Rubin and Melnick tell us that a mask can be a remedy for injuries of racial and ethnic persecution. With the shield and mask, Sam Wilson as Captain America is able to do something Steve Rogers would never even think of. He and Steve argued because Steve couldn’t understand the decisions Sam was making. Fans of Wilson’s Cap and fans who agreed with Wilson understood the underlying issues that were being put into the storylines. The Captain America: Sam Wilson comics were a masquerade where those who identified with Sam Wilson got a deeper meaning from the comic issues than the average fans. Original Cap fans were arguing because they just didn’t believe that Sam deserved to be Cap. It didn’t make sense to them when it was actually the most sensible decision ever. Captain America is supposed to be a man who fights for the freedom of all of the American people. Rogers was never able to fight for the freedom of all because he was not connecting with whole communities. Wilson understands the American system in a deep way; he has been at the bottom and seen how people are treated and he has tried to fly to the top on red wings, but has been stopped.
Wilson and Rogers have had amazing runs as Cap. They have both done good and bad, but have overall helped the American people. They both believe in justice and freedom and stand up for what they believe is right. From the history of their characters and their fandom we have come to learn that Captain America isn’t really the mask and the shield to white fans, he is the man beneath who reflects the desire of his consumers. To them, their Captain will always be an attractive white man with baby blue eyes. For other fans, newer fans who have found someone to represent them, their Captain is Sam Wilson who fights for all. There will always be a divide and disagreement for as long as there is ignorance in the fandom, but from their histories comes the question: who is Captain America?