Captain America Vol. 1 (1968–1996): The Sentinel of Liberty's Landmark Run
Captain America Vol. 1 (1968–1996): The Sentinel of Liberty's Landmark Run
Over 350 issues, one shield and a lot of history. Here is what we love about the long-running Captain America monthly, from Tales of Suspense to the mid-90s.
Captain America is one of those characters who has been rebooted, reimagined and relaunched more times than anyone can keep track of, and yet the heart of the comic stays the same: a man out of time trying to do the right thing. The long-running monthly that started in 1968, today usually called Captain America Vol. 1, is where a lot of that heart was built.
We handle a lot of Captain America at Siomic Comics, from the Bronze Age through to the 90s, so we sat down with the run and went through the creators, the cover tricks and the stories people still bring up. This is our guide to the history of the series, who made it, the key issues, and how it ended up on screen.
Captain America Vol. 1 at a glance
- Publisher: Marvel Comics
- Run: Issues #100 to #454, cover-dated April 1968 to August 1996
- Where it started: Tales of Suspense ended with #99, and the book carried on as Captain America from #100
- Title change: Captain America and the Falcon from #134 (February 1971) to #222 (June 1978)
- Landmark writers: Stan Lee, Steve Englehart, Jack Kirby, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Gruenwald
- Famous cover artists in the run: John Romita Sr., Mike Zeck, Ron Lim, Ron Garney
- First appearances: The Falcon (#117), Arnim Zola (#209), Baron Zemo (Helmut Zemo, #275), Super-Patriot (#323)
- Later numbering: The original count was picked up again with Captain America #600 in 2009
From Tales of Suspense to a book of his own
Captain America was created in 1940 by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, and he spent the 1940s punching Nazis before fading away. Marvel brought him back in the 1960s as an Avenger, and he soon shared the pages of Tales of Suspense with Iron Man. In 1968 the split came: Tales of Suspense #99 was the last issue, and the next month the book was relaunched as Captain America #100 (April 1968), keeping the numbering and simply changing the name. Collectors often shorthand it as Vol. 1 to tell it apart from the 1940s Captain America Comics and the volumes that followed.
It is a lovely oddity of the run that it begins at #100. Collectors treat that first issue as the premiere of the solo series, and the cover shows the hero facing an enormous monster, which is exactly how a lot of Marvel comics of the era liked to say hello.
The 1960s and 70s: Falcon, Steranko and a new kind of Cap
The early run is a time capsule. In #109 the origin of Captain America is retold, and in #111 to #113 the book stages an apparent death and funeral, a very dramatic piece of storytelling for its day. Jim Steranko's famously bold art also shows up briefly, and the series carries covers by John Romita Sr. through the late 60s.
The next big moment arrives in #117 (September 1969) with The Coming of the Falcon. Sam Wilson and his falcon, Redwing, debuted here, and Sam's arrival was a landmark moment for representation in Marvel's comics. The series was retitled Captain America and the Falcon from #134, and the friendship between the two has been central to the character ever since.
| Issue | Cover date | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| #100 | April 1968 | The first issue of the solo series |
| #109 | January 1969 | The origin of Captain America retold |
| #111–113 | Early 1969 | The apparent death and funeral of Captain America |
| #117 | September 1969 | First appearance of the Falcon (Sam Wilson) and Redwing |
| #133 | January 1971 | Origin of M.O.D.O.K. |
| #153 | September 1972 | First appearance of the other Captain America, William Burnside |
| #209 | May 1977 | First full appearance of Arnim Zola |
| #275 | November 1982 | First appearance of Baron Zemo (Helmut Zemo) |
| #323 | November 1986 | First appearance of Super-Patriot (John Walker) |
| #332 | August 1987 | Steve Rogers resigns as Captain America |
Englehart, Secret Empire and Nomad
The 1970s are when this series became one of Marvel's best-sellers. Writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema worked together on it from 1972 to 1975, and their run is still held up as one of the best of the decade. Their big story, Secret Empire, ran through the 1974 issues and played out against the political mood of its time. In it Captain America discovers that a shadowy organisation has reached high into the government, and the climax in #175 ('Before the Dawn') shook him badly enough that Steve Rogers walked away from the shield for a while.
Another curiosity from the same period: #153 introduces William Burnside, the man who took the Captain America identity in the 1950s, and the following issues dig into his origin. It was an early example of Marvel using continuity as a storytelling tool, and it still echoes through the character's history.
Kirby returns, then the long Gruenwald years
In 1975, with issue #193, Jack Kirby came back to the character he had co-created and became both writer and penciller, staying until #214 in 1977. His run is wild, inventive and not at all restrained, and it includes the first full appearance of the scientist Arnim Zola in #209. For collectors, anything from the Kirby return is a real piece of comics history.
The 1980s brought a number of strong creators, including J.M. DeMatteis, who wrote #275 to #300 and introduced Baron Zemo in #275. Then came Mark Gruenwald, who took over as writer from #307 and stayed, with only a few breaks, all the way through #443. That is about a decade of monthly stories. Gruenwald was a devoted student of Marvel continuity, and his Captain America is full of long-running subplots, deep-cut villains and plenty of heart.
The Super-Patriot era
The best-known Gruenwald story starts with the arrival of Super-Patriot, John Walker, in #323 (November 1986). In #332 Steve Rogers resigns after a dispute with the government, and Walker takes the costume. It's the kind of idea that sounds like a gimmick, but it let the book explore what Captain America really stands for, and the contrast between the two men is the point of the whole saga.
The creators behind the comic
Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
The original team behind Captain America's Marvel revival. Lee scripted the early issues and Kirby returned for a full run in the mid-70s.
Steve Englehart & Sal Buscema
The partnership behind Secret Empire and the run still considered one of the high points of Bronze Age Marvel.
Jim Steranko & John Romita Sr.
Two of the era's most stylish artists, who gave the late 60s book some of its most memorable covers.
Mark Gruenwald
Wrote most of the issues from #307 to #443, about a decade of storytelling from the mid-80s to the mid-90s.
Mike Zeck
Provided covers in the early 80s, including a run around #261 to #273.
Ron Lim & Ron Garney
Cover artists for much of the 90s, with Lim around #378 to #392 and Garney on #444 to #454.
Curiosities collectors should know
The numbering trick
The book simply carried on from Tales of Suspense #99, which is why the first issue is #100 and not #1.
A different title for years
From #134 to #222 the book was called Captain America and the Falcon, though the Falcon's name was left off a handful of covers.
A decade-long run
Mark Gruenwald's stretch from #307 to #443 is one of the longest writing runs on a single Marvel title.
Kirby's second go
Jack Kirby returned for #193 to #214, writing and drawing the hero he created decades earlier.
Direct vs newsstand
Many 80s and 90s issues exist in both direct-market and newsstand versions, and different cover variants turn up for the same issue number.
The numbering comes back
Marvel returned to the old count with Captain America #600 in 2009, as if the run had never stopped at #454.
Captain America beyond the comics
- Captain America (1944): a Republic Pictures serial that is the earliest screen version of the hero.
- 1979 TV films: Reb Brown starred in two television movies, and the 1990 film with Matt Salinger followed a decade later.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): the film that launched his big-screen era, with Chris Evans in the lead and Toby Jones as Arnim Zola, who first appeared in these pages in #209.
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021): brought John Walker, the Super-Patriot from #323, to television, played by Wyatt Russell.
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025): Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, the Falcon introduced in #117, takes up the shield on the big screen.
Why this run still matters
A lot of what modern audiences recognise about Captain America was built in this long run: Sam Wilson as a true partner, Zola and Zemo as lasting enemies, the idea that Steve Rogers can step away from the shield and someone else can take it up. The 2007 story in which Steve is apparently killed and Bucky Barnes becomes Captain America, and the Marvel films that followed, grew from seeds planted here.
Where to start reading Captain America Vol. 1
If you like a classic origin of sorts, begin with #100, #109 and #117 for the relaunch, the retold origin and the Falcon. For the best of the 70s, go with Englehart and Buscema's #169 to #176 (Secret Empire) and Kirby's #193 to #200. For the 80s and 90s, Gruenwald's #323 to #350 is the Super-Patriot saga, and the issues around #350 to #400 show him hitting his stride.
Marvel has collected a good part of the run in its Epic Collection books, which are handy if you want the stories without hunting down every single issue.
Captain America Vol. 1 covers through the years
A look at some of the covers from the run. Tap a cover to see our copy if it's in stock.
#109
#111
#117
#153
#209
#275
#323
#332Browse our Captain America Vol. 1 back issues
These are some of the issues we currently have on the shelf. Every copy is photographed so you can check its condition before buying.
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#175
Captain America #175: Before the Dawn
The Secret Empire storyline reaches its turning point, one of the most talked-about Captain America stories of the 70s.
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#211
Captain America #211: Nazi "X"!
Part of Kirby's return as writer and artist, where the King of Comics kept the ideas flowing.
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#296
Captain America #296: Things Fall Apart!
From DeMatteis's years on the title, a good way into the pre-Gruenwald 80s.
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#331
Captain America #331: Soldier, Soldier
The issue before Steve Rogers resigns in #332, deep in the Super-Patriot storyline.
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#351
Captain America #351: Changing of the Guard
A mid-run Gruenwald issue that shows the shifting roster of the book.
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#372
Captain America #372: Sold on Ice
A very 90s cover from a stretch many fans remember fondly.
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#393
Captain America #393: Skullbound
The Red Skull, Cap's most famous enemy, takes centre stage.
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#440
Captain America #440: Dawn's Early Light
One of the last chapters of the long Gruenwald run.
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We also have these issues of the series in stock:
You can also search all our Captain America comics.
Frequently asked questions about Captain America Vol. 1
When did Captain America Vol. 1 start?
The solo series began with Captain America #100, cover-dated April 1968, continuing the numbering from Tales of Suspense.
How many issues are in Captain America Vol. 1?
The first volume runs from #100 to #454, cover-dated April 1968 to August 1996, which is 355 issues.
What is the first appearance of the Falcon?
Sam Wilson and Redwing first appeared in Captain America #117, cover-dated September 1969.
Who wrote Captain America for the longest time?
Mark Gruenwald wrote the book from #307 through #443, about a decade of monthly issues.
What is Secret Empire in Captain America?
Secret Empire is Steve Englehart's 1974 storyline in which Cap uncovers a conspiracy reaching into the government, concluding in the mid-170s issues.
Who is Super-Patriot?
John Walker first appeared as Super-Patriot in Captain America #323 (November 1986) and later took over the costume after Steve Rogers resigned in #332.
Where should I start reading Captain America Vol. 1?
Try #100, #109 and #117 for the relaunch, the origin and the Falcon, then the Englehart and Buscema Secret Empire issues.
Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have Captain America comics of your own? See how to sell your comics to Siomic Comics. Captain America and all related characters are trademarks of Marvel. Cover images are shown for reference.