Four Generations Of Captain America Team Up For Hero’s 80th Anniversary

Captain America is more than just Steve Rogers. The mantle and the shield have been shared with a few others during the 80 year legacy. This June, Marvel Comics explores and celebrates that legacy with The United States of Captain America from writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Dave Eaglesham. The first issue features a main cover by Alex Ross.

The five-part series brings together Steve Rogers, John Walker, Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson for a grand adventure to find Captain America’s missing shield, stolen by a masked thief. We’ll meet new heroes who have been inspired to follow in Steve Rogers’ footsteps. Cantwell and Eaglesham will be joined by some diverse creative teams who will dig deeper into the origins and motivations of these new shield-bearers in backup stories. The first comes from writer Josh Trujillo and artist Jan Balzadua.

Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson set out on a road trip across the country to chase down the thief. During their quest, they find the Captains, everyday people from all walks of life who have taken up the mantle of Captain America to defend their communities. For some reason, the thief wants them dead and Steve and Sam aren’t going to let that happen.

“It’s an incredible gift and definitely a creative challenge to take on the character of Captain America, especially during these unprecedented times in our country’s history. With this miniseries we’re hoping to explore what the idea of Captain America means at this precise moment—not just on the grand stage of the world—but to everyday and often overlooked communities throughout the United States,” Cantwell explained. “This story is ultimately structured like a “road movie,” harkening back in ways to old Bob Rafelson and Hal Ashby films, with Steve Rogers (and soon Sam Wilson, and later… other key members in Steve’s life) getting to directly interact with those he represents as a symbol and has sworn to protect, but in an up close and personal way he hasn’t experienced in a while. I’m extremely excited to show how the idea of Captain America has been conceptualized and translated by various groups in the country, and for me the juice of the story is Cap reconciling so many interpretations OF himself WITH himself, both as a person and as an icon. This kind of cross-country epic is uniquely American and seems like a fantastic way to celebrate the character’s legacy right now.”

I’m a big fan of legacy characters and how the mantle can be passed down from one generation to the next. The run on Captain America where Bucky picked up the shield was one of my favorites. I do wonder why Isaiah Bradley wasn’t included in this, but maybe he’ll be incorporated down the line.

The United States of Captain America kicks off on June 2nd, 2021.