Marvel Is Finally Done Ignoring This Founding Young Avengers Hero
Warning: Contains Spoilers for Sam Wilson: Captain America #4!
A Young Avengersalum is making a grand superhero comeback in the pages of Marvel Comics, with the hero set to take on a more prominent role in Captain Americalore. Elijah Bradley’s Patriot was one of the founding Young Avengers members, but he’s rarely appeared since leaving the teen team after Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. However, one series is officially bringing him out of retirement in a big way.
The preview for Sam Wilson: Captain America #4, written by Greg Pak and Evan Narcisse with art by Chris Campana and Jonas Trindade, sees Eli working to track down his uncle since he’s been missing for weeks on a mission. With help from his fellow Young Avenger, Wiccan, Eli Bradley reunites with his uncle and joins the fight against Eaglestar Industries alongside Captain America.
Eli’s return to superhero life was teased back in the limited series’ first issue, and that promise is finally being fulfilled as he’s brought into the action to help take down the sinister forces behind Skydream.
Patriot Makes a Super Return to Rescue Captain America
Sam Wilson: Captain America #4 by Greg Pak, Evan Narcisse, Chris Campana, Jonas Trindade, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and VC’s Joe Caramagna
After years of being largely ignored and even outright replaced as Patriot, Eli Bradley’s Marvel Comics comeback is finally in full swing as he joins Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Sam’s cousin Billie, Falcon, and Shadow Soldier in a high-stakes battle against an evil corporation. Since his superhero retirement, the character has only shown up here and there, rarely actually fighting and sometimes just supporting his former Young Avengers teammates, like his appearance at the wedding of Wiccan and Hulkling. Eli’s most official return came in a story in Marvel’s Voices: Legends from 2024, followed by his role in Cap’s series.
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Eli Bradley didn't get his originally-planned MCU debut, but comics have given the Young Avengers' leader a new Black Panther connection.
Back in Sam Wilson: Captain America #1, by Pak and Narcisse with art by Eder Messias, Sam and his cousin attended a superhero cookout that doubled as a birthday party for Isaiah Bradley, a former and iconic Captain America. Eli was there to celebrate his grandfather, and it was revealed then that War Machine had been helping him ease back into the superhero game. The preview for Sam Wilson: Captain America #4 finally integrates him into the series' larger plot, with Patriot being teleported into the mission to free all of Eaglestar's victims and reunite with Josiah X.
After Years on the Sidelines, Eli’s Marvel Comeback is Finally Here
The Bradley Family Is Getting a Renewed Focus in Captain America Lore
While Sam Wilson: Captain America is centered around Sam’s version of Cap, the limited series has also done a wonderful job of incorporating the Bradley family more into his adventure. Not only is Eli finally getting his due, but his super-powered uncle Josiah X has also made a pretty grand return after disappearing in the comics for years, and he’s even taken on the cool new codename Shadow Soldier. Eli and Josiah’s superhero comebacks are long overdue, and the series has also provided a much-needed update on the family’s current dynamics after their complicated history in the comics.
Aside from the real family reunions, the preview mentioning Wiccan might also be officially teasing a reunion of the team that both he and Patriot debuted on. Still, if the young heroes aren’t getting back together anytime soon, it seems that there have been and still are plenty of stories to tell about Eli Bradley, either with his family or as a newly redefined solo hero. Although the Young Avengers are yet to have a full-blown comeback, Marvel is finally making the most of Eli Bradley’s Patriot by bringing him further into the fold of currentCaptain Americacomics.
Sam Wilson: Captain America #4will be available April 16, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
