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Captain America is one of the pillars of Marvel Comics. Retroactively, he's one of the first superheroes of the Marvel Comics shared universe, and since the 2010s, he's been elevated into a full-blown pop cultural icon thanks to Chris Evans' portrayal in the "Captain America" movies.

But Evans was not the first silver screen Captain America. There was a 1944 "Captain America" film serial starring Dick Purcell, two 1979 "Captain America" TV films starring Reb Brown, and a pretty disastrous 1990 "Captain America" film. If that one had been a hit, maybe Cap wouldn't have been one of the few main Marvel heroes not to get a cartoon series in the 1990s.

As it stands, Captain America has never had a solo cartoon series. Yup, you read that right. Oh sure, Cap has appeared in many cartoons. He was one of the rotating stars of the 1966 cartoon "The Marvel Superheroes," which added rough...

As James Gunn's highly anticipated reimagining of "Superman" soon approaches, it's imperative to pay tribute to the many big screen incarnations of the DC superhero that paved the way for David Corenswet's arrival. We wouldn't be at this exciting new stage for the Man of Steel without George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill. While it would be easy to regale you with stories from their respective tenures, there's another actor absent from this incredible bunch that never quite got the flowers he deserved.

Theatergoers of the early '40s already had a taste of "Superman" with the stunning Fleischer cartoons, but in 1948, they received their first live-action glimpse of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's creation in the form of the vaudevillian-trained Kirk Alyn.

The 15-part serial from Columbia Pictures and its 1950 follow-up "Atom Man Vs. Superman" saw Alyn play the Clark Kent/Superman dynamic...

Different versions of Captain America have been played by four actors in Marvel Studios' live-action and animated projects. Chris Evans, Wyatt Russell, and Anthony Mackie have all portrayed Captain America in the McU's live-action storylines. Josh Keaton voices Captain America in Marvel Studios' animated media, including What If...? and X-Men '97.

Four brilliant actors have portrayed different iterations of Captain America in the live-action and animated storylines of the MCU. Captain America was one of Marvel Comics' original superheroes, with Steve Rogers being introduced as a World War II hero in 1940's Captain America Comics #1. Originally a frail and scrawny citizen, Steve Rogers became Captain America after being enhanced with an experimental super-soldier serum, enhancing all of his physical attributes to forge him into a peak human specimen. This storyline unfolded in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The First Avenger in Phase 1, bringing the star-spangled man-with-a-plan into the live-action MCU.

While...

Captain America's first movie in 1944 was a significant moment in comic book history, predating the McU's version by 67 years. The 1944 film made changes to Captain America's character, with no reference to WWII despite its release during the war. Captain America's 1944 movie release date holds historical significance, preceding most of the hero's own fictional timeline.

The first-ever Captain America movie marked a key moment in comic book history, preceding the McU's Steve Rogers introduction by no less than 67 years. Most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 33+ movies take place in the present day, with certain characters' origin stories taking place several years, or sometimes decades, before the Infinity Saga. Despite the McU's modernization of Marvel Comics' extensive library of characters, one hero whose real-life origin can't be changed is Captain America. Transformed into the First Avenger to fight in the war, Captain America is inherently tied to World War II.

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created Captain America in 1940 as a symbol of American propaganda. Enhanced by a powerful steroid, Steve Rogers was given over to the American military, given a colorful, American flag costume, and ordered to pummel Nazis. Indeed, on the cover of "Captain America Comics" #1, Steve can be seen punching Adolf Hitler in the face. After WWII ended, Captain America has been adrift in Marvel Comics, only finding usefulness as the leader of a ragtag group of other superbeings. It's astonishing how successful the character has been in the last 60 years or so, given that he clearly exists as a still-living relic of the Greatest Generation. 

In 1944, Captain America first appeared in cinemas as the star of a 15-part Republic Pictures serial starring Dick Purcell. The character was altered dramatically for the serial, however. Instead of a weakling soldier named Steve Roger enhanced by steroids, Captain American...

First appearing in Marvel Comics in 1941, Captain America is a symbol of all true American values: honesty, loyalty, humility, courage, and integrity. As a result, his suit needs to be a shining beacon of hope for not just Americans but all the world over. Each live-action adaptation of the iconic Marvel superhero has had its own take on Captain America's recognizable suit.

Captain America first appeared in live-action in 1944, and since then, 14 different versions of his suit have been designed, including the most recent one for Marvel Studios' upcoming Captain America: New World Order. Although time is often a factor in the design of Captain America's apparel, there's always a consistent color motif of the red, white, and blue of the United States' flag. From the baggy costume, to the sleek uniform, to the fugitive Captain America's darker attire, each suit has its little quirks to talk about.

Dick Purcell...

This article contains The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spoilers for episode 4, and potentially future episodes and the wider MCU.

That sure was a grisly ending to an otherwise slow boil of an episode, wasn’t it? The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 4 is heavy on the philosophizing and mostly light on the action…until the end. And while there aren’t as many in-your-face Marvel Comics and MCU references as we’ve come to expect from these Disney+ shows, the events and the weighty dialogue are all steeped in Marvel history.

Here’s what we found…

The Whole World is Watching

The title of episode 4, “The Whole World Is Watching”, is a phrase thought to have originated at Civil Rights events in the 50s, but that came to prominence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention when anti-Vietnam War demonstrators were beaten and arrested by cops outside the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago,...

Great news for fans of obscure old action films. The Daredevil Drivers (1938) is available on DVD From Warner Archives

Racecar driver Bill Foster (Dick Purcell) has the talent to collect racing trophies, but his reckless stunts on the track get him banned from the racing association altogether. Hitting the road with his loyal sidekick, mechanic “Stub” Wilson (vaudeville veteran Charley Foy), Bill crashes into a bus owned by Neeley Transport. Bill is determined to sock Neeley’s president in the nose because of the damage to his race car, only to discover that the president is the attractive Jerry Neeley (Beverly Roberts) – a woman immune to Bill’s charms. Bill goes to work for Tommy Burnell (Donald Briggs), the owner of a rival bus company that is sabotaging Neeley Transport. Once Bill learns he’s working for the wrong side, he goes out of his way to help Jerry save her company.

Well, the big day is finally here! After leading the Avengers in stopping an alien invasion Summer before last, our favorite shield-slinger returns to the multiplexes in an all new solo adventure (well, he’s got some help from the Black Widow and the high-flyin’ Falcon)! Before you head out, you may want to brush up on all things Steve Rogers (don’t worry, this won’t be on the final!)! Have fun and buy bonds!

Read my original review of Captain America Here.

Here’s my original article that ran on Wamg before Captain America: The First Avenger was released in 2011.

The very first appearance of the sentinel of liberty.

Okay fellow movie geeks! Ready for a bit of pop culture history? Before you head out to the multiplex this weekend to see Paramount’s Captain America: The First Avenger, let’s get better acquainted with the story of this star-spangled superhero.

Captain America was introduced to the Marvel universe in 1941 as a young man who gets injected with a super serum that changes him from a frail kid to human perfection. The idea of an ordinary person suddenly finding themselves with super powers has consistently appealed to audiences and comic book fans, but Captain America became one of Marvel’s most popular superheroes during the 1940s thanks to it’s patriotic message, something that was much needed while America was in the throes of World War II. But most notably, out of all the superheroes populating the Marvel universe, Captain America was the first character to get his own movie serial, the self-titled, Captain America. (The next Marvel superhero to hit the screen would be The Punisher forty-two years later!) The serial (and Dick Purcell) brought Captain America to life, but Purcell’s version was slightly different from the version in the comics. Purcell...

Welcome to Issue 12 of ‘The Marvelous Da7e!’

Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies. Titular allegiance aside, this sphere includes non-Marvel properties.

This week: What we can learn by defining Howard The Duck.

Pardon me, but I’ve been re-watching Howard The Duck. The 1986 live-action creature-feature “sci-fi/comedy,” PG-rated zoophilia and notorious flop.

It’s not a good movie. It’s an enjoyable movie, but not because of what is on screen…okay, scratch-that. It has the most physically attractive appearence of Lea Thompson on film and this time, she’s not the mother of our main character, so you can totally lust after her up until the end where it seems like she’s actually going to have sex with this duck.

Ducks, who – by the way – are basically rapists across the board. But that’s neither here nor there.

So you thought Chris Evans was the first guy to bring Captain America to life onscreen? Then you're not giving proper credit to Dick Purcell, my friend. Superheroes on screen may feel like a modern phenomenon, and they're definitely more profitable now than they've ever been, but the first time a Marvel superhero was captured on film was way back in 1944, when Captain America starred in his own 15-chapter serial film-- and spent much more time standing in fancily appointed living rooms than the current version does, as you can see in the above photo. That image kicks off a photo gallery from The Guardian that runs down the history of Marvel superheroes on film, and points out the remarkable fact that it was a 40-year gap between that first film version of Cap and the next film based on a Marvel movie, Howard the Duck. A notorious flop, Howard...

John Garfield on TCM: Humoresque, Four Daughters, We Were Strangers Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am Four Daughters (1938) A small-town family's peaceful life is shattered when one daughter falls for a rebellious musician. Dir: Michael Curtiz. Cast: Priscilla Lane, Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn, John Garfield. Bw-90 mins. 7:45 Am Blackwell's Island (1939) A reporter gets himself sent to prison to expose a mobster. Dir: William McGann. Cast: John Garfield, Rosemary Lane, Dick Purcell. Bw-71 mins. 9:00 Am They Made Me A Criminal (1939) A young boxer flees to farming country when he thinks he's killed an opponent in the ring. Dir: Busby Berkeley. Cast: John Garfield, Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson. Bw-92 mins. 10:45 Am Dangerously They Live (1942) A doctor tries to rescue a young innocent from Nazi agents. Dir: Robert Florey. Cast: John Garfield, Nancy Coleman, Raymond Massey. Bw-77 mins. 12:15 Pm Pride Of The Marines (1945) A blinded...

The very first appearance of the sentinel of liberty.

Okay fellow movie geeks! Ready for a bit of pop culture history? Before you head out to the multiplex this weekend to see Paramount’s Captain America: The First Avenger, let’s get better acquainted with the story of this star-spangled superhero. Pencils ready! This may be on the finals!

Let.s go back a few years to Cap.s original glory days. He literally exploded on the comic scene in 1941 with Captain America Comics #1 from Timely Comics. That company had been trying to carve out a slice of the big super hero comics market pie since National Periodicals had caused a sensation with Superman in 1938 and Batman the following year. In 1939 they had a big seller with Marvel Mystery Comics #1 and introduced their two breakaway stars: The Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner. Who would come up with the next great super hero?...

By Rick Klaw

(June 2011)

Arriving in theaters on July 22, “Captain America: The First Avenger” chronicles the initial adventures of a character who first premiered more than seven decades ago. Comic-book creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby introduced Captain America in December 1940*, one year before Pearl Harbor.

In 1940, war raged throughout Europe, but most Americans saw Nazi Germany and the accompanying atrocities as a strictly European problem. Though U.S. citizens were sympathetic to the plight, polls showed that a vast majority stood against entering the war. The virulent antiwar movement, spearheaded by the “America First” organization and its 850,000 members, hampered Franklin D. Roosevelt’s efforts to aid his British allies, the lone European force against the Nazi tide.

“Captain America Comics” No. 1

Amid this public sentiment, Timely Comics, a precursor to today’s Marvel, published “Captain America Comics” No. 1. Not the first patriotic hero — that distinction belongs to The Shield,...

By Rick Klaw

(June 2011)

Arriving in theaters on July 22, “Captain America: The First Avenger” chronicles the initial adventures of a character who first premiered more than seven decades ago. Comic-book creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby introduced Captain America in December 1940*, one year before Pearl Harbor.

In 1940, war raged throughout Europe, but most Americans saw Nazi Germany and the accompanying atrocities as a strictly European problem. Though U.S. citizens were sympathetic to the plight, polls showed that a vast majority stood against entering the war. The virulent antiwar movement, spearheaded by the “America First” organization and its 850,000 members, hampered Franklin D. Roosevelt’s efforts to aid his British allies, the lone European force against the Nazi tide.

“Captain America Comics” No. 1

Amid this public sentiment, Timely Comics, a precursor to today’s Marvel, published “Captain America Comics” No. 1. Not the first patriotic hero — that distinction belongs to The Shield,...