Captain America has had some iconic looks over the years, and his Tron-inspired variant is one of the coolest – but his shield just doesn’t make sense.
Over the years, Marvel Comics Captain America donned some pretty iconic looks. With 80 years of publishing history, it’s no surprise that some of these different costumes are a bit more functional than others. And although Captain America TRON The variant combination is by far one of his most interesting designs, it’s also his least practical – at least when it comes to his signature shield.
Along with other characters like Wolverine, Quicksilver or Iron Man, Steve Rogers was one of the many characters to receive a TRON-inspired update in 2010 in anticipation of Disney’s tron the legacy. Drawn in pencil by Mark Brooks, the variant cover of Captain America #612 by Ed Brubaker, Sean McKeever and Butch Guice pioneered the digitized design of Cap. And although it only appears in this one variant cover, it has undoubtedly earned its place as one of Steve’s coolest costumes.
True to the TRON theme, this costume replaces Cap’s signature red, white, and blue with a darker, sleeker black design with white and red neon encrusted throughout. The suit is still unmistakably Captain America, but it’s clear that this version of Steve Rogers would be right at home in the grid. The major change comes in the form of Captain America’s shield design, which features large gaps around the central star. While the design is clearly inspired by Tron’s famous Identity Discs and undoubtedly pulls the whole look together, the changes to the shield have a lot more impact than viewers initially realize.
Steve Rogers – and Captain America’s mantle in general – is about protecting those unable to protect themselves. By including these gaps to replicate Tron’s Identity Discs, this upgrade turns the shield into an offensive weapon while sacrificing its defensive capabilities. And in doing so, he subverts everything Captain America stands for because it’s not like a shield with gaps that will be as effective when it comes to protecting the innocent.
This look may have only appeared on one variant cover, but its existence still raises many questions about its practicality or longevity. After all, not all superhero costumes have to be practical – just look at Emma Frost. But when upgrading a look as iconic as Captain America’s shield, it can have some pretty big implications on the character as a whole.
With a standard shield or not, Steve Rogers will never be one to back down from a fight. But practical or not, this TRON variant is definitely one of Captain America’s coolest looks. What if Marvel Comics’ Sentinel of Liberty ever upgrades to a more TRON– inspiration wardrobe, Captain America fans might be in for a major visual treat – even if his iconic shield doesn’t quite work the same way.
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