10 Best Captain America Covers That Changed Comic History

The Golden Age of Comics basically belonged to DC thanks to iconic heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice Society. However, Marvel had one hero that would become massively popular back then and would remain so for years to come: Captain America. Steve Rogers struck a chord with the people of the ’40s, and became a legend at a time when the world needed more of them. Since then, we’ve gotten 85 years of Cap stories, many of which included some of the greatest covers of all time. The cover to a comic invites you in, gets you excited, and makes you want to buy the book, and Cap has had some of the best.

Many of the greatest artists of all-time have worked on Cap’s books, and they’ve given readers some fantastic covers. The best of them didn’t just change the character, but changed the comic world. These ten Captain America covers changed comic history, and are some of the best in the industry.

10) Captain America (Vol. 1) #350

Captain America has lost faith in the United States several times over the years, and was once replaced as Cap by Johnny Walker. Johnny Walker is a fascinating character, and his story as Cap serves to show what made Steve Rogers so special. Rogers spent time as the Captain while Walker wielded the shield, and after Walker besmirched the name of Captain America, we got this amazing cover from Captain America (Vol. 1) #350, by Kieron Dwyer and Al Milgrom. This cover captured the power of two Caps clashing, and it’s fantastic. Just imagine seeing this as a kid on the spinner rack.

9) Captain America (Vol. 1) #180

Captain America (Vol. 1) #180 is one of those comics we don’t think about much anymore, but is a classic. It takes place in the aftermath of the original Secret Empire story, where Cap learned that the president of the United States was a member of the evil group. This issue sees him create the mantle of Nomad, and this cover from Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, Mike Esposito, and Danny Crespi was perfect. A kinetic, eye-catching cover that showed Cap in an all-new light, this one is an example of perfect composition. It’s an amazing moment in the history of the hero and a best of all time cover

8) Captain America (Vol. 1) #332

We’re about the hit the trifecta of disillusioned Cap comic covers with Captain America (Vol. 1) #332. This issue, with it’s title of Captain America No More! emblazoned at the top of the cover, was a hage moment in the character’s history. This cover, from comics legends Mike Zeck and Klaus Janson, captures that beaten feeling that Cap was going through, realizing that the people he’s been working for are destroying America. The bleeding flag is such a powerful image, and the sadness radiating from Cap is palpable. There’s just something about this image that jumps out at you, and it’s become a classic.

7) Captain America (Vol. 4) #1

9/11 changed the world, and it was going to change Captain America as well. In 2002, a new volume of the Star-Spangled Avenger was dropped on readers, from the edgier Marvel Knights line, and fans were introduced to his amazing cover by John Cassaday. Captain America (Vol. 4) #1-6 is one of the greatest Captain America stories ever, and this cover captured the feel of those issues amazingly. It has that rah-rah feeling that Cap covers can do so well, and shows the grandeur and power of the character. This is an iconic Cap image, and it’s a shame that so many Cap fans have never seen it.

6) Captain America (Vol. 5) #25

Civil War had major repercussions for the Marvel Universe, especially its ending. Captain America’s surrender was a massive deal, and Captain America (Vol. 5) #25 showed the consequences of his defeat. This cover by legendary Marvel artist Steve Epting perfectly captured the stakes of the issue. It’s a portentous cover, one that will make any fans of the Marvel Universe want to pick it up to see what’s going on with their favorite flag-wearing hero. This is an outstanding cover. Cap dies in this issue, something that readers had seen before, but this cover makes it so much more special than any of the other comics where he passed. It still stands up all these years later.

5) Captain America Annual #8

Marvel in the ’80s was amazing. The publisher had some of the greatest creators of all-time putting out best of all-time comics. One of the biggest success stories of the decade was Wolverine, the character becoming an icon int he decade of excess. It was only a matter of time before he faced off against the Sentinel of Liberty, and we got that in Captain America Annual #8, with this gorgeous cover from Mike Zeck and John Beatty. This image is iconic, and was sold as a poster that every comic store of the late ’80s and early ’90s had on its wall. Zeck is one of the best of all-time, and this powerful image will always be one of his greatest works.

4) Captain America (Vol. 1) #193

Jack Kirby co-created Captain America and a large portion of the Marvel Universe, but his working relationship with Stan Lee saw him leave the publisher and go to DC in the early ’70s. He’d eventually return with Captain America (Vol. 1) #193. This is classic Kirby, an image filled with energy, an entire story in one picture. His Captain America is a mountain of a man, and the burning city behind him shows the stakes of the situation perfectly. This is peak Kirby, an iconic image that showed readers that the King was back.

3) Tales of Suspense (Vol. 1) #80

Back when Captain America first came back to comics in the early ’60s, he wasn’t given his own book immediately, instead getting a co-feature in Tales of Suspense. These issues are prime classic Marvel, but the issue with the best cover is easily Tales of Suspense (Vol. 1) #80, with a cover by Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Stan Goldberg, and Sam Rosen. This cover introduced readers to the Cosmic Cube in the best way possible. There’s so much going on in this cover, and it tells its own story beautifully. This is the kind of bombast that Kirby brought to all of his work, and it’s amazing.

2) Avengers (Vol. 1) #4

The Avengers are the Marvel’s greatest team, and their early adventures enthralled the Marvel Zombies of the Silver Age. However, the team didn’t truly meet their potential until Avengers (Vol. 1) #4, when Captain America returned to the Marvel Universe. This cover from Jack Kirby, George Roussos, Stan Goldberg, and Artie Simek is everything you could want from a comic cover. It’s one of those images you can feel; each character doing something fantastic with Cap right in the center. This cover was a complete game changer, and led to everything we love about modern Cap.

1) Captain America Comics #1

It was always going to be this cover in the top spot. Captain America Comics #1 introduced the world to the Star-Spangled Avenger in the best way possible with this sensational cover from Cap co-creators Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. Everything about this cover is perfect; the action, figure work, composition, and storytelling of the cover are all examples of flawless comic craft. This book showed you exactly what you were going to get and it was fantastic. This cover isn’t just an amazing cover, it was a message about America’s need to help battle the Nazi menace, and it was so great that actual Nazis hated it so much they threatened Kirby’s life (and wussed out when the King decided to show how he felt about Nazis with his fists). This is a true legendary comic cover, up there with the greats like Action Comics #1, All-Star Comics #8, and Detective Comics #27.

What’s your favorite Captain America cover? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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