Alas, female hearts will break nationwide Wednesday afternoon.

That's when Captain America will get married, in Pekin.

Captain America — yes, that's his real name — is 26 and lives in East Peoria. He will wed Amanda Gosnell, 28, of Pekin. The ceremony will be at the Tazewell County Courthouse, where he will not appear in a star-spangle outfit like the eponymous superhero, just a nice shirt and pants.

Moreover, they'd planned for no notoriety at all — just another day in the life of Captain America — until I noticed their marriage announcement in Monday's paper.

It's no gag. And it's no Halloween get-up. He is Captain America for a reason: He plans to save the nation.

No, really.

Like the fictional Captain America, a.k.a Steve Rogers, the local Cap had another identity: Mark Anderson. But three years ago, he had an epiphany: He would run for office to help the United States. Whereas "Mark Anderson" might sound ho-hum to voters, "Captain America" would spark attention — which would be necessary, considering his lofty ambitions.

"I figured I should be president," he says nonchalantly between classes at Illinois Central College. "I think the name will stick out on ballots."

Did he consider any other names of heroes? Batman? Iron Man? Ant Man? (OK, maybe not Ant Man). Superman?

"I like all superheroes," he says. "Captain America was just the first one that came to mind."

So, he filled out legal paperwork, went to court, paid $250 in fees and became Captain America. The process wasn't as dramatic as the transformation via super-soldier serum in the comic books and movies, but it got the job done.

He sometimes gets odd looks because of the name, such as when a teacher calls attendance in class. To that, he just shrugs. After all, it's all part of his help-the-country plan.

Of course, he can't become president until he turns 35. But he has other ideas to work on until then.

A nursing student, he says he has been studying several sexually transmitted diseases. He believes he has conjured a cure for several of them.

"It was just simple mathematics and an understanding of antibiotics," he says.

He hasn't shared his secret with any public-health officials — "just people in my own circle," he says — but he would gladly relay his calculations and formulas to the U.S. government. Then government-backed researchers and scientists could mass produce the cure, which not only could help Americans but be sold overseas.

"That way, the federal government could pay off the debt," he says.

I'm no doctor or economist, so I'm not fit to judge his proposal. But, in all seriousness, you have to appreciate anyone seeking to improve American life.

Wednesday, though, Captain America will be seeking to improve his own life. At 1 p.m. before a judge in Pekin, Amanda Gosnell will become Amanda Gosnell-America. She is looking forward to being Mrs. Captain America.

"The name just stands out," she says, beaming.

His first challenge will be as Captain Dad: She has four children, ages 4, 5, 5 and 9. But they plan to make the household even bigger.

"If all goes as planned," she says, "we're going to have 12 together."

Sounds like Captain America is going to have his own little team of Avengers. A big family will need dedicated parents, but the two — though they started dating just four months ago — say they can face anything together. They've already been tested.

See, Gosnell was introduced to Captain America by an ex-girlfriend, who apparently got jealous when the pair became an item.

"She got real mad," he says with a sheepish smile. "She hit me in the head with a brick."

But he shook it off, because he's Captain America. And he and Gosnell moved on, ready for a bright future.

As for the name, he is considering just one change. He'd like to adopt the middle name of "Live Forever," becoming "Captain Live Forever America."

Why?

"I want to live forever," he says with a grin. "But it doesn't seem very likely."

Well, until Monday, I would've said it wouldn't seem very likely that Captain America would get married in Pekin, Ill. But here we area.

I wish them the best of luck. And if The Avengers crash the reception, I hope The Hulk doesn't get out of hand.

PHIL LUCIANO can be reached at pluciano@pjstar.com, facebook.com/philluciano and (309)686-3155. Follow him on Twitter.com/LucianoPhil.