Marvel's Captain America is famous for his strength, determination, and the super-soldier serum that corses through his veins - but up until very recently, it held no name aside from a simple descriptive term. That has changed with the release of Captain America: Symbol of Truth #2, in which Sam Wilson as Captain America tracks down what he initially believes is a supply of the serum. The serum gets an updated name at last - and Deadpool, of all people, gives it an actually fitting name.
In previous comic continuity, Steve Rogers lost his powers and aged rapidly thanks to the super-soldier serum wearing down. Thus, Sam Wilson took over the mantle of Captain America in 2014. When Steve Rogers returned to full strength, both characters operated as Captain America - and in Captain America #0, they agreed there would be no asterisk next to either of their names as they decided to equally share the name. Rogers became the Sentinel of Liberty and Wilson became the Symbol of Truth - but for all intents and purposes, both are Captain America and are referred to as such.
In Captain America: Symbol of Truth #2, written by Tochi Onyebuchi with art by R.B. Silva, Sam Wilson pursues a cargo purportedly containing a key component for the super-soldier serum (but he was mistaken, and the cargo was actual people). Deadpool, teaming up with Captain America, muses that the name is overly-convoluted. "There's gotta be a faster way of saying that," he says. "Like, I dunno, Triple-S or something." Sam agrees and refers to the serum as Triple-S.
It is admittedly odd that the super-solder serum has not already gained a different name in the 80 years since the release of Captain America Comics #1. There are plenty of other body and mind-enhancing drugs and other substances in the Marvel Universe with odd yet memorable names: the X-Men's Banshee, the Inhuman's Terrigen Mists, the Heart-Shaped Herb, Shade, Black Lotus and much more. Deadpool may be a comic relief, but he does point out an annoying aspect of the super-solder serum: it's far too much of a mouthful to say, either during battle or simple expository scenes.
It's highly unlikely that the "Triple-S" moniker will continue outside of the Captain America line of comics, unless Deadpool - who remembers all continuities - constantly reminds others about the new name. The name rolls off the tongue, especially when compared to the old name, and it's far more catchy than the clinical "super-soldier serum." Captain America and Deadpool make for an odd pairing, but at least the latter can point out all the idiosyncrasies about the franchise - including the source of Steve Rogers' power.
