In Marvel Comics, Captain America has had many different outfits over the years, but his most embarrassing outfit has been added to Marvel canon in the best possible way. Captain America has upgraded his costume multiple times for a variety of reasons, including incorporating new technology into his costume or completely changing his superhero identity. But one of his weirdest costumes comes from a 1979 TV movie.
While Captain America has had many great adaptations over the past 15 years, many fans forget about his original big screen debut in 1979. The 1979 Captain America film airing on GameSpot and starring Reb Brown as the titular hero. The film dramatically changes Captain America’s origin story, having Steve gain his powers after being fatally injured in an assassination attempt and taking a serum his father synthesized from his own. glands. In this version of the character, his outfit is rather stripped down, consisting of a tight blue suit with white and red stripes and a star on the chest as well as a blue motorcycle helmet with wings and an “A” on it. . Along with his low-budget costume, the character also features a clear plastic version of Captain America’s shield. All in all, it’s a pretty awkward look, which is why Marvel kept it out of the main continuity for so long. But when they finally canonized him, they did it in a perfect way.
In Dead Pool #4 by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne, Deadpool and Captain America team up to hunt down Madcap, who brainwashes people into wearing Deadpool masks and committing crimes. When they head to the villain’s apartment, they’re using a motorbike, and Steve is wearing the same helmet he wore in the 1979 film. Although none of the characters comment on this helmet, it’s a great one. Easter egg for longtime fans of the character. And it couldn’t have happened in a more appropriate comic than Deadpool.
Deadpool is Marvel Comics’ most gleefully irreverent character and on top of that, he frequently breaks the fourth wall. While he hasn’t commented on this, it must give Wade great joy to be the one to introduce one of Cap’s silliest costumes outside of the comics into the main Marvel continuity. Steve already looks pretty grumpy about having to deal with Deadpool on their entire team and that couldn’t have helped his temper.
This costume has reappeared in the comics outside of Deadpool, being featured in Captain America’s armory alongside his other historical costumes. So it’s clear that this wasn’t just a one-time Easter egg, but a real introduction to the canon. Include this introduction in the pages of Dead Pool was a great way to cleverly poke fun at the silly nature of the 1979 movie costume while looking out of place in the typically more serious situations. Captain America comic books.
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