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Captain America's shield is a fictional item appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. It is the primary defensive and offensive piece of equipment used by
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
, and is intended to be an emblem of
American culture The culture of the United States encompasses various social behaviors, institutions, and Social norm, norms, including forms of Languages of the United States, speech, American literature, literature, Music of the United States, music, Visual a ...
. Over the years, Captain America has used several
shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
s of varying composition and design. His original
heater shield The heater shield or heater-shaped shield is a form of Middle Ages, European medieval shield, developing from the early medieval kite shield in the late 12th century in response to the declining importance of the shield in combat thanks to impr ...
first appeared In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictional character. These issues are often highly valued by collectors due to their rarity and iconic status. Reader interest in fir ...
in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 (March 1941), published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor,
Timely Comics Timely Comics was the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely P ...
. The circular shield best associated with the character debuted in the next issue, ''Captain America Comics'' #2.


Original shield

In his debut, Captain America (secretly
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
Steve Rogers) is equipped with a heater-style shield made from
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
. After complaints by rival comic-book publisher MLJ that the design was too similar to that of its own patriotic hero the
Shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
, Timely Comics replaced the triangular shield with a disc-shaped one. While the origin and fate of the original shield were not described in the original comics from the 1940s, the shield's fate was revealed decades later in 2001 through a
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
ned story. According to the tale, King
T'Chaka T'Chaka is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of T'Challa and Shuri. He was the king of Wakanda and Black Panther before T'Challa; he inherited both titles following the death of ...
of
Wakanda Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
met Captain America in early 1941 and gave him a sample of
vibranium Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in the kingdom of Wakanda, the metal ...
, an alien metal with unique vibration-absorption properties and found only in Wakanda and the
Savage Land The Savage Land is a fictional prehistoric land that features in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve, hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in '' Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other relate ...
. The vibranium was used to make Captain America's circular shield, and his triangular one was retired. Captain America received a second triangular shield that he used until given his disc-shaped shield, presented to him by President
Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
.''
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
'' #255 (March 1981)
This second triangular shield was kept in storage with Rogers' other personal effects after the war. It was recovered at some point after Rogers joined the superhero team the Avengers in ''The Avengers'' #4, and was kept at
Avengers Mansion Avengers Mansion is a fictional building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New Y ...
. It was destroyed by the supervillain
Mr. Hyde Dr. Henry Jekyll and his alter ego Mr. Edward Hyde are the central character of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''. In the story, Dr. Jekyll is a good friend of main protagonist Gabriel John Utterso ...
during a raid on the mansion by
Baron Zemo Baron Zemo () is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut Zemo have both been depicted as a major adversary of Captain America and the Avengers, as well as the l ...
's
Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...
, and later "plucked from time" and restored by Zemo in '' Thunderbolts'' #105 (October 2006). The shield (along with other sentimental items thought destroyed) was returned to Captain America. A third triangular shield is kept in the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
. It was used by Captain America when he foiled a terrorist attack on the museum itself after the loss of his usual shield; it was then given to him in gratitude. This shield is destroyed several issues later by a
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
alien warrior. The shield destroyed by Hyde and restored by Zemo was eventually passed on to Elijah Bradley, the teenage hero known as the Patriot and leader of the
Young Avengers The Young Avengers are the names of two superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, the first team appeared in ''Young Avengers'' #1 (April 2005). The Young Avengers tea ...
.


Revised history

In 2010, the history of the original shield was revised. In the limited series ''Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers'', Captain America, Sergeant Nick Fury and the
Howling Commandos The Howling Commandos is the name of several fictional groups appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team also appears in the franchises developed for other media. Fictional team history Original Incarnation (1963) T ...
meet Azzari (grandfather of
T'Challa Black Panther is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #52, published in July 1966. On ...
)—the Black Panther and king of
Wakanda Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
during World War II. Aided by Wakandan military forces, they repel a series of Nazi attacks led by the
Red Skull The Red Skull is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by France Herron, Jack Kirby, and Joe Simon, the character first appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 (March 1941), in ...
and
Baron Strucker Baron Wolfgang von Strucker () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A former Nazi officer, he is one of the leaders of the Hydra terrorist organization, and the archenemy of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. H ...
. During the battle, the Red Skull (wearing a battle-suit) crushes the triangular shield, and Captain America uses a circular vibranium shield provided by T'Challa to incapacitate the Skull. The weapon serves as the inspiration for the circular shield that the super-soldier begins using upon his return to America, and the encounter marks the beginning of friendly relations between the United States and Wakanda.


Circular shield

The
round shield A round shield can refer to any type of hand-held shield that has a round shape. They come in highly varying sizes, and have, in different forms, been very popular in Europe, the Asia and the Americas, throughout the Bronze Age, the classical peri ...
most associated with Captain America made its debut in ''Captain America Comics'' #2 (April 1941). A near-indestructible concavo-convex metal disc approximately in diameter, weighing , it has remained Captain America's most constant shield over the decades. In ''Captain America'' #255 (March 1981), it is established that the shield was presented to Rogers by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. The shield is created by
metallurgist Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...
Myron MacLain, who had been commissioned by the US government to create an indestructible armor material to aid the war effort. MacLain experiments with vibranium. During one of his experiments to fuse vibranium with an experimental steel alloy, MacLain falls asleep and awakens to find that the resulting alloy had been set in a tank hatch mold. However, he was not able to duplicate it, because as MacLain described it, "some unknown factor" was present during the experiment that he could not identify. The shield was then painted to become Captain America's weapon and symbol. MacLain attempted to recreate the shield's metal to no avail, his experiments instead creating the super-metal
adamantium Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy, most famously appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. First mention in Marvel comics It was ...
.''
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
'' #303 (March 1985)
Rogers' shield is more durable than regular adamantium and is essentially indestructible. The vibranium grants the shield unusual properties, allowing it to absorb all of the kinetic impact and vibrations from any blows that the shield receives without injuring Rogers in the process. Soon after his revival from suspended animation and rescue by the Avengers, Rogers briefly experimented with Stark's modification of the shield which included a magnetic mechanism that enabled Rogers to hold the shield through a corresponding magnetic mechanism attached to his left glove, as well as communications equipment. These modifications allowed Rogers to launch the shield from his glove and control it mid-flight. However, Rogers decided to have those modifications removed and restored the holding straps since he found that he preferred to physically throw the shield himself and the electronic equipment spoiled the shield's balance to enable him to do that effectively. After Rogers' death, S.H.I.E.L.D. takes over custody of the shield, with one replica on display in a museum, and another replica buried with Rogers. The real one is kept by S.H.I.E.L.D. to be used by the new Captain America, whenever they deem it appropriate to train a new one. After failing to find a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent capable of throwing it properly, Stark offers the shield to Clint Barton (known at that time as Ronin), who does manage to throw it. During his first outing as Captain America, Barton encounters the Young Avengers and scolds Kate Bishop for using the Hawkeye name. She tells him that the "Real Cap" gave her that name in honor of his at the time dead friend. This leads Barton to refuse to be Captain America. The shield is subsequently stolen by the Winter Soldier, who did not want anyone else to carry the shield. Inevitably, in an effort to honor Rogers' last wishes, Stark offers to let the Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) keep the shield, and serve as the new Captain America. Bucky accepts. This offer is made "off the books", and only the two of them, Black Widow and Falcon, are aware of the situation. Although Bucky attempted to return the shield to Rogers after his resurrection, Rogers let Bucky keep it as he felt that he could do more good in his new role as Commander Steve Rogers rather than Captain America. Rogers used a photonic shield in its place when circumstances called for him to go into combat. He reclaimed the shield for good after Bucky was apparently killed during the '' Fear Itself'' event.'' Fear Itself'' #7 (December 2011)


''JLA/Avengers''

In the 2003-2004 Marvel Comics/
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
inter-company crossover limited series ''
JLA/Avengers ''JLA/Avengers'' (issues #2 and 4 are titled ''Avengers/JLA'') is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, wi ...
'',
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
is given the shield by Captain America to wield in battle in the final confrontation with Krona, and is impressed with its might. When he asks where he could get one just like it while battling foes,
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
replies, "Enjoy it while thou canst, Superman. There is none other like it in ''all'' the worlds". Throughout the final battle, the shield changes forms between the pointed shield and the circular shield due to various temporal ripples caused by Krona's equipment, and Superman even loses the shield altogether at one point when he morphs into his energy form while Cap reacquires the photonic shield, although the metal shield reappears on Superman's arm after he morphs back into his regular form.


Destruction of the shield

Over time the shield has been damaged or destroyed several times within the confines of the
Earth-616 In the fictional Multiverse (Marvel Comics), Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity (fiction), continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. Origins of the term The designation "Earth-616" has its origins in ...
continuity: * In '' The Avengers'' #215–216, the
Molecule Man The Molecule Man (Owen Reece) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #20 in November 1963 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. An enormously powerful entity, ...
used his total control over matter to disintegrate the shield, along with Thor's hammer, Iron Man's armor, and the
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
's board. After he does so, he comments that the board's molecules are "weird", and while there are "odd forces interweaving" among the hammer's molecules, the shield is "weirdest of all". He later reassembles these items, with the exception of the armor, as the electronic circuits are too complicated for him to understand at that time.'' The Avengers'' #215–216 (January–February 1982) * During the 1984-1985 ''
Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...
'' limited series, the shield is partially destroyed by
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
, who has stolen the power of the
Beyonder The Beyonder () is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck, the Beyonder first appeared in ''Secret Wars'' #1 (May 1984) as an unseen, nigh-omnipote ...
. Even broken, Rogers is able to wield what is left as an effective weapon, with the shield largely retaining its balance when thrown. When the Beyonder reclaims his power, the heroes are temporarily granted the ability to realize their wishes. Rogers uses this to reconstruct his shield. * During the 1991 miniseries ''
The Infinity Gauntlet ''The Infinity Gauntlet'' is an American comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. In addition to an eponymous, six-issue limited series (comics), limited series written by Jim Starlin and Penciller, pencilled by George Pérez and Ron ...
'',
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
, who possesses near-
omnipotence Omnipotence is the property of possessing maximal power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as ...
via the Infinity Gauntlet, shatters the shield with a blow of his fist while in combat with Captain America. The shield is soon restored by
Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...
, when she obtains the Gauntlet and uses it to undo the events of Thanos's temporary godhood, resulting in her erasing the death and destruction that Thanos had caused over the previous 24 hours. * Due to a stray molecule being out of place when Rogers reconstructed the shield using the Beyonder's residual power, a
vibranium Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in the kingdom of Wakanda, the metal ...
"cancer" was introduced to the shield, spreading with each subsequent impact until it finally shattered after it was retrieved from the bottom of the ocean (Rogers having lost the shield during a previous mission until War Machine retrieved it). Learning that the vibranium cancer could only be "cured" with the destruction of the shield, Rogers took the shield to the main vibranium deposit in Wakanda so that he could use a device created by Tony Stark to halt the 'cancer' before it could contaminate the Wakandan vibranium and destroy the world, only to be intercepted by the villain Klaw, who sought to absorb the power of the "cancer" and become stronger. Fortunately, the amount of energy Klaw had absorbed was released when he struck the shattered shield with full force after Rogers picked it up on reflex, resulting in Klaw unintentionally restoring the shield to its original state, realigning its molecules and destroying the cancer. *
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
, when wielding his father
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
's power at the time, accidentally significantly dented the shield with a single blow, but repaired it afterwards. * During the 2011 miniseries '' Fear Itself'', the Serpent destroys Captain America's shield.''Fear Itself'' #5 (October 2011) The shield is repaired by Iron Man and Asgardian dwarves, who enhance it with uru metal.


Other shields

* While Rogers was asleep in suspended animation, three other men used the identity of Captain America, all using steel replicas of the discus shield. The 1950s Captain America was placed in suspended animation after becoming mentally unstable. By the time he was revived years later, Rogers had returned. When the two clashed, in the 1950s Captain America's shield was broken. * In the 1980s, in a story written by
Mark Gruenwald Mark Eugene Gruenwald ( ; June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler known for his long association with Marvel Comics. Career Early career Gruenwald got his start in comics f ...
, Rogers chose to resign the mantle of Captain America, rather than submit to the orders of the United States government and took the alias as "The Captain" instead. During this period, the role of Captain America was assumed by John Walker, the former Super-Patriot, who used both the costume and the indestructible shield. In his new identity of "The Captain", Rogers initially used a pure adamantium shield provided by Tony Stark, but a falling out between the two as a result of the "
Armor Wars "Armor Wars" is a seven-issue Iron Man story arc written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton with art by Mark D. Bright, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Layton, and published by Marvel Comics. The arc first appeared in ''Iron Man'' #225–232. Public ...
" storyline led Rogers to return it. He then began to use a pure vibranium shield provided by the
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
. When Rogers returned to his Captain America identity, Walker became the U.S. Agent and returned the original shield to him. Walker would go on to have his own array of different shields over the years, the first of which appeared to be the last vibranium shield Rogers was using as the Captain. * At one point, when Rogers was exiled from the United States and was briefly unable to use his shield,
Sharon Carter Sharon Carter (also known as Agent 13) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers, the character first appeared in '' Tales of Suspense'' #75 (March 1966). Sharon ...
provided him with a photonic energy shield designed to mimic a vibranium matrix. * During the time when the shield was lost in the Atlantic, Rogers tried using a pure adamantium shield, but was unable to get used to the balance. He also tried fighting without a shield but also found it awkward. * Sharon Carter next provided him with another photonic shield, but one whose shape could be controlled to morph the energy field into a wider force field, a bo staff or even fire a projection of the shield. While he enjoyed the versatility, Rogers noticed a number of drawbacks, particularly its inability to ricochet. Rogers gave one of the energy shield gloves to a freedom fighter in an oppressive future he traveled to and received a replacement from S.H.I.E.L.D. when he got back to his own time. * In ''
Secret Avengers ''Secret Avengers'' is an American comic book Ongoing series, series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black operation, black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a b ...
'', he uses a new energy shield which could be generated on either arm, or both, and was able to be thrown and ricochet off surfaces to hit targets before it dissipates, preventing enemies from using it against him. A new shield would be generated moments later.
Moon Knight Moon Knight is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, the character first appeared in ''Werewolf by Night'' #32 (August 1975). The son of a rabbi, Marc S ...
, who had acquired a copy of the technology, had it described to him as a "zero point energy shield". * In ''Captain America: Steve Rogers'', Steve wields a new version of the triangular shield that can deploy an energy blade on its pointy end and can be divided in two, allowing him to use both halves in combat. * On Earth-691,
Vance Astro Vance Astro, born Vance Astrovik and going by the code name Major Victory, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as being from the Earth-691 timeline of the Marvel Univers ...
wielded the shield for a time as Major Victory.


Marvel Cinematic Universe version

Captain America's shield is a recurring item throughout the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
franchise. Like its comic book counterpart, it is circular, relatively lightweight, but unlike its comic book counterpart, it is made of the nearly indestructible Wakandan metal,
vibranium Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in the kingdom of Wakanda, the metal ...
. It is created by
Howard Stark Howard Stark is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a background character in stories featuring Iron Man and stories featuring Captain America. He is the founder of Stark ...
and given to Steve Rogers during World War II. Within the MCU, the shield is seen as a symbol of Captain America's strength and legacy.


Appearances

*In ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
'' (2008), a partially completed replica of the shield appears when
Pepper Potts Virginia "Pepper" Potts is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein (comics), Robert Bernstein, and designed by artist Don Heck, the character Firs ...
watches
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
trying to remove his damaged armor. Stark subsequently used the alloy of a prototype made by his father to create his
Iron Man armor Iron Man's armor is a fictional powered exoskeleton appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is built and worn by billionaire Tony Stark when he assumes the identity of the superhero Iron Man. The first armor was cre ...
. *In ''
Iron Man 2 ''Iron Man 2'' is a 2010 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it is the sequel to ''Iron Man'' (2008) and the third film in the Marvel Cinem ...
'' (2010), Stark's replica of the shield is noticed by
Phil Coulson Agent Phillip J. "Phil" Coulson ( ) is a fictional character portrayed and voiced by Clark Gregg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Coulson is depicted as a high-ranking member of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and longt ...
and it is subsequently used to hold the apparatus that allows Stark to discover a new element, 'badassium'. *In '' Captain America: The First Avenger'' (2011), Steve Rogers uses an ornamental version of the triangular shield during World War II on a musical tour with the
USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
promoting
war bonds War bonds (sometimes referred to as victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are ...
. He then uses that shield in his first combat mission. It is rendered useless after Johann Schmidt punches a large dent in it. He later notices an unadorned circular shield among Howard Stark's proposed weapons, which Stark says is made of a rare metal called Vibranium that is much stronger and one-third the weight of
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
. Although Stark says it is a prototype, Rogers decides to use it after it stops .45 caliber bullets shot at it by
Peggy Carter Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist ...
. It is painted in the familiar red, white and blue pattern modeled after the colors of the
American flag The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...
. Rogers uses the shield throughout the war. It protects Rogers from not only standard weapons, but also the energy-based weapons Hydra uses that are powered by the
Tesseract In geometry, a tesseract or 4-cube is a four-dimensional hypercube, analogous to a two-dimensional square and a three-dimensional cube. Just as the perimeter of the square consists of four edges and the surface of the cube consists of six ...
. Rogers also uses the shield as an offensive weapon and becomes highly skilled in accurately throwing, deflecting, and retrieving it. Rogers has the shield with him when he is frozen in 1945. In 2011, Rogers and the shield are discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
within a crashed, frozen aircraft. *In '' The Avengers'' (2012), Rogers uses the shield while fighting against
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
and is able to deflect an energy blast from his
Mind Stone The Infinity Stones are fictional items in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Infinity Gems of the Marvel Comics. As expounded across several interwoven MCU multimedia titles, the six Infinity Stones are reput ...
-powered
scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...
. The shield also guards Rogers from
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
's hammer Mjolnir, and the subsequent shockwave created when the two weapons collide causes both Thor and Rogers to fall to the ground and decimate nearby foliage. He also uses the shield during the battle against the
Chitauri The Chitauri () are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, specifically in the Ultimate Marvel universe (Earth-1610). They were created by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch in p ...
, and Stark deflects his energy beams off it to amplify their power. *In ''
Iron Man 3 ''Iron Man 3'' is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' (2008) an ...
'' (2013),
Trevor Slattery Trevor Slattery is a character portrayed by Ben Kingsley in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). An actor hired to portray the legendary terrorist leader of the Ten Rings dubbed " the Mandarin", he first appeared in the film ''Iron Man 3'' (201 ...
is seen with a
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...
depicting the shield on the back of his neck. *In '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013), Loki's illusion impersonating Rogers also depicts a recreation of his shield. *In '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014), Rogers uses his shield while fighting against Georges Batroc and his men. It protects both him and Natasha Romanoff from a high powered explosive. He later uses it to crash through walls in an office building while chasing the Winter Soldier. When Rogers throws it at the Winter Soldier, he uses his metal arm to catch and throw the shield back, much to Rogers' surprise. Rogers uses the shield to absorb some of the impact after he jumps from the Triskelion building and lands unharmed hundreds of feet below. He also uses it to take down a
Quinjet The Quinjet is a fictional jet aircraft appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the aircraft first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #61 (February 1969). The Quinjet was f ...
and it protects him and Romanoff against a
ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...
. He later uses it in confrontations against the Winter Soldier, where it counters the latter's metal arm and also takes a direct hit from a
grenade launcher A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially designed, large caliber projectile, often with an explosive, Smoke screen, smoke, or tear gas, gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary gre ...
without damage. *In '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015), the handles of the shield are outfitted with magnetic elements, allowing Rogers to better control the shield and call it back to his gauntlets. Rogers throws and calls it back to him while riding his motorcycle into battle. He and Thor combine the shield and Mjolnir to create massive shockwaves capable of destroying Hydra
tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
s. During Ultron's initial attack, Clint Barton accurately throws the shield to Rogers who uses it to completely obliterate an Ultron sentry. He continues to use it in combat throughout against
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers'' #5 ...
, his sentries, and
Pietro Maximoff Quicksilver (Pietro Django Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in the comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack ...
, the latter of which he knocks unconscious with it. Ultron laments that the shield, which he calls a "
frisbee A frisbee (pronounced ), also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitively for ...
", is an example of human foolishness given the versatility of the vibranium it is made of. During his confrontation with Ultron, Rogers loses the shield when it falls off a truck but it is retrieved by Romanoff and returns it to Rogers. The shield guards against and reflects Ultron's energy beams and pierces Ultron's shoulder when Rogers kicks it at him. He later throws the shield to Romanoff during the Battle of Sokovia, and she uses it to defend herself against Ultron's sentries. *In '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), Rogers uses the shield throughout. During his fight with Brock Rumlow, he throws the shield high into the air to protect himself and nearby civilians after an explosive device is thrown and sticks to it. He uses the shield as he attempts to protect Barnes from law enforcement in Bucharest. When he confronts
T'Challa Black Panther is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #52, published in July 1966. On ...
, the shield is scratched by T'Challa's vibranium claws. The
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
seizes the shield temporarily until it is stolen and returned to Rogers by
Sharon Carter Sharon Carter (also known as Agent 13) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers, the character first appeared in '' Tales of Suspense'' #75 (March 1966). Sharon ...
. Later, the shield is temporarily stolen by
Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Silver Age of ...
but quickly returned to Rogers by Scott Lang. He uses the shield in confrontations with Parker, T'Challa, James Rhodes, and Stark. Barnes uses the shield to attack Rhodes and Stark as well. During his final confrontation with Stark, Rogers uses it to disable some of his armor's flight capability, deflect Stark's energy beams, and finally in combination with Barnes to overwhelm Stark. After he uses the shield to destroy Stark's arc reactor and disable the
Iron Man armor Iron Man's armor is a fictional powered exoskeleton appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is built and worn by billionaire Tony Stark when he assumes the identity of the superhero Iron Man. The first armor was cre ...
. As Rogers leaves with Bucky, Stark calls out that his father, Howard, made the shield for Rogers and that he does not deserve it. Rogers' only response is to leave the shield with Stark. *In '' Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017), video footage captured by Spider-Man during the events of the ''Civil War'', depicting the title character stealing the shield from Rogers, is shown. *In '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), Stark returns the shield to Rogers as a gesture of reconciliation between them. Rogers takes the shield with him when he
time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
s via the Quantum Realm to an alternate 2012, where he faces an alternate version of himself who mistakes him for Loki in disguise, leading to the two versions using their shields to fight each other. Later, during the battle against an alternate Thanos, Rogers proves worthy of using Thor's hammer Mjolnir, and combines Mjolnir with his shield for combination attacks. However, the shield is fractured by Thanos' double-sided blade, with a fractured third of it being broken off by Thanos's attack. Just before going to confront Thanos alone, Rogers uses the shield's strap to set his injured arm. Following the Avengers' victory, an elderly Rogers, returning from an
alternate timeline Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
, bequeaths a new alternate shield, now fully repaired and with a slight design change to the star in the center, to Sam Wilson. * In '' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' (2021), Wilson gives the alternate new shield to the
US government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...
to be placed in the Smithsonian museum exhibit dedicated to Rogers. The government then gives the shield to John Walker, who they name the new Captain America. Walker uses the shield in combat throughout the series and proves proficient in using it. Karli Morgenthau, leader of the Flag Smashers, calls the shield a "symbol of a bygone era" and believes it should be destroyed. During a confrontation with the
Dora Milaje The Dora Milaje are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are a team of women who serve as special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Members of the Dora Milaje appear in the Ma ...
, Walker briefly loses the shield which is handled with expertise by one of the warriors, although Ayo orders it returned to Walker. After Walker injects himself with the Super Soldier Serum and witnesses his partner Lemar Hoskins killed by Morgenthau, he murders another Flag Smasher with the shield while a horrified crowd watches and records him, and with the shield partially bloodstained. Following this, the shield is recovered by Wilson and Barnes, and Wilson trains in becoming proficient with it. Wilson, taking on the Captain America mantle, uses the shield to defeat the Flag Smashers. *In '' Eternals'' (2021), the triangular shield used by Rogers in his USO shows is shown to be in the possession of Kingo. *Alternate versions of the shield appeared in the animated series '' What If...?''. **An alternate version of the shield is used by
Peggy Carter Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist ...
in " What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?". After she is enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum and becomes Captain Carter, Howard Stark gifts her the shield with a
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
-style design as opposed to the original American one. She uses the shield in combat throughout the episode. **An alternate version of the shield appears in " What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" as part of the Collector's collection on
Knowhere Knowhere (pronounced "nowhere") is a fictional location appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in related media. It is depicted as the enormous severed head of an ancient celestial being and serves as an interdimensional ...
. *In '' Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021), the
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
is shown undergoing construction to add the shield to its design. The shield add-on is damaged during Peter Parker's battle with
Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...
. *An alternate version of the shield appears in ''
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel ...
'' (2022), used by Captain Carter in an alternate reality called Earth-838. The shield appears identical to the one used by the other Captain Carter in ''What If...?''. Carter uses the shield to battle Wanda Maximoff. However, she is killed when Wanda bisects her with the shield.


Concept and development

In production for ''Captain America: The First Avenger'', the shield, which is depicted as both a defensive tool and a weapon, came in four types: metal,
fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
, rubber, and
computer graphics Computer graphics deals with generating images and art with the aid of computers. Computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, digital art, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. ...
(CG). Prop master Barry Gibbs specified that "We had the 'hero shield,' which was made of aluminum, for our beauty shots ndclose-up work. We then created a lighter shield that was aluminum-faced with fiberglass back, for use on a daily basis. ... And then we had a stunt shield made of
polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...
, which is sort of a synthetic rubber ... and we made an ultrasoft one we put on vans'back, so that if there were an accident, it wouldn't hurt him." Visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend said Evans "would practice swinging the practical shield so he knew the arc and the speed at which he should move. We would take the shield from him and shoot the scene with him miming it. Then we would add in a CG shield". The premise of ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' revolves around a moment in the film ''Avengers: Endgame'' (2019) which depicts Steve Rogers bequeathing the shield and the mantle of
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
to his friend Sam Wilson.
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
chief executive
Kevin Feige Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer. He has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a co ...
said this was intended to be a "classic passing of the torch from one hero to another", but when Marvel Studios got the opportunity to make television series for Disney+ they decided to expand this into an entire story about Wilson becoming Captain America, with the shield serving as a symbol for the superhero title. Mackie said the series would explore Wilson's backstory and treat him as a "regular guy" in a world of superheroes, while "walk[ing] the line of who is going to take up the [Captain America] shield" after ''Endgame''.


Other versions

*In the 1998-1999
time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
mini-series ''Avengers Forever'', various future and alternate versions of Captain America are shown with many different variations of the shield. *In the Marvel manga stories, Captain America uses a photonic shield before his death in Volumes 1 and 2, and his bodyguards use shields of metal. The shield also appears in the ''Rings of Fate'' mini-series, having been acquired by Carol Danvers after Elektra (comics), Elektra stole it from
Avengers Mansion Avengers Mansion is a fictional building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New Y ...
when she uses the costume of Captain America. * Captain Mexica is an alternate world version of Captain America from a universe where the Aztec Empire never fell. His shield is used by Machine Man as a weapon during a zombie incursion; Mexica himself is slain. * Ultimate Captain America uses a shield of pure Vibranium, although that metal may not possess the same properties in the Ultimate Marvel universe as it does in the mainstream Marvel Universe. The shield was destroyed when Gregory Stark smashed it with Ultimate Thor, Thor's hammer, though Captain America would wield another later. ** In ''Ultimate Nightmare'', Ultimate Captain America encounters his Red Guardian, Russian counterpart, who has been driven mad due to being trapped in an underground complex for many years. He has created a "replica" of the shield, which turns out to be made out of scrap metal and human remains and grafted directly onto his forearm, and which proves far less powerful than Captain America's own shield.


In other media


Television

* In the 1970s Captain America (1979 film), Captain America TV movies, Steve Rogers is given a transparent plexiglass shield painted with concentric stripes (red and clear transparent) and a central star. The shield was designed to act as the windscreen for his motorcycle, but could be detached and used in its traditional offensive / defensive role when Rogers goes on foot. Furthermore, the shield can apparently return to Rogers in a smooth arc when thrown without needing to be ricocheted and with enough force to knock a man down in the return path. * In 2003, the company Factory X released a line of licensed prop replicas of items from the Marvel Universe. An aluminum replica of Captain America's shield was among their initial line up of props, and was limited to a production of 2,525 pieces. * In the closing of the March 12, 2007 episode of ''The Colbert Report'', Stephen Colbert (character), Stephen Colbert read a letter from Joe Quesada in response to Colbert's earlier comments toward Captain America. He was then presented with what was said to be Captain America's indestructible shield, reportedly willed to Colbert in the event of Cap's "death". The shield was originally credited to be one of the Factory X replicas, but this is not the case. The shield given to Colbert was originally acquired by the long-time writer and editor (and late)
Mark Gruenwald Mark Eugene Gruenwald ( ; June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler known for his long association with Marvel Comics. Career Early career Gruenwald got his start in comics f ...
, who either commissioned it or received it as a gift. It eventually found its way into the hands of Marvel editor Tom Brevoort, and was kept in his office until being passed on to Colbert. In a pre-show conversation with a studio audience, Colbert, speaking out of character, said that when his wife saw the shield and the accompanying note, she started crying. He confessed he was bemused by her reaction to a fictional character sending a prop shield to a fictional version of himself. The shield was put on display hanging on the wall along with other trophies on ''The Colbert Report'' set for every episode afterwards. After ''The Colbert Report'' ended, the shield was moved to the set of Colbert's next talk show, ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' where it has been on display since. * In the ''The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode "A Day Unlike Any Other", Loki (Marvel Comics), Loki uses his magic to shatter Captain America's shield while taunting him. In the episode "Behold... The Vision!", Captain America's shield is restored by the
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
and scientists in
Wakanda Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
using a vibranium machine that fuses the pieces back together. * The adamantium-vibranium alloy version of the shield becomes the main plot device for the story in the ''Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series), Ultimate Spider-Man'' episode "Not a Toy".


Film

*In the 1990 live-action film ''Captain America (1990 film), Captain America'', Steve Rogers/Captain America uses a metal shield of similar design. *In the animated film ''Ultimate Avengers'', based loosely on ''Ultimates, The Ultimates'', Captain America uses a shield made from vibranium and adamantium. Captain America received the shield while it was still a prototype. With this new shield, he fought against the Chitauri alongside the Avengers. Before then, he used a triangular shield that he was fond of. The composition of the triangular shield remains unrevealed. It did prove to be effective against the bullets of Wehrmacht, German soldiers, but was not of practical use when he could use much more advanced technology. *In the 2021 action comedy ''Free Guy'', which takes place in a video m-game world, Ryan Reynolds' character produces the
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
version of the shield and uses it to defend himself, at which point the The Avengers (soundtrack), ''Avengers'' theme is heard. Chris Evans (actor), Chris Evans makes a cameo appearance as himself acknowledging the connection. This moment was added to the script shortly before shooting after 20th Century Fox, the studio producing the film, was Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, acquired by Disney.


Impact

The shield has been used as a promotional symbol associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A model of the shield was sent as a gift by Chris Evans (actor), Chris Evans, who plays the role of Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to a 6-year-old boy who had sustained injuries when defending his sister from a dog attack. Before the premiere of ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'', an image of the shield was projected onto landmarks such as the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer. Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, meanwhile, also paid homage to the shield by covering the university's 'Great Dome (MIT), Great Dome' with a design of the shield, drawing approval from Chris Evans on Twitter. The shield has also been included by Epic Games as an in-game accessory in the popular video game ''Fortnite''. A model of the shield was also held in a swearing-in by San Jose, California Republican Party (United States), Republican councilman Lan Diep, with various speculation that the shield was a metaphor to symbolise opposition to Republican President Donald Trump. The use of the shield as a symbol of American nationalism by Trump supporters in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, meanwhile, drew criticism from Neal Kirby, the son of the shield's comics creator, Jack Kirby, who said that the shield symbolized "the absolute antithesis of Donald Trump". In Chile, the shield also represents the right-wing political party Republican Party (Partido Republicano). One of those politicians who uses the shield is José Antonio Kast, who used the shield back in 2019.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Captain America's Shield Captain America, Shield Fictional elements introduced in 1941 Individual shields