Captain America is Marvel’s greatest icon, no matter who wears red, white, and blue. Launched in 1941 and created by legends Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Cap took fledgling comic book publisher Timely and turned it into a marvel. In the decades since, Cap has taken his rightful place at the forefront of the Marvel Universe, the beacon of freedom for all.
While Marvel hasn’t always treated Captain America the best way, the publisher has gone to great lengths to improve the character. Cap is always growing and evolving, a living, breathing icon striving to exemplify the best in the United States.
ten The First Secret Empire Script Showed Captain America Wasn’t Afraid to Talk About Current Events
The United States is a complicated place, and some people think Captain America exists to shine a rosy light on it. It is not the case at all. The biggest indication of this comes from the classic “Secret Empire” story of Captain America and the Falcon, by writers Mike Friedrich and Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema.
“Secret Empire” served as a commentary on the Watergate era and demonstrated that Cap wasn’t above talking about the world today. It also revealed that he could become as disillusioned as anyone else, leading to an unprecedented new era of Captain America stories.
9 Mark Waid and Ron Garney saved Captain America in the 90s
Captain America and the Avengers weren’t so hot in the ’90s. The publisher dropped the ball with Avengers stories like “The Crossing” but Captain America fared much better. Captain America #444, by writer Mark Waid and artist Ron Garney, kicked off a fan-favorite run that rekindled interest in the Star-Spangled Avenger.
The team’s first title run was cut short by the disastrous heroes reborn storyline, but both later returned. Waid and Garney took a character on the verge of becoming stale and breathed new life into it.
8 Ed Brubaker and artists Steve Epting and Mike Perkins created an exciting cap in the mid-2000s
The early 2000s weren’t as bad for Cap as the 90s, but the Star-Spangled Avenger didn’t break any records. That all changed when writer Ed Brubaker and artists Steve Epting and Mike Perkins revived Captain America in 2005. This particular team was known for the epic that reintroduced Bucky Barnes to the Marvel Universe as the Winter Soldier, a story that captivated readers.
Brubaker, Epting, and Perkins were pretty much the perfect team to work on Captain America. Their stories were spy-tinged superhero stories, and they recontextualized how fans viewed Cap and his adventures. Their run is an all-time great, one that has made Cap and his stories intriguing again.
seven The creators rarely turned the cap into a simple jingoist caricature
Captain America is often misunderstood. Some assume the character is a thoughtless patriot, someone who just thinks America is great and that’s all there is to it. This is far from the truth. Cap is very critical of the United States and keeps them on a higher level.
Captain America is the best kind of patriot. He loves his country while realizing that it is flawed and needs more work to keep its promise. The creators have always diverted Cap from being a simple jingoistic character. Instead, they give it more nuance, using it to question the direction of the country as often as possible.
6 Reintroduce Cap in The Avengers to put him back in the spotlight
The Avengers was a huge success for Silver Age Marvel. The book combined their greatest heroes and became very popular among readers. This greatly influenced Cap’s perception when he was reintroduced into the pages of The Avengers #4, by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. He immediately showed readers how important he was and helped redefine the Avengers.
With Kirby as a creative force at Marvel in the ’60s, it was only a matter of time before his co-creation returned. Doing so in the pages of one of the publisher’s most popular books was a stroke of genius. He introduced young readers to a legend and simultaneously revised Cap’s story, a development that led to great stories down the road.
5 Making Cap Director Of SHIELD Post-Dark Reign Showed His Versatility
Directors of SHIELD are very varied, as different in quality as they are in turnover. Captain America worked alongside the agency through its permutations over the years, but was often too straight forward for an organization that spies as much as it saves.
That’s why it was such a surprise when Cap was given control of SHIELD after Dark Reign. Seeing Steve Rogers take over the agency turned out to be a turning point that few expected. And although it seemed strange at first, it worked well in the long run. This narrative choice allowed readers to see Steve outside of the context of his Captain America mantle and paved the way for the stellar Secret Avengers.
4 The battle between Steve Rogers and Johnny Walker revealed what Captain America was meant to be
Steve Rogers had dropped the mantle of Captain America many times, but the definition for years was when Johnny Walker was chosen to replace him. Rogers and Walker were very different people and their approach to the Captain America mantle proved it. Walker’s time as Cap revealed how the mantle could become flawed when treated through a simplistic view of patriotism.
Walker’s violence as he donned the mantle of Captain America often stemmed from his American power making it the right way to see the world. Highlighting Walker’s flaws revealed what kind of hero Captain America should be and how easy it could be for someone to pervert the ideals symbolized by the mantle.
3 Bucky’s time as a cap showed readers what a cap a soldier could be
Bucky Barnes’ return to Captain America’s life has him stepping back into the role of his former mentor, a huge accomplishment for the former sidekick-turned-brainwashed assassin. Fans used to see Cap as a perfect leader, so when a morally compromised soldier took over, it led to an intriguing era of Captain America stories.
Bucky didn’t jump into a place of authority because he was Cap; he did what he did best. Bucky was a soldier and his mentor was one too. Bucky fought alongside the Avengers, but he never led them. It was a different take on Cap and one that led to new stories.
2 Sam Wilson’s time as Captain America showed the cap was more than meets the eye
Sam Wilson was an accomplished hero before becoming Captain America. He stepped into big shoes and proved that you didn’t have to be a famous WWII hero to be a successful Cap. All they needed was the right attitude and the willingness to work hard. Sam didn’t have a super soldier serum; he had the shield and the wings, that was all he needed.
Sam Wilson’s time as Captain America was ruined by the eventual return of Steve Rogers and the rise of secret empire, but the promise the character showed inspired readers. Marvel realized this and Sam picked up the slack, proving there’s more to Cap than meets the eye.
1 Steve Rogers demonstrated the nuance of heroism
Steve Rogers has done it all. He made the Captain America mantle what it is today, and he did it in a unique way. Steve Rogers demonstrated that there’s more to being a hero than knocking out all the bad guys. Steve was a leader, an inspiration and a character who proved that heroism was as nuanced as red, white and blue.
The creators used Captain America to explore what it really means to be a hero. While there are many stories where Cap triumphs effortlessly, there are others that depict him struggling with who he is and what he does. It’s one of the reasons Steve Rogers remains a beloved character.
