Captain America

First appearance and origin of Captain America — Steve Rogers takes the Super Soldier Serum. Jack Kirby's iconic cover shows Cap punching Hitler. Also first appearance of Bucky Barnes.

Find on eBay →

Second issue — Cap and Bucky continue battling Nazi saboteurs on the home front

Find on eBay →

First appearance of the Red Skull (in full) — Johann Schmidt, Cap's ultimate nemesis and Hitler's right hand

Find on eBay →

Origin of the Red Skull fully revealed — from impoverished orphan to the embodiment of Nazi evil

Find on eBay →

Cap appears alongside the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner — the earliest Marvel team-up book

Find on eBay →

Golden Age Bucky takes on a more prominent role — one of the final Golden Age Cap appearances before cancellation

Find on eBay →

Captain America revived — the Avengers discover Cap frozen in a block of ice in the Arctic. He joins the team, learning Bucky died in the war. One of the most important Marvel comics.

Find on eBay →

Captain America begins his solo feature in Tales of Suspense — sharing the book with Iron Man

Find on eBay →

Captain America's solo stories continue — classic Silver Age adventures by Jack Kirby

Find on eBay →

Origin of Captain America retold for the Silver Age — the definitive retelling of the Super Soldier Serum experiment

Find on eBay →

Captain America gets his own title again — takes over from Tales of Suspense. First issue of the ongoing solo series.

Find on eBay →

Origin of Captain America retold again by Jack Kirby — the most detailed version of the Super Soldier experiment

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Madame Hydra/Viper — one of Cap's recurring enemies and a major HYDRA leader

Find on eBay →

First appearance of the Falcon (Sam Wilson) — the first mainstream African American superhero. Cap's most enduring partner.

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Bucky Barnes — Steve's WWII sidekick who would later become the Winter Soldier

Find on eBay →

First full appearance of the Red Skull — Johann Schmidt, the face of Nazi evil and Cap's arch-enemy

Find on eBay →

First appearance of the Mandarin in a Captain America story — though he debuted fighting Iron Man earlier

Find on eBay →

Red Skull returns in the Silver Age — his first appearance since the 1940s, now a Cold War threat

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Batroc the Leaper — Georges Batroc, the French kickboxing mercenary

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Nomad (Steve Rogers identity) — Cap abandons his identity after the Secret Empire scandal

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Machinesmith — a villain who transfers his consciousness into machines

Find on eBay →

First appearance of the Serpent Society lineup — a team of snake-themed villains that became recurring Cap enemies

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Crossbones — Brock Rumlow, the Red Skull's most dangerous operative

Find on eBay →

Cap vs the 1950s Captain America — reveals a replacement Cap from the McCarthy era who went insane. One of the first dark deconstruction stories.

Find on eBay →

The Secret Empire saga — Cap uncovers a conspiracy reaching the highest levels of the U.S. government. A Watergate allegory.

Find on eBay →

Captain America quits — disillusioned after the Secret Empire, Steve Rogers abandons the identity

Find on eBay →

Steve Rogers returns as Captain America — after his time as Nomad, Steve takes up the shield again

Find on eBay →

Jack Kirby returns to Captain America — "Madbomb" storyline begins. The King draws Cap one more time.

Find on eBay →

Steve Rogers is forced to surrender the Captain America identity to the U.S. government. John Walker becomes the new Captain America.

Find on eBay →

John Walker becomes Captain America — Steve Rogers adopts the identity of "The Captain" in a black suit

Find on eBay →

Steve Rogers returns as Captain America — classic showdown between Rogers and Walker. Walker becomes U.S.Agent.

Find on eBay →

First appearance of U.S.Agent — John Walker gets a new identity and costume

Find on eBay →

Ed Brubaker's legendary run begins — the story that brought Bucky back from the dead. Redefined Captain America for the modern era.

Find on eBay →

First appearance of the Winter Soldier — Bucky Barnes is revealed to be alive as a brainwashed Russian assassin. A game-changing moment in Marvel history.

Find on eBay →

Winter Soldier saga continues — Cap begins to uncover the truth about his former partner

Find on eBay →

The Winter Soldier's identity confirmed — Cap discovers Bucky is alive. Brubaker's emotional masterpiece.

Find on eBay →

Winter Soldier arc conclusion — Cap uses the Cosmic Cube to restore Bucky's memories

Find on eBay →

The Superhuman Registration Act divides the Marvel Universe — Captain America leads the anti-registration forces against Iron Man

Find on eBay →

Civil War conclusion — Captain America surrenders to prevent further destruction. A defining moment of sacrifice.

Find on eBay →

Death of Captain America — Steve Rogers is assassinated on the courthouse steps. Shot by Crossbones and a brainwashed Sharon Carter. Made international headlines.

Find on eBay →

Bucky Barnes becomes Captain America — the Winter Soldier takes up the shield in honor of Steve Rogers

Find on eBay →

Steve Rogers returns — revealed to be lost in time, not dead. Brubaker brings Cap back.

Find on eBay →

First appearance of Sam Wilson (Falcon) — Cap's partner and eventual successor. The first mainstream African American superhero.

Find on eBay →

Sam Wilson officially becomes Captain America — Steve Rogers passes the shield to his longtime partner

Find on eBay →

Sam Wilson's ongoing Captain America series — tackling modern issues as the new Cap

Find on eBay →

Founding of the Avengers — though Cap wasn't in the original lineup, this is where the team he would lead began

Find on eBay →

Cap joins the Avengers — pulled from the ice, he becomes the team's moral compass and greatest leader

Find on eBay →

"Cap's Kooky Quartet" — the Avengers lineup changes dramatically. Cap leads a new team of Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

Find on eBay →

Cap leads the heroes on Battleworld — makes the iconic speech that rallies them. Wields Thor's hammer briefly.

Find on eBay →

Cap stands alone against Thanos — refuses to back down even knowing he can't win. Defines his character in one panel.

Find on eBay →

Mark Waid's "Home of the Brave" — Steve Rogers returns to reclaim the Captain America identity after the controversial Hydra Cap storyline

Find on eBay →

Ta-Nehisi Coates begins his run on Captain America — literary, political, and deeply character-driven

Find on eBay →

The original 1941 issue remains one of the most valuable and sought-after comics in existence — a Holy Grail for collectors

Find on eBay →