Captain America came face-to-face with Galactus and his shield deflected a cosmic blast, indicating he’s much stronger than you think.
Fans often speculate about the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe, but there’s definitive evidence that Captain America the shield is strong enough to face Galactus. Proof of this will be found in What if…? #70. The issue was written by Chuck Dixon and illustrated by Joe Barney, Don Hudson, Michael Kraiger.
The issue’s premise revisits Galactus’ attempt to devour the Earth. In this sequence of events, Silver Surfer actually betrays the Fantastic Four and steals the Ultimate Nullifier, giving it to Galactus instead. With Earth’s destruction almost a certainty, the Fantastic Four retreat to a bomb shelter in the Baxter building. The audience explodes in an uproar as they are locked in as the world comes to an end. Before the doors close, however, Ben Grimm convinces Johnny Storm to rescue Alicia Masters.
As the Fantastic Four go into hiding, it’s up to the Avengers to step in and try to defeat Galactus. Iron Man’s repulsor blasts have no effect and Galactus makes quick work of him. The Wasp and Giant-Man weren’t much help either. After Hawkeye fires an unnecessary arrow, Galactus gets fed up and blasts the remaining Avengers away. Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch are vaporized instantly. However, Captain America is able to deflect the blast using his shield. He doesn’t do it easily, however, as it always seems like a struggle.
Fans know that Captain America’s shield isn’t indestructible. It has been scratched, cracked and broken many times. A good example is when the Serpent broke Cap’s shield in the fear each other scenario. One possible explanation is that the Serpent was a God and that his power stemmed primarily from magic, to which the Shield was vulnerable. In contrast, Galactus’ Power Cosmic is energy-based, which the shield can be more resistant to. The same could apply to physical attacks, as Thor is also known to damage the shield.
Regardless of the exact science behind the reason, this problem proves that it is possible. It’s also not an alternate dimension of Captain America with a different or unique type of shield. It’s still the mainstream Marvel Universe, which just diverged at a different time. This means that the Cap shield currently in use can also have this power. At first glance, fans would probably guess that wouldn’t be possible, but maybe there should be an updated battle between Captain America and Galactus just to remind them.
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