Steve Rogers is defined by more than just theCaptain Americaname, but also the costumes that he has adorned over the years. The man makes the suit just as much as the suit makes the man, and Steve manages to add prestige to the mantle through some of the best Captain America stories.
While characters like Sam Wilson have proudly contributedto the Captain America name, the legacy of the name is special because of the honor that Steve Rogers bestowed upon the costume as the original Cap. That being said,Steve Rogers wore more than just the classic red, white, and blue outfit during his era as Cap.
8Steve Rogers is Ready for a Secret War
Secret War#3 by Brian Michael Bendis and Gabriele Dell’Otto
Not to be confused with eitherSecret Warsfrom the 80s or 2010s,Secret Warrefers to the mid-2000s, a five-part miniseries in which Steve Rogers is one of the superheroes recruited by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. to stop new Latverian Prime Minister Lucia von Bardas from funding technology for supervillains.
This soon becomes a covert mission to overthrow Latveria. To dress the part, Steve Rogers wears a darker shade of blue that allows him to blend into the shadows more easily. The blue shade extends to his classic abdomen stripes, now dark blue with a dominant white outlined with red. It’s a shadowy version of his classic suit fit for espionage.
7Steve Rogers' Super Soldier Costume is a Fan-Favorite
Steve Rogers: Super Soldier#1-4 by Ed Brubaker and Dale Eaglesham
In previous attempts to ground the Captain America character into reality,Steve Rogers: Super Soldiermay be the most notable attempt to do just that, especially since it directly inspiredSteve’s suit inCaptain America: The Winter Soldierfor the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When Steve learns that the Super-Soldier Serum is being recreated, his curiosity brings him to Mandripoor.
Dropping in secretly, he arrives in a dark blue suit with a red design on the side of his thighs, as well as a star-spangled symbol that stretches throughout his torso and back area. He also opts for no mask. It’s arguably his most drastically different outfit from his wardrobe, but for many readers, it’s their favorite as well.
Ultimates#1 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch
While Marvel has rebooted the Ultimate Universe into Earth-6160, the original Ultimate Marvel Universe was represented by Earth-1610. In this hyper-charged post-9/11 world of the early 2000s, UltimateCaptain America was coated in controversyin ways that make modern readers cringe. Screaming,“What are you waiting for ladies, Christmas?“in his first appearance set the tone for everything.
That being said, his wartime flashbacks especially set the tone for his main Ultimates costume, as Steve is first seen in his prototype outfit. The first of these flashbacks are seen in Cap’s very first Ultimate appearance. Rather than the classic cowl, he wore a brown mask underneath a Stahlhelm helmet. His overall costume was war-appropriate with a superhero touch.
5His Ultimates Costume Influenced Marvel’s Cinematic Universe
Ultimates#3 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch
When Steve Rogers awakens in the present-day in the Ultimate Universe, much as he does in Marvel’s main Earth-616 continuity, he’s gifted a new costume once he is ready to return to active duty, so to speak. At first glance, it is almost strikingly similar to the outfit Steve typically wears in canon, with slight militaristic alterations.
However, those minor adjustments made all the difference, as this version would have a major influence onCaptain America’s depiction in the MCUfor his first couple of movies, as played by Chris Evans. The toned-down, darker color palette and tactical belt made sense for the 2000s and won over audiences and creators of the time.
4Cap Becomes Old Man Rogers in a Dark Dystopia
Earth X#1 by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross
Earth Xtakes a look at a dystopian future in which the heroes have morphed into villains. Steve remains one of the few righteous heroes left despite killing the Red Skull, which compels him to deem himself unworthy of being a superhero, relinquishing his mantle and Avengers status.Captain America’sKingdom Come-esque fateis visualized through a new appearance by him.
What makes this design so striking is what it symbolizes in the larger scheme of his journey in this world. This is an old, tired Cap who’s been beaten by the pressures of Earth X, becoming a wrinkled shell of his former self, but through tattered clothes, still moves forward, maintaining his core identity.
3A Black Suit Shifts"The Captain’s"Identity
Captain America#337 by Mark Gruenwald and Tom Morgan
During the"Captain America No More"storyline of the 80s, Steve Rogers gives up being Captain America when the U.S. government demands he work for them under the pretense that they own his identity. In defiance, he eventually resurfaces as just The Captain, trading his blue colors for black. He also modifies his chest emblem and the wrists of his gloves.
Some will recognize this uniform as the very outfit that John Walker would wear as U.S. Agent (which is ironic considering the government gives theCaptain America mantle to Walkerwhen Steve walks out on them). The symbolism of the design serving as a radical rebellion to the classic Cap outfit is maintained in Walker’s iteration.
2Captain America Has a New Stealth Suit
Captain America#1 by Chip Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti
The reformation of the Howling Commandos into modern times givesCaptain America his most dramatic redesignin years. It’s a dark (no pun intended) contrast to the often vibrant colors that Steve normally wears. This version drips him in black from head to toe. The only remnants of his classic blue coloring are in his gloves and top.
Meanwhile, his chest star emblem is now black with a red outline. For costumes as longstanding and instantly recognizable as Captain America’s, redesigning can be a tall task. This new version maintains the spirit of the original costume while offering something fresh and completely different.
1Nothing Beats the Classic Captain America Costume
Captain America Comics#1 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon
As the saying goes, no one can forget their first, and readers couldn’t possibly forget the first time they ever saw Steve Rogers in costume as Captain America. During World War II, there was no better way to make an impact on a hero’s debut by punching Adolf Hitler in the face on the front cover of his lead comic.
The moment instantly came todefine the characteras the ultimate symbol of America. Draped in the colors of the American flag with unmissable wings on his mask, Steve is cemented as a savior by punching a real-life supervillain in the face. TheCaptain Americacostume was just an added bonus to the moment that made the costume so iconic.
