Superhero's death stuns the faithful

He first appeared in March 1941, punching out Adolf Hitler on the cover of a brand-new comic book. Ever since then, attired in a red, white , and blue uniform and armed only with a shield, he fought for liberty and justice, not unlike that guy with the cape.

But Captain America is no more.

When fans yesterday opened the comic book that bears his name, they discovered a shocking development: Captain America had been cut down by a sniper . His sudden death prompted a run on comic-book stores by fans hoping to snap up a potential collector's item -- and also triggered considerable consternation among some devotees of the stout-hearted superhero.

"I didn't like it when they did it to Superman, and I am no fan of it now that they have done it to Captain America," a fan who called himself "Union Jack" wrote on an Internet message board devoted to the character. Another asked plaintively: "Is it true? If so, then I think my days of buying comics have officially come to an end." Some fans accused Marvel Comics of killing him off as a publicity stunt. Is this a reprise of "The Death of Superman" in 1993, which eventually led to the return of Superman?