And Captain America is kind of the ultimate version of that. He lost everything and his country never lives up to his ideal version of the country and he can't stop. There's really there's something really deep about that character that I love."

We love it too, Chip. But have you considered this - how much more sad might a character be if they lost their reality and were, say, a Private Investigator Duck?

Chip Zdarsky's and Valerio Schiti's Captain America #12 comes to comic book stores June 24. 

Want more? Make sure you've read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time, and get ready for all the free Marvel comics coming as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 / Comics Giveaway Day  2026 events.