With the launch of Marvel Comics in 1961 and its subsequent assent to its lofty position in the industry, one of the rules laid down by Lee in those early days was that a specific handful of characters were to be considered permanently dead. While it may seem like the recent proliferation of “event” stories has driven this notion, it’s actually been that way for virtually the entire history of superhero comics. Heroes and villains alike (though mostly villains) are “killed” all the time, but only stay that way until a new story or new writer or new editor demands their return. It has long been the conventional wisdom of comic books that no character is dead forever. The same blast, the story showed, had killed young Bucky Barnes. He concocted a story, illustrated by Kirby, in which a bomb explosion had catapulted an unconscious Steve Rogers into icy waters and eventually a bizarre suspended animation.
The revival lasted only three issues ( Captain America Comics #76-78) and would later serve as the basis for a storyline that explained the commie-smashing Cap of that era as a pretender to the name (that Cap’s “Bucky” would eventually become the hero Nomad).Īfter Marvel has successfully launched characters such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man and others, writer-editor Stan Lee decided to revive Captain America in the pages of Avengers #4.
In 1954, Atlas Comics (Timely’s successor and Marvel Comics’ predecessor) brought Captain America back. The scarce last two issues ran under the title Captain America’s Weird Tales and were basically standard horror anthologies. With his teenage sidekick Bucky Barnes, he battled the forces of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, and he found an arch-nemesis in the form of the Red Skull.įollowing the war, as sales of superhero comics plummeted, Captain America Comics met its end in cancelation in 1950. He volunteered for a secret project and was injected with a super soldier serum. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, he was by no means the first patriotic superhero (Archie’s The Shield was months ahead of him), but he was the one with the most lasting impact.Ĭaptain America was Steve Rogers, a young man who was desperate to serve his nation and yet who was rejected from military service for being unfit. Through trends and transitions, Captain America has maintained his position among Marvel’s most valuable and loved heroes.Ĭaptain America first appeared in Timely Comics’ Captain America Comics #1 in the months leading up to World War II. He has been a consummate team leader across Marvel titles and reached new heights of visibility outside of comics thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and Chris Evans’ never say die performances. He outlived the more gimmicky patriotic wartime characters, endured when superhero titles temporarily lost their foothold in comics, and when Marvel entered a period of fruitful creation, Captain America was updated and brought along for the ride. In the years since, Captain America has maintained and grown his reach as one of Marvel’s flagship characters. Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, represented the pinnacle of bravery and devotion to stopping those villains – real or created. The first wave of superheroes faced not only the burgeoning comic book villains but also real and fictitious figures among the Axis powers and Nazi regime.
Since Captain America was introduced in March 1941 he has become the quintessential patriotic hero.
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