America in a Bottle

A serum created by scientists to enhance the body to peak physical condition. Tell me this serum doesn't sound like a steroid. Marvel Comic's Super Soldier Serum combines the topics of drug use and government production of drugs. Two controversial birds with one patriotic stone!

Created in 1941 along with Marvel's "Star-Spangled Man With A Plan", the Super Soldier Serum was invented by Doctor Abraham Erskine to create the perfect soldier for America's battle against the Axis forces. The formula would be triggered by Vita-Rays and mutate the subject's body to peak physical condition. After the formula successfully worked on the fragile Steve Rogers, it turned him into America's war hero, Captain America. Sadly, Dr. Erskine was murdered with nobody learning how he developed the serum. When Cap was thought dead after crashing a plane into the North Atlantic Ocean, the American military proceeded to recreate the Super Soldier Serum. However, without the correct designs, each serum left test subjects dead, mutated or psychologically broken. Attempts to recreate Super Soldiers have led to the creation of characters like The Hulk, Wolverine and The Green Goblin. Oh, and Deadpool.

This serum was created to protect the country, but since it's creator's death the Super Soldier Serum has been used or replicated to create human weapons. A chemical created by the government for one reason, but used by replicators for another. Sound familiar? Often citizens of our country receive prescription drugs for medical purposes, but misuse their legal substances for illegal purposes. A stretch it may be, but the reason I considered the Super Soldier Serum to be a drug is because of a line from the 2012 film "Marvel's The Avengers" delivered by Tony Stark/Iron Man to Steve Rogers/Captain America in the midst of an argument in which Tony told Steve, "Everything special about you came out of a bottle". In retrospect, Captain America was a case of lightning in bottle and his super soldier successors only became less stable throughout the years. While this comic book drug doesn't reflect how addictive and destructive drugs are in the real world, it reflects how drugs carry lineage through how they are used and what people they create. Thank you for reading.

The Panel Biter does not suggest or condone the illegal use of drugs, narcotics or medications. If you're going to be any kind of addict, be a chocoholic. Those people may have addictions, but they don't get arrested for having them.