I wouldn't say he's never been messed with... Remember Capwolf?

All kidding aside, with any big character change it's always clear that at some point the status quo will either return, or new tales of the character in their past glory days will continue to be made in the form of "flashback" type series. As long as the new twist or plot brings a well done and engaging story with it, I'm totally fine!
Likewise I try to enjoy each story arc on it's own and not get too involved with the greater continuity because that is where my frustration lies. No storyline brings any real changes to the current Marvel Universe because they move from massive event to massive event far too rapidly, not taking the time to explore the aftermath of each cataclysm and give the world and characters a chance to breathe.
I only read the first couple issues of the new Cap series so far, where the shock turn first occurred. I need to do some catching up on the whole storyline but overall I've heard it's been creatively handled pretty well. Thanks for your thoughts on it!