Alternative versions of Captain America

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Alternate versions of Captain America
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceCaptain America Comics #1 (December 1940)
Created byJoe Simon & Jack Kirby
CharactersPrimary continuity:
Alternative continuities:
See alsoCaptain America in other media

Captain America is the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a fictional superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Multiple other characters have used the title of "Captain America" in Marvel's primary narrative continuity in addition to Steve Rogers. Additionally, alternate versions of Captain America exist in the parallel universes that compose the Marvel Comics Multiverse.

Primary continuity (Earth-616)

William Naslund

Jeffrey Mace

William Burnside

Bob Russo, Scar Turpin, and Roscoe Simons

All three were one and done when Steve Rogers quit as Captain America.[1]

Bob Russo is a professional baseball player. After discovers that Captain America has retired, he decides he can do the job. On his first outing he swings into a building, breaks his arm, and quits.[2]

Motorcycle thug, Scar Turpin, wants to be the next Captain America. On his first outing, he takes on a gang of six. He gets beat up badly and quits.[3]

Roscoe Simmons manages the gym where Steve Rogers trains. After Steve quits as Captain America, Roscoe tries to find Steve to see if he’ll train him as the new Captain America; not actually knowing that Steve was Captain America. Eventually, the Falcon agrees to give Roscoe some training, but actually hopes he’ll quit. On their first mission together they’re captured by the Red Skull, who kills Roscoe for being an imposter of his greatest foe. It's Roscoe's death that convinces Steve to give up his Nomad persona and return as Captain America.[4]

John Walker

Isaiah Bradley

The 2003 limited series Truth: Red, White & Black introduced Isaiah Bradley as an African-American man who was used as a test subject during World War II in American government experiments that attempted to re-create the Super-Soldier Serum. In defiance of the government, he traveled to Europe to fight in the war.[5]

Bucky Barnes

Steve Rogers' longtime partner Bucky Barnes assumed the role of Captain America following Steve Rogers' death in the 2007 storyline "The Death of Captain America".[6]

David Rickford

Ex-special forces soldier, Dave Rickford gets augmented by the Power Broker and Dr. Malus. After Steve becomes the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Bucky finds himself in legal Trouble, Rickford takes up the mantle. On his first day he’s captured by A.I.M., and rescued by Steve Rogers, who convinces him to quit as Captain America. Dave argues that the world still needs a Captain America.[7]

Sam Wilson

As part of Marvel's 2012 rebranding initiative Marvel Now!, Rogers' partner Sam Wilson (The Falcon) took over the mantle of Captain America. Series editor Tom Brevoort said, "While Sam shares many of Steve's beliefs in a general sense, he's also a very different person with a very different background. He didn't grow up in the 1930s, he's a modern day man in touch with the problems of the 21st Century. For most of his professional life, Sam has worked as a social worker, so he's seen the worst of urban society up close, and how crime, poverty, lack of social structure and opportunity can affect the community."[8]

"The United States of Captain America"

The 2021 limited series The United States of Captain America introduced four costumed individuals who independently use the moniker of Captain America: Aaron Fischer, the "Captain America of the Railways" who is the first LGBT character to hold the title of Captain America; Nichelle Wright, the "Captain America of Harrisburg"; Joe Gomez, the "Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe"; and Arielle Agbayani, the "Campus Captain America".[9]

Alternative continuities

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse reality Steve Rogers was only found during the second reign of Apocalypse. He was bonded to a symbiote and was put in the ranks of the Black Legion, mutated/engineered psychotic and merciless killers.[10]

Age of Ultron

In the Age of Ultron story wherein Ultron takes over the world, Captain America is one of the few surviving heroes. He is a shattered hero whose spirit is gone and shield is broken.[11] He and the remaining heroes are tasked with coming up with a plan to stop Ultron, which takes them to the Savage Land.[12] Captain America travels to the future with Iron Man, Nick Fury, Red Hulk, Storm and Quicksilver in an attempt to stop Ultron with the use of Doctor Doom's time platform,[13] but are ambushed by Ultron drones and Captain America is decapitated.[14]

Age of X

In the Age of X reality, Rogers was the leader of the Avengers, here a strike team intended to hunt down mutants. Although he initially believed in his mission to contain the danger that mutants could pose to the world, an encounter with a mutant 'nursery' protecting young children forced Rogers to recognize that he was on the wrong side, he and his team subsequently sacrificing themselves to stop the psychotic Hulk from launching a bioweapon at the mutant stronghold. Rogers' memories were 'stored' by Legacy, a mutant who was able to convey his plan of using various mutants to generate force fields around the facility to cut it off from the outside world.[volume & issue needed]

Amalgam Comics

In the Amalgam Comics universe, Captain America is combined with DC's Superman to create Super-Soldier.[15] In this reality, Clark Kent is given a Super-Soldier serum created from DNA harvested from the body of a dead baby Kal-El. The serum gives him the powers of the main universe Superman. Frozen in ice after a battle with Ultra-Metallo at the end of World War II, Super-Soldier is revived decades later and continues his fight for justice.[16]

Avataars

In Avataars: Covenant of the Shield, Earth's version of Captain America is Captain Avalon. He is the leader of the Champions of the Realm and the King of Avalon.[17]

Bullet Points

The five-issue limited series Bullet Points, written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards, tells of an alternative reality in which Doctor Erskine is killed the day before implementing the Captain America program. Steve Rogers, still frail, volunteers for the 'Iron Man' program, which bonds him to a robotic weapons-suit. He uses this to achieve victories against the Axis.[18] Years after the end of the war, Rogers is killed in a battle with Peter Parker, who is the Hulk of that reality.[19]

Captain America Corps

A future incarnation of Captain America, known as Commander A, is a major character in the Captain America Corps limited series, and is stated to be of mixed Japanese, African-American, Latino, and Native American descent. He is also implied to be a descendant of Luke Cage. He wields two energy force-field shields, similar to the one that Steve Rogers used once when he temporarily lost his vibranium shield.[20]

Captain Colonies

A member of the Captain Britain Corps, Captain Colonies (Stephen Rogers)[21] appears in Excalibur #44. His name, combined with his membership in the Captain Britain Corps imply that in his universe, the Thirteen Colonies did not declare independence to form the United States as they did in our own universe (and most of the other Marvel universes) but instead remain part of Britain.[volume & issue needed]

Cellblock Steve

In the pages of Avengers: Forever, a story called "Cellblock Steve" takes place in a cellblock containing different types of Steve Rogers. One Steve Rogers is a hippie and a persistent political prisoner who didn't want to take part in an illegal war. One Steve Rogers is a dog. One Steve Rogers was a hypochondriac taken from his room where he was hiding under his bed covers. One Steve Rogers was an artist working on an issue for Tales of Suspense when a car pulled up outside his window....on the 34th floor. One Steve Rogers is an older man named Weapon America who has Nuke's facepaint and Wolverine's claws. Any individual attempts to break out are met with unidentified resistance that lands them back in their cells. When they all work together get passed the different attacks, they are met by more Captain America variants (consisting of Captain Ape-Merica from Earth-8101, Captain America from Earth-71912, Cap-Wolf from Earth-666, Yeoman America from Earth-398, and a U.S. Agent variant of Steve Rogers) who states that they are fighting in a war that will need every Steve Rogers they can find for their war against the Multiversal Masters of Evil. This training was overseen by Ghost Rider, his Deathlok companion, and Ant-Man of Earth-818. While it was noted that they finally got Weapon America to pop his claws again, Ghost Rider and Deathlok states that it isn't enough. Deathlok stated that there is a Steve Rogers on Earth-4479 who never picked up a shield and became a drifter who was accidentally caught in a gamma bomb explosion. Ant-Man states that they should meet this Steve Rogers and tells Ghost Rider to fire up his Hell Charger as they "got an army to build".[22]

This gathering of Steve Rogers variants were later referred to as the Howling Commandos.[23]

When the Council of Red attack Avengers Tower in the God Quarry, Captain Carter leads the Howling Commandos in fighting them.[24] When the surviving members of the Council of Red retreat upon their numbers being decimated by Wolverine (character)#Old Man Phoenix and the granddaughters of King Thor, the Howling Commandos fight the Doctor Doom variants loyal to Doom Supreme.[25]

Civil War

The Battleworld domain of the Warzone seen in the 2015 series Secret Wars contains a world in which Civil War never ended where it did in the original comics and continued for six more years. Captain America now runs the west side of the United States called "the Blue" as General America operating on his own set of politics compared to Iron Man on his side, "The Iron."[volume & issue needed]

DC vs. Marvel

Captain America appears in the Marvel/DC crossover DC vs. Marvel. He first appears fighting with HYDRA before being summoned to the DC Earth. He is later shown in a brawl with Bane, winning when he throws his shield so that it strikes Bane in the back of the head before Bane can break his back. He is then seen fighting with Batman in the sewers of Manhattan. After a pitched hand-to-hand standoff, they realize that neither one of them can gain an advantage over the other. Afterward, they team up with each other to stop the entities, the fundamental similarities between the two unique men who trained themselves to the peak of human development—and their lack of interest in 'proving' their superiority over their counterpart forcing the Brothers to halt their conflict.[15]

Earth-398

In Morgan le Fay's reality of Earth-398, there is a version of Captain America called Yeoman America who operates as a knight.[26] Yeoman America was among the Captain America variants recruited by Ghost Rider, his Deathlok companion, and Ant-Man of Earth-818 to help train the Steve Rogers variants in preparation for the war against the Multiversal Masters of Evil.[22]

Earth-666

On Earth-666 which is inhabited by monsters like mummies, vampires, and werewolves, a version of Captain America is a werewolf that was similar to what happened to Earth-616's version of Captain America once.[a] He goes by the name of Cap-Wolf and is a member of this world's version of the Avengers.[27]

Cap-Wolf among the Captain America variants recruited by Ghost Rider, his Deathlok companion, and Ant-Man of Earth-818 to help train the Steve Rogers variants in preparation for the war against the Multiversal Masters of Evil.[22]

Earth-61311

When Steve Rogers/Captain America was revealed to have been a double-agent of Hydra since his early youth, it is revealed to be the result of Kobik manipulated by the Red Skull that Hydra was good for the world and Kobik changed reality so that Rogers would believe Hydra to be good, permanently altering his memories so that Rogers believed that he had always been a member of Hydra.[28][29][30][31][32] He covers Erik Selvig's death and pushes Jack Flag off from Baron Helmut Zemo's airplane. Additionally, it is revealed that his abusive father Joseph was actually killed by Hydra and that Hydra deceived him into thinking Joseph died of a heart attack.[33] It is also revealed that Rogers witnessed his mother, Sarah, being killed by Sinclair's Hydra goons and kidnapped him which is the reason why he held a grudge towards Hydra's evilness and plans to kill the Red Skull's clone and restore Hydra's lost honor.[34] As part of his long-term plans, Steve further compromised Sam Wilson's image as Captain America by using his familiarity with the shield to deliberately put Wilson in a position unable to save a senator from Flag-Smasher, with the final goal of demoralizing Sam to the point of returning the shield to Rogers, not wanting to kill Wilson and risk a martyr.[35]

During the "Civil War II" storyline, the discovery of new Inhuman Ulysses Cain with the ability to "predict" the future by calculating complex patterns, to which Rogers has set out to prevent Ulysses from learning of his true plans and allegiance. Rogers does this by "forcing" certain predictions, such as anonymously providing Bruce Banner with new gamma research to provoke a vision that would drive the Avengers to kill, although this plan has apparently backfired with a recent vision showing the new Spider-Man standing over his dead body.[36][37] Despite this revelation, Rogers presents himself as the voice of reason by allowing Spider-Man to flee with Thor, inspiring doubt in Tony Stark by suggesting acting against Carol Danvers due to not like being top dog.[38] He then goes to Washington, D.C., resulting in further confusion.[39]

Later, Rogers goes to Sokovia and joins forces with Black Widow to liberate freedom fighters to reclaim their country and goes to his base where Selvig expresses concern of his plan to kill the Red Skull, revealing that he has Zemo in a cell and plans to recruit.[40] He eventually kills the Red Skull after Professor X's brain fragment is extracted, throwing the Red Skull out of a window over a cliff after Sin and Crossbones affirm allegiance to him as he refers to himself as the Hydra Supreme.[41]

During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Rogers is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D, using a subsequent alien invasion and a mass supervillain assault to control the United States. He neutralizes the superheroes that might oppose him ranging from trapping the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Alpha Flight Space Program, and the Ultimates outside of Earth's orbit using the Planetary Defense Shield to having the Manhattan Defenders, Cloak and Dagger, Doctor Strange, Spider-Woman, and the Uncanny Avengers trapped in a Darkforce dome around Manhattan following their fight against the Army of Evil.[42] Then he sought out the pieces of the Cosmic Cube to rewrite reality where Hydra won World War II with the reality being designated at Earth-61311.[b][43] While Rick Jones uses the Cosmic Cube to help the remaining Avengers, the true Steve Rogers exist within the Cosmic Cube itself.[44][45] Steve was informed of a shard of the Cosmic Cube that was found in Atlantis and later a fragment at Ultron/Hank Pym's lair in Alaska. At one point, he was nicknamed "Captain Octopushead" and "Hydra-Cap".[46] He is able to mostly reassemble the Cosmic Cube, but Wilson and the Winter Soldier are able to use a fragment to restore his true counterpart to defeat his Hydra self, subsequently using the Cosmic Cube to undo most of Hydra's damage by manipulating reality even if the physical damage remains.[47] He continues to exist as a separate entity and in a prison called Shadow Pillar where he is the only inmate.[48]

Deadpool later infiltrated Shadow Pillar to visit Hydra Supreme for the things that he made him do and later left vowing that he will take something of his during each visit. At one point during this visit, Deadpool called him "Bizarro Steve Rogers" and "Stevil Rogers".[49]

Baron Zemo and Hydra attempted to free Hydra Supreme from Shadow Pillar only for them to be thwarted by Punisher wearing a copy of the War Machine armor.[50]

When Hydra Supreme received a pardon from the President of the United States on the Power Elite's suggestion, he was ambushed and melted by Selene when leaving Shadow Pillar as he quotes "Hail Hydra".[51]

Hydra Supreme is resurrected by Orchis as part of their plot against the mutant nation of Krakoa.[52] Now calling himself Grant Rogers (using his middle name to distinguish himself from his 616 counterpart), he breaks into the X-Men's Treehouse base in Central Park to steal the Captain Krakoa suit. When confronted by Cyclops, the suit's previous owner, Grant uses the suit's powers to beat Cyclops nearly to death and destroys the Treehouse. Now masquerading as Captain Krakoa, Grant attacks the United States Senate by bombing the United States Capitol, framing mutants and Krakoa for terrorism.[53] The Avengers are forced to leave the Hellfire Gala to deal with the damage, allowing Orchis to invade the Gala and massacre most of the mutants there, fulfilling their goal of crippling Krakoa and turning the public against mutants.[54]

During the "Fall of X" storyline, to further Orchis' cause, "Captain Krakoa" tricks other mutants into joining the Mutant Liberation Front to commit further acts of terrorism against humans in order to spread more anti-mutant sentiment. The original Captain America reforms the Avengers Unity Squad to stop "Captain Krakoa" and his Mutant Liberation Front. The MLF are able to steal a nuclear warhead and arm it at Empire State University while "Captain Krakoa" confronts reporter Ben Urich, who had been tasked by the real Rogers to uncover "Captain Krakoa"'s identity. Before "Captain Krakoa" can kill Urich at the Daily Bugle, the Unity Squad are able to stop him and uncover his identity. Grant and the MLF are defeated and arrested while the warhead is taken by Rogue to be safely detonated in a remote area. Despite Urich's reporting of Grant's and Orchis' actions and frameup of the mutants, Grant is greeted by his supporters at the courthouse, where he makes a rousing speech reiterating the mutant threat against humanity and declares himself as the new Flag Smasher.[55]

Earth X

In the 1999 Earth X series, in a post-apocalyptic alternative present, Captain America is a war-worn hero, with a bald head, a ragged United States flag for a top and an A-shaped scar on his face, but still holding on to his shield and well-built. In the Universe X: Cap one-shot comic, he sacrificed himself to save the reborn Captain Mar-Vell. He later transformed into an angel of sorts, with blue skin, a white star on his chest, an "A" shape on his face, a U.S. flag draped around him, and a blade of light from his right arm. It is during this series that Doctor Erskine is revealed to be a Nazi, using his work with the Americans as a cover to help the Nazis create an army of "super soldiers." The bullet that killed Dr. Erskine was meant for Steve Rogers.[56]

Elseworlds

Captain America and his sidekick Bucky appear in Batman and Captain America, a 1996 title that is part of the DC Comics Elseworlds series. The story is set in an alternative World War II, with Captain America and Bucky meeting Batman and Robin in the course of a mission and working together as a result. The two heroes' principal archvillains, the Red Skull and the Joker, also work together to steal an American atomic bomb. When the Joker realizes that the Skull is actually a Nazi (saying "I may be a criminal lunatic but I'm an American criminal lunatic!"), he double-crosses him and causes the atomic bomb to be detonated prematurely, apparently killing the two villains. In an epilogue set approximately 20 years later, Dick Grayson, who is now the new Batman, with retired Bruce Wayne's son Bruce Wayne Jr. as Robin, discovers Captain America frozen in an iceberg. When thawed out by Batman and Robin, Captain America, though aggrieved by the death of Bucky in their final adventure (the same as in the main Marvel storyline), decides to again fight in the name of justice.[57]

Exiles

In the Exiles arc "A World Apart", the Earth was conquered by the Skrulls in the nineteenth century. Captain America has become a gladiator known as the Captain, fighting for the Skrulls against other superhumans in contents. He is defeated by Mimic, who, disgusted at Captain America having become nothing but a puppet to the Skrulls rather than the symbol he should be to others, uses Cyclops's optic blasts.[58]

In "Forever Avengers", the Exiles visit a timeline where Captain America was turned into a vampire by Baron Blood. He later turns the Avengers into vampires and becomes the new Vampire King. The now Cursed Avengers (composed of Hawkeye, Wasp, Giant-Man, Falcon and Polaris) plan to turn New York's population into zombies, but their plans are thwarted by the Exiles with the help of that Earth's Union Jack Kenneth Crichton. One of the Exiles, Sunfire, is bitten by a vampire. Before she can completely turn, Baron Crichton destroys Captain America and reveals himself to be the grandnephew of the original Baron Blood and a vampire as well, and becomes the newest King of the Vampire by blood right.[59]

House of M

In the altered world of the House of M, Steve Rogers was not frozen in suspended animation and lived through World War II and the years afterward. Rogers became an astronaut and was the first man to walk on the Moon in 1956. By the present time, Rogers is said as being nearly 100 years old. His Earth-616 memories are not reactivated, to spare him from a severe mental shock. According to a Marvel editorial, the House of M is not an alternative reality, but a period of time in which everything in the 616 reality was profoundly altered by the Scarlet Witch.[60]

JLA/Avengers

Captain America is the leader of the Avengers in the JLA/Avengers limited series, in which the two super teams travel to each other's universe. His mind affected by subtle incompatibilities between the two universes, he sees the Justice League as overlords who demand praise and worship in return for heroic actions. He especially gets angry at Superman, who (likewise affected) sees the Avengers as heroes who do not do enough and have let their world down. After Cap and Batman battle to a standstill, the two team up to solve the mystery of the game. Using an inter-dimensional vehicle that allows them to reach the Grandmaster's headquarters, they discover that the Avengers are fighting for Krona. Their intervention in the last battle, where Cap makes sure that Batman can get the cube so the JLA wins the game, causes the villain Krona to go mad and attack the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster causes the two universes to merge, imprisoning Krona between them. Cap, still subconsciously aware of the reality changes, attacks Superman, who is also subconsciously aware of the changes. This shatters the fixed reality, freeing Krona. Cap and Superman again argue, but are stopped by Wonder Woman. The two teams find the Grandmaster, who reveals their true realities. Despite seeing shocking revelations, the two teams decide to face Krona. Cap leads the teams as a battle tactician at Superman's suggestion, communicating orders through the Martian Manhunter's telepathy, and gives Superman his shield. After the two teams defeat Krona and restore their universes, Cap and Superman salute each other as they are transported back to their own dimensions, saying that they fight on.[61]

Last Avengers Story

The two-issue limited series The Last Avengers Story (November–December 1995) tells of a possible alternative future for Captain America and the Avengers. Appalled with the American government after the "Villain Massacre", Captain America leaves his life as a superhero and runs for president. His presidency is a large success, but he is shot and seemingly killed in his third term, causing the other heroes to lose faith. However, Cap is not dead, but placed in suspended animation in a secret location until the technology to heal him can be developed. Using a sophisticated series of computer monitors, Captain America watches his friends win their final battle and records it for historical purposes.[62]

Little Marvel

Two younger versions of Captain America were created by writer/artist Skottie Young. The first appears in the 2015 Secret Wars tie-in, Giant Size Little Marvel, written and illustrated by Young. In the Battleworld town of Marville, the mainstream superheroes are all elementary school age children, using their superpowers to engage in very destructive roughhousing. This Captain America is still the leader of the Avengers, though their headquarters are in a tree house instead of Avengers Mansion. As in the mainstream "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, Captain America faces off against Cyclops and the X-Men, only this time in an attempt to get two new kids on the block to join their respective group.[63]

An even younger version of Captain America appears in A-Babies vs X-Babies, a 2012 Skottie Young scripted story, illustrated by Gurihiru. In this story, Captain America and his fellow superheroes are all babies, but still superpowered. When baby Captain America's favorite stuffed bear Bucky goes missing, he assembles his baby Avengers and battles the baby X-Men for its return.[64] This issue and the four Giant Size Little Marvel issues were collected into the Giant Size Little Marvel 2016 trade edition (ISBN 978-0785198703). This Captain America was among the Captain America variants recruited by Ghost Rider, his Deathlok companion, and Ant-Man of Earth-818 to help train the Steve Rogers variants in preparation for the war against the Multiversal Masters of Evil.[22]

Marvel 1602

The Marvel 1602 limited series presents an alternative history, Earth-311, in which a Captain America from the late 21st century is transported to the year 1602 after the Purple Man takes over the world – his enemy wanting to dispose of Rogers in such a way that there is nothing left of him in the present to inspire others – where he assumes the identity of Rojhaz a white Native American who is presumed by the Europeans to be of Welsh ancestry. His arrival causes numerous alterations in reality, causing analogues of various Marvel Universe characters to appear in the 17th century instead, speculated by Uatu to be the result of the universe attempting to generate a means of repairing the damage caused to reality. Rogers refuses to return to the future because he wants to nurture a new United States free of prejudice from its very beginnings, but the 1602 version of Nick Fury forces him to return, accompanying him on the journey. Rogers noted that in his version of the late 21st century, he was the last true superhero and was left alone fighting his own country – the United States – which had fallen under the rule of a tyrannical life-term President.[volume & issue needed]

Marvel 1872

1872 is a Marvel miniseries during the Secret Wars comics featuring characters in a Western-style adventure in the small boom town of Timely. A dam constructed for mining projects is diverting water away from nearby native territories, so Red Wolf attempts to blow it up. Sheriff Steve Rogers prevents the corrupt Mayor Fisk (Kingpin) from having him killed, in order to give him a fair trial.[65] However, as Rogers goes to help his friend Tony Stark (Iron Man) from being attacked, Red Wolf is taken and Rogers kills more of Fisk's men, further angering the mayor. Red Wolf is denied a trial, and Fisk's team of assassins, including Elektra (Elektra), Grizzly (Grizzly), Bullseye (Bullseye) and Otto Octavius (Doctor Octopus), are sent to kill them both. Sheriff Rogers, having Bullseye at gunpoint, attempts to rally the people of Timely into taking back their government, but is distracted and then shot by Bullseye, thrown into a pig pen by Fisk to die.[66]

Red Wolf, taking up the role of Sheriff, Widow Barnes (Black Widow), Doctor Banner (Hulk), Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) and Tony Stark join to get rid of the dam, as well as avenge Steve Rogers,[67] and they succeed in both with Banner sacrificing himself to blow up the dam, and Widow Barnes killing Fisk. The remaining characters become Sheriff Roger's Avengers, protecting the town of Timely.[68]

Marvel 2099

In Marvel 2099, a man masquerading as the original Captain America became ruler of the U.S. after a successful coup deposed Doom 2099. The man was killed when Doom 2099 dropped nano-machines on the Red House. The real Captain America appears in 2099: Manifest Destiny and takes up the role of Thor before giving Mjolnir to Spider-Man 2099.[volume & issue needed]

In Secret Wars, a new version of Captain America was created by Alchemax and resides in the Battleworld domain of 2099. Roberta Mendez was forcefully subjected to take the Super-Soldier Serum by her husband, Harry and became the leader of Alchemax's Avengers. Roberta and Captain America are two different personas of the same woman, with Roberta unknowing of her counterpart. She physically and mentally becomes Captain America if her trigger words, "Avengers Assemble", are said, and she reverts to Roberta if someone says "Dismissed". In the Secret Wars title, Captain America goes against Miguel Stone's orders to treat the Defenders as criminals and worked with the Defenders and Avengers to stop Baron Mordo and the Dweller-In-Darkness.[69]

Following Secret Wars, an unidentified 2099 reality version of Roberta is transported to the prime Marvel Universe with hallucinations of her past life. She was a supporting character in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Spider-Man 2099 comic, where she was an employee at Parker Industries with Miguel O'Hara as her boss. After Roberta's powers resurface again, she becomes a recurring ally for Spider-Man 2099. During the Civil War II storyline, Roberta goes back to 2099 to find her family, despite Miguel's warnings. The Public Eye attempt to arrest her, until she is rescued by Ravage 2099. In the present, Miguel receives a call from Peter Parker, who tells him of a vision the Inhuman Ulysses had of the future: the death of Roberta Mendez. He goes back to 2099.[70] Roberta learns from Ravage about the Anti-Powers Act, a law outlawing superpowers. Roberta and Ravage are taken to the downtown area by Hawkeye 2099, where they meet the remaining heroes. Spider-Man convinces Doctor Strange 2099 to help him out in exchange for his help in eliminating the A.P.A. Meanwhile, the CEO of Alchemax calls on Power Pack to defeat the heroes. Upon finding Roberta, Strange takes Spider-Man downtown, while Roberta leaves to find her husband upon learning his location. Roberta finds her husband Harry, who claims that she died and that they do not have kids, and gets captured by Power Pack. After Strange reveals that the CEO of Alchemax is J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man rallies the heroes to launch an assault on S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ and rescue Roberta. In the process, they discover that "Jameson" and "Power Pack" are actually Skrull impostors. Spider-Man and Roberta then go back to 2016 to restore the timeline.[71] In the book's ending, Roberta and Miguel's son save Miguel from death and return to 2099 on New Year's Eve. Thanks to Miguel's sacrifice, Roberta's family history is restored.[72]

In the unified 2099 reality of Earth-2099, Roberta Mendez appears as a member of the 2099 version of the New Avengers sometime after the 2099 version of the Avengers were killed by the 2099 version of the Masters of Evil.[73]

Marvel Apes

In the Marvel Apes Universe, a version of Captain America called Captain Ape-Merica leads the Ape-vengers (which contain a lot of reformed supervillains). Secretly, he is a vampire along with his version of the Invaders, and plots to enter the 616 universe for sustenance. To accomplish this, he has already killed his world's version of Mister. Fantastic. However, it is revealed that the vampire Captain Ape-Merica was really Baron Blood, who took on Cap's form and increased his strength through the Super-Soldier Serum inside him. The real Captain Ape-Merica was still frozen in ice up to the modern era, and helped the Gibbon, Wolverine, and Speedball fight off the vampire Namor. Afterwards, they stop Baron Blood. This version of Captain Ape-Merica turns out to be nearly as brutal as his impersonator; for example he is willing to kill Spider-Monkey for the 'crime' of helping innocent dimensional travelers.[74]

Captain Ape-Merica is among the Captain America variants recruited by Ghost Rider, his Deathlok companion, and Ant-Man of Earth-818 to help train the Steve Rogers variants in preparation for the war against the Multiversal Masters of Evil.[22]

Marvel Comics 2

In the alternative reality MC2 universe, Captain America leads the original Avengers on a mission to an alternative reality, which claims the majority of the team. He stays behind to aid the rebels in that reality, thus adding to the list of the dead / missing in action. The next iteration of MC2 Avengers aids him in A-Next #10-11, at the end of which he gives American Dream the shield that had belonged to that universe's Captain America. Captain America and Thunderstrike return to their home universe to aid in the fight against Seth[75]

In the 2005 limited series Last Hero Standing, the MC2 Captain America is fatally injured leading a group of young heroes in battle against the Norse god Loki. Thor uses his power to transform Captain America into a new star. In the sequel, Last Planet Standing, Galactus states that this new star is the key to his escaping his world-devouring hunger[citation needed].

Marvel Mangaverse

In the Marvel Mangaverse, Steve Rogers is both leader of the Avengers and the President of the United States. When he is killed by Doctor Doom, the mantle of Captain America is assumed by Carol Danvers.

Marvel Zombies

In the 2005–2006 miniseries Marvel Zombies, and the follow-up 2007 Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness, Captain America is known as Colonel America and once served as the President of the United States. He is among the superheroes infected, along with his other fellow Avengers, by the zombified Sentry. Colonel America is responsible for infecting Spider-Man in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army Of Darkness by biting him on the shoulder. He is apparently killed by a zombie Red Skull, who rips off his left arm and scoops his exposed brains out before he himself is decapitated by a zombified Spider-Man. Zombie Ant-Man then steps on the Red Skull. As his intellect was partly retained in the remaining portion of his brain, he was transplanted into Black Panther's son T'Channa's dead body, and given a mechanical left arm. The transplant is successful, but the resulting brain damage turns Colonel America into a battle-crazed zombie leader, manageable but unable to focus on anything that is not related to war, confrontation, and battle. Colonel America (Steve Rogers/T'Channa) also has a role in Marvel Zombies Return, where he was transported to Earth-Z.[volume & issue needed]

Marvel Zombies 3 features a zombie version called "Captain Mexica", who comes from an alternate universe in which the Aztec Empire in Mexico never fell. He is killed after Machine Man cuts him in half.[volume & issue needed]

Mutant X

In the Mutant X universe, a mutant succeeds Rogers as Captain America, joining Havok's team of superheroes, "The Six", in order to protect mutants from a deranged Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. He has powerful energy manipulating abilities which manifest when America is threatened. Using that power he manages to kill a platoon of Super Soldiers and the Avengers, which consist of Black Widow, Deathlok, Typhoid Mary, Hawkeye and Iron Giant Man (Tony Stark). He is defeated by Havok and is then drawn below the earth by The Beyonder who kills him after he finds out what he needs to know.[volume & issue needed]

Old Man Logan

In Old Man Logan, all the Marvel Universe superheroes were killed when the supervillains combined forces. The villains then conquer and divide up control of the United States. Captain America is shown in a flashback as having been killed by the Red Skull in the ruins of the U.S. Capitol. The Red Skull subsequently takes Cap's costume and wears it as President of America.[76]

Revolutionary War Era

Captain Steven Rogers was the 18th century ancestor of Earth-616 Steve Rogers. He fought in the American Revolutionary War, wearing a colorful costume and carried a round cast iron shield.[77]

Ruins

Warren Ellis's Ruins limited series explored a version of the Marvel Universe where "everything went wrong". In this continuity, Captain America himself makes no physical appearance in the series aside from the cover for issue #1 and in a dream sequence in issue #2. He was a member of the Avengers, a revolutionary cell formed by Tony Stark bent on liberating California from the corrupt rule of President Charles Xavier, but along with many other members of the team, he is killed aboard the Avengers Quinjet. His shield is recovered by soldiers who celebrate the deaths of the Avengers. A part of the Captain's war history is touched upon by the now-psychotic Nick Fury, who was ordered to destroy the Quinjet by the President: "...I'll give you an anecdote. Back in the war, it was America introduced me to eating human meat."[78]

Spider-Gwen

Captain America is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent on Earth-65, who apprehends Spider-Gwen during her battle with the Lizard (this reality's Peter Parker). This Captain America is an African American woman named Samantha Wilson a genderbent version of Sam Wilson/Falcon.[79] During the 1940s, Samantha volunteered for Project: Rebirth after other test subjects were shot and killed or badly injured by Nazis. She became trapped in an alternate dimension after seemingly sacrificing herself to stop Arnim Zola, but later managed to return home to find that 75 years had passed.[80] Steve Rogers would go on to become a famous comic creator, who writes stories of Samantha's dimensional journeys that he saw in his dreams, which Sam confirmed as being accurate.[81]

Spider-Island

In a retelling of Spider-Island as part of the "Secret Wars" storyline, Captain America and the other heroes are mutated into monster spiders and he is still the Spider Queen's "Spider King" in the Battleworld domain of Spider-Island. However, Agent Venom gives Captain America the Godstone and turns him into a Man-Wolf (as an homage to the time when Captain America was a werewolf called Capwolf), releasing Steve from the Spider Queen's control. He uses his new form to fight for the resistance.[volume & issue needed]

Spider-Man: Life Story

Spider-Man: Life Story takes place in an alternate continuity where characters naturally age after Peter Parker debuts as Spider-Man in 1962. In 1966, Captain America is pressured by the public to join the efforts in Vietnam and decides to go to see the conflict for himself. A year later, American soldiers label Steve as a traitor when he decides to protect a Vietnamese village. By 1974, he is on the run, having gone rogue from the US to save lives on both sides of the conflict, and is seen in 1984 fighting in the Secret Wars. Captain America also gets himself involved in the Superhuman Civil War in the 2000s. In the 2010s, it is unknown if he is dead or in hiding after Doctor Doom took over the planet.[82]

U.S.Avengers

In U.S.Avengers, Danielle Cage operates as Captain America in an alternate future where New York City has been flooded. She uses the magnetic components Steve once used on the shield in order to better control it, and has the abilities of both her parents. She first appears in Ultron Forever, and returns to the present as a member of the U.S.Avengers.[83]

Ultimate Marvel

In addition to the WWII era hero, a 1960s version of Captain America (a.k.a. "Captain America of the Vietnam War") exists as an Ultimate Marvel Universe parallel to the William Burnside/Captain America of the 1950s, who succeeded Rogers in the role after he is accidentally frozen. The 1960s Captain America is in fact Frank Simpson, better known in the Earth-616 Marvel Universe as Nuke. As scientists were unable to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum, they used cybernetics and steroids to enhance Simpson, which eventually eroded his sanity.[84]

In an alternate future of the Ultimate Universe, Scott Summers assumes the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers dies and leads a small team of X-Men to fight for mutant justice.[85]

What If?

Alternative versions of Steve Rogers are seen within several issues of the What If? series.

  • In "What If Captain America and Bucky Had Both Survived World War Two?", Steve is able to hold onto the drone plane and deactivate the bomb, allowing both men to survive. Baron Zemo is shot by the Red Skull for failing to kill Captain America and Bucky, but it is later revealed that the Skull shot him with a weapon which put him to sleep for 20 years. Bucky and Cap continue to fight in the 1950s and 1960s against Communists, though tragically Nick Fury is killed in the Korean War. In the mid-1960s, Bucky goes his own way. Contacted by President Lyndon Johnson, the aged Steve is offered the job as the head of the newly created S.H.I.E.L.D., but Steve declines and suggests Barnes instead. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Barnes battle HYDRA, but fail to capture the Supreme Hydra. Joining Steve on one of his missions, the pair run into the Hulk and Rick Jones. Steve is knocked out, forcing Bucky to use Cap's shield and rescue Rick from the Hulk's rampage. Bucky decides to take on the role of Captain America, to which Steve agrees. Overhearing the conversation, Rick light-heartedly blackmails the two for the chance to be the new Bucky. Steve becomes the new leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Tracking the final group of HYDRA to an uncharted island, Steve and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter team up with the new Cap and Bucky. The group infiltrate the island's volcano, which turns out to be fake and created as a hideaway for HYDRA forces. The four are captured, and the Supreme Hydra is revealed to be Baron Zemo, who has not aged for 20 years due to the Red Skull's weapon. Believing that Captain America is still Rogers, he prepares to kill Bucky, but Steve escapes his cuffs and frees the others. A fierce battle ensues, resulting in Zemo's death, but not before a shot from Zemo's gun hits and kills Bucky. The story ends with a distraught Steve mourning the loss of his friend, and the possibility of Rick Jones becoming the new Captain America.[86]
  • "What If...Captain America Fought in the Civil War?" features a continuum where Captain America lived during the American Civil War. In this universe, Steve Rogers is a corporal attached to a Northern regiment called the Redlegs, led by Colonel Buck "Bucky" Barnes. Rogers's first mission turns out to be an attack on a group of civilians, and he refuses to follow Barnes' orders. Barnes shoots Rogers, but only wounds him after Barnes is attacked by an eagle. Rogers passes out while trying to escape, and has visions of We-pi-ahk the Eagle-Chief. Waking, he is greeted by a black man, Private Wilson, who brought him back to an Indian reserve. Wilson believes Steve's vision of We-pi-ahk means he is destined to be the one that will bring union to all people. Wilson begins a mystical ceremony that he says will make Rogers "as you are on the inside, so shall you become on the outside." Barnes breaks into the hut as the ceremony is underway. Rogers is mystically given superhuman strength and a magical shield that can transform into an eagle, while Barnes' head is turned into a fleshless skull. Barnes orders his men to open fire and kill everyone in the camp, and Wilson is fatally shot. Before the troops can escape, Rogers appears as Captain America, and captures Barnes and his men. Thanks to Captain America's involvement, the Civil War ends earlier than in our history, and Abraham Lincoln is never assassinated. Rogers helps the South rebuild after the war, and suppresses the rise of the K.K.K. As a representative of the Indian people, he is able to prevent the Indian wars of 1870. Unfortunately Barnes, now known as the White Skull, forms a group even more dangerous than the K.K.K. The descendants of both men continue fighting each other up to the present in this alternative universe.[87]
  • In the 2006 What If Age of Apocalypse one shot, Captain America is the leader of the Defenders (this reality's version of the Avengers), alongside Logan (not bonded with any adamantium), Captain Britain (who uses Iron Man's armor), Brother Voodoo (this reality's Sorcerer Supreme, after Dr. Strange's death), Colossus, the Thing (who has a prosthetic arm), the Molecule Man, Sauron, and Nate Summers. Captain America no longer wears a mask, and wields Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, along with his shield.[88]

Film, television, and games

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Captain Carter

Civil Warrior

The 2014 mobile game Marvel: Contest of Champions includes an exclusive version of Captain America named Civil Warrior. This version of Steve Rogers, set in Earth-TRN634, killed Tony Stark during the Civil War. Rogers then incorporated Stark's armor into his uniform, and uses a modified shield containing a version of the ARC reactor.[89]

Notes

  1. ^ As seen in Captain America #405-408.
  2. ^ Earth-61311 was designated in Spider-Geddon Handbook #1.

References

  1. ^ Captain America Vol. 1 #176 (August 1974)
  2. ^ Captain America Vol. 1 #178 (October 1974)
  3. ^ Captain America Vol. 1 #179 (November 1974)
  4. ^ Captain America Vol. 1 #183 (March 1975)
  5. ^ Weiner 2013, p. 109.
  6. ^ Weiner 2013, p. 107.
  7. ^ Captain America (2004) #615.1 (May 2011)
  8. ^ Ching, Albert (July 16, 2014). "Falcon Picks up the Shield in Remender & Immonen's "All-New Captain America"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  9. ^ Flood, Alison (March 18, 2021). "Marvel announces first gay Captain America". The Guardian. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Uncanny X-Force #12
  11. ^ Age of Ultron #1
  12. ^ Age of Ultron #4
  13. ^ Age of Ultron #5
  14. ^ Age of Ultron #6
  15. ^ a b Marvel vs. DC #3 (April 1996)
  16. ^ Super-Soldier #1 (April 1996)
  17. ^ Avataars: Covenant of the Shield #1. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Bullet Points #1 (Jan 2007)
  19. ^ Bullet Points #3 (Mar 2007)
  20. ^ Captain America Corps #1-5
  21. ^ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2 (May 2008)
  22. ^ a b c d e Avengers: Forever Vol. 2 #7. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Avengers: Forever Vol. 2 #10. Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ Avengers: Forever Vol. 2 #12. Marvel Comics.
  25. ^ Avengers: Forever Vol. 2 #13. Marvel Comics.
  26. ^ Avengers Vol. 3 #2. Marvel Comics.
  27. ^ Secret Avengers #33. Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Saiz, Jesus (p), Saiz, Jesus (i). Captain America: Steve Rogers, no. 1 (July 2016).
  29. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (May 25, 2016). "Captain America Is a Hydra Agent: Marvel Editor Explains". Time. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016.
  30. ^ Holub, Christian (May 25, 2016). "Marvel's Nick Spencer, Tom Brevoort talk making Captain America a Hydra plant". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016.
  31. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Saiz, Jesus (p), Saiz, Jesus (i). Captain America: Steve Rogers, no. 2 (August 2016).
  32. ^ Marston, George (June 28, 2016). "How Steve Rogers Became a Hydra Agent – Spoilers". Newsarama. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016.
  33. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Saiz, Jesus (p), Saiz, Jesus (i). Captain America: Steve Rogers, no. 3 (September 2016).
  34. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Pina, Javier; Sepulveda, Miguel Angel (p), Pina, Javier; Sepulveda, Miguel Angel (i). Captain America: Steve Rogers, no. 4 (October 2016).
  35. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Renaud, Paul (p), Renaud, Paul (i). "Take Back the Shield Part 1" Captain America: Sam Wilson, no. 14 (December 2016).
  36. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Pina, Javier (p), Pina, Javier (i). Captain America: Steve Rogers, no. 5 (November 2016).
  37. ^ Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Marquez, David (p), Marquez, David (i). Civil War II, no. 5 (November 2016).
  38. ^ Spencer, Nick (w), Pina, Javier (p), Pina, Javier (i). Captain America: Steve Rogers, no. 6 (December 2016).
  39. ^ Civil War II #7. Marvel Comics.
  40. ^ Captain America: Steve Rogers #7. Marvel Comics.
  41. ^ Captain America: Steve Rogers #15. Marvel Comics.
  42. ^ Secret Empire #0. Marvel Comics.
  43. ^ Secret Empire #1. Marvel Comics.
  44. ^ Secret Empire #2. Marvel Comics.
  45. ^ Secret Empire #9. Marvel Comics.
  46. ^ Secret Empire #3. Marvel Comics.
  47. ^ Secret Empire #10. Marvel Comics.
  48. ^ Secret Empire: Omega #1. Marvel Comics.
  49. ^ Despicable Deadpool #291-292. Marvel Comics.
  50. ^ Punisher Vol. 2 #227-228. Marvel Comics.
  51. ^ Captain America (vol. 9) #8
  52. ^ Uncanny Avengers (vol. 4) #4
  53. ^ Free Comic Book Day 2023: Avengers/X-Men #1
  54. ^ X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1
  55. ^ Uncanny Avengers (vol. 4) #1-5
  56. ^ Univers X: Cap No 1, 2001
  57. ^ Batman and Captain America (December 1996)
  58. ^ Exiles #9
  59. ^ Exiles #31-32
  60. ^ Captain AmericaVol. 5 #10
  61. ^ JLA/Avengers #1 and #3 (September and December 2003) and Avengers/JLA #2 and #4 (October 2003 and March 2004)
  62. ^ The Last Avengers Story #1 & 2 (Nov & Dec 1995)
  63. ^ Giant Size Little Marvel: AVX #1-4 (August to November 2015)
  64. ^ A-Babies vs. X-Babies Vol. 1 #1 (December 2012)
  65. ^ 1872 #1. 2015.
  66. ^ 1872 #2. 2015.
  67. ^ 1872 #3. 2015.
  68. ^ 1872 #4. 2015.
  69. ^ Secret Wars 2099 #1-5. Marvel Comics.
  70. ^ Spider-Man 2099 (vol. 3) #13. Marvel Comics.
  71. ^ Spider-Man 2099 (vol. 3) #14-16. Marvel Comics.
  72. ^ Spider-Man 2099 (vol. 3) #25. Marvel Comics.
  73. ^ Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #3. Marvel Comics.
  74. ^ https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Apes-Evolution-Starts-Here/dp/0785139915
  75. ^ Spider-Girl #59. Marvel Comics.
  76. ^ Wolverine vol. 3 #72 (June 2009). Marvel Comics.
  77. ^ Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #6 (March 1999)
  78. ^ Ruins #1-2 (August 1995 - September 1995)
  79. ^ Radioactive Spider-Gwen #1
  80. ^ Radioactive Spider-Gwen #2
  81. ^ Spider-Gwen Annual #1
  82. ^ Spider-Man: Life Story #1-6 (March 2019)
  83. ^ U.S.Avengers #1 (January 2017)
  84. ^ Ultimate Comics Captain America (vol. 1) #1 (Mar 2011)
  85. ^ Ultimate Fantastic Four/Ultimate X-Men Annual #1
  86. ^ What If? (vol. 1) #5 (Oct 1977)
  87. ^ What If: Captain America (vol. 1) #1 (Feb 2006)
  88. ^ What If? X-Men Age of Apocalypse #1 (February, 2007)
  89. ^ "CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT – CIVIL WARRIOR". playcontestofchampions.com. Marvel: Contest of Champions. 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019. There are many rumors about the origin of the mysterious Civil Warrior… legend says he is a Captain America from an alternate Earth ravaged by the Civil War between his own army and Iron Man's forces. On that world, the two heroes mortally wounded each other in the final battle of the war; Steve survived, but Tony didn't. Riddled with guilt for the battle's destruction and the death of his former ally at his own hands, he assumed the mantle of the Civil Warrior. Adding Tony's ARC technology to his Captain America gear, he vowed to use his friend's legacy to stop this senseless conflict from ever happening again.

Bibliography

  • Weiner, Robert G. (2013). "Captain America". In Duncan, Randy; Smith, Matthew J. (eds.). Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman. ABC-CLIO. pp. 101–111. ISBN 9780313399244.