| Arnie Roth | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Arnie_Roth.png) Arnie in Captain America #270 (June 1982) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First comic appearance | Captain America #268 (April 1982) |
| Created by | J. M. DeMatteis & Mike Zeck |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Arnold "Arnie" Roth |
| Place of origin | New York City |
| Team affiliations | Avengers Support Crew |
| Supporting character of | Captain America |
Arnold "Arnie" Roth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Zeck and first appeared in Captain America #268, published in April 1982. Arnie is a childhood friend of Steve Rogers, the civilian identity of the costumed superhero Captain America. Decades later, the pair are reacquainted after Arnie is targeted by Captain America's adversaries Helmut Zemo and the Red Skull. Later in his life, Arnie would assist with the "Captain America Hotline" created to field tips pertaining to national security before dying of bone cancer.
Arnie was the first openly gay character to appear in a mainstream superhero comic. The character was conceived by DeMatteis as part of his effort to develop Captain America's supporting cast and explore how the character "had surrounded himself with people who represented American diversity", though as a result of editorial dictates at Marvel and the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority, DeMatteis was forced to communicate Arnie's sexuality exclusively through imagery and subtext. Though the tragic bent of stories featuring the character has been the subject of criticism, he has been praised as a positive media representation of gay men in the context of a 1980s media landscape characterized by homophobia and backlash against gay men amid the HIV/AIDS crisis.