Marvel is responsible for producing some of the greatest superheroes of all time. From golden age comic books to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the big screen, we’ve witnessed some amazing characters come to life and enjoyed their transformations over time.
As many amazing characters as there are, though, Marvel — and the superhero genre in general — wouldn’t be where it is today without Captain America. Cap debuted way back in the 1941, before the US joined World War II. He was a symbol of patriotism and heroism, and he served as an icon for America during that time.
It all began with Steve Rogers, a frail kid with a big heart who wanted to serve his country in the war. He becomes a test subject for a super soldier serum, where he gets enhanced human abilities. The rest is history.
The character has had a huge influence on popular culture which has grown in recent years with Chris Evans’ portrayal in the Captain America and Avengers films — including Avengers: Infinity War.
However, with a character as old as this one, a few misconceptions are bound to crop up. Whether it relates to his abilities, his origins or his overall history, there are some things about Captain America that could use some clarifying.
Here are 15 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Captain America.
Stan Lee didn’t create Captain America
Even if you don’t know all the ins and outs of Marvel Comics, chances are good you’ve heard of Stan Lee. He’s one of the most well-known comic book writers of all time. He helped conceive of several characters in the Marvel universe, and he has cameoed in every MCU movie.
However, Lee actually wasn’t the one who created Captain America in the first place.
That distinction belongs to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
Both were cartoonists in the early 1940s. They came up with the idea for Captain America together. Timely Comics (the predecessor to Marvel comics) released the first issue of Captain America in 1941, which sold out in days.
Lee helped to provide filler text for early issues of the Captain America comics, which kickstarted his own career as a writer. He and Kirby revitalized the character in the Silver Age of comic books.
The super soldier serum didn’t actually give him super strength
Before Steve Rogers volunteered to take part in the Super Soldier Serum experiment, he was a scrawny, weak kid with health problems. After receiving the serum, he was stronger, faster and more agile.
What people don’t realize, though, is that the serum didn’t actually give him “super strength”, or anything like that.
The serum is designed to enhance the subject to the peak level of physical condition.
This means that Steve is — physically — a perfect human being because the serum amplifies everything about him, which includes speed, strength, intelligence and other factors.
Technically, yes, Steve has enhanced strength and physical abilities, but nothing that is completely outside the bounds of human capabilities. In theory, a human could achieve this level under the perfect conditions.
The super soldier serum doesn’t last for Cap’s whole life
The Super Soldier Serum made a true hero out of Steve Rogers, pushing him to his physical limitations. As amazing as the serum is, though, it’s not completely fool-proof or indestructible.
There have been a couple times throughout the comics where Cap has lost his enhanced abilities.
During one storyline, a lab explosion causes a chemical reaction with the serum in his system. This forces him to remove the serum from his body, causing his body to deteriorate.
The second time, the effects of the serum become neutralized when Cap fights the Iron Nail. He begins to age rapidly to match his actual, chronological age and is no longer able to fight in the field.
The serum might make Cap perfect, but the serum itself isn’t.
He had extensive training after receiving the serum
In Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve’s transformation happens pretty quickly. Howard Stark and Dr. Erksine inject the serum into his body, and moments later, Steve is chasing down a Hydra agent through the city.
Initially, it’s clear that Steve is still getting used to his new abilities, helped by a good performance from Chris Evans. Beyond that, Steve pretty much jumps into the action as Captain America without having any clear knowledge of hand-to-hand combat and everything else.
In the comics, though, Cap endures extensive training in martial arts, boxing, and judo.
He also maintains a strict workout regimen to maintain his physical strength.
Becoming a superhero is about more than pure strength or endurance. There’s a lot of skill involved too, and the movies don’t show this side of Cap as much.
He didn’t get the shield from Howard Stark
Captain America’s shield is his most iconic weapon. He uses it as a projectile and for protection, making it a staple of his character.
For being such an important part of Cap’s story, he receives it in a pretty unceremonious way. Howard Stark shows him various equipment, and Steven gravitates towards the circular vibranium shield — which Peggy Carter later shoots at.
However, Cap receiving his shield is a bigger deal in the comic books. Following several of Cap’s heroic adventures — with his sidekick, Bucky Barnes, at his side — President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presents him with the vibranium shield.
Maybe this wouldn’t have played out as well in the movies, but the backstory behind the shield is more meaningful than it seems at first glance.
Steve Rogers was actually pretty young when he became Captain America
No one can argue with Chris Evans being the definitive Steve Rogers. He captures Steve’s determined spirit and the physicality of Captain America. When looking at the comics, though, it’s clear that the MCU went with an older version of the character.
Evans was 30 years old when Captain America: The First Avenger hit theaters. However, Steve’s actually much younger than that in the comics. Cap was born in 1920, and received the Super Soldier serum in 1941.
This makes him only 21 years old by the time he actually becomes the superhero Captain America.
While Evans may be youthful, there’s no way he can pass for a guy in his early 20s.
Between Steve Rogers and Peter Parker in the comics, there’s no such thing as being too young to be a superhero.
Captain America may not actually be an “old man”
One of the running jokes in the MCU is that Steve Rogers is an “old man” because he was born in the early 20th century, frozen, and reanimated in present day.
In the movies, Steve was definitively frozen for 70 years, which puts him in his 90s by the time he is unfrozen. When looking at his origins in the comics, though, the timeline seems to get a little murky. Steve enters suspended animation in 1945, which puts him at roughly 25 years old.
He brought back in a comic from 1964, where the Avengers discover his body in the Atlantic Ocean.
If we’re going strictly on the comics timeline, this puts Cap chronologically in his 40s, rather than his 90s.
Superhero timelines can get very confusing, very quickly, and even Cap’s birthdate differs in the movies and comics. Either way, his age versus physical appearance leaves room for questions.
Cap wasn’t always completely loyal
Captain America was created to represent the all-American soldier, an inspiration during wartimes. He was selfless, brave, and morally just. These are the qualities that define his character — or at least, they were before a recent storyline suggested otherwise.
In a controversial comic book arc that began with Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 in 2016, Steve is revealed to be a double agent for Hydra since his youth. This caused something of an uproar in the fan community because they thought this betrayed Cap’s character.
All this was actually the result of a sentient cosmic cube named “Kobik,” which altered reality to make Steve believe he was an agent for Hydra. This leads Steve to do some crazy things, and puts him at odds with Sam Wilson.
Things do work out in the end for Steve, but this storyline indicates that the image of Captain America isn’t all good, all the time.
His story arc in the “Civil War” comics is way different
The “Civil War” comic book storyline is one of the most well-known and intriguing ones in the Marvel cannon. The 2016 film Captain America: Civil War loosely adapted this arc within the context of the MCU.
Whereas the main source of conflict in the movie was the Sokovia Accords, the comic books dealt with the “Superhuman Registration Act.” It required people with powers to register themselves with the government, which included revealing their identities.
Cap believed that this violated their liberties and privacies, while Iron Man believed it was justified. Things come to a violent head, and Cap later calls off the Anti-Registration forces due to the destruction it causes. The aftermath of Civil War leads to Cap’s passing, was a brainwashed Sharon Carter shoots him while he’s in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s custody.
Clearly, things turned out a little differently in the movies.
Being a soldier wasn’t his only focus
The small, sickly, and feeble Steve Rogers from Captain America: The First Avenger seemed to have one objective in mind: to become a soldier. His resolve and determination to serve his country is perhaps his most admirable quality, and Chris Evans makes it believable.
Had the war not happened, Steve would have gone down a very different career path: art.
In the comics, Steve was briefly a fine arts student. He specialized in comic book art and writing. That might be a meta-nod to the comic book writers themselves. Either way, it certainly would have put Steve down a very different path.
With the rise of the Third Reich and the war raging on, Steve abandoned his creative pursuits to become a soldier. His role as Captain America worked out, but one has to wonder what would have happened had he stayed in art school.
Captain America actually can wield Thor’s hammer
We’ve gotten plenty of hints from the movies that Cap is a noble hero. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, each member of the team attempts to lift Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Despite their best efforts, no one is able to lift the hammer. However, when Steve steps up, he lifts it ever so slightly — to Thor’s shock and panic — before giving up.
That may have just been a funny tease in the movie, but in the comics, Captain America is more than worthy of wielding the hammer. In The Mighty Thor #390, the Avengers face off against the villain “Serpent.”
Cap’s shield breaks, and he instead picks up Thor’s hammer to fight off enemies.
If anything, this is even more proof that Cap is more than just a fighter. He’s one of the only mortals in the comics to be deemed worthy of wielding the hammer.
Captain America wasn’t his original name
Captain America is such an iconic character now that it’s difficult to believe he could go by any other name. Yet, when he was first created, he was supposed to go by a different name: Super American.
Back in the 1940s when Captain America was first created, writer Joe Simon created some rough sketches and outlines for the character. According to his autobiography, The Comic Book Makers, he wrote the name “Super American” at the bottom of the sketch.
However, he ultimately decided against using that name because too many other heroes were using the name “Super.” Instead, he went with the name we have today, Captain America, because there weren’t too many “Captains” in the comics. That definitely has a better ring to it.
He didn’t always lead the Avengers
In the movies, Captain America is the main leader of the Avengers. He helped to guide the missions and even brought in new recruits. That’s true in the comics, too, but what’s not true is that Cap is the sole leader of the Avengers.
Throughout the comic book storylines, a lot of the main members within the Avengers have taken the lead at one point or another.
Cap led for a while, but so has Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, and Vision. Even some of the X-Men characters like Rogue and Havoc have taken up the mantle.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens to Steve Rogers and the Avengers after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. One thing is for certain: there are plenty of other people besides Cap who can lead.
Steve Rogers isn’t the only Captain America
Steve Rogers is the guy we associate most with Captain America. He held the title the longest, and the movies have chosen to portray this version of the character, too. However, there are a number of other characters who have become Captain America.
The two other most notable characters to take up the mantle are Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes.
These two have also been introduced in the movies, so it’s likely that one of them could become Cap after Steve is done.
There have been other characters, as well. Scott Summers/Cyclops has taken up the shield, and lesser-known characters like John Walker, Isaiah Bradley, and Jeffrey Mace have, too. Even Danielle Cage, Luke Cage’s sister, became Cap for awhile.
Steve is the most prominent Captain America, but he’s not the only one.
Captain America wasn’t the First Avenger
Because Captain America is one of the most-well known leaders, and he’s technically been around the longest, most people say that he’s the “First Avenger.” The first Captain America movie is called Captain America: The First Avenger, after all.
This isn’t fully accurate, though. In reality, the Avengers were already established by the time Cap ever joined them. The original team consisted of Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, and The Wasp. Cap was reintroduced in the comics in The Avengers #4, when the Avengers found him frozen in ice in the ocean. After this point, he officially joined the team.
One could argue that Cap did similar jobs to the Avengers back in the ’40s, but he actually wasn’t part of the team until much later. This means that he is not, in fact, the First Avenger.
What are some other common misconceptions about Captain America? Let us know in the comments!
