The protagonist of Captain America: The First Avenger is one of Marvel’s greatest superheroes with a history that predates even the comics. The comics and the MCU’s representation of Captain America depicts him as a true symbol of an American hero. Although Marvel Comics readers are more familiar with the character, MCU’s audiences only know as many details as a movie’s running time will allow.
Unlike some other superheroes, the MCU tried its best to have more similarities than differences with its Marvel Comics counterpart. And no one could play and embody Steve Rogers as American actor Chris Evans did. To help fill in the gaps about the character, here are 10 facts about Marvel’s Captain America you probably didn’t know about.
1. Captain America Wasn’t Always The First Avenger
This may come as a surprise for MCU audiences who have only known these superheroes through live-action movies. The confusion begins with the MCU’s first Captain America film, Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). The movie’s title is misleading as Captain America is not actually the first Avenger going by the storyline in Marvel Comics. In Marvel Comics, the first The Avengers was released in September 1963 in issue #1.
The publication had Iron Man, Hulk, Thor Ant-Man, and the Wasp as the original team members of The Avengers. They were referred to as “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” Captain America was introduced in issue #4 after he was discovered trapped in ice. He only joined The Avengers after he had been revived.
2. He Was The First Man On The Moon
This fact is only available to Marvel Comics fans and readers as it doesn’t occur in the MCU. Captain America becomes the first man on the moon in the House of M Marvel Comics publication. The 2005 publication was written and illustrated by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel and was published from June to November 2005. The Scarlet Witch, tricked by her brother, conjured an alternate life where mutants dominated the world. Part of the superheroes whose world was distorted was Steve Rogers.
Captain America doesn’t get frozen in ice in the House of M. He survives and goes on to live a life where he marries Peggy Carter. Steve Rogers eventually gets recruited by NASA. With mutants as a dominating species on the planet, they collaborate with humans to create the spaceship that’ll take man to the moon over a decade before the actual event in 1960. Steve Rogers is sent to the moon during the launch and becomes the first man on the moon. It would be an interesting plot to explore in the MCU’s animated anthology series on Disney+, What If…?
3. Steve Rogers Has A Patriotic Birthday
Donning Captain America’s suits to keep America safe goes beyond having serum-induced superpowers. Steve Rogers is much more than a symbol of hope but one whose fate seemed to have been sealed from the day he was born. Steve Rogers was born on July 4th, the American Independence Day. Whether he’s stopping Adolf Hitler or fighting gods from another planet, Captain America has the heart and blood of what it means to be a patriotic American.
4. Captain America’s Shield Once Looked Very Different
Captain America’s circular shield shown in the MCU and in the later publication of Marvel Comics, debuts in 1941 in the #2 issue of Captain America Comics. In the first issue, Captain America moves around with a heater-style shield. Unlike his circular shield made from Vibranium, the heater-style shield was made of steel.
Although a perfect explanation for the need for shield change exists in further Marvel Comics publications and the MCU, the actual change resulted from a copyright issue. The heater-style shield closely resembled that of Archie Comics (called M.L.J. Magazines back then). When copyright complaints were made, Captain America’s shield was made circular.
5. Steve Rogers Had Other Plans Before Becoming A Superhero
Although Steve Rogers received a higher calling as America’s greatest hero, he had hobbies and passions before being drafted into the army. Rogers wins the Art of the Future contest in Marvel Comics with his impressive artistic abilities. This ability was shown in the MCU’s first Captain America movie, The First Avenger. During his war tour, Rogers sits alone and draws himself as a performing monkey in his notebook. Although the talent may not help stop a Thanos-level threat, l it’s comforting to know Captain America is as human as anyone can be.
6. Chris Evans Was Not The First Live-Action Captain America
On July 22, 2011, the MCU introduced the first Captain America live-action movie as its fifth film in the universe. However, this is far from the first time a live-action adaptation of the superhero has been made. The first live-action adaptation was the 1944 Captain America. The black and white film had Dick Purcell play Captain America.
In 1979, the second Captain America live-action movie was released. Reb Brown played the role of Captain America. Before Chris Evans’ 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger was released, two more live-action movies, Captain America II: Death Too Soon and Captain America, were released in 1979 and 1990, respectively. Reb Brown reprised his role as Captain America in 1979, with Matt Salinger donning the star-spangled suit as Captain America in 1990.
7. Captain America Was Once A Werewolf
Becoming a werewolf doesn’t look so scary for a superhero who has stayed frozen for years and fought gods, aliens, and monsters. In the comics Captain America: Man & Wolf, issue #402-408, Captain America is injected with a wolf serum when he goes to find Colonel John Jameson. After becoming a werewolf, Steve Rogers became known as Capwolf. Capwolf fought off Wolverine and became the leader of a team of werewolves until an antidote was found.
8. Captain America Is Older Than Marvel
Although most Marvel superheroes originated from its comics, the character of Captain America existed before Marvel Comics. Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics, created the superhero character. Going by the timeline of the creation of the superhero character under Timely Comics, Captain America existed before Marvel was ever created.
9. He Was Almost Called Super American
Captain America was created at a time when superheroes mostly had “Super” as a prefix to their names. It’s no rocket science why it would cross the superhero creators to name Captain America Super American. However, in trying to keep a unique profile and name, they settled for Captain America.
10. Steve Rogers Once Abandoned His Captain America Identity
In Captain America issue #180, published in December 1974, Marvel Comics fans and readers are introduced to Captain America’s alternate identity, Nomad. Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema created the character. As the Sentinel of Liberty, Steve Rogers is disillusioned when he learns a top-ranking member of the United States government is the leader of a terror organization. For the brief moment, he abandons the Captain America suit and shield, and he takes on the identity of Nomad.
Read Next: The MCU’s Captain America Has One Big Comic Differencethe MCU’s animated anthology series on Disney+, What If…?
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