History ComicBook / USAgent

[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsJohnWalker]]

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John Walker, better known as '''U.S. Agent''', is a Creator/MarvelComics character created by Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary, and Kieron Dwyer[[note]]Neary co-created him as Super-Patriot before becoming US Agent under Dwyer[[/note]], first appearing in ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' #323 (dated November 1986).

Created as a villainous {{foil}} for Captain America, John Walker embodied [[{{Eagleland}} American patriotism]] in opposition to Steve Rogers. Whereas Rogers was an idealistic, liberal-leaning, lower-class urban Northerner, Walker was a more pragmatic, conservative, middle-class rural Southerner, presented as the jingoistic CaptainPatriotic crusader that Rogers was often misunderstood as being.

When Rogers relinquished the title of Captain America, Walker was tapped by the US government to replace him, beating out ComicBook/NickFury, who was deemed too old, and [[ComicBook/TheFalcon Sam Wilson]], as the US government thought his loyalty would be to a Steve Rogers instead of them and besides, [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Americans wouldn't accept a black Captain America]]. During his time in the role, Walker grew more heroic than originally established, and later adopted the new title of US Agent when Rogers reassumed his old name.

U.S. Agent made his live-action debut in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse series ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', portrayed there by Creator/WyattRussell -- although, like in his debut, he is referred to as "Captain America" following Steve Rogers's retirement [[spoiler:until by the end of the series, when he accepts the U.S. Agent mantle after having been stripped of his role as Captain America]].

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!! US Agent has appeared in:
[[folder:Notable Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' (various runs)
** ''Captain America Corps'' (2011)
** ''[[ComicBook/NickSpencersCaptainAmerica Captain America: Sam Wilson]]'' (2016)
* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' (various runs)
** ''ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers'' (various runs)
** ''ComicBook/MightyAvengers'' vol. 1 (2009 -- 2010)
** ''ComicBook/DarkAvengers'' (2012 -- 2013)
* ''ComicBook/TheInfinityWar'' (1992)
** ''ComicBook/TheInfinityCrusade'' (1993)
* ''Super Soldiers'' (1993)
* ''U.S. Agent'' (1993)
** ''U.S. Agent'' (2020)
* ''Force Works'' (1994 -- 1996)
* ''Maximum Security'' (2000 -- 2001)
* ''[[ComicBook/TheInvaders New Invaders]]'' (2004 -- 2005)
* ''[[ComicBook/AlphaFlight Omega Flight]]'' (2007)
* ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' vol. 1 (2010 -- 2012)

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'' (2021), portrayed by Creator/WyattRussell
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'' (1997) [[note]]{{palette swap}} of Captain America[[/note]]
** ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes'' (1998) [[note]]support character[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (2006) [[note]]alternate skin for Captain America[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/SuperHeroSquadOnline'' (2011), voiced by Creator/NolanNorth
[[/folder]]
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!! U.S. Agent provides examples of:
* AntiHeroSubstitute: For Steve Rogers. To his credit, Walker eventually tried to live up to Rogers' ethics on the job, but the ComicBook/RedSkull made sure to push him over the edge.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Refused to believe Hercules and his pantheon are gods, to their faces. Somehow he came out of that one alive...
* AnArmAndALeg: Lost his left arm and leg during "Siege".
* BecomingTheMask: Eventually while he was subbing for Rogers as Captain America, Walker did begin to attempt to emulate his predecessor's ethics before the ComicBook/RedSkull stepped in.
* CostumeCopycat: His iconic black U.S. Agent costume is actually the design Rogers used as "The Captain" while Walker was Captain America. Though one of his more recent costumes as the Agent more directly mimicked the classic Cap outfit.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: He began as a DarkerAndEdgier Captain America {{Expy}}, wearing Rogers' old "Captain" costume, but some time later Tony Stark made him a battle armor that shot energy shields.
* {{EagleLand}}: He's a very jerkish Type II. He's shown to be fanatically loyal to the US government and often praised American interests while being a complete jerk about it. He even believes America has been bailing the world out of scrapes since 1918 (WWI) and as such is entitled to not having to apologize for its actions.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Walker has many conservative, right-wing views but even he is disgusted by the racism of other right-wingers.
* FakeMemories: Had the trauma of the murder of his parents removed; although he was led to believe this was his choice, General Haywerth had done it in order to avoid any future {{sanity slippage}}s. When Walker found out the truth, he insisted on his memories being restored, but Haywerth made sure Walker still believed it had been his idea.
* FakingTheDead: Because his identity had been made public, the government [[StagedShooting set him up to be "killed"]] after publicly turning the position of Captain America back to Rogers, and "resurrected" him as U.S. Agent.
* {{Flanderization}}: Often written as a total ass, without the depths or character development.
* FlatEarthAtheist: Being a right-wing Christian, he has blatantly denied the existence of other gods or divine creatures, even when fighting them.
* {{Foil}}: To Frank Simpson, aka "Nuke". Both are Captain America "inspired" patriotic superhumans with a right-wing slant to their political beliefs. But whereas U.S.Agent is more of a JerkAss who happens to be Right-wing, Nuke is a jingoistic lunatic and killing machine. Lampshaded when John Walker admits to ComicBook/LukeCage during their mutual run in the ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' that part of the reason why he has refused cybernetics is because he sees too much of Nuke in himself.
* GoodIsNotNice: He's a genuine hero, but also a genuine asshole.
* HandicappedBadass: During his time as warden of the Raft, he's stuck in a wheelchair due to missing an arm and leg. Doesn't stop him beating the living hell out of several inmates during an escape attempt.
* HiddenDepths: Make no mistake, John Walker is an asshole, with right-wing beliefs that often put him at odds with other heroes. But, and this is the important part, he is neither a total asshole, nor willing to place his political views above basic morality. He is firmly anti-racist, and even has a TokenBlackFriend in Lemar Hoskins. Whilst he does sympathize with some of the Watchdogs' socially conservative views, he still seeks to take them down for their willingness to conduct murder and terrorist acts. And as much of an asshole as he is, he is still dedicated to being a hero.
** He does, however, show a few hints of prejudice towards indigenous people, being very dismissive towards Talisman, rolling his eyes when she referenced manifest destiny, referring to her as 'Pocahontas,' and telling her to 'lay off the peyote'. But this could be an extension of his jingoism rather than genuine racist belief.
* {{Jerkass}}: He became less of this in Force Works. Later writers ignored this, and keep writing him as a jerkass.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Beneath the right-wing patriotic nationalism of the U.S. Agent is a guy who genuinely wants to live up to the mantle of Captain America and do the right thing in service to his country. The problem is that John Walker's heart of gold is ''very'' deep down, making his jerk side far more prominent most days.
* LegacyCharacter: To Captain America, before his DivergentCharacterEvolution.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: As Captain America, he was trained by Taskmaster to use Rogers' shield. As U.S. Agent, he has had a variety of different shields, most notably the vibranium shield Rogers used as The Captain.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When he found out that Left-Winger and Right-Winger [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] as the result of the massive burns he had inflicted on them. The realization was so traumatic that he briefly considered setting ''himself'' on fire to atone for his sins.
* NinetiesAntihero: He has genuinely heroic instincts... but he is also an asshole who has no problems with using extreme violence. One of his most "90s" moment had to be when his parents were gunned down by the Watchdogs in "Captain America #345"; he promptly ''massacres'' the group, including ''stabbing a man through the face with an assault rifle'' and skewering another with a pitchfork. In the next issue, it was revealed that he left 9 dead, 3 critically injured, and 13 wounded.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: His first mission as Captain America ("Captain America #335") involved infiltrating a right-wing terrorist and hate-group called the Watchdogs, who were violently against atheism, contraception, sexual education, pornography, communism, gays, blacks, single mothers, foreigners and the like. As Walker notes twice in the issue, he actually shares some of their non-racist values.
* SanitySlippage: After his parents were shot to death in front of him. He eventually recovered.
* SecretIdentity: After being "killed", as U.S. Agent the government gave him the new identity of "Jack Daniels". Yes, they went there.
* SmugSuper: As Super-Patriot. And in general.
* SuperSoldier: There have been several failed attempts to recreate Captain America, none of which have worked out well. U.S. Agent was probably the closest thing to a success, if only because he's still alive and still a hero. It helps that his enhancements came from the Power Broker and not a Super-Serum derivative.
* SuperStrength: Like most successful customers of the Power Broker, he has superhuman strength.
* SurroundedByIdiots: His opinion most of the time, but especially during his West Coast Avengers days.
* ThrowingOffTheDisability: During ''Dark Avengers'', when he and the eponymous team get stuck in an alternate reality, the Toxie Doxie uses her bio-engineering skills to give Walker a new arm and leg back, against Walker's previously expressed opinions.
* UnskilledButStrong: He does not have anything approaching Steve Rogers' fighting ability, but he is so much stronger and tougher that most of their early encounters left Rogers ''barely'' holding his own.
* UnstoppableRage: Got him into trouble as Captain America, first when he [[CurbStompBattle beat Professor Power to a bloody pulp]], and then later when the Watchdogs killed his parents, he went full berserker on them. Of course, this went along with [[ComicBook/RedSkull "John Smith"'s]] [[EvilPlan plan to tarnish the image of Captain America]].
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Left-Winger and Right-Winger, former members of the Bold Urban Commandos (along with Battlestar) who worked with Walker as the Super-Patriot. The Commission didn't bring them on, only wanting one partner for Captain America, so they upstaged them at their public debut, revealing Walker's SecretIdentity. When this got Walker's parents killed, he beat them mercilessly and abandoned them in a burning refinery. It was later revealed that he did ultimately go back to pull them out, [[CruelMercy so they'd live with the pain]], but the burns proved to be so horrifically severe that they were DrivenToSuicide, and he didn't find out about it until after he'd been U.S. Agent for some time, and was [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone devastated]] when he did.
* WillfullyWeak: During his appearance as the warden in ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'', he admits that he has the connections, if not the resources, to get his missing limbs replaced with advanced cybernetic prosthetics. He chooses instead to go without a leg and to wear the kind of primitive hook-handed cyber that normal veterans have access to, out of solidarity. Although he also admits that another part of the reason is because he finds the idea of getting cyber-limbs uncomfortable, since it was the crazed cyborg Frank "Nuke" Simpson who removed his limbs in the first place.
* WorkingClassHero: John considers himself one of these despite all of his faults, representing the interests of the average American and working hard to fight on their behalf. He highlights this trait in “Maximum Security” when viciously chews out the Avengers after their meddling in alien affairs led to the same aliens trying to turn Earth into a criminal waste dump in response.
* WreckedWeapon: In the 2020 comics, his shield isn't vibranium so a RunningGag is how often his shields get wrecked and need to be replaced.
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U.S. Agent made his live-action debut in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse series ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', portrayed there by Creator/WyattRussell -- although, like in his debut, he is referred to as "Captain America" following Steve Rogers's retirement [[spoiler:until by the end of the series, when he accepts the U.S. Agent mantle after having been stripped of his role as Captain America]].[[note]]His father, Creator/{{Kurt|Russell}}, previously appeared in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' as [[Characters/MCUEgoTheLivingPlanet Ego]].[[/note]]

US Agent made his live-action debut in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse series ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', portrayed there by Creator/WyattRussell -- although, like in his debut, he is referred to as "Captain America" following Steve Rogers's retirement. [[note]]His father, Creator/{{Kurt|Russell}}, previously appeared in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' as [[Characters/MCUEgoTheLivingPlanet Ego]].[[/note]]

When Rogers relinquished the title of Captain America, Walker was tapped by the US government to replace him, beating out ComicBook/NickFury, who was deemed too old, and [[ComicBook/TheFalcon Sam Wilson]], as the US government thought [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Americans wouldn't accept a black Captain America]]. During his time in the role, Walker grew more heroic than originally established, and later adopted the new title of US Agent when Rogers reassumed his old name.

* AnArmAndALeg: Lost his left arm and leg during "Siege".