Punching Hitler Since 1941: The History of Captain America in Covers

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Happy Fourth of July! Let’s celebrate the holiday with America’s most patriotic hero.

1940s

Cover by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (1941)


Cover by Al Avison (1942)


Cover by Syd Shores (1944)


Cover by [I have no idea] (1948)


Cover by Martin Nodell (1949)

1950s

Cover by John Romita, Sr. (1954)

After several failed re-launches, Atlas Comics (later Marvel) canceled Captain America with issue 78.

1960s


Cover by Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman (1964)


Cover by Jack Kirby (1965)


Cover by Jack Kirby and Syd Shores (1968)

Captain America returns … and co-opts the numbering of the canceled Tales of Suspense comic.

Cover by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia (1968)


Cover by Gene Colan, Joe Sinnott, and John Romita, Sr. (1969)


Cover by Gene Colan and Joe Sinnott (1969)

1970s


Cover by Marie Severin and Joe Sinnott (1970)


Cover by Marie Severin, Herb Trimpe, and John Romita, Sr. (1971)

Renamed to Captain America and The Falcon with issue 134.

Cover by John Romita, Sr. (1973)


Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia (1974)

Captain America briefly lost his faith in America and became Nomad after discovering that President Nixon was the leader of a terrorist organization called the Secret Empire (and before you ask, no, I’m not making that up).

Cover by Jack Kirby (1976)


Cover by Sal Buscema (1978)

Poor Falcon lost his title billing in issue 223.

1980s

Cover by Frank Miller and Bob McLeod (1980)

Now THAT’S how you start off the 80’s…

Cover by Mike Zeck and John Beatty (1982)


Cover by Bob Budiansky and Joe Sinnott (1984)


Cover by Mike Zeck and Klaus Janson (1987)


Cover by Kieron Dwyer and Al Milgrom (1989)


Cover by John Buscema and Tom Palmer (1989)

1990s

Cover by Ron Lim (1990)


Cover by Rik Levins and Danny Bulanadi (1992)


Cover by Dave Hoover (1994)

Captain America was canceled with issue 454, which led to the Heroes Reborn relaunch…

Cover by Rob Liefeld (1996)

That was followed quickly by the Heroes Return relaunch…

Cover by Ron Garney (1998)

2000s

And the book was relaunched again…

Cover by John Cassaday (2002)

And the book was relaunched again…

Cover by Steve Epting (2004)

And the book was relaunched again…

Cover by Alex Ross (2009)

11 thoughts on “Punching Hitler Since 1941: The History of Captain America in Covers”

  1. May I offer a guess on #65’s cover artist? Looks like Joe Maneely, possibly.

  2. That 1944 cover has some of the most vicious Japanese caricatures I’ve seen, I think. Good find, Richard.

    It’s interesting how little costume variation there is in comparison to Wonder Woman. Minor fiddling with the mask and shield early on, but then it’s pretty much status quo all the way through, right?

  3. al- you are more than welcome to offer a guess. But I have no way to confirm if you’re right.

    Noah- interesting observation about the lack of costume variation, which is all the weirder considering how often Marvel heroes try out new outfits.

    Maybe it’s because Marvel stories explicitly acknowledge that Cap is a living anachronism, so the fact that his costume seems garish by modern standards is actually the point.

    But Wonder Woman is supposed to be contemporary, which is problematic because, like Cap, she’s very much a product of World War II. Hence, the very failed efforts to update her costume.

  4. Also, I found at least a dozen more covers from World War II that depicted the Japanese as some combination of ape and vampire. But depicting Buddha as a big, blue monster just seems particularly vicious.

    I’m not really a Cap fan, but I do find it interesting how the racial dynamics have changed so dramatically by the time Falcon showed up.

  5. So are we assuming here that the Grand Comics Database is also mistaken that it is a Syd Shores cover (i.e. Cap #68)? The line “Beat it Small Fry!” is something which would not look out of place in a Miller comic (like All Star Batman and Robin) nowadays. Nifty!

  6. I’d never even heard of the Grand Comics Database until just now. I’m looking through it but the search function is a mess…

    The covers from the late 40s were interesting. There was clearly a lot of desperate searching for an appropriate post-war status quo.

  8. I think WW’s costume was more of a problem in itself too, maybe. I like Peter’s version, but it’s basically a swimsuit with bondage filligree — I think people keep trying to figure out a way to make it look less ridiculous. Whereas Caps costume is well within the parameters of standard ridiculousness for super-hero outfits….

  9. I remember the day I realized that Cap’s “costume” was scale mail. I think I fell in love with him then. :-)

    My collection only has Cap in the Invaders and the Avengers, but I adore him. He was an Aryan on our side during WWII and a throwback to a generation of my grandparents when I was a kid. As all idealized representation of everything Moms, apple pie, comics and the American way stood for when I was growing up, Captain America reigns supreme.

  10. Noah – that’s a good point. Wonder Woman’s costume is weird and kinky, but that’s the costume that the general public remembers, so DC is stuck with it.

    Erica – as a character so deeply rooted in WWII, he’s aged quite well. Some of that has to do with Marvel simply acknowledging that he’s a “man from an earlier time,” but it also helps that Cap stands for timeless, inoffensive Americanisms like Mom and apple pie.

    The less savory stuff, like the racism and jingoism, was easily swept under the rug when the character was re-introduced in the 60s.

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