Originally Posted by
BradleyFan
One of the things I really loved TFATWS is that they connected Eli and Isaiah Bradley's stories to Sam Wilson's tenure as Captain America. I'm not entirely sure, but I think Nick Spencer might've wanted to add Eli and his grandfather to his SamCap run, but wasn't able to.
Regardless, I do love the idea of having Eli looking up to (and even modelling himself after) Sam's Captain America. That coupled with with his grandfather's service in the role makes an interesting story that cuts across multiple generations. What really resonated with me about Eli was that he was the Black American kid who had to wrestle with an national identity (American) that made it a point to constantly undermine and destroy his racial heritage. To be a Black American is to be a walking contradiction, and Eli had to live with that everyday. Eli also had to see the remnants of what this country put his grandfather through.
The same thing happened with Sam Wilson and with Isaiah. And I like how it reflects the changing ideas of what America claims to be, and what it actually is. And he, just like Sam and Isaiah, is going to have to find that answer out for himself.