Captain America (comic book)

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Captain America
Captain America (1968) 100.jpg
Captain America #100 (April 1968)
Cover art by Jack Kirby
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
ScheduleVaried
Format Ongoing series
Genre Superhero
Publication date Full list
No. of issues Full list
Main character(s) Captain America

Captain America is the name of several comic book titles featuring the character Captain America and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Captain America comic book series which debuted in 1968.

Contents

Publication history

Atlas Comics published the short-lived title Captain America #76–78 from May 1954 to September 1954. Atlas came to adopt the name Marvel Comics in 1961. During the Marvel era, Captain America was starring in the title Tales of Suspense , which was retitled Captain America with issue #100 (April 1968). [1] The new title Captain America continued to feature artwork by Jack Kirby, as well as a short run by Jim Steranko, and work by many of the industry's top artists and writers. It was called Captain America and the Falcon from #134 (Feb. 1971) to #222 (June 1978), [2] although the Falcon's name was not on the cover for issues #193, 200, and 216. The 1972–1975 run on the title by writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema saw the series become one of Marvel's top-sellers. [3] In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Englehart and Buscema's run on Captain America fourth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels". [4] Kirby returned to the series as writer and penciler with issue #193 (Jan. 1975) [5] and remained through #214 (Oct. 1977).

This series – considered Captain America volume one by comics researchers and historians [6] – ended with #454 (Aug. 1996). Captain America Vol. 1 should not be confused with the 1940s series Captain America Comics (1941–1949, 1954) and Captain America's Weird Tales (1949–1950).

This series was almost immediately followed by the 13-issue Captain America vol. 2 (Nov. 1996 – Nov. 1997, part of the "Heroes Reborn" crossover), [7] the 50-issue Captain America vol. 3 (Jan. 1998 – Feb. 2002), [8] the 32-issue Captain America vol. 4 (June 2002 – Dec. 2004), [9] and Captain America vol. 5 (Jan. 2005 – Aug. 2011). [10] Beginning with the 600th overall issue (Aug. 2009), Captain America resumed its original numbering, as if the series numbering had continued uninterrupted after #454.

As part of the aftermath of Marvel Comics' company-crossover storyline "Civil War", Steve Rogers was ostensibly killed in Captain America vol. 5, #25 (March 2007). Series writer Ed Brubaker remarked, "What I found is that all the really hard-core left-wing fans want Cap to be standing out on and giving speeches on the street corner against the George W. Bush administration, and all the really right-wing fans all want him to be over in the streets of Baghdad, punching out Saddam Hussein." [11] The character's co-creator, Joe Simon, said, "It's a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now." [11] Artist Alex Ross designed a slightly revised Captain America costume that former sidekick Bucky Barnes began to wear as the new Captain America in vol. 5, #34 (March 2008). [12] As of 2007, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books had been sold in 75 countries. [13]

The storyline of Rogers' return began in issue #600. [14] [15]

Marvel stated in May 2011 that Rogers, following the public death of Bucky Barnes in the "Fear Itself" crossover, would resume his Captain America identity in a sixth volume of Captain America, by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Steve McNiven. [16] [17] The Captain America title continued from issue #620 featuring team up stories with Bucky (#620-#628), [18] Hawkeye (#629-#632), [19] Iron Man (#633–635), [20] Namor (#635.1), [21] and Black Widow (#636-#640), [22] and the title ended its print run with issue #640.

See also

Related Research Articles

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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 Comics, a corporate predecessor to Marvel. Captain America's civilian identity is Steve Rogers, a frail man enhanced to the peak of human physical perfection by an experimental "super-soldier serum" after joining the United States Army to aid the country's efforts in World War II. Equipped with an American flag–inspired costume and a virtually indestructible shield, Captain America and his sidekick Bucky Barnes clashed frequently with the villainous Red Skull and other members of the Axis powers. In the final days of the war, an accident left Captain America frozen in a state of suspended animation until he was revived in modern times. He resumes his exploits as a costumed hero and becomes leader of the superhero team the Avengers, but frequently struggles as a "man out of time" to adjust to the new era.

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References

  1. DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1960s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 128. ISBN   978-0756641238. Hailing 1968 as the beginning of the 'Second Age of Marvel Comics,' and with more titles to play with, editor Stan Lee discarded his split books and gave more characters their own titles: Tales of Suspense #99 was followed by Captain America #100.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Olshevsky, George (December 1979). "Heroes From Tales of Suspense, Book One: Captain America". The Marvel Comics Index (8A). G&T Enterprises: 64 and 93.
  3. Amash, Jim (2010). Sal Buscema: Comics' Fast & Furious Artist. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 46. ISBN   978-1-60549-021-2. When Steve and I [Sal Buscema] got on the book ... if I remember correctly, the book hit #5 in sales. It really shot up the charts.
  4. Sacks, Jason (September 6, 2010). "Top 10 1970s Marvels". Comics Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  5. Evanier, Mark (2008). Kirby: King of Comics. New York, New York: Abrams Books. p. 185. ISBN   978-0-8109-9447-8.
  6. "Captain America (1968–1996)". The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. Archived from the original on 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2016-06-07. and Captain America at the Grand Comics Database
  7. "Captain America (II) (1996–1997)". The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2016-06-07. and Captain America vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database
  8. "Captain America (III) (1998–2002)". The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. and Captain America vol. 3 at the Grand Comics Database
  9. "Captain America (IV) (2002–2004)". The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. and Captain America vol. 4 at the Grand Comics Database
  10. "Captain America (V) (2005–2009)". The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. and Captain America vol. 5 at the Grand Comics Database
  11. 1 2 Sacks, Ethan (March 9, 2007). "Captain America killed!". Daily News . New York City. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  12. Penagos, Ryan (November 13, 2007). "Captain America Lives". Marvel Comics. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  13. "Death to 'America': Comic-book hero killed off". Today.com. March 7, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  14. Brady, Matt (June 15, 2009). "Updated: Captain America Speculation Over". Newsarama. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  15. Sacks, Ethan (June 16, 2009). "Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rogers is coming back to life two years after Marvel Comics killed him". Daily News. New York City. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  16. Khouri, Andy (May 30, 2011). "Steve Rogers Returns to Duty with Brubaker & McNiven in Captain America #1". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  17. Captain America vol. 6 at the Grand Comics Database
  18. Captain America and Bucky at the Grand Comics Database
  19. Captain America and Hawkeye at the Grand Comics Database
  20. Captain America and Iron Man at the Grand Comics Database
  21. Captain America and Namor at the Grand Comics Database
  22. Captain America and Black Widow at the Grand Comics Database