Captain America's Shield is a defensive handheld armor and an offensive weapon utilized by Captain America in combat. The shield was created by Howard Stark and made out of Vibranium. After Thanos was defeated, Steve traveled to the past to be with Peggy Carter and passed the shield on to Sam Wilson. Later, a giant replica was being added to the Statue of Liberty.
History[]
Captain America: The First Avenger[]
Steve Rogers uses an ornamental version of the triangular shield during a musical tour promoting War Bonds, which he then uses in his first field mission. Rogers later acquires the familiar circular shield from Howard Stark. Rogers chooses the unadorned vibranium shield (actually a prototype) over several more advanced models based on the triangular shield. The Vibranium prototype shield proved to be the perfect weapon for Steve. As Captain America he accomplished amazing feats with it. Aside from bashing HYDRA soldiers and blocking incoming attacks, Rogers was able to throw it with near perfect aim and have it ricochet back to him. It is frozen along with the Captain when he crash Johann Schmidt's plane The Valkyrie in the Arctic.
Agent Carter[]
"Valediction"[]
When Dr. Johann Fennhoff hypnotize Howard Stark, taking him back to the time that holds his greatest shame. Howard see himself on an icy tundra, with a pilot telling him he thinks they found The Valkyrie. He then sees Peggy Carter holding Captain America's shield, asking him to bring Steve home.
Iron Man[]
A prototype of Captain America’s shield can be seen in the workshop when Pepper Potts walks in on Tony trying to get out of his damaged armor; the shield is visible in the distance below Tony's right arm.
The Incredible Hulk[]
A deleted scene features the shield covered by snow.
Iron Man 2[]
Phil Coulson finds a prototype replica of Captain America's shield in Tony's house. Stark uses the prototype to level his homemade particle accelerator.
The Avengers[]
Captain America's shield proved most effective in his confrontation with Thor as it absorbed the full impact from Mjölnir and caused a massive shock-wave to the surrounding forest area. Steve uses the shield again in the battle with the Chitauri in New York to shield his teammates as well himself. Iron Man's Repulsors rays reflect off of Cap's shield to launch an effective counter strike attack on Chitauri unit. Cap uses his shield to catapult Black Widow onto an approaching Chitauri aerial platform. Cap then proceeded to uses the shield to protect himself from a grenade blast that sends him hurtling out a window and to the street below unto the car roof. Because of the shield structure, Cap was able to curl himself and protect himself from receiving extensive injuries.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier[]
After the Battle of New York, Steve supremely honed his shield fighting skills. Steve learned to use his shield in new, modern fighting styles. Steve almost single handedly took down an entire squad of pirates led by Georges Batroc, on board the Lemurian Star. The shield allowed Steve to survive a jump from forty stories up in the Triskelion and land in the main hall. Steve was able to use his shield in bringing down an armed Quinjet. Steve used his shield to damage The Winter Soldier's bionic arm when they fought each other in a brutal one-on-one fight. When onboard the Helicarrier Steve refused to fight Bucky, ditching his shield, and letting it fall into the water below. It is retrieved and laid by Steve's bedside while he recovered in the hospital.
Avengers: Age of Ultron[]
Tony Stark retrofitted Captain America's shield to make it more efficient and effective in battle by giving it the ability to be called back, much like the Iron Man suits. No longer equipped with two handles in the back, the shield was fitted with a magnetic element that clipped onto Cap’s gauntlet. Cap rode into battle on his Capcycle in an assault attack against HYDRA with the team in Sokovia. Using his shield, he took on a unit of HYDRA soldiers and incapacitated them in the process. Steve got some assistance from Thor when a battalion squadron lined up with soldiers and tanks to attack, Thor used Mjölnir against Cap's shield to create a sonic shockwaves disarming them. Steve went after Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and used his shield to take him down. Tony Stark had a vision brought on by the powers of Wanda Maximoff of his fellow comrades fallen in battle against the Chitauri force in space and he saw a shattered shield broken in half with Steve beside it. When Ultron first attacked the team with the aid of Stark's Iron Legion in Avengers Tower, Clint Barton tossed Steve his shield to destroy the drone. Later, Steve used his shield to damage Ultron when two engaged in close combat. In Sokovia, Steve led the Avengers in the battle against the Ultron and his Ultron Sentries using his shield to destroy multiple drones.
Captain America: Civil War[]
The previous magnetic Stark attachments used during the battle of Sokovia are no longer present on Captain America's shield instead it's back to it's original form equipped with the leather straps. Armed with his trusty shield Roger's leads a small team of Avengers on an away mission to stop Crossbones and his mercenaries from stealing a biological weapon in Largos. Cap finds various ways to use his shield during the fight from a ballistic catapult to a defensive battering ram and even the standard ricocheting effect.
Crossbones throws a explosive small bomb unto the shield disarming Cap who proceeds to toss it into the air clear from civilians. Rogers uses the shield once more when he is engaged in a chase between the Winter Soldier and the Black Panther. When he engages in combat with The Black Panther, he witnesses the tips of his claws leaving starching marks engraved on the shield revealing that the weaponized material is Vibranium same as the shield. The shield and falcon's aerial flight pack is confiscated by the government temporally while their in Germany only for Sharon Carter to bring it back to Rogers later.
Iron Man instructs his newest recruit Spider-Man to disarm Captain America by webbing his hands and snatching the shield. Unbeknownst to either of them, Rogers countered the attack with his own newest recruit Ant-Man who was attached to the shield shrunken and popped up knocking Spider-Man off balance and returning the shield back to Rogers. As a battle breaks out between the now fractured Avengers, Cap trades blows with the likes of Black Panther, Iron Man, and War Machine. At one point War Machine attempts to attack Cap with an areal attack leap using a electronic mace only for Cap to counter with a defensive roll and slash the mace in half with his shield. Spider-Man tries to go up one on one with Cap only to be schooled by the Star-spangled Avenger and his shield.
Bucky and Steve tag team using the shield at one point when they face-off against Iron Man. After the revelation of the Winter Soldier brutally murdering both Howard and Maria Stark. Captain America uses his shield to block Iron Man's offensive repulsor ray blast from his gauntlet causing an energy spike flare deflection as the opposing sides stand firmly. With enhanced speed Steve manages to pin Tony to the wall attacking furiously with a combined assault of fist and shield strike combos. At the height climatic point of the battle, Captain America breaks apart Iron Man's helmet and plunges his shield into the center Arc Reactor, disabling the suit. As Rogers began to walk away with Bucky in toe, Tony angrily rants that he doesn't deserve to have the shield, as Howard Stark, his father, made the shield. Rogers decides after a brief pause to drop the shield.
Avengers: Endgame[]
- "Tony, I don't know."
"Why? He made it for you." - ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
Five years after the Decimation, Tony Stark returned the shield to Steve Rogers outside of the New Avengers Facility, to Steve's surprise. Tony revealed that he kept it in his garage and joked that if he didn't take it his daughter, Morgan Stark, would've used it as a sled eventually. Steve is reluctant to take the shield, but Tony stated that his father, Howard Stark, would have wanted Steve to have it and the two men made peace with each other.
Steve carried the shield with him through time to 2012 where he encountered his 2012 self wielding an identical shield. With the 2012 Steve believing the 2023 Steve to be an escaped Loki in disguise, they fought each other, using their shields against each other to no avail.
The Avengers were able to reverse the Decimation: However, the Sanctuary II from 2014 appeared outside of the New Avengers Facility brought by the 2014 Nebula. The Sanctuary II destroyed the New Avengers Facility, Steve, Tony, and Thor emerge from the rubble and battle Thanos. During the battle with Thanos, Steve wielded both his shield and Mjölnir against the Mad Titan. The combination attacks of his shield and Mjölnir overwhelmed Thanos for a time. However, Thanos severely damaged the shield with multiple strikes from his Double-Edged Sword, breaking off part of the shield in the process.
As Steve was about to make his last stand against Thanos and his forces, he suddenly receives a radio message from Sam Wilson. Multiple portals open bringing the restored fallen Avengers as well the Guardians of the Galaxy and Masters of the mystic arts with the armies of Wakanda and New Asgard, and the Ravagers to fight. An epic battle wage on both ground and air by both sides. Tony sacrifice himself using the power of all six Infinity Stones turning Thanos and his forces into to dust.
Steve and the Avengers with their allies attended Tony’s funeral. After Steve departed to take the Infinity Stones back to their own time periods, an elderly Steve returned, having decided to remain in the past to marry Peggy Carter, living a full life he'd always wanted with her. Steve spoke with Sam Wilson, he commented on how weird a world without Captain America would be. Rogers then gave him the shield. Wilson tried out the shield, but admitted that it felt like it belonged to somebody else. Rogers made it clear that the shield was now Wilson's to use in defending the Earth.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier[]
"New World Order"[]
Six months after the "Blip" the world is still recovering. The whereabouts of Steve Rogers still unknown to the public. Sam Wilson was given the mantle of Captain America by Steve, but he struggles with the idea of living up to Steve's Legacy and instead decides to give the shield to the Smithsonian. However, the Department of Defense took the shield and appointed John Walker as the new Captain America.
"The Star-Spangled Man"[]
John Walker was at his old high school's football stadium giving a interview to Good Morning America in front of the stadium full crowd with his girlfriend and partner and friend, Lemar Hoskins watching. In the interview Walker, he told the reporter despite being a highly-decorated soldier, it would be a tough job filling in the shoes of his predecessor, Steve Rogers.
Soon after, Bucky Barnes angrily confronted Sam about giving up Steve's shield. Sam told Bucky he didn't know the Government was going hand the Shield over to Walker. Bucky tags alongside with Sam in his mission to track down the Flag Smashers an anti-nationalist group that's believe that the world was better during the Blip. When the two confront the group they quickly realizes that the Flag Smashers are enhanced super-soldiers like Barnes. The Flag Smashers was overwhelming both Sam and Bucky when Walker and Hoskins arrive in helicopter to aid the two, having used Redwing to track them. Walker skills of wielding the shield are impressive in battle. He used it against their leader, Karli Morgenthau and threw it at the Flag Smashers to knock them down, than threw it with enough accuracy to saved Hoskins when he fell of a speeding truck.
When Bucky was arrested for missing his pardon-mandated therapy session. Walker had him release, he tell them that there a lead on Karli in Europe. He again tried to recruit the two. But Sam tell him he and Bucky are free agents and free of any red tape unlike him and Hoskins. Walker having enough told them to keep out of his way.
"Power Broker"[]
Walker and Hoskins with GRC soldiers infiltrated a Flag Smashers hideout in Munich that had harbored them in the past. As the men inside speak German, Hoskins translated for Walker, but the men refused to talk and Rudy spat in Walker's face. He angrily warned Rudy to remember who he is. Hoskins deduced that the group had already passed by here. Walker decided to track Wilson and Barnes for leads. Walker and Hoskins arrived in Berlin where Zemo was being held and Wilson and Barnes was last known location only to find out Zemo had escaped, knowing Barnes and Wilson were involved.
"The Whole World Is Watching"[]
Walker and Hoskins tracked Sam, Bucky and Zemo to Riga, Latvia where they were on their way to the memorial for Donya Madani. Walker wanted to take Morgenthau into custody immediately but Wilson asked to see her alone, noting her vulnerability from losing a loved one hoping to bring her in peacefully.
Wilson was getting through to Morgenthau when suddenly, Walker burst into the room, leading Morgenthau to believe that Wilson was trying to arrest her for Walker. Meanwhile, Zemo freed himself from his handcuffs before confronting and repeatedly shooting Morgenthau. This causes her to drop the vials of serum, which Zemo promptly destroys. As Morgenthau and Nico fled, Walker used the shield to knock out Zemo and recovered the only surviving vial.
Back at Zemo's property, the Dora Milaje came for Zemo, leading to a fight between Walker, Hoskins and the Dora led by Ayo. Walker and Hoskins were outmatched forcing Wilson and Barnes to help them. One Dora even disarmed the shield and mounted it on her arm. Afterwards, Walker felt humiliated by the defeat especially as they weren't even Super Soldiers.
Later, Walker and Hoskins located another Flag Smashers safe house and infiltrated it, Walker using both a gun and the shield. Hoskins was abducted and restrained, leaving Walker alone. Barnes and Wilson arrived and Walker demonstrated that he had enhanced abilities after effortlessly bending a metal pole. The Flag Smashers attacked Falcon, Winter Soldier and Captain America while Battlestar freed himself from his restraints and rejoined his partner. Battlestar was accidentally killed by Morgenthau who punched him in the chest and sending him flying into a pillar. An enraged Walker chased after Nico who ran outside and brutally beat him to death with the shield in front of a horrified crowd of people who recorded the murder and Captain America looming over the body with a blood-stained shield.
"Truth"[]
Walker run away from the murder scene and into an abandoned facility, still reeling from Hoskins death and his murder of Nico, Walker is having a mental breakdown. When Wilson and Barnes find him. The two try to talk sense to Walker, but he refused to listen. Wilson asked Walker to give him the shield again Walker refused. Leaving Wilson and Barnes with no choice but to take the shield by force. The three battle in a intense two on one fight. Walker throw the shield at Barn with enough force sending him into a forklift cross the room and than hurl him into a electrical box that incapacitate him and severely damage Wilson's Falcon Suit by ripping off the wings. As he proclaims to Sam that he is Captain America, Walker attempts to kill Wilson with the shield, when Barnes saved him. Barnes and Walker exchange brutal punches to each other while holding the shield. With Wilson help Barnes pins Walker down and Wilson used his damage suit thrusters to take Captain America's shield breaking Walker arm in the progress. Even after this Walker refuse to stand down forcing the two heroes used a combo attack finally knocking him out. Barnes give the shield to Wilson who wipe the blood off.
Wilson met up with Torres at the abandoned Flag Smashers hideout. Wilson informed him that government officials are taking over and the Flag Smashers case and investigating Walker's actions, leaving him benched. Wilson knows Morgenthau is laying low after Nico's murder. Wilson and Torres know Morgenthau is not finish with her attacks. As Wilson leaves with the shield, Torres is left with the damaged Falcon suit. In Washington DC, Walker is stripped of the Captain America mantle and discharged from the Army.
Wilson visited Isaiah Bradley, an old super soldier who fought in Korean War, Wilson wanted to know Isaiah story. Bradley told Wilson that along with him, a number of black soldiers were taken in to be unknowingly injected with different versions of the super soldier serum. Despite the serum being unstable. They were all sent out on missions. While some began dying off, some became prisoners-of-war. Overhearing a officer plan to destroy the POW camp to eradicate the evidence, Bradley infiltrated the camp alone and freed his men. But they all die any way because of the serum. Due to being the eventual sole survivor of the serum, Bradley himself was experimented on for the next 30 years. During this time, letters from his wife before her death were held from Bradley. A nurse falsely declared Bradley dead so that he was able to escape. A distraught Wilson insisted on sharing his story to the world, but Bradley insists on keeping his name buried in history. He told Wilson that America would not allow a black man to be Captain America. Wilson than called his sister Sarah and told her he on his way home.
In New Orleans, Sam learned from his nephews that Sarah could not sell the family boat, as it was too broken down. He got the idea to call the community to come fix the boat, as they remain indebted to the Wilson family. Barnes arrive to help and with a case Ayo delivered to him as a favor. Barnes stay with the Wilson Family. During this time, Wilson and Barnes becomes friends. They talk about Morgenthau. Sam begins to practice throwing the shield between trees, Barnes apologizes to him regarding his previous frustrations about his decision to retire it, noting that its symbolism was the closest thing he has left to a family. Wilson urges him to stop apologizing for his actions as the Winter Soldier and to start building closures with the people he hurt one-by-one as James Barnes. Before leaving for New York, Barnes tells him to give a call once he has a lead on Morgenthau. Motivated by Bradley and Barnes, Wilson train with the shield, improving his accuracy to near-perfection. Meanwhile, Morgenthau with Batroc and the Flag Smashers plan to attack the GRC Headquarter in New York. The Flag Smashers with their supporters infiltrated and hacked the GRC building, they enable a mass hacking that disrupts the GRC debate. Before the assault, however Torres tracked down the Flag Smashers location in New York give it to Wilson. At the Wilson home Sam finally open the case from Wakanda.
"One World, One People"[]
Wilson flew to New York in his new Captain America uniform. Wilson used the shield to break the glass on a window giving him room to fly inside the GRC Headquarters and stop the evacuation knowing it part of Morgenthau's plan. Morgenthau had two groups of hostages one taken by helicopter the other by armored trucks. Wilson was attacked by Batroc but used the shield defeat him. Wilson pursued the helicopter piloted by the Flag Smasher member Diego. Diego shot at Wilson but he used the shield to block the gun fire. The bullets ricocheted and hit a NYPD helicopter. Wilson used the shield to smash through the helicopter window so he could take out Diego, knocking him out of the helicopter and into the river below. Perez then took the controls of the helicopter.
Wilson tracked down Morgenthau and tried yet again to reason with her but he refused than fight her even as she furiously attacked him. He used the shield to block her attacks. Morgenthau was prepared to kill Wilson until Carter fatally shot her.
Spider-Man: No Way Home[]
A giant replica of the shield was being added to the Statue of Liberty, although it was partially incomplete. The final battle between the three Spider-Men, Flint Marko, Curt Connors, and Max Dillon culminated on the scaffolding around the shield. After the other villains were cured, Marko being by Peter-Two via a Particle Accelerator created by Peter-One for the supercollider that transformed Marko into the Sandman, Connors being cured by Peter-One via an antidote created by Connors' Peter for the Lizard Serum that transformed Connors into the Lizard, and Dillon being cured by Otto Octavius, who was given a new inhibitor chip by Peter-One earlier, via an Electricity Siphon created by Peter-One for the accident with Bioelectric Eels transformed Dillon into Electro, Green Goblin attacked, causing the shield to fall and split the scaffolding in half. Peter-Two and Otto carried Connors and Dillon to safety while Peter-Three and the Cloak of Levitation saved MJ and Ned Leeds from falling to their deaths.
After the shield fell into the water below, Peter-One and the Goblin battled on top of it until the latter was cured and transformed back into Norman Osborn by the former via an anti-serum created by Norman's Peter for the Goblin Formula that transformed Norman into the Green Goblin. After ordering Stephen Strange to cast a spell to make the world forget his existence and send the other two Peter Parker's and the villains back to their own universes, Peter said goodbye to the other two Peter Parker's on the shield while a remorseful Norman continued to crouch in the background.
Captain America: Brave New World[]
To be added
Capabilities[]
The amount of Vibranium used for Captain America's shield is all the vibranium that the United States had access to during World War II, the shield was made by Howard Stark for Steve Rogers. The shield is three times lighter than steel and can negate incredible large amounts of damage by absorbing vibrations from attacks. The shield was only meant to be a defensive tool but in Steve's hands it became a mighty offensive weapon. The shield can be bounce off of most surfaces, ricocheting multiple times with minimal loss in aerodynamic stability or speed. Steve used the shield to absorb the kinetic impact of a fall from several stories. The shield is also able to withstand and deflect energy-based attacks from HYDRA Assault Rifle, to the Iron Man armor's Repulsor, or the guns used by the Chitauri. The shield can ricochet high concentrated caliber bullets from a minigun or reflect the impact of Mjölnir to cause a massive shock wave. T'Challa scratched the shield with the claws on his Panther Habit, but it was repaired by Tony Stark. The shield was badly damaged by Thanos's Double-Edged Sword. However, Steve was able to repair the shield before giving it Sam Wilson. The government chose John Walker to be the next Captain America. Walker's prowess with the shield was impressive but when enraged he used it as a brute force weapon. After training with it, Sam was able to master the shield despite not being a super soldier, and later combined it with his wing suit making him formidable in battle.
Appearances[]
- Marvel Cinematic Universe (7 films)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe (4 series)
- Agent Carter
- "Time and Tide" (Mentioned only)
- "Valediction"
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- "Pilot" (Recycled footage)
- "The Only Light in the Darkness" (Mentioned only)
- Luke Cage
- "Moment of Truth" (Mentioned only)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Agent Carter
Trivia[]
Iron Man designs a tiny magnet gauntlet for Captain America and his shield ~ Avengers #6
- In the comics, the shield is created by Dr. Myron MacLain with both vibranium and "proto-adamantium".
- In Captain America: The First Avenger, both Bucky and Falsworth wield the shield in addition to Steve. Bucky during his last stand on Zola's train, and Falsworth throws the shield to Steve in the final battle. In the comics, Barnes was Steve's successor as Captain America and Falsworth was the UK equivalent, Union Jack.
- In Iron Man 3 and Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King, the fake terrorist Trevor Slattery has a tattoo of Captain America's shield on the back of his neck, except with the star replaced by an A for anarchy.
- In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, whilst battling the Winter Soldier, Captain America needs all the resources he can get, including his iconic shield, which has a lot more uses in the film. The shield is traditionally used mostly as a defensive weapon, but the filmmakers wanted to explore using it more as an offensive weapon. There are two handles on the shield and Steve Rogers can hold onto the handles in order to utilize it in an eastern style of fighting.
- In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America's shield receives Stark tech enhancements with sub-miniature transistors which allow Cap to recall his shield wearing a magnetized arm gauntlet as a homage to the same enhancements gifted to Steve Rogers from Tony Stark in the Avengers #6 comic.
- In The Avengers, after they stop the invasion, video clips of people celebrating appear on a screen. One clip is a person getting the shield tattooed on their shoulder.
from panel to screen Marvel's Civil War.
- In Captain America: Civil War, Captain America's shield comes to blows with Black Panther's claws which are encoded with Vibranium which allows it to leave claw mark engraving much like the comics. Also in the film the iconic shot panel of Steve's shield vs. Tony's Repulsor ray is featured.
- In the comics, Molecule Man, Doctor Doom, Thanos, Thor and Seapent broke Captain America's shield.
Gallery[]
Captain America: The First Avenger[]
Promotion, Filming and Concept Art[]
Agent Carter[]
"Valediction"[]
Iron Man[]
Iron Man 2[]
The Avengers[]
Captain America: The Winter Soldier[]
Promotion, Filming and Concept Art[]
Avengers: Age of Ultron[]
Promotion, Filming and Concept Art[]
Ant Man[]
Captain America: Civil War[]
Promotion, Filming and Concept Art[]
Avengers: Endgame[]
To be added
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier[]
"New World Order"[]
"Power Broker"[]
"The Whole World Is Watching"[]
"Truth"[]
To be added
"One World, One People"[]
