Post by Captain America on Sept 14, 2013 18:40:13 GMT -5
Bio is from ComicVine.
Super Name: Captain America
Real Name: Steven Rogers
Aliases:
Steve Rogers
The Sentinel of Liberty
Super-Soldier Star-Spangled Avenger
The Nomad
The Living Legend
The Captain
Top Cop of America
Weapon I
Brett Hendrick
Buck Jones
Yeoman America
Expatriate
Crossbones
Nathan Hale
Anthony Schwarz
Roger G
Publisher: Marvel
Creators
Jack Kirby
Joe Simon
Gender: Male
Character Type: Human
First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 - Meet Captain America
Appears in: 7008 issues
Birthday: July 04, 1920
Died:
Captain America #25 - The Death Of The Dream
Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 - With Great Power...
The Avengers #177 - The Hope and the Slaughter
The Infinity Gauntlet #4 - Cosmic Battle on the Edge of the Universe
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11 - ...And Dust to Dust!
Personal Information
Physical Attributes
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Status
Identity: Publicly known
Occupation: "Top Cop" of America, adventurer; former public works artist, special SHIELD operative, freelance illustrator, police officer, history teacher, sparring partner, soldier, WPA artist
Citizenship: U.S.A.
Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Education: High school graduate; one year of art school; military basic training; private tutoring in hand-to-hand combat, gymnastics, military strategy, piloting, demolition, and other disciplines
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Steven Rogers (Captain America, ancestor, deceased), Joseph and Sarah Rogers (parents, deceased)
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Super-Soldier Serum
In the beginning the Super-Soldier Serum increased his body to the physical peak of human potential or rather the next step in human evolution (though still a non-mutant). He is as strong, fast, durable and agile as any human could one day be - and his strength is referred to as being preternatural. His reflexes have also been increased to peak human potential and are nearly instantaneous (he is also capable of 'seeing faster' - enabling him to dodge bullets). He has run a mile in roughly a minute and can bench-press up to 1100 pounds. He also has uncanny accuracy, being able to hit multiple targets with a single throw of his shield, and having enough marksmanship to turn a lighter on and off through a shield throw alone.
Another major enhancement provided is the serum prevents the build-up of fatigue poisons in his muscles. This means he effectively never tires, making it possible for him to perform at his maximum ability when doing anything physical for an extraordinary length of time. However Captain America has displayed feats that would appear to be far outside the limits of a human. One of Captain Americas most recent durability feats is him surviving a 200ft fall on top of a car from an airplane and he suffered no discomfort. Steve's enhancement has also survived building falls and major explosions.
The serum also enhances his constitution, making him immune or highly resistant to many diseases and increasing the speed at which he heals from injuries and recuperates from illness. The serum is constantly being replenished by his body down to a cellular level.
Abilities
Cap is a master of a small number of martial arts and has developed his own fighting-style which melds jujitsu, boxing, judo, karate, pressure points, all-terrain acrobatics and the use of his shield. He is also able to learn how to use most weapons quickly, as Beast has described Cap of being capable of mastering any weapon in seconds. He has used chi manipulation and many other techniques. He is a quick learner and learns these skills fast.
He is an expert with his signature shield. He can hit multiple throws by calculating ricochets. His aim is top-notch.
Cap is also a great leader, field commander, and tactician. He led the Avengers for a long time, and his great experience makes him a seasoned commander on the battlefield. He also creates the plans for the Avengers, and has a great fighting spirit.
He is an expert in reading codes, maps, and doing other military-related skills. He speaks English, German, Russian, Japanese, and some Italian.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Captain America is usually seen with his Captain America armor that is bullet proof and is red, white, and blue. His costume covers up everything except his nose, mouth, and ears. He also has wings on the side of his mask and has a shield in which he always carries around but after giving it to Bucky Barnes, has got a new costume and weapon.
The suit he wears is water and fire retardant. It is made out of Kevlar and titanium. It provides resistance to impacts and electrical shocks. There is a communicator in the costume.
Origin
After the outbreak of World War II in Europe, a young American patriot named Steve Rogers wanted to serve his country by joining the United States Army. When he attempted to enlist Steve was rejected, due to his skinny, anemic physique, and was classified 4-F. However, he garnered the attention of certain people including scientist Doctor Abraham Erskine who was searching for suitable volunteers/test subjects for a top secret experimental program designed to create an army of Super-Soldiers. As a result of Operation: Rebirth, Steve Rogers gained speed, strength, flexibility, endurance and agility of nearly superhuman levels. These heightened abilities coupled with his unwavering courage and “never say die” attitude eventually made him Captain America, a living legend.
For information on the Captain America that substituted for Steve Rogers when the latter apparently "died" in 2007 see the Bucky Barnes character page.
Creation
Captain America was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a response to the booming popularity of patriotically-themed super heroes in the 1940's. Though it was rare for any character, let alone a new one, to get a self-named title in those days, he debuted in Captain America Comics #1 (March,1941). He was depicted fighting Adolph Hitler himself on the cover even though the United States had not yet entered World War II and wouldn't for another 9 months. Debuting along with Captain America in this comic was his teenage partner Bucky, and his arch-enemy the Red Skull. This issue sold nearly one million copies and Captain America soon became Marvel's best-selling character.
"Cap" (the nickname he came to affectionately be called) spent World War II punching, kicking and defeating Nazis, Japanese, and other Axis members. In addition to help from Bucky, he battled the Axis forces alongside other Marvel (Timely) stalwarts: the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch. Simon and Kirby did ten issues before leaving Timely to work for DC. When the war eventually ended, superheroes fell out of favor and comics sales declined. Captain America Comics was printed up to issue #75, but by then it had become a horror book and soon ended.
Captain America was revived by one of his original co-creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee during 1964 in issue #4 of the Avengers. This was the start of Cap as we know him. He became an instant hit and was soon leading the Avengers. A short time later he shared and co-headlined a comic called "Tales of Suspense" along with fellow Avenger Iron Man. He has since become one of the cornerstones of the Marvel Universe and even transcended comics becoming a true American icon. Additionally, Captain America has been recreated many times over the years in comics featuring stories that take place in alternate universes. One of the most well-known alternate universe versions of Captain America is in the Ultimate Universe.
Major Story Arcs
The War
On July 4, 1920, Steven Rogers was born to a pair of Irish immigrants. Steve was always a courageous kid as well as a diligent student, but he wasn't very athletic and he was quiet and introverted,because he was so skinny. Although he would eventually grow to 6'2, he was scrawny and weak, always last in athletic games (much like one Peter Parker, that would be born much later). A target for bullies as he grew up, he was protected by his best friend Arnie Roth, and, on at least one occasion, by neighborhood tough-guy Duvid Fortunov. Though it wasn't apparent at the time, he possessed fierce loyalty, a courageous fighting spirit and a noble heart. Knowing he had no future in athletics, Steve majored in fine arts and was an exceptionally talented artist specializing in illustration.
His life changed, though, when the Axis forces sweep across Europe starting World War II. Seeing their atrocities on newsreels, Rogers becomes convinced they need to be fought and that the European war would soon pull America into the conflict, inspiring him to enlist in the U.S. armed forces to fight against the Axis forces.
Becoming Captain America
When he tried to join the U.S. military Steve was immediately rejected due to him being physically too skinny and classified as "4-F." Steve was puny and didn't even come close to passing the mandatory physical exam for induction, although he wanted with all his life to serve his country, he was rejected and stamped out. It seemed there was nothing he could do. He eventually made an impression on the Army recruiters and trainers, however, when he convinced them just how desperately he wanted to do his part, and how it was his dream to fight for America against the Axis powers. Steve caught the attention of an officer who was looking for men to volunteer as test subjects for an experimental program which was part of a top-secret defense plan known to only a dozen men or less. The experimental program was called Operation: Rebirth. The plan was to create physically superior soldiers with a new serum dubbed the Super-Soldier Formula. If it worked, it would make ordinary men into super soldiers. They would become perfect physical beings; possessing strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and recuperative powers that bordered near the upper limits of human evolutionary potential.
After a rigorous process to choose a suitable candidate, Steve Rogers was chosen to be the first man whom the Super Soldier Serum would be administered to. It was Dr. Abraham Erskine who had developed the process, and it was he who administered it to Rogers. Rogers was injected with the Super Soldier Serum and was then bathed in Vita-Rays which activated and stabilized the serum's chemicals in his system.
The process worked perfectly; Steve Rogers' entire physical being was boosted to the maximum of human potential and efficiency. In addition, he virtually doubled in size as millions of new cells were created almost instantaneously. His muscle strength, flexibility and reflexes improved to the peak of human potential. Steve marveled, he had become the ultimate specimen of human physical power and ability as all weakness and deficiencies drained from his body. Just then, a Nazi spy burst in with a gun. He cried "Hail Hitler" and shot Erskine through the head. In order to keep Nazi spies from obtaining it, Erskine hadn't written down the serum's ingredients, along with much of the procedure, having instead committed it to memory. Therefore the secret of the Super Soldier Serum died with him. Steve Rogers would be the only Super-Soldier. He chased after and caught the Nazi spy who'd assassinated Erskine and broke his neck, killing him. He then vowed to use his power to fight the enemies of America and become a symbol of freedom.
The U.S government, disappointed at the loss of their planned super soldier army was determined to use Rogers to his fullest potential. To this end, they decided to use him as a superhero to fight the Nazis; to become a symbol of freedom and hope against Nazi forces as well as a counter-intelligence agent. He also would be their answer to and main weapon against the leader of the Nazi terrorist operations - the Red Skull. The U.S. Government gave him a costume based on the American flag, an unbreakable shield (given to him by President Franklin Roosevelt), a sidearm, and the name Captain America. From that point on, Steve Rogers was Captain America. A short time later he was stationed on an army base in Virginia serving as Private Steve Rogers.
While there he continued his extensive training and was deployed several times both domestically and abroad on covert missions. When on base as private, Steve purposely developed a persona and reputation as a clumsy soon-to-be soldier. It was also during this period that he meets Bucky Barnes - a young teenager who accidentally found out that Steve Rogers was secretly Captain America. With the U.S. Federal Governments permission, Steve trains Bucky and makes him his sidekick. Captain America and Bucky became a formidable fighting duo during World War II.
Invaders
The two fight crime and Nazis on their own and, after Pearl Harbor, help found the Invaders, an Allied superhero team that fought against the Axis and their super-powered agents. The Invaders were featured in a comic book of their own in the 1970s. Recently, it has been stated that Bucky was already being trained when Steve/Captain America met him at the military base, hence, his being able to fight side-by-side with Cap almost immediately despite not having any super-powers.
A few years passed, and, in part due to Captain America and the Invaders' contributions, by 1945 the war was drawing to an end in Europe with the Allies driving the Axis troops out of the countries they had occupied.
With the Nazis retreating Cap and Bucky were on a routine mission trying to stop the evil Baron Heinrich Zemo from harming civilians using an unmanned drone plane. The patriotic duo engaged Zemo and his troops but before he was could be stopped Zemo managed to launch the drone plane up into the air towards allied forces armed with a huge bomb. Racing towards the plane as it was about to launch, Captain America and Bucky managed to jump onto it so they could try to defuse the bomb. Cap realized they couldn't defuse it in time and tried to get Bucky, who was closer to the bomb, to jump off. Tragically, the bomb exploded and seemingly killed Bucky while throwing Captain America into the freezing waters of the north Atlantic Ocean. All searches to rescue or recover them failed and both were eventually presumed dead. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were both believed to be dead for many years, and efforts to replace them were attempted to varying degrees of success.
Replacing A Legend
With Captain America presumed dead (though actually frozen in a block of ice) the U.S. Government decided that Captain America was a valuable public relations tool that was still needed. Even though the war was won, they figured if the American public found out Cap was dead, their morale would be severely diminished, something that could not be risked while Japan continued to fight Allied forces in the Pacific. As it would turn out several replacements were needed to try to carry the mantle of "Captain America."
The first replacement the U.S. Government recruited was formerly the Spirit of '76, a patriotic superhero whose physical abilities were similar, but less than, those of Captain America. His partner, a new “Bucky”, was Fred Davis, a very athletic but still normal young man. This Captain America and Bucky team operated very well fighting crime, communism and aiding other super-heroes (working with the All-Winners Squad). Unfortunately this Captain America's tour of duty ended when Adam II (an android) killed him in 1946.
The U.S. Government still felt having a "Captain America" was necessary so they again recruited one. This next replacement Captain America was the Patriot, Jeff Mace, another Golden Age/World War II super-hero. This Captain America also had a partner code-named "Bucky" but, unfortunately, two years into their stint this "Bucky" was shot in the legs, sustaining injuries that prohibited him from being Bucky any longer. Yet another former super-hero, this time the female, Golden Girl, became Cap's crime-fighting, commie-busting partner until they both quit to marry each other. Determining that replacing Captain America and Bucky properly was quite difficult as well as risky to his iconic reputation, the U.S. Government finally let the idea fade and there was no Captain America and no Bucky.
1950s Commie-Bustin' Cap
In the 1950s, there was a brief run of the Captain America comic where, in keeping with the spirit of the times and the newly started 'Cold War' with communist Russia and China, Captain America becomes a more aggressive, conservative, communist-fighting character. When the real Captain America made his return in the '60s, the appearance of the '50s Cap was left unexplained, until Steve Englehart started on the book.
In 1953, a man named William Burnside found the lost formula for the Super-Soldier Serum in Nazi files in a German warehouse. This man idolized and almost worshiped Captain America. He had a Ph.D. in American History and he had done his thesis on Captain America. He immediately tells the government about the formula in exchange for becoming the next Captain America. He underwent plastic surgery to look like Steve Rogers and was set to be the symbol for the Korean War. However, the project was never finished, so "Steve Rogers" became a teacher.
While teaching, he finds a young student named Jack Monroe (eventually known as Nomad) who also is a huge Captain America fan. They use the formula on themselves and became the new Captain America and Bucky. They fight Communism, but they didn't know of the Vita-Ray process that was required to stabilize the recipient after taking the super soldier formula. Since they don't take it, it affected their minds and they became overly paranoid, attacking anyone they even have the slightest suspicion of being a Communist, seeing threats to America where none existed. The government quickly realized they were out of control, and shut them down, placing them in suspended animation. Years later they are freed by a disgruntled government employee. Newly awakened in the 1970's, they confront the real Captain America and his new partner, the Falcon.
Regarding the differences that underpinned this confrontation, Steve says, "In this case, the comics mirrored their eras; the late '30s-early '40s Cap was a liberal and the early '50s Cap was a conservative. The first one looked up to Roosevelt; the second looked up to McCarthy. That's about as fundamental as it gets." Thus, it was not only a physical battle, but a battle of ideologies in which Cap confronted the impostor with just how out of touch and extreme he has become, and in doing so, manages to defeat him.
Out of the Ice, the Modern Age
Ironically, it was Cap's former Invaders teammate, Namor the Sub-Mariner, who finds an Inuit tribe worshiping a frozen figure in a block of ice near the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Namor, seemingly enraged that they are worshiping an inanimate object, lifts the block of ice and hurls it into the sea. Apparently damaged by the impact of hitting the water, the ice began breaking apart revealing the frozen figure within as a man. The Avengers, who are still in the area, after battling the Hulk and Namor, spot this man floating in the water and pull him aboard their craft. They soon recognized the iconic uniform the man wore beneath his torn and tattered clothing and identified him. He was Steve Rogers, Captain America! The Avengers determined he was still alive and they revived him. Upon becoming conscious, Captain America didn't recognize any of the Avengers so he assumed they were Nazis and immediately sprung into action battling the entire team alone. Fortunately, the battle and misunderstanding ended quickly.
Joining the Avengers
From his impossibly youthful appearance and actions after his revival the Avengers determined he had been preserved in a state of suspended animation while frozen in the ice. Though he was out of his own time and unfamiliar with the modern world he is still at his. Recognizing his value as skilled fighter in combat, a great tactician, and a natural leader; the Avengers invite Captain America to join their team. The Living Legend of World War II accepted, and soon became team leader, a position he has held more times than anybody else. This was quickly followed by his own monthly gig in the Tales of Suspense anthology, wherein he shared equal billing with Iron Man.
Cap appears in an extended run by Stan and Jack in which Captain America leads the Avengers for a long time, fighting their enemies and some of his old enemies-such as Baron Zemo. He finds out what had happened to Bucky, his young World War II partner, and is devastated. He was grief-stricken for many years. Shortly after Captain America's revival, honorary Avenger Rick Jones convinces Cap to let him become the new Bucky and partners with him for a short time. Captain America doesn't want to be responsible for another young partner's death. Just as he relents, and allows Rick to assume the Bucky identity, the Red Skull (Cap's arch-enemy from World War II) uses the Cosmic Cube to drive Bucky away. Afterwards, the title's creative reins transferred over to Jim Steranko. A Silver Age stylist who helped redefine comic art expectations. One of his greatest Marvel triumphs was in the pages of Captain America! The issues of Cap #110, 111, 113 were packed with high drama, proportion expanding page layouts, and Steranko's sultry, spy-oriented action.
While acclimating to modern times Captain America became reacquainted with old friends and met with people with whom he became friends and allies. Colonel Nick Fury was a fellow veteran whom Cap had met and served with during World War II when Fury lead the Howling Commandos as a sergeant. They reunited, becoming friends and allies again. Fury now leads the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D and when situations beyond the capabilities of his agents cropped up, Fury would frequently ask Cap to undertake and complete these missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. Later, he meets Sam Wilson, an African-American social worker from Harlem whom Captain America met on Exile Island. Captain America trains Sam to become the Falcon and Captain America's new partner renaming his series Captain America and The Falcon. Throughout their partnership they combat numerous foes including the Grey Gargoyle, Scorpion, Mr. Hyde, The Serpent Gang and even the Red Skull.
Nomad
A bit disillusioned, Captain America retired his mantle due to the Watergate scandal. Later he was convinced by Hawkeye to continue fighting evil leading him to adopt a new superhero persona; the Nomad. However, after the death of the new Captain America, Roscoe, at the hands of the Red Skull, Steve realized that the costume is a powerful symbol of American ideals and not a tool for the government; he became Captain America once again. Relishing his return to his Captain America role, Steve nonetheless promises to never forget what he learned during his time as Nomad. Nest he fought the Red Skull once more and it was revealed that Red Skull had been a burned out youth in Germany before a chance meeting with Adolf Hitler himself. Seeing the inner anger and sensing his potential for evil, Hitler trained the boy to be his protégé and he eventually became the Red Skull. Captain America defeated the Red Skull again, preventing him from using his Dust of Death to first decimate the population and then to attempt the restart of the Third Reich with which to take over the world.
U.S.Agent
New enemies came, such as Flag-Smasher and the Scourge of the Underworld. Captain America also resigns his role when the government tries to force him to work solely for them. They hired John Walker to do his job when Rogers refused, taking the name of “The Captain.” During this time Steve has some questionable run-ins with the law that made him realize how much credibility he had as Captain America. Sometimes he even had to resort to working outside the law as much as it pained him. Cap and Walker tussled a few times, until Walker was driven insane. He later became U. S. Agent and Steve Rogers once again became Captain America.
Later, it had been revealed that the chemicals that allowed the Red Skull to retain his youth had worn off, and now the Red Skull was in his 80's. The Red Skull had kidnapped several of Cap's closest allies including the Falcon, and forced Captain America to revert to his natural age by subjecting him to the same artificial aging process that he used to advance his own daughters age. The two had one final battle where they would battle as equals. Cap came out the victor but refused to kill the Red Skull, who died right after the battle of a heart attack. Cap's youth was one again restored by the Avengers.
Cap Armor
During the Streets of Poison story arc, Captain America had discovered that Avengers staff member Fabian Stankowicz had been on a new street drug called Ice. After suspending Fabian and sending him to rehab, Captain America had taken it upon himself to clean the streets of drug dealers. During a raid on a warehouse, a drug dealer blows the building up and Captain America finds himself caught in the fumes of Ice. Captain America finds himself hooked on the drug which makes him prone to violence and causes outburst of rage. Caught in a the middle of a turf war between The Kingpin and The Red Skull, Captain America's condition worsens until he subdued by Diamondback and The Black Widow. Captain America undergoes a blood transfusion to cleanse his blood of the drug; he is however temporarily stripped of the super soldier serum. Vowing to break the drug circle, Captain America heads to Yankee stadium where a final confrontation between the Red Skull and Kingpin occurs to determine who would control drug trafficking in New York. At the stadium Captain America is confronted by Crossbones, after a brutal fight Steve Rogers prevailed proving that even without the super soldier serum, he could still be Captain America.
However disaster strikes when Captain America avoids an explosion at a drug lab full of a chemical that causes a reaction with the Super-Soldier serum in his system. It alters his biochemistry, and he begins to deteriorate. He turns to Iron Man, who helps him by making a powered exoskeleton for him in the vein of the Iron Man armor. Eventually, he is cured by a transfusion of blood from none other then Red Skull, who had transferred his mind into a cloned body of Captain America.
The Expatriate
During the “Man Without a Country” story arc, Steve Rogers briefly dons the costume of The Expatriate. After The Red Skull brings Cap back to life he is filmed storming a military base alongside both the Red Skull and Sharon Carter. Bill Clinton temporarily exiles Rogers to the UK until the matter is sorted out and his name can be cleared. As not to associate himself with the United States, Steve wears an all-blue costume, similar to Isaiah Bradley’s uniform, but with no stars or stripes. It is also at this time when Steve first receives the Plasma Shield, although it only forms a yellow buckler, as opposed to his later, more spangled Plasma Shield.
Onslaught
Heroes Reborn and Return
September 11th Attacks
The Truth: Red, White and Black
After Steve Rogers' participation in Project: Rebirth, the U.S. Army tested the early version of the Super Soldier Serum on 300 black soldiers. A married man and father to a newborn girl, Isaiah Bradley was a infantryman at Camp Cathcart, Mississippi in 1942, during the first year of the United States involvement in World War II. Bradley's platoon is among the 300 test subjects that were randomly chosen from the two of the all black battalions are Cathcart which were murdered after the 300 left for Project Super Soldier. Barbaric medical practices are performed on the subjects. The surviving seven were sent forward to Europe, one of their number dying on the boat ride to complications with the serum. The remaining six entered the war in July 1942.
Bradley's only known costumed mission involved the destruction of the Nazi Super Soldier Project at Schwarzebitte, Germany in October 1942. Bradley steals a spare Captain America costume that had been set aside for Steve Rogers who was to lead the mission. He completed his mission, however he is captured and later interrogated by Hitler himself before being shipped off to Auschwitz. Bradley escaped and is taken in by the German and Belgian Underground Resistance. He is eventually able to sneak back to behind Allied lines in 1943, but receives a court-martial from the Army and a sentence to life imprisonment for stealing Captain America's costume. Bradley served seventeen years and was released by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the day of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Bradley was the only test subject to survive the war.
He became an underground legend among the Marvel African-American community - he was their Captain America. Eventually, however, the serum's long-term effects damaged Isaiah Bradley, in his body and mind. He became childlike and began to disappear as a hero. It was then that he is discovered by Steve Rogers, who tracks him down and acknowledges his sacrifices and heroism. Isaiah Bradley remains as one of Cap's greatest allies - the black Captain America. He is the grandfather of Elijah Bradley, Patriot from the Young Avengers.
The New Avengers
Eventually, the Avengers broke up, in Avengers Disassembled after the Scarlett Witch had a nervous breakdown and killed a few teammembers. For a few months there where no Avengers. Captain America however soon found himself in a situation that brought together many of New York's superheroes once again. Finding destiny to have struck twice, Captain America formed the New Avengers, together with Iron Man, Luke Cage, newcomers Sentry and Ronin and known superheroes such as Wolverine and Spider-Man. Iron Man soon found a headquarters for the team and so the New Avengers where born.
The Winter Soldier
Rogers revealed his secret identity, and then encountered a new villain named the Winter Soldier who assassinated the Red Skull. The Winter Soldier's secret identity turns out to be Bucky Barnes, and he was under the control of a Russian businessman and former Soviet general named Aleksander Lukin. Steve later learns that Bucky had been rescued by the Soviet Union, who brainwashed him and made him their own assassin. Eventually, Bucky's memory was returned to him when Captain America willed it back with Lukin's Cosmic Cube (which Lukin took from the Red Skull).
Civil War
For further details: Civil War
A super-human battle in Stamford, Connecticut causes the deaths of hundreds of school children and leads directly to the superhero Civil War when the public called out for super-humans to register their powers, abilities, and identities, and hang up the costumes. In the wake of this horrible tragedy, the Super-human Registration Act is quickly passed. This new law requires everyone in the United States to register with the federal government, submit to evaluation, training and even become a government operative. Some heroes are for it while some were against it. Captain America is the most highly-respected hero against it. He believes it infringes on the rights and personal freedoms of super-humans.
He elects to lead the anti-registration faction of heroes against the pro-registration people, who are led by none other than his friend and fellow Avenger; Iron Man. Cap and the other heroes refusal to register immediately makes them all technically criminals and fugitives to be hunted down by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, police, their former friends, and even enemies/villains who'd registered and agreed to work as government operatives. The two factions clash several times with Iron Man beating Cap savagely in their first fight. However, as the War goes on, Cap's side grows by recruiting and attracting mostly street-level heroes like Daredevil, Luke Cage, and later Spider-Man (after he defects from Iron Man's pro-registration side). Captain America's faction even recruits one true powerhouse; Hercules.
Eventually, Cap's anti-registration faction gained enough strength to match Iron Man's pro-registration forces. Captain's morals were sorely tested too, when he enlisted the help of many figures he would normally apprehend and turn over to the authorities. The most notable of these questionable allies were Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher and Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin.
Eventually events lead to the final confrontation between the opposing factions where Captain America confronted and batters Iron Man. The tide of the battle was turning in favor of Captain America's forces and victory was at hand when a group of ordinary civilians intervene and attempt to restrain Cap. It was at this moment that Captain America realizes he was endangering the very people he had sworn to protect. "We're not fighting for the people anymore. We're just...fighting." he said tearfully, surrendering even as he was about to win. Captain America then removed his mask, surrendered to authorities as Steve Rogers and orders the anti-registration forces to stand down. As Rogers is led away in handcuffs, the Punisher retrieves Captain America's discarded mask. The majority of the other anti-registration heroes subsequently elect to register, while some decide to take their chances, stay outside the law and remain fugitives. After his arrest, Captain America is incarcerated by the federal government to await trial. The Civil War strains relationships between the former Avengers, too. Thor was dead. Iron Man and Captain America led opposing forces. Hank Pym was on Iron Man's side, Vision was on Cap's. Due to the Scarlet Witch's mental instability and breakdown the Avengers had been disassembled already (in Avengers Disassembled), but the events of the Civil War made it nearly impossible for the team to reform and function effectively. Eventually, several different versions of the team either formed or re-formed as the Mighty Avengers, the New Avengers and the Secret Avengers.
Fallen Son
For further details: Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America
The tide of the superhuman Civil War turns, as Captain America is assassinated in a scheme perpetrated by his greatest foe, the Red Skull. It is later revealed that Steve Rogers is not dead. When S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark take possession of Captain America's body, and they wanted to conduct tests because he was the only perfect Super-Soldier. What they discover was the serum seems to have reversed the effects on his body after he died. Though his death demoralized even those he had fought against, the new order of super heroes had already begun, spearheaded by Iron Man, who had been appointed as the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. with the launch of the Fifty State Initiative program, Iron Man's dream of a dedicated super hero team in each U. S. state was being realized. Little did he suspect that the mounting Skrull invasion was secretly placing one of their agents on each of those teams. In Captain America: New Deal, Steve Rogers left instructions for Tony Stark in a letter written before his death to "save" Bucky and that the mantle of Captain America should go on.
When the Winter Soldier (Bucky) is brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, he managed to escape, only to attack Iron Man. The two fight to a standstill until Stark mentions the letter from Steve. Bucky isn't sure that Cap had meant for him to actually become Captain America. Tony said that there's no way Bucky would let anyone else fill those boots and asked if he wanted to be the one to let Steve down. Bucky says he'd do it under two conditions. The first was that his mind would be completely probed to ensure there was no trace of brainwashing or fail safe code-words left over from when he was under control as the Winter Soldier. The second condition is that he doesn't have to answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. or to Stark, just as Steve didn't. Tony thought about it and agreed. The Norse god Thor later communicates with the spirit of Steve Rogers on the one-year anniversary of his death.
Captain America Reborn
For further details: Captain America Reborn
As the machinations of the Red Skull continue despite the intervention of the new Captain America, Black Widow and the Falcon, he and Arnim Zola reveal to an astonished Norman Osborn that the gun Sharon Carter used to kill Steve Rogers actually froze him in space and time at the moment of his death. That moment of spatial and temporal stasis could be used to bring back his body from any moment in the future via a modified version of Dr. Doom's time device and Sharon Carter herself, whom they referred to as "the constant." At the time of the intended retrieval, Sharon's actions disrupted the process, resulting in Steve being lost in time and space. He is shown reliving moments of his past, most notably events during the Second World War, badly disoriented and bewildered. While going through the time stream, Steve finds himself back in 1944, at one of the Red Skull's bases, fighting Master Man. As he begins to fight Master Man, Cap figures out that he has somehow been sent back in time and reliving all of the battles he has fought in over the years. After he defeats Master Man, Steve is then sent to the time he met with President Franklin Roosevelt at the White House.
Back in the present, Bucky and Black Widow begin to fight Ares and Venom inside a H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier, but Bucky and Black Widow are defeated and taken to Norman Osborn. At the Baxter Building, Hank had brought Sharon Carter to Reed Richards, so that he could examine her. While Reed does this, Hank mentions that Falcon and the Vision are out looking for Bucky and Black Widow, since they never returned from their mission. Reed then tells Hank that he has found something in Sharon's blood stream, Reed then mentions that there was something similar to what's in Sharon's blood, in Steve's body that Reed had found after he had done an autopsy on it. Reed then tells Hank that there was something Tony Stark didn't like about the rapid cellular decay in Steve's body.
Norman then meets with Crossbones and Sin, telling them that he knows about the second shooter and that he would love to have a Captain America on his side, leading his Avengers, even if the Red Skull's mind was in that Captain America's body.
Back in the past, Steve finds himself back in 1940 with Dr. Erskine, Steve then begins to ask the doctor about time travel and what would happen if someone were to go back and kill Hitler before all of this madness began. Dr. Erskine then tells Steve that doing something like that would have both an action and reaction that could end up making it so that your loved ones might have never been born. After this, Steve is taken into a lab and is about to relive the moment he became Captain America, Steve knows that the doctor is going to be killed by a Nazi spy, but is forced to do nothing but go through with the experiment. After he does, the doctor is killed and Steve begins to ask himself why he is reliving all of his past memories.
Back at the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier, Norman is talking to the now captured Bucky and Black Widow, Norman then reveals that he had told the whole world that Sharon Carter was the second shooter in the assassination of Captain America and is now the world's most wanted. Norman then tells them that he is letting Black Widow go so that she could tell Sharon that if she doesn't turn herself in within twenty-four hours, Norman will kill Bucky.
Still trapped in time, Steve relives the time he was trapped in the ice, he begins to wonder why he even keeps track of the time anymore, since he believes time has no meaning for him now. As he ponders on this, Namor appears, as Steve knew he would, picking up the large chunk of ice that holds Steve. Everything happens like it always did, Namor throws the piece of ice into the water, even though Steve tries to yell Namor's name, to where Steve would be found by the Avengers. Back in the present, Reed Richards has met with Namor in the Arctic Ocean, where Steve's body was secretly laid to rest. Reed asks Namor to raise Steve's coffin, which Namor had already done, and as Reed examines Steve's body, the body disappears, shocking both Reed and Namor. As Reed tried to figure out what happened, he gets a call from Hank Pym, who tells Reed that Norman Osborn has outed Sharon Carter as the second shooter who killed Captain America, and to Black Widow's disapproval, Sharon tells them that she's going to turn herself in.
Elsewhere, Bucky is being transported by Norman's Thunderbolts, while Sharon tries to figure out what she should do. Back in time, Steve finds himself reliving his time during the Kree-Skrull War, fighting alongside Clint Barton, who was going by Goliath at the time, fighting off an army of Skrull soldiers. Steve watches Iron Man, Thor, and Captain Marvel, Steve then asks the Vision, who had asked him to meet with the other Avengers on the command deck, if the Vision could remember something and then store it deep in his memory storage, something Vision said he would have no problem doing. Back with Bucky, Falcon attacks the Thunderbolts' jet, fighting off the Thunderbolts, while the Thunderbolts' Ant-Man frees Bucky, after that Bucky and Falcon escape unharmed.
Still jumping through time, Steve finds himself reliving the time he and Rick Jones, who was going by the name of Bucky at the time, fight off a group of HYDRA agents. Steve then feels the remorse of losing the original Bucky, his close friend James Barnes, when he almost calls Rick "Bucky". Back in the present, Norman Osborn has announced that Sharon Carter, Steve's lover, was the second shooter in his death. While he does this, Sharon is being taken to Latveria. At the Infinite Avengers Mansion, Hank Pym and Mr. Fantastic activate the message Steve left with the Vision back during the Kree-Skrull War, telling them that he is lost in time.
Elsewhere, Bucky, Black Widow, and Clint Barton (Ronin), attack a H.A.M.M.E.R. mobile data-collector, trying to find out where Sharon Carter is. Once in Latveria, Sharon is shocked to see that the Red Skull is alive still, and is with Dr. Doom. They quickly then attach her to a machine that will bring Steve back to the present. In the English Channel Islands, 1945, Steve finds himself and Bucky escaping Baron Zemo's fortress. Bucky and Steve then jump onto the drone bomber that will explode, sending them to their apparent deaths, only to let them live to become who they are today. Steve, who has relived this day so many times in his mind, and nightmares, decides that he won't let Bucky get blown up again and become the Winter Soldier. As he tries to stop Bucky, Steve is suddenly pulled back through time, he then finds himself being attacked by the Red Skull as he flies through time.
Steve's body then appears in Dr. Doom's lab, but as Sharon calls out to him, it is revealed that the Red Skull has placed his mind in Steve's body, and is now in control of Captain America. Steve then finds himself in a nightmarish world ruled by the Nazis and the Red Skull. The Red Skull, who is now on his way to the White House to meet with the President to ruin Captain America and what he stands for once and for all. But as they make their way to D. C., the Skull captures the Vision who is trying to sneak on board to rescue Sharon, and commands his ship to attack the Avengers Quinjet which is chasing after them. The A.I.M. ship takes out the Quinjet, causing it to crash in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
The Avengers are forced to fight the Skull's forces. While that happens, Steve finds where the Skull is hiding in his mind, and they begin to fight over control of Steve's body. Meanwhile, Bucky fights the Red Skull outside of Steve's body. But Bucky shows that he can't kill Steve, even if it is the Red Skull controlling him. . The Red Skull then takes Bucky's shield, stating that “what's Captain America without his shield?” He then cuts off Bucky's bionic hand, saying that it's time for a new morning in America. But before Red Skull can kill Bucky, Steve is able to force the Skull out of his mind and back into his robotic body, gaining control over his body again, and finally returning to the world he left.
Sharon Carter then uses one of Hank Pym's size changer devices to make the Red Skull into a giant, making sure he can't escape this time, Steve and Bucky then team up with the rest of the Avengers, fighting the giant Red Skull, and finally are able to seemingly kill the Red Skull. As they do so, the public sees Steve among the heroes, and yell with joy as they see that Captain America has returned. Back in New York, Steve remembers that he saw the future while he was going through time, and that he believes Bucky is going to die, but before he can think about it more, Sharon comes to get him to come down to his party. Four days after his return, Steve had been training with Bucky, getting back into shape. He talks to Sharon, telling her how he's worried that he may slip away back into time again, she then tells him that he's not going anywhere and that she has him.
Later that night, Steve decides to suit up and go out into the city, to see what has changed. He finds Captain America (Bucky) and Black Widow as they fight the Hyde who has escaped from The Raft. As Hyde tries to escape from the battle, Bucky sees Steve watching from the sidelines and throws him his shield, allowing him to defeat Hyde all by himself. Steve then says that was fun and hands Bucky the shield, but Bucky refuses telling Steve that he's Captain America and that's his shield.
Steve then tells Bucky that they need to talk. Steve tells Bucky that he should keep being Captain America, that it means something more to him, which Bucky disagrees with, saying that Steve is the only Captain America. Steve then tells him that he's not sure if he's ready or will ever be able to pick up his shield again, and asks Bucky to continue being Captain America, if not for himself, then for him.
Steve then returns to Sharon, telling her that he believes that if Bucky doesn't continue to be Captain America, that he may die, and Steve could never live with that possibility, even if it means giving up the future he wants. Steve then meets with President Obama, who gives Steve a Presidential Pardon for what he did during the Civil War, saying that he felt the S.H.R.A. was un-American to him. Steve then tells the President that he may not be able to pick up his shield again, President Obama then tells Steve that that is okay, that he has a feeling that in the coming days, America is going to call on Steve for something much bigger.
The Heroic Age
For further details: The Heroic Age
After the Dark Reign of Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers, Steve Rogers is called on again for duty, but now as America's new "Top Cop" ( S.H.I.E.L.D. director). Steve accepts the job and assembles two new teams. The Avengers under Maria Hill's command and the Secret Avengers for covert missions under Steve's direct command. Steve's first line-up of Secret Avengers include his long-time love interest Sharon Carter, Brunnhilde the Asgardian Valkyrie, Nova the Prime Centurion of the Xandarian Nova Corps, former Avenger and X-Man Beast, Black Widow, Moon Knight and War Machine.
Fear Itself
During the Fear Itself storyline, Steve Rogers is present when the threat of the Serpent is known. Following the apparent death of Bucky at the hands of Sin (in the form of Skadi), Steve Rogers ends up changing into his Captain America outfit. When the Avengers and the New Avengers are fighting Skadi, the Serpent ends up joining the battle and breaks Captain America's shield with his bare hands. Captain America and the Avengers teams end up forming a militia for a last stand against the forces of the Serpent. When it comes to the final battle, Captain America uses Thor's hammer to fight Skadi until Thor manages to kill the Serpent. In the aftermath of the battle, Iron Man presents Captain with his reforged shield now stronger for its uru-infused enhancements despite the scar it bears. It is then revealed that Captain America, Nick Fury, and Black Widow are the only ones who know that Bucky actually survived the fight with Skadi as Bucky resumes his identity as Winter Soldier.
Avengers vs. X-Men
When Steve learns that the Phoenix Force is coming for Hope and learns that Cyclops is ready to take the risk and will allow the Force to come to Hope, he right away takes the Avengers to Utopia to tell Scott that that is too risky and they cannot take such a big risk. When Cyclops tells Steve that the Phoenix Force has being doing only good during the years, Cap tells him the risks and Cyclops starts the attack against Steve Rogers and the Avengers.Later when Steve sees that they cannot win this war he uses their only hope, Wanda Maximoff. They are able to take Hope but a lot of Avengers are being held captive in a prison in Utopia.Later when Steve has no other hope he tries to gather the Illuminati again but not all of them come, Namor is the one that doesn't come but the others come and go because they don't have hope or they believe that the Phoenix Force is actually good. But later when everybody's gone Namor comes.
Marvel NOW!
Captain America is featured in his own title, where he is abducted by Arnim Zola's minion to his own dimension, called Dimension Z. There he saves Arnim Zola's infant son, Leopold, from his own father's terror. Captain America raises Leopold as his own son, naming him Ian. After ten years time, still trapped in Dimension Z, Zola retrieves his long lost son, brainwashing him to hate Captain America and love the will of Zola.
Captain America also recruits the latest roster of The Avengers together with Tony Stark. He is himself part of the team as team leader.
After Avengers vs. X-Men he tries to show the world that mutants and humans can work together, so he founds the Avengers Unity Squad, consisting of himself and Thor, Wolverine, Scarlet Witch, Rogue and Havok, who's the leader of the team.
--Karen
Super Name: Captain America
Real Name: Steven Rogers
Aliases:
Steve Rogers
The Sentinel of Liberty
Super-Soldier Star-Spangled Avenger
The Nomad
The Living Legend
The Captain
Top Cop of America
Weapon I
Brett Hendrick
Buck Jones
Yeoman America
Expatriate
Crossbones
Nathan Hale
Anthony Schwarz
Roger G
Publisher: Marvel
Creators
Jack Kirby
Joe Simon
Gender: Male
Character Type: Human
First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 - Meet Captain America
Appears in: 7008 issues
Birthday: July 04, 1920
Died:
Captain America #25 - The Death Of The Dream
Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 - With Great Power...
The Avengers #177 - The Hope and the Slaughter
The Infinity Gauntlet #4 - Cosmic Battle on the Edge of the Universe
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11 - ...And Dust to Dust!
Personal Information
Physical Attributes
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Status
Identity: Publicly known
Occupation: "Top Cop" of America, adventurer; former public works artist, special SHIELD operative, freelance illustrator, police officer, history teacher, sparring partner, soldier, WPA artist
Citizenship: U.S.A.
Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Education: High school graduate; one year of art school; military basic training; private tutoring in hand-to-hand combat, gymnastics, military strategy, piloting, demolition, and other disciplines
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Steven Rogers (Captain America, ancestor, deceased), Joseph and Sarah Rogers (parents, deceased)
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Super-Soldier Serum
In the beginning the Super-Soldier Serum increased his body to the physical peak of human potential or rather the next step in human evolution (though still a non-mutant). He is as strong, fast, durable and agile as any human could one day be - and his strength is referred to as being preternatural. His reflexes have also been increased to peak human potential and are nearly instantaneous (he is also capable of 'seeing faster' - enabling him to dodge bullets). He has run a mile in roughly a minute and can bench-press up to 1100 pounds. He also has uncanny accuracy, being able to hit multiple targets with a single throw of his shield, and having enough marksmanship to turn a lighter on and off through a shield throw alone.
Another major enhancement provided is the serum prevents the build-up of fatigue poisons in his muscles. This means he effectively never tires, making it possible for him to perform at his maximum ability when doing anything physical for an extraordinary length of time. However Captain America has displayed feats that would appear to be far outside the limits of a human. One of Captain Americas most recent durability feats is him surviving a 200ft fall on top of a car from an airplane and he suffered no discomfort. Steve's enhancement has also survived building falls and major explosions.
The serum also enhances his constitution, making him immune or highly resistant to many diseases and increasing the speed at which he heals from injuries and recuperates from illness. The serum is constantly being replenished by his body down to a cellular level.
Abilities
Cap is a master of a small number of martial arts and has developed his own fighting-style which melds jujitsu, boxing, judo, karate, pressure points, all-terrain acrobatics and the use of his shield. He is also able to learn how to use most weapons quickly, as Beast has described Cap of being capable of mastering any weapon in seconds. He has used chi manipulation and many other techniques. He is a quick learner and learns these skills fast.
He is an expert with his signature shield. He can hit multiple throws by calculating ricochets. His aim is top-notch.
Cap is also a great leader, field commander, and tactician. He led the Avengers for a long time, and his great experience makes him a seasoned commander on the battlefield. He also creates the plans for the Avengers, and has a great fighting spirit.
He is an expert in reading codes, maps, and doing other military-related skills. He speaks English, German, Russian, Japanese, and some Italian.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Captain America is usually seen with his Captain America armor that is bullet proof and is red, white, and blue. His costume covers up everything except his nose, mouth, and ears. He also has wings on the side of his mask and has a shield in which he always carries around but after giving it to Bucky Barnes, has got a new costume and weapon.
The suit he wears is water and fire retardant. It is made out of Kevlar and titanium. It provides resistance to impacts and electrical shocks. There is a communicator in the costume.
Origin
After the outbreak of World War II in Europe, a young American patriot named Steve Rogers wanted to serve his country by joining the United States Army. When he attempted to enlist Steve was rejected, due to his skinny, anemic physique, and was classified 4-F. However, he garnered the attention of certain people including scientist Doctor Abraham Erskine who was searching for suitable volunteers/test subjects for a top secret experimental program designed to create an army of Super-Soldiers. As a result of Operation: Rebirth, Steve Rogers gained speed, strength, flexibility, endurance and agility of nearly superhuman levels. These heightened abilities coupled with his unwavering courage and “never say die” attitude eventually made him Captain America, a living legend.
For information on the Captain America that substituted for Steve Rogers when the latter apparently "died" in 2007 see the Bucky Barnes character page.
Creation
Captain America was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a response to the booming popularity of patriotically-themed super heroes in the 1940's. Though it was rare for any character, let alone a new one, to get a self-named title in those days, he debuted in Captain America Comics #1 (March,1941). He was depicted fighting Adolph Hitler himself on the cover even though the United States had not yet entered World War II and wouldn't for another 9 months. Debuting along with Captain America in this comic was his teenage partner Bucky, and his arch-enemy the Red Skull. This issue sold nearly one million copies and Captain America soon became Marvel's best-selling character.
"Cap" (the nickname he came to affectionately be called) spent World War II punching, kicking and defeating Nazis, Japanese, and other Axis members. In addition to help from Bucky, he battled the Axis forces alongside other Marvel (Timely) stalwarts: the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch. Simon and Kirby did ten issues before leaving Timely to work for DC. When the war eventually ended, superheroes fell out of favor and comics sales declined. Captain America Comics was printed up to issue #75, but by then it had become a horror book and soon ended.
Captain America was revived by one of his original co-creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee during 1964 in issue #4 of the Avengers. This was the start of Cap as we know him. He became an instant hit and was soon leading the Avengers. A short time later he shared and co-headlined a comic called "Tales of Suspense" along with fellow Avenger Iron Man. He has since become one of the cornerstones of the Marvel Universe and even transcended comics becoming a true American icon. Additionally, Captain America has been recreated many times over the years in comics featuring stories that take place in alternate universes. One of the most well-known alternate universe versions of Captain America is in the Ultimate Universe.
Major Story Arcs
The War
On July 4, 1920, Steven Rogers was born to a pair of Irish immigrants. Steve was always a courageous kid as well as a diligent student, but he wasn't very athletic and he was quiet and introverted,because he was so skinny. Although he would eventually grow to 6'2, he was scrawny and weak, always last in athletic games (much like one Peter Parker, that would be born much later). A target for bullies as he grew up, he was protected by his best friend Arnie Roth, and, on at least one occasion, by neighborhood tough-guy Duvid Fortunov. Though it wasn't apparent at the time, he possessed fierce loyalty, a courageous fighting spirit and a noble heart. Knowing he had no future in athletics, Steve majored in fine arts and was an exceptionally talented artist specializing in illustration.
His life changed, though, when the Axis forces sweep across Europe starting World War II. Seeing their atrocities on newsreels, Rogers becomes convinced they need to be fought and that the European war would soon pull America into the conflict, inspiring him to enlist in the U.S. armed forces to fight against the Axis forces.
Becoming Captain America
When he tried to join the U.S. military Steve was immediately rejected due to him being physically too skinny and classified as "4-F." Steve was puny and didn't even come close to passing the mandatory physical exam for induction, although he wanted with all his life to serve his country, he was rejected and stamped out. It seemed there was nothing he could do. He eventually made an impression on the Army recruiters and trainers, however, when he convinced them just how desperately he wanted to do his part, and how it was his dream to fight for America against the Axis powers. Steve caught the attention of an officer who was looking for men to volunteer as test subjects for an experimental program which was part of a top-secret defense plan known to only a dozen men or less. The experimental program was called Operation: Rebirth. The plan was to create physically superior soldiers with a new serum dubbed the Super-Soldier Formula. If it worked, it would make ordinary men into super soldiers. They would become perfect physical beings; possessing strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and recuperative powers that bordered near the upper limits of human evolutionary potential.
After a rigorous process to choose a suitable candidate, Steve Rogers was chosen to be the first man whom the Super Soldier Serum would be administered to. It was Dr. Abraham Erskine who had developed the process, and it was he who administered it to Rogers. Rogers was injected with the Super Soldier Serum and was then bathed in Vita-Rays which activated and stabilized the serum's chemicals in his system.
The process worked perfectly; Steve Rogers' entire physical being was boosted to the maximum of human potential and efficiency. In addition, he virtually doubled in size as millions of new cells were created almost instantaneously. His muscle strength, flexibility and reflexes improved to the peak of human potential. Steve marveled, he had become the ultimate specimen of human physical power and ability as all weakness and deficiencies drained from his body. Just then, a Nazi spy burst in with a gun. He cried "Hail Hitler" and shot Erskine through the head. In order to keep Nazi spies from obtaining it, Erskine hadn't written down the serum's ingredients, along with much of the procedure, having instead committed it to memory. Therefore the secret of the Super Soldier Serum died with him. Steve Rogers would be the only Super-Soldier. He chased after and caught the Nazi spy who'd assassinated Erskine and broke his neck, killing him. He then vowed to use his power to fight the enemies of America and become a symbol of freedom.
The U.S government, disappointed at the loss of their planned super soldier army was determined to use Rogers to his fullest potential. To this end, they decided to use him as a superhero to fight the Nazis; to become a symbol of freedom and hope against Nazi forces as well as a counter-intelligence agent. He also would be their answer to and main weapon against the leader of the Nazi terrorist operations - the Red Skull. The U.S. Government gave him a costume based on the American flag, an unbreakable shield (given to him by President Franklin Roosevelt), a sidearm, and the name Captain America. From that point on, Steve Rogers was Captain America. A short time later he was stationed on an army base in Virginia serving as Private Steve Rogers.
While there he continued his extensive training and was deployed several times both domestically and abroad on covert missions. When on base as private, Steve purposely developed a persona and reputation as a clumsy soon-to-be soldier. It was also during this period that he meets Bucky Barnes - a young teenager who accidentally found out that Steve Rogers was secretly Captain America. With the U.S. Federal Governments permission, Steve trains Bucky and makes him his sidekick. Captain America and Bucky became a formidable fighting duo during World War II.
Invaders
The two fight crime and Nazis on their own and, after Pearl Harbor, help found the Invaders, an Allied superhero team that fought against the Axis and their super-powered agents. The Invaders were featured in a comic book of their own in the 1970s. Recently, it has been stated that Bucky was already being trained when Steve/Captain America met him at the military base, hence, his being able to fight side-by-side with Cap almost immediately despite not having any super-powers.
A few years passed, and, in part due to Captain America and the Invaders' contributions, by 1945 the war was drawing to an end in Europe with the Allies driving the Axis troops out of the countries they had occupied.
With the Nazis retreating Cap and Bucky were on a routine mission trying to stop the evil Baron Heinrich Zemo from harming civilians using an unmanned drone plane. The patriotic duo engaged Zemo and his troops but before he was could be stopped Zemo managed to launch the drone plane up into the air towards allied forces armed with a huge bomb. Racing towards the plane as it was about to launch, Captain America and Bucky managed to jump onto it so they could try to defuse the bomb. Cap realized they couldn't defuse it in time and tried to get Bucky, who was closer to the bomb, to jump off. Tragically, the bomb exploded and seemingly killed Bucky while throwing Captain America into the freezing waters of the north Atlantic Ocean. All searches to rescue or recover them failed and both were eventually presumed dead. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were both believed to be dead for many years, and efforts to replace them were attempted to varying degrees of success.
Replacing A Legend
With Captain America presumed dead (though actually frozen in a block of ice) the U.S. Government decided that Captain America was a valuable public relations tool that was still needed. Even though the war was won, they figured if the American public found out Cap was dead, their morale would be severely diminished, something that could not be risked while Japan continued to fight Allied forces in the Pacific. As it would turn out several replacements were needed to try to carry the mantle of "Captain America."
The first replacement the U.S. Government recruited was formerly the Spirit of '76, a patriotic superhero whose physical abilities were similar, but less than, those of Captain America. His partner, a new “Bucky”, was Fred Davis, a very athletic but still normal young man. This Captain America and Bucky team operated very well fighting crime, communism and aiding other super-heroes (working with the All-Winners Squad). Unfortunately this Captain America's tour of duty ended when Adam II (an android) killed him in 1946.
The U.S. Government still felt having a "Captain America" was necessary so they again recruited one. This next replacement Captain America was the Patriot, Jeff Mace, another Golden Age/World War II super-hero. This Captain America also had a partner code-named "Bucky" but, unfortunately, two years into their stint this "Bucky" was shot in the legs, sustaining injuries that prohibited him from being Bucky any longer. Yet another former super-hero, this time the female, Golden Girl, became Cap's crime-fighting, commie-busting partner until they both quit to marry each other. Determining that replacing Captain America and Bucky properly was quite difficult as well as risky to his iconic reputation, the U.S. Government finally let the idea fade and there was no Captain America and no Bucky.
1950s Commie-Bustin' Cap
In the 1950s, there was a brief run of the Captain America comic where, in keeping with the spirit of the times and the newly started 'Cold War' with communist Russia and China, Captain America becomes a more aggressive, conservative, communist-fighting character. When the real Captain America made his return in the '60s, the appearance of the '50s Cap was left unexplained, until Steve Englehart started on the book.
In 1953, a man named William Burnside found the lost formula for the Super-Soldier Serum in Nazi files in a German warehouse. This man idolized and almost worshiped Captain America. He had a Ph.D. in American History and he had done his thesis on Captain America. He immediately tells the government about the formula in exchange for becoming the next Captain America. He underwent plastic surgery to look like Steve Rogers and was set to be the symbol for the Korean War. However, the project was never finished, so "Steve Rogers" became a teacher.
While teaching, he finds a young student named Jack Monroe (eventually known as Nomad) who also is a huge Captain America fan. They use the formula on themselves and became the new Captain America and Bucky. They fight Communism, but they didn't know of the Vita-Ray process that was required to stabilize the recipient after taking the super soldier formula. Since they don't take it, it affected their minds and they became overly paranoid, attacking anyone they even have the slightest suspicion of being a Communist, seeing threats to America where none existed. The government quickly realized they were out of control, and shut them down, placing them in suspended animation. Years later they are freed by a disgruntled government employee. Newly awakened in the 1970's, they confront the real Captain America and his new partner, the Falcon.
Regarding the differences that underpinned this confrontation, Steve says, "In this case, the comics mirrored their eras; the late '30s-early '40s Cap was a liberal and the early '50s Cap was a conservative. The first one looked up to Roosevelt; the second looked up to McCarthy. That's about as fundamental as it gets." Thus, it was not only a physical battle, but a battle of ideologies in which Cap confronted the impostor with just how out of touch and extreme he has become, and in doing so, manages to defeat him.
Out of the Ice, the Modern Age
Ironically, it was Cap's former Invaders teammate, Namor the Sub-Mariner, who finds an Inuit tribe worshiping a frozen figure in a block of ice near the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Namor, seemingly enraged that they are worshiping an inanimate object, lifts the block of ice and hurls it into the sea. Apparently damaged by the impact of hitting the water, the ice began breaking apart revealing the frozen figure within as a man. The Avengers, who are still in the area, after battling the Hulk and Namor, spot this man floating in the water and pull him aboard their craft. They soon recognized the iconic uniform the man wore beneath his torn and tattered clothing and identified him. He was Steve Rogers, Captain America! The Avengers determined he was still alive and they revived him. Upon becoming conscious, Captain America didn't recognize any of the Avengers so he assumed they were Nazis and immediately sprung into action battling the entire team alone. Fortunately, the battle and misunderstanding ended quickly.
Joining the Avengers
From his impossibly youthful appearance and actions after his revival the Avengers determined he had been preserved in a state of suspended animation while frozen in the ice. Though he was out of his own time and unfamiliar with the modern world he is still at his. Recognizing his value as skilled fighter in combat, a great tactician, and a natural leader; the Avengers invite Captain America to join their team. The Living Legend of World War II accepted, and soon became team leader, a position he has held more times than anybody else. This was quickly followed by his own monthly gig in the Tales of Suspense anthology, wherein he shared equal billing with Iron Man.
Cap appears in an extended run by Stan and Jack in which Captain America leads the Avengers for a long time, fighting their enemies and some of his old enemies-such as Baron Zemo. He finds out what had happened to Bucky, his young World War II partner, and is devastated. He was grief-stricken for many years. Shortly after Captain America's revival, honorary Avenger Rick Jones convinces Cap to let him become the new Bucky and partners with him for a short time. Captain America doesn't want to be responsible for another young partner's death. Just as he relents, and allows Rick to assume the Bucky identity, the Red Skull (Cap's arch-enemy from World War II) uses the Cosmic Cube to drive Bucky away. Afterwards, the title's creative reins transferred over to Jim Steranko. A Silver Age stylist who helped redefine comic art expectations. One of his greatest Marvel triumphs was in the pages of Captain America! The issues of Cap #110, 111, 113 were packed with high drama, proportion expanding page layouts, and Steranko's sultry, spy-oriented action.
While acclimating to modern times Captain America became reacquainted with old friends and met with people with whom he became friends and allies. Colonel Nick Fury was a fellow veteran whom Cap had met and served with during World War II when Fury lead the Howling Commandos as a sergeant. They reunited, becoming friends and allies again. Fury now leads the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D and when situations beyond the capabilities of his agents cropped up, Fury would frequently ask Cap to undertake and complete these missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. Later, he meets Sam Wilson, an African-American social worker from Harlem whom Captain America met on Exile Island. Captain America trains Sam to become the Falcon and Captain America's new partner renaming his series Captain America and The Falcon. Throughout their partnership they combat numerous foes including the Grey Gargoyle, Scorpion, Mr. Hyde, The Serpent Gang and even the Red Skull.
Nomad
A bit disillusioned, Captain America retired his mantle due to the Watergate scandal. Later he was convinced by Hawkeye to continue fighting evil leading him to adopt a new superhero persona; the Nomad. However, after the death of the new Captain America, Roscoe, at the hands of the Red Skull, Steve realized that the costume is a powerful symbol of American ideals and not a tool for the government; he became Captain America once again. Relishing his return to his Captain America role, Steve nonetheless promises to never forget what he learned during his time as Nomad. Nest he fought the Red Skull once more and it was revealed that Red Skull had been a burned out youth in Germany before a chance meeting with Adolf Hitler himself. Seeing the inner anger and sensing his potential for evil, Hitler trained the boy to be his protégé and he eventually became the Red Skull. Captain America defeated the Red Skull again, preventing him from using his Dust of Death to first decimate the population and then to attempt the restart of the Third Reich with which to take over the world.
U.S.Agent
New enemies came, such as Flag-Smasher and the Scourge of the Underworld. Captain America also resigns his role when the government tries to force him to work solely for them. They hired John Walker to do his job when Rogers refused, taking the name of “The Captain.” During this time Steve has some questionable run-ins with the law that made him realize how much credibility he had as Captain America. Sometimes he even had to resort to working outside the law as much as it pained him. Cap and Walker tussled a few times, until Walker was driven insane. He later became U. S. Agent and Steve Rogers once again became Captain America.
Later, it had been revealed that the chemicals that allowed the Red Skull to retain his youth had worn off, and now the Red Skull was in his 80's. The Red Skull had kidnapped several of Cap's closest allies including the Falcon, and forced Captain America to revert to his natural age by subjecting him to the same artificial aging process that he used to advance his own daughters age. The two had one final battle where they would battle as equals. Cap came out the victor but refused to kill the Red Skull, who died right after the battle of a heart attack. Cap's youth was one again restored by the Avengers.
Cap Armor
During the Streets of Poison story arc, Captain America had discovered that Avengers staff member Fabian Stankowicz had been on a new street drug called Ice. After suspending Fabian and sending him to rehab, Captain America had taken it upon himself to clean the streets of drug dealers. During a raid on a warehouse, a drug dealer blows the building up and Captain America finds himself caught in the fumes of Ice. Captain America finds himself hooked on the drug which makes him prone to violence and causes outburst of rage. Caught in a the middle of a turf war between The Kingpin and The Red Skull, Captain America's condition worsens until he subdued by Diamondback and The Black Widow. Captain America undergoes a blood transfusion to cleanse his blood of the drug; he is however temporarily stripped of the super soldier serum. Vowing to break the drug circle, Captain America heads to Yankee stadium where a final confrontation between the Red Skull and Kingpin occurs to determine who would control drug trafficking in New York. At the stadium Captain America is confronted by Crossbones, after a brutal fight Steve Rogers prevailed proving that even without the super soldier serum, he could still be Captain America.
However disaster strikes when Captain America avoids an explosion at a drug lab full of a chemical that causes a reaction with the Super-Soldier serum in his system. It alters his biochemistry, and he begins to deteriorate. He turns to Iron Man, who helps him by making a powered exoskeleton for him in the vein of the Iron Man armor. Eventually, he is cured by a transfusion of blood from none other then Red Skull, who had transferred his mind into a cloned body of Captain America.
The Expatriate
During the “Man Without a Country” story arc, Steve Rogers briefly dons the costume of The Expatriate. After The Red Skull brings Cap back to life he is filmed storming a military base alongside both the Red Skull and Sharon Carter. Bill Clinton temporarily exiles Rogers to the UK until the matter is sorted out and his name can be cleared. As not to associate himself with the United States, Steve wears an all-blue costume, similar to Isaiah Bradley’s uniform, but with no stars or stripes. It is also at this time when Steve first receives the Plasma Shield, although it only forms a yellow buckler, as opposed to his later, more spangled Plasma Shield.
Onslaught
Heroes Reborn and Return
September 11th Attacks
The Truth: Red, White and Black
After Steve Rogers' participation in Project: Rebirth, the U.S. Army tested the early version of the Super Soldier Serum on 300 black soldiers. A married man and father to a newborn girl, Isaiah Bradley was a infantryman at Camp Cathcart, Mississippi in 1942, during the first year of the United States involvement in World War II. Bradley's platoon is among the 300 test subjects that were randomly chosen from the two of the all black battalions are Cathcart which were murdered after the 300 left for Project Super Soldier. Barbaric medical practices are performed on the subjects. The surviving seven were sent forward to Europe, one of their number dying on the boat ride to complications with the serum. The remaining six entered the war in July 1942.
Bradley's only known costumed mission involved the destruction of the Nazi Super Soldier Project at Schwarzebitte, Germany in October 1942. Bradley steals a spare Captain America costume that had been set aside for Steve Rogers who was to lead the mission. He completed his mission, however he is captured and later interrogated by Hitler himself before being shipped off to Auschwitz. Bradley escaped and is taken in by the German and Belgian Underground Resistance. He is eventually able to sneak back to behind Allied lines in 1943, but receives a court-martial from the Army and a sentence to life imprisonment for stealing Captain America's costume. Bradley served seventeen years and was released by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the day of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Bradley was the only test subject to survive the war.
He became an underground legend among the Marvel African-American community - he was their Captain America. Eventually, however, the serum's long-term effects damaged Isaiah Bradley, in his body and mind. He became childlike and began to disappear as a hero. It was then that he is discovered by Steve Rogers, who tracks him down and acknowledges his sacrifices and heroism. Isaiah Bradley remains as one of Cap's greatest allies - the black Captain America. He is the grandfather of Elijah Bradley, Patriot from the Young Avengers.
The New Avengers
Eventually, the Avengers broke up, in Avengers Disassembled after the Scarlett Witch had a nervous breakdown and killed a few teammembers. For a few months there where no Avengers. Captain America however soon found himself in a situation that brought together many of New York's superheroes once again. Finding destiny to have struck twice, Captain America formed the New Avengers, together with Iron Man, Luke Cage, newcomers Sentry and Ronin and known superheroes such as Wolverine and Spider-Man. Iron Man soon found a headquarters for the team and so the New Avengers where born.
The Winter Soldier
Rogers revealed his secret identity, and then encountered a new villain named the Winter Soldier who assassinated the Red Skull. The Winter Soldier's secret identity turns out to be Bucky Barnes, and he was under the control of a Russian businessman and former Soviet general named Aleksander Lukin. Steve later learns that Bucky had been rescued by the Soviet Union, who brainwashed him and made him their own assassin. Eventually, Bucky's memory was returned to him when Captain America willed it back with Lukin's Cosmic Cube (which Lukin took from the Red Skull).
Civil War
For further details: Civil War
A super-human battle in Stamford, Connecticut causes the deaths of hundreds of school children and leads directly to the superhero Civil War when the public called out for super-humans to register their powers, abilities, and identities, and hang up the costumes. In the wake of this horrible tragedy, the Super-human Registration Act is quickly passed. This new law requires everyone in the United States to register with the federal government, submit to evaluation, training and even become a government operative. Some heroes are for it while some were against it. Captain America is the most highly-respected hero against it. He believes it infringes on the rights and personal freedoms of super-humans.
He elects to lead the anti-registration faction of heroes against the pro-registration people, who are led by none other than his friend and fellow Avenger; Iron Man. Cap and the other heroes refusal to register immediately makes them all technically criminals and fugitives to be hunted down by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, police, their former friends, and even enemies/villains who'd registered and agreed to work as government operatives. The two factions clash several times with Iron Man beating Cap savagely in their first fight. However, as the War goes on, Cap's side grows by recruiting and attracting mostly street-level heroes like Daredevil, Luke Cage, and later Spider-Man (after he defects from Iron Man's pro-registration side). Captain America's faction even recruits one true powerhouse; Hercules.
Eventually, Cap's anti-registration faction gained enough strength to match Iron Man's pro-registration forces. Captain's morals were sorely tested too, when he enlisted the help of many figures he would normally apprehend and turn over to the authorities. The most notable of these questionable allies were Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher and Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin.
Eventually events lead to the final confrontation between the opposing factions where Captain America confronted and batters Iron Man. The tide of the battle was turning in favor of Captain America's forces and victory was at hand when a group of ordinary civilians intervene and attempt to restrain Cap. It was at this moment that Captain America realizes he was endangering the very people he had sworn to protect. "We're not fighting for the people anymore. We're just...fighting." he said tearfully, surrendering even as he was about to win. Captain America then removed his mask, surrendered to authorities as Steve Rogers and orders the anti-registration forces to stand down. As Rogers is led away in handcuffs, the Punisher retrieves Captain America's discarded mask. The majority of the other anti-registration heroes subsequently elect to register, while some decide to take their chances, stay outside the law and remain fugitives. After his arrest, Captain America is incarcerated by the federal government to await trial. The Civil War strains relationships between the former Avengers, too. Thor was dead. Iron Man and Captain America led opposing forces. Hank Pym was on Iron Man's side, Vision was on Cap's. Due to the Scarlet Witch's mental instability and breakdown the Avengers had been disassembled already (in Avengers Disassembled), but the events of the Civil War made it nearly impossible for the team to reform and function effectively. Eventually, several different versions of the team either formed or re-formed as the Mighty Avengers, the New Avengers and the Secret Avengers.
Fallen Son
For further details: Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America
The tide of the superhuman Civil War turns, as Captain America is assassinated in a scheme perpetrated by his greatest foe, the Red Skull. It is later revealed that Steve Rogers is not dead. When S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark take possession of Captain America's body, and they wanted to conduct tests because he was the only perfect Super-Soldier. What they discover was the serum seems to have reversed the effects on his body after he died. Though his death demoralized even those he had fought against, the new order of super heroes had already begun, spearheaded by Iron Man, who had been appointed as the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. with the launch of the Fifty State Initiative program, Iron Man's dream of a dedicated super hero team in each U. S. state was being realized. Little did he suspect that the mounting Skrull invasion was secretly placing one of their agents on each of those teams. In Captain America: New Deal, Steve Rogers left instructions for Tony Stark in a letter written before his death to "save" Bucky and that the mantle of Captain America should go on.
When the Winter Soldier (Bucky) is brought into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, he managed to escape, only to attack Iron Man. The two fight to a standstill until Stark mentions the letter from Steve. Bucky isn't sure that Cap had meant for him to actually become Captain America. Tony said that there's no way Bucky would let anyone else fill those boots and asked if he wanted to be the one to let Steve down. Bucky says he'd do it under two conditions. The first was that his mind would be completely probed to ensure there was no trace of brainwashing or fail safe code-words left over from when he was under control as the Winter Soldier. The second condition is that he doesn't have to answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. or to Stark, just as Steve didn't. Tony thought about it and agreed. The Norse god Thor later communicates with the spirit of Steve Rogers on the one-year anniversary of his death.
Captain America Reborn
For further details: Captain America Reborn
As the machinations of the Red Skull continue despite the intervention of the new Captain America, Black Widow and the Falcon, he and Arnim Zola reveal to an astonished Norman Osborn that the gun Sharon Carter used to kill Steve Rogers actually froze him in space and time at the moment of his death. That moment of spatial and temporal stasis could be used to bring back his body from any moment in the future via a modified version of Dr. Doom's time device and Sharon Carter herself, whom they referred to as "the constant." At the time of the intended retrieval, Sharon's actions disrupted the process, resulting in Steve being lost in time and space. He is shown reliving moments of his past, most notably events during the Second World War, badly disoriented and bewildered. While going through the time stream, Steve finds himself back in 1944, at one of the Red Skull's bases, fighting Master Man. As he begins to fight Master Man, Cap figures out that he has somehow been sent back in time and reliving all of the battles he has fought in over the years. After he defeats Master Man, Steve is then sent to the time he met with President Franklin Roosevelt at the White House.
Back in the present, Bucky and Black Widow begin to fight Ares and Venom inside a H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier, but Bucky and Black Widow are defeated and taken to Norman Osborn. At the Baxter Building, Hank had brought Sharon Carter to Reed Richards, so that he could examine her. While Reed does this, Hank mentions that Falcon and the Vision are out looking for Bucky and Black Widow, since they never returned from their mission. Reed then tells Hank that he has found something in Sharon's blood stream, Reed then mentions that there was something similar to what's in Sharon's blood, in Steve's body that Reed had found after he had done an autopsy on it. Reed then tells Hank that there was something Tony Stark didn't like about the rapid cellular decay in Steve's body.
Norman then meets with Crossbones and Sin, telling them that he knows about the second shooter and that he would love to have a Captain America on his side, leading his Avengers, even if the Red Skull's mind was in that Captain America's body.
Back in the past, Steve finds himself back in 1940 with Dr. Erskine, Steve then begins to ask the doctor about time travel and what would happen if someone were to go back and kill Hitler before all of this madness began. Dr. Erskine then tells Steve that doing something like that would have both an action and reaction that could end up making it so that your loved ones might have never been born. After this, Steve is taken into a lab and is about to relive the moment he became Captain America, Steve knows that the doctor is going to be killed by a Nazi spy, but is forced to do nothing but go through with the experiment. After he does, the doctor is killed and Steve begins to ask himself why he is reliving all of his past memories.
Back at the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier, Norman is talking to the now captured Bucky and Black Widow, Norman then reveals that he had told the whole world that Sharon Carter was the second shooter in the assassination of Captain America and is now the world's most wanted. Norman then tells them that he is letting Black Widow go so that she could tell Sharon that if she doesn't turn herself in within twenty-four hours, Norman will kill Bucky.
Still trapped in time, Steve relives the time he was trapped in the ice, he begins to wonder why he even keeps track of the time anymore, since he believes time has no meaning for him now. As he ponders on this, Namor appears, as Steve knew he would, picking up the large chunk of ice that holds Steve. Everything happens like it always did, Namor throws the piece of ice into the water, even though Steve tries to yell Namor's name, to where Steve would be found by the Avengers. Back in the present, Reed Richards has met with Namor in the Arctic Ocean, where Steve's body was secretly laid to rest. Reed asks Namor to raise Steve's coffin, which Namor had already done, and as Reed examines Steve's body, the body disappears, shocking both Reed and Namor. As Reed tried to figure out what happened, he gets a call from Hank Pym, who tells Reed that Norman Osborn has outed Sharon Carter as the second shooter who killed Captain America, and to Black Widow's disapproval, Sharon tells them that she's going to turn herself in.
Elsewhere, Bucky is being transported by Norman's Thunderbolts, while Sharon tries to figure out what she should do. Back in time, Steve finds himself reliving his time during the Kree-Skrull War, fighting alongside Clint Barton, who was going by Goliath at the time, fighting off an army of Skrull soldiers. Steve watches Iron Man, Thor, and Captain Marvel, Steve then asks the Vision, who had asked him to meet with the other Avengers on the command deck, if the Vision could remember something and then store it deep in his memory storage, something Vision said he would have no problem doing. Back with Bucky, Falcon attacks the Thunderbolts' jet, fighting off the Thunderbolts, while the Thunderbolts' Ant-Man frees Bucky, after that Bucky and Falcon escape unharmed.
Still jumping through time, Steve finds himself reliving the time he and Rick Jones, who was going by the name of Bucky at the time, fight off a group of HYDRA agents. Steve then feels the remorse of losing the original Bucky, his close friend James Barnes, when he almost calls Rick "Bucky". Back in the present, Norman Osborn has announced that Sharon Carter, Steve's lover, was the second shooter in his death. While he does this, Sharon is being taken to Latveria. At the Infinite Avengers Mansion, Hank Pym and Mr. Fantastic activate the message Steve left with the Vision back during the Kree-Skrull War, telling them that he is lost in time.
Elsewhere, Bucky, Black Widow, and Clint Barton (Ronin), attack a H.A.M.M.E.R. mobile data-collector, trying to find out where Sharon Carter is. Once in Latveria, Sharon is shocked to see that the Red Skull is alive still, and is with Dr. Doom. They quickly then attach her to a machine that will bring Steve back to the present. In the English Channel Islands, 1945, Steve finds himself and Bucky escaping Baron Zemo's fortress. Bucky and Steve then jump onto the drone bomber that will explode, sending them to their apparent deaths, only to let them live to become who they are today. Steve, who has relived this day so many times in his mind, and nightmares, decides that he won't let Bucky get blown up again and become the Winter Soldier. As he tries to stop Bucky, Steve is suddenly pulled back through time, he then finds himself being attacked by the Red Skull as he flies through time.
Steve's body then appears in Dr. Doom's lab, but as Sharon calls out to him, it is revealed that the Red Skull has placed his mind in Steve's body, and is now in control of Captain America. Steve then finds himself in a nightmarish world ruled by the Nazis and the Red Skull. The Red Skull, who is now on his way to the White House to meet with the President to ruin Captain America and what he stands for once and for all. But as they make their way to D. C., the Skull captures the Vision who is trying to sneak on board to rescue Sharon, and commands his ship to attack the Avengers Quinjet which is chasing after them. The A.I.M. ship takes out the Quinjet, causing it to crash in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
The Avengers are forced to fight the Skull's forces. While that happens, Steve finds where the Skull is hiding in his mind, and they begin to fight over control of Steve's body. Meanwhile, Bucky fights the Red Skull outside of Steve's body. But Bucky shows that he can't kill Steve, even if it is the Red Skull controlling him. . The Red Skull then takes Bucky's shield, stating that “what's Captain America without his shield?” He then cuts off Bucky's bionic hand, saying that it's time for a new morning in America. But before Red Skull can kill Bucky, Steve is able to force the Skull out of his mind and back into his robotic body, gaining control over his body again, and finally returning to the world he left.
Sharon Carter then uses one of Hank Pym's size changer devices to make the Red Skull into a giant, making sure he can't escape this time, Steve and Bucky then team up with the rest of the Avengers, fighting the giant Red Skull, and finally are able to seemingly kill the Red Skull. As they do so, the public sees Steve among the heroes, and yell with joy as they see that Captain America has returned. Back in New York, Steve remembers that he saw the future while he was going through time, and that he believes Bucky is going to die, but before he can think about it more, Sharon comes to get him to come down to his party. Four days after his return, Steve had been training with Bucky, getting back into shape. He talks to Sharon, telling her how he's worried that he may slip away back into time again, she then tells him that he's not going anywhere and that she has him.
Later that night, Steve decides to suit up and go out into the city, to see what has changed. He finds Captain America (Bucky) and Black Widow as they fight the Hyde who has escaped from The Raft. As Hyde tries to escape from the battle, Bucky sees Steve watching from the sidelines and throws him his shield, allowing him to defeat Hyde all by himself. Steve then says that was fun and hands Bucky the shield, but Bucky refuses telling Steve that he's Captain America and that's his shield.
Steve then tells Bucky that they need to talk. Steve tells Bucky that he should keep being Captain America, that it means something more to him, which Bucky disagrees with, saying that Steve is the only Captain America. Steve then tells him that he's not sure if he's ready or will ever be able to pick up his shield again, and asks Bucky to continue being Captain America, if not for himself, then for him.
Steve then returns to Sharon, telling her that he believes that if Bucky doesn't continue to be Captain America, that he may die, and Steve could never live with that possibility, even if it means giving up the future he wants. Steve then meets with President Obama, who gives Steve a Presidential Pardon for what he did during the Civil War, saying that he felt the S.H.R.A. was un-American to him. Steve then tells the President that he may not be able to pick up his shield again, President Obama then tells Steve that that is okay, that he has a feeling that in the coming days, America is going to call on Steve for something much bigger.
The Heroic Age
For further details: The Heroic Age
After the Dark Reign of Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers, Steve Rogers is called on again for duty, but now as America's new "Top Cop" ( S.H.I.E.L.D. director). Steve accepts the job and assembles two new teams. The Avengers under Maria Hill's command and the Secret Avengers for covert missions under Steve's direct command. Steve's first line-up of Secret Avengers include his long-time love interest Sharon Carter, Brunnhilde the Asgardian Valkyrie, Nova the Prime Centurion of the Xandarian Nova Corps, former Avenger and X-Man Beast, Black Widow, Moon Knight and War Machine.
Fear Itself
During the Fear Itself storyline, Steve Rogers is present when the threat of the Serpent is known. Following the apparent death of Bucky at the hands of Sin (in the form of Skadi), Steve Rogers ends up changing into his Captain America outfit. When the Avengers and the New Avengers are fighting Skadi, the Serpent ends up joining the battle and breaks Captain America's shield with his bare hands. Captain America and the Avengers teams end up forming a militia for a last stand against the forces of the Serpent. When it comes to the final battle, Captain America uses Thor's hammer to fight Skadi until Thor manages to kill the Serpent. In the aftermath of the battle, Iron Man presents Captain with his reforged shield now stronger for its uru-infused enhancements despite the scar it bears. It is then revealed that Captain America, Nick Fury, and Black Widow are the only ones who know that Bucky actually survived the fight with Skadi as Bucky resumes his identity as Winter Soldier.
Avengers vs. X-Men
When Steve learns that the Phoenix Force is coming for Hope and learns that Cyclops is ready to take the risk and will allow the Force to come to Hope, he right away takes the Avengers to Utopia to tell Scott that that is too risky and they cannot take such a big risk. When Cyclops tells Steve that the Phoenix Force has being doing only good during the years, Cap tells him the risks and Cyclops starts the attack against Steve Rogers and the Avengers.Later when Steve sees that they cannot win this war he uses their only hope, Wanda Maximoff. They are able to take Hope but a lot of Avengers are being held captive in a prison in Utopia.Later when Steve has no other hope he tries to gather the Illuminati again but not all of them come, Namor is the one that doesn't come but the others come and go because they don't have hope or they believe that the Phoenix Force is actually good. But later when everybody's gone Namor comes.
Marvel NOW!
Captain America is featured in his own title, where he is abducted by Arnim Zola's minion to his own dimension, called Dimension Z. There he saves Arnim Zola's infant son, Leopold, from his own father's terror. Captain America raises Leopold as his own son, naming him Ian. After ten years time, still trapped in Dimension Z, Zola retrieves his long lost son, brainwashing him to hate Captain America and love the will of Zola.
Captain America also recruits the latest roster of The Avengers together with Tony Stark. He is himself part of the team as team leader.
After Avengers vs. X-Men he tries to show the world that mutants and humans can work together, so he founds the Avengers Unity Squad, consisting of himself and Thor, Wolverine, Scarlet Witch, Rogue and Havok, who's the leader of the team.
--Karen
