Ever the picture of responsible and fair reporting, Fox News has once again demonstrated a complete lack of self-awareness.

On Oct. 18, a “Fox and Friends” segment criticized the first issue of the new Captain America comic book series, “Captain America: Sam Wilson,” for “targeting conservatives.”  

Many know Sam Wilson as “The Falcon,” longtime partner of the original Captain America, Steve Rogers. Rogers lost the “super serum” that gave him his superheroic abilities, causing him to age as he normally would have without it. As an old man, Rogers is unable to perform his duties as Captain America and passes his shield to Wilson.

To summarize the comic, Wilson has a run-in with a supervillain group known as “The Sons of the Serpent,” a supremacist group originating from issue #32 of “The Avengers” in the 1960s who violently oppose all racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, much like the real-life Ku Klux Klan.

The Sons of the Serpent were attempting to attack a group of Mexican immigrants illegally crossing the United States border, prompting Wilson to defend them.

Of course, Fox and Friends tried to spin the story to stir as much controversy as possible.  Saying that the Serpent members are merely “American[s] who have misgivings about unlimited illegal immigration and the costs associated with it. And that, according to the comic book, is evil.”

Having misgivings is one thing, but attempted murder is quite another, no matter your political stance.  And not only that, Wilson wasn’t even there with the intent to defend illegal immigrants to begin with. The Sons of the Serpent were the likeliest suspect in Wilson’s investigation of a missing boy, an actual American citizen.

Ironically, Fox has decided to do writer Nick Spencer’s work for him by demonstrating one of the very points the comic was attempting to make.

Earlier in the issue, Wilson decided to hold a preference where he discussed his own political beliefs with the public.  He stated that “…as far as politics went – he [Rogers] played it close to the vest,” which Wilson felt he was unable to do.

The reader is not given the specifics of what Wilson had to say at this press conference, rather, the point is the media reaction that followed – the fictional headlines included “Cap versus the Constitution,” “Sam Wilson: Captain Anti-America,” and “Sam Wilson: hand in your shield!”

Fox has just done what the comic was really criticizing: a biased modern news media that will sensationalize, villainize, make a circus out of, and take out of context anything that will bring in a greater viewership.

If that involves identifying and sympathizing with an analogue of the KKK, it really is time for our news media to reevaluate their priorities and for readers and viewers to demand better.