Josiah X, Son Of Isaiah Bradley, Returns With A New Look in SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA #2

By Chad Burdette

on December 22, 2024

Next month, Sam Wilson soars again in SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA, an all-new solo comic series by writers Evan Narcisse and Greg Pak and artist Eder Messias.

Sam’s latest adventure pits him against the shadowy organization Eaglestar and its head of security: Red Hulk. Just as Sam discovers Eaglestar’s true goal in issue #2, another player enters the fray—Josiah X!

Created by Christopher Priest and Joe Bennett in the 2003 comic series The Crew, Josiah X is the son of former Captain America Isaiah Bradley. Using the super-soldier powers he inherited from his father, Josiah X embraced his legacy by protecting his community and shedding light on American injustice. Now, he’s back with a new mission and a new look designed by series cover artist Taurin Clarke. What has Eaglestar been doing that spurred him into action? And is he there to help Sam or pursue his own agenda?

In a Marvel press release, Narcisse explained:

“I’ve loved the character of Josiah X ever since he first appeared in The Crew back in 2003,” “As the son of Isaiah Bradley—cloned in secret experiments—he’s had a complicated legacy thrust upon him. His previous stories showed him struggling to figure out how to find purpose and protect the vulnerable in a world that’s all too ready to exploit him and others on society’s margins.
When we meet him as the Shadow Soldier in SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA, he’s a hero at the next stage of his evolution, someone who’s answered those existential questions with a new codename, new uniform, and specific outlook. He’s a great counterpoint to Sam, in that they’re trying to do the right thing with very different attitudes. We’re really excited to bring him back in a way that honors the past and hopefully opens up a promising future.”

Artist Taurin Clarke added:

“When I was approached to do the covers for SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA, I saw a chance to update a few characters. After getting the thumbs up to update Patriot’s hair from our amazing editors, the fans on social media immediately started asking about Josiah!
“I knew we had a huge task ahead of us, so I went in with notes from our co-writer Evan Narcisse, who also provided some great insights from the legendary Christopher Priest, and set out to create a design that reflects where Josiah is at mentally right now while staying true to his history. He’s currently operating in the shadows, but he’s still a byproduct of his time as America’s forgotten super soldier, so there’s elements of his old costume from The Crew integrated into what’s essentially a covert-ops suit. Pieces of his old chainmail are underneath his vest as additional bulletproof armor, and his old bandana is under his Kevlar mask as a reminder of who he is. Evan noted that Josiah should also wear the colors of Red, Gold, Black and Green just as proudly as he wore the Red, White and Blue, so we made sure to integrate that into his costume as well. I really hope what we’ve done resonates with fans.”

See Josiah X in Clarke’s issue #3 cover and design sheet