''Captain America'' is the name of several
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
titles featuring the character
Captain America and published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, beginning with the original ''Captain America'' comic book series which debuted in 1968.
Publication history
Captain America was starring in the title ''
Tales of Suspense
''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such arti ...
'', which was retitled ''Captain America'' with issue #100 (April 1968). The new title ''Captain America'' continued to feature artwork by
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...
, as well as a short run by
Jim Steranko, and work by many of the industry's top artists and writers. It was called ''Captain America and the Falcon'' from #134 (Feb. 1971) to #222 (June 1978),
although the Falcon's name was not on the cover for issues #193, 200, and 216. The 1972–1975 run on the title by writer
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett.
Early lif ...
and artist
Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema (; ; born Silvio Buscema, January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of '' The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as artist of ''The Spectacular Spider-M ...
saw the series become one of Marvel's top-sellers. In 2010,
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin was a daily website covering the American comic-book industry.
History Silver Bullet Comicbooks
The site was founded in January 2000 as Silver Bullet Comicbooks by its New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice.
During this ...
ranked Englehart and Buscema's run on ''Captain America'' fourth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels". Kirby returned to the series as writer and penciler with issue #193 (Jan. 1975) and remained through #214 (Oct. 1977).
This series – considered ''Captain America'' volume one by comics researchers and historians – ended with #454 (Aug. 1996). ''Captain America'' Vol. 1 should not be confused with the 1940s series ''
Captain America Comics'' (1941–1949, 1954) and ''
Captain America's Weird Tales'' (1949–1950).
This series was almost immediately followed by the 13-issue ''Captain America'' vol. 2 (Nov. 1996 – Nov. 1997, part of the "
Heroes Reborn" crossover), the 50-issue ''Captain America'' vol. 3 (Jan. 1998 – Feb. 2002), the 32-issue ''Captain America'' vol. 4 (June 2002 – Dec. 2004), and ''Captain America'' vol. 5 (Jan. 2005 – Aug. 2011). Beginning with the 600th overall issue (Aug. 2009), ''Captain America'' resumed its original numbering, as if the series numbering had continued uninterrupted after #454.
As part of the aftermath of Marvel Comics' company-crossover storyline "
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
", Steve Rogers was ostensibly killed in ''Captain America'' vol. 5, #25 (March 2007). Series writer
Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
remarked, "What I found is that all the really hard-core left-wing fans want Cap to be standing out on and giving speeches on the street corner against the
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
administration, and all the really right-wing fans all want him to be over in the streets of Baghdad, punching out
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
."
The character's co-creator,
Joe Simon, said, "It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now."
Artist
Alex Ross designed a slightly revised Captain America costume that former sidekick Bucky Barnes began to wear as the new Captain America in vol. 5, #34 (March 2008). As of 2007, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books had been sold in 75 countries.
The storyline of Rogers' return began in issue #600.
Marvel stated in May 2011 that Rogers, following the public death of Bucky Barnes in the "
Fear Itself" crossover, would resume his Captain America identity in a sixth volume of ''Captain America'', by writer Ed Brubaker and artist
Steve McNiven. The ''Captain America'' title continued from issue #620 featuring team up stories with Bucky (#620-#628), Hawkeye (#629-#632), Iron Man (#633–635), Namor (#635.1), and Black Widow (#636-#640),
and the title ended its print run with issue #640.
See also
*
1968 in comics
''See also'':
1968 in comics,
1969 in comics,
1960s in comics and the
list of years in comics
Publications and events
January
* January 6: The first issue of the Dutch children's magazine '' Bobo'' is published, which introduces the title com ...
*
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an in ...
*
American comic book tropes
American comic book tropes are common elements and literary devices related to American comic books.
Continuity
Comics continuity almost-always refers to the existence and use of a shared universe, although any comic can have internal continu ...
References
External links
''Captain America''at the Comic Book DB
{{Captain America, state=collapsed
1968 comics debuts
1996 comics debuts
1998 comics debuts
2002 comics debuts
2005 comics debuts
Captain America titles
Comics by Dan Jurgens
Comics by Dave Gibbons
Comics by David Michelinie
Comics by Gerry Conway
Comics by J. M. DeMatteis
Comics by Jack Kirby
Comics by Jeph Loeb
Comics by John Byrne (comics)
Comics by Mark Waid
Comics by Roger Stern
Comics by Roy Thomas
Comics by Stan Lee
Comics by Steve Englehart
Comics by Steve Gerber
Marvel Comics adapted into films