Captain America #23 reverses a seven year plotline for a major supporting character, ushering them into an exciting new era.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Captain America #23 by Ta-Nehsi Coates, Bob Quinn, Matt Milla, and VC’s Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
For years now, Sharon Carter has been significantly older than she should be, as she aged rapidly in Dimension Z. Captain America #23 finally reverses that side effect, effectively restoring her youth.
During this arc, it was revealed that Selene Gallio, a member of the Power Elite, had stolen a piece of Sharon’s soul. As part of the Power Elite, Selene was also part of a plan to frame Steve Rogers for murder, something the Daughters of Liberty were able to disprove. In Captain America #23 Sharon Carter dons the Iron Patriot armor and fights Selene in a climactic battle.
The issue opens with Sharon monologuing about how she is far older than she used to be, musing about what it’s like to age. She says that her youth wasn’t lived, but rather “stolen,” referencing the happenings in Dimension Z. In 2013’s Captain America #10 by Rick Remender and John Romita Jr. Sharon appeared to die by sacrificing herself to stop Arnim Zola.
It was later revealed that Sharon hadn’t actually died, but rather was living in Dimension Z, where time passed faster than in the regular world. This caused Sharon to age rapidly, using her time trapped to raise Ian Zola as her own child. When Zola returned to attack New York, Falcon and Jet Black discovered that Sharon was alive in Remender and Carlos Pacheco’s Captain America #23. In the next issue, she was returned to the regular world via her son, Ian Zola –now going by Ian Rogers.
Throughout Coates’ current run, Sharon has spoken about how that event changed her and how she coped with aging so much while the rest of the world stayed still around her. She helped found the new generation of the Daughters of Liberty, a secret society of powerful women whose origins date back centuries. She also discovered that her aunt Peggy was alive. During issue #22 of Coates’ run, she finally donned the Iron Patriot suit, getting back into the fight.
After her battle with Selene, Shuri restores the souls of all the victims Selene took –including Sharon Carter. As a result, Sharon reverts back to her pre-Dimension Z age.