Updated February 19, 2020 1.9K votes 561 voters 33.2K views
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Vote up the Captain America comic book story arcs every fan must read.
With over 75 years of publication history, the list of Captain America’s greatest adventures is both lengthy and impressive. The best Captain America comics span multiple decades, and the strongest Captain America storylines have come from a truly formidable and diverse group of creators. One might think that the creative well would run dry, what with dozens of Cap comics coming out every year for the better part of a century, but something about the Star-Spangled Avenger continues to inspire great stories year after year.
Since his World War II days, Steve Rogers has been involved in all manner of adventures, ensuring that the Captain America library is chock full of variety. In his time wielding the shield, Cap has taken part in sprawling space wars, tales of political intrigue, and even psychedelic spy thrillers. He also continually encounters his arch-nemesis the Red Skull. No matter what the job is, Captain America can be trusted to get it done, and to look good doing it.
Artists: Steve Epting, Mike Perkins & Michael Lark
When the concept for The Winter Soldier storyline was announced, it was actually quite controversial. Bucky Barnes had been dead for decades, and the consensus was he should stay that way.
The Winter Soldier, however, ended up among the most beloved Captain America stories ever told, and the basis for a great film that is a true testament to the quality of the comic. It tells the story of Bucky’s return, and his tragic history as the titular Soviet assassin.
There are countless tales of Captain America giving up his title, and Captain America No More is one of the greatest. In this lengthy storyline, Cap is replaced by a new Captain America, John Walker, who is a more violent sort of super-patriot. While all of this is going on, Steve Rogers becomes a hero known only as “the Captain” and begins an underground campaign against crime that ultimately earns him back his shield.
Captain America has been thought dead on numerous occasions, and Operation Rebirth is one of the many tales of how Cap came back. Not only does the story feature Cap’s classic foe, the Red Skull, it even brings Adolf Hitler back into the mix via the magic of the Cosmic Cube. The Cube’s powers result in Captain America facing The Red Skull and Hitler in a battle of willpower, and that’s when Cap is at his best.
Under Siege is considered one of the greatest Avengers stories ever, but it’s also one of the greatest moments in Captain America’s history. When the Masters of Evil besiege the Avengers’ mansion and catch them unaware, Cap overcomes torture to take on the team of supervillains nearly single-handedly. Given that the Masters of Evil are led by Baron Zemo, it’s only fitting that Cap leads the charge against them.
Two super-creators, Stern and Byrne, only had a brief run on Captain America, but they sure made the most of it. In this story arc, Steve Rogers encounters allies and foes from his World War II past, including Baron Blood and Union Jack, and he takes down the former in one of his best fight sequences to date. The storyline also features one of the many times Cap has considered running for President.
The Strange Death of Captain America is perhaps the most trippy adventure that the Star-Spangled Avenger has been on. Steranko’s art is always fairly psychedelic, and this particular tale takes Rick Jones on a “gas”-induced trip courtesy of HYDRA, and sends Captain America on a rescue mission to save his young charge.
