Skip to content

Please note that when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Thanks!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks!

Captain America Reading Order

Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Captain America was introduced in March 1941 to fight the AXIS powers during WWII. He was the most popular character from Timely Comics (a predecessor of Marvel Comics) during the wartime period before fading into obscurity with falling sales in the 1950s.

If several heroes bearing the flag motif didn’t survive and are forgotten today, the man known as Steve Rogers found his way back to the public when The Avengers got him out of ice in 1964. He became a man out of time but one still committed to fighting evil in all its forms. Though he sometimes struggles to maintain his ideals, Cap never gives up and always stands up for what he believes is right. It’s no wonder he became a highly respected figure both with the American public and in the superhero community, serving as the long-time leader of the Avengers.

More than a man, Captain America is an American icon, a symbol of hope. For this reason, other men have taken the mantle of Captain America in Steve Rogers’ various absences, including John Walker, Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson. 

Where to Start? Introducing the world of Captain America

Before jumping into the full Captain America reading order, you can become a little bit more familiar with the character with some stand-alone stories covering different eras of his life and his world:

  • Captain America: White – By Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale. This is an homage to the Captain America comics from the Golden Age. After being unfrozen, Steve Rogers remembers his first mission with his sidekick, Bucky.
  • Captain America: Man Out of Time – By Mark Waid and Jorge Molina. Cap was reintroduced to the world in Avengers #4 after being unfrozen. This story revisits this particular time in Cap’s life as he’s trying to deal with a changed world.
  • Avengers: Four – By Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. Taking place after the founding Avengers turned their membership over to a set of new recruits, Steve Rogers must work to get the new members (Quicksilver, Hawkeye, and Scarlet Witch) to become a real team.
  • Truth: Red, White, and Black – By Robert Morales and Kyle Baker. A retcon story about the origin of the Super Soldier Serum, revealing the story of the African American men involuntarily subjected to the U.S. War Department’s “Super Soldier” project, in a race to develop a serum that might turn the tide against the Axis powers … 
  • Red Skull Incarnate – By Greg Pak & Mirko Colak. The origin story of Red Skull, also known as Johann Schmidt.

Though Steve Rogers is our iconic Captain America, others have taken up the mantle and the shield, and some of them have their own reading order. Go check out:

Captain America Reading Order

To be clear, not every writers (or artists) are listed on the following list. The goal is to give a simple overview of the history of Captain America before diving into the guide:

  • Joe Simon & Jack Kirby (1941-1942) – Captain America Comics #1-10
  • Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, & Jim Steranko (1964-1969) – Tales of Suspense #59-99 and Captain America #100-113
  • Stan Lee & Gene Colan (1969-1971) – Captain America #115-137
  • Steve Englehart & Sal Buscema (1972-1975) – Captain America #153-186
  • Jack Kirby (1976-1977) – Captain America #193-214, Annual #3-4, Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles
  • Roger Stern & John Byrne (1980-1981) – Captain America #247-255
  • J.M. DeMatteis & Mike Zeck (1981-1984) – Captain America #261-264, 267-270, 272, 275-290, 292-300, Annual #6
  • Mark Gruenwald & Ron Lim (1985-1995) – Captain America #307-443, Annual #8
  • Mark Waid & Ron Garney (1995-1999) –  Captain America #444-454, Captain America (Vol.3) #1-23, Captain America Sentinel of Liberty (Vol. 1) #1-12
  • Dan Jurgens (2000-2002) – Captain America (Vol.3) #25-50, Annual 2000 & 2001
  • John Ney Rieber, John Cassaday & more (2002-2004) – Captain America (vol. 4) #1–32
  • Christopher Priest & Joe Bennett (2004-2005) – Captain America and the Falcon #1-14
  • Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting (2005-2013) – Captain America (Vol.5) #1-50, Captain America #600-619, Captain America Reborn #1-6, The Marvels Project #1-8, Steve Rogers Super-Soldier #1-4, Captain America (Vol.6) #1-19, Captain America and Bucky #620-628, Winter Soldier #1-14 and several one-shots
  • Rick Remender & John Romita Jr. (2013-2015) – Captain America (Vol.7) #1-25, Winter Soldier The Bitter March #1-5, All-New Captain America #1-6, Hail HYDRA #1-4 and some one-shots
  • Nick Spencer & Daniel Acuña (2015-2017) – Captain America Sam Wilson #1-24, Captain America Steve Rogers #1-19, Secret Empire #0-10 and several one-shots.
  • Mark Waid & Chris Samnee  (2017-2018) – Captain America #695-704
  • Ta-Nehisi Coates & Leinil Francis Yu (2018-2022) – Captain America (2018) #1-30
  • Jackson Lanzing, Colin Kelly, and Carmen Carnero – Captain America: Sentinel Of Liberty (2022-2023)
  • J. Michael Straczynski – Captain America (2023) #1-ongoing

Captain America Omnibus Edition

First, you can collect the most important runs for Captain America in Omnibus. Here is a listing in order:

Golden Age Captain America (1941-1950)

The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During that time, Steve Rogers was ready to do anything to serve his country. And he did! He was transformed by the Super-Soldier Serum into America’s #1 fighting man, thanks to his creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby – check out our article about Captain America’s first appearance to know more about it. In that same issue was also introduced his sidekick Bucky Barnes and his archenemy the Red Skull.

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s assistant Stanley Lieber wrote his first story called “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge” in the third issue, published under his pen name, Stan Lee. Both Simon and Kirby left the title after only 10 issues, but the Adventures of the Sentinel of Liberty continued with other writers…

Captain AmericaCaptain America Comics #25-78 are not collected.
For now, at least…

Captain America didn’t only star in his own ongoing series during this period, he was also featured in the anthology book All-Winners Comics and made some appearances in Young Allies Comics.

Several series have been published throughout the years, telling stories taking place during the Golden Age:

Captain America Resurrected (1964-1996)

Captain America is reintroduced in the Silver Age in Avengers #4. As he became the leader of the superhero team, we invite you to consult our complete Avengers reading order to discover all his adventures with the team. Mostly, Cap was co-lead with Iron Man in Tales of Suspense for a few years, until issue #99. After that, each character became the star of his own ongoing series.

Captain America Vol. 1 is relaunched at issue #100 with Stan Lee as a writer and Jack Kirby and Jim Steranko as artists for the first issues. The Title will last a long time, before being canceled with issue #454.

In Epic Collection – a numbered collection of sequential issues of one title (large, full-color trade paperback), sometimes including crossovers from related titles, starting from the beginning of a character – not released sequentially.

Captain America and The Falcon in issue #119

Famous for being The Hulk’s sidekick, Rick Jones would become Cap’s official partner in that same issue. But the duo was short-lived and Rick left just before Stan Lee and Gene Colan introduced Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, the first black American Super Hero in issue #117. The character won star billing when Captain America was retitled Captain America And The Falcon with issue #134 until issue #222.

Captain AmericaCaptain America #201-246 are not collected in Epic Collection for the moment. Those issues are available in Masterworks and Omnibuses.

Mark Gruenwald took over writing duties with #307. He holds the title for the longest run on the character, as he wrote him for a decade, until #443. This run is one of the most important for the character, it introduces several characters and contains, without surprise, some classic Cap stories! During that time, Captain America ties into several events: Secret Wars II (#308), Acts of Vengeance (#365-367),  Operation: Galactic Storm (#398-401)

In Masterworks Collection – Reprints of classic Marvel Comics storylines in a hardcover, premium edition, often with restored artwork 

Captain AmericaCaptain America #281-454 are not collected in Marvel Masterworks for the moment.  Those issues are available in Epic Collection and some in Omnibuses.

The Mighty Marvel Masterworks Collection – Recent collection reprinting classic stories in an affordable price for young readers, close to the format of a Manga volume.

Captain America Reborn/Return (1996-2002)

One of the most powerful villains the Marvel Universe has ever seen changes everything for the Children of the Atom and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! This is the Onslaught event (see reading order), where the Avengers and the X-Men join forces to fight their powerful enemy. The conclusion of this story leads into the next chapter for Captain America, known as Heroes Reborn.

This is also where Marvel, facing an uncertain future, choose to outsource the production of several of its comic books to its former employees Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. The latter was working on Captain America until issue #6 and was followed by James Robinson.

  • Heroes Reborn: Captain America
    Collects Captain America vol. 2 #1–12; “Fantastic Four” (1996) #12, “Avengers” (1996) #12, “Iron Man” (1996) #12, “Material From Heroes Reborn” (1996) #1/2

Logo Avengers for the Jonathan Hickman's Avengers Reading OrderOnce the Heroes found their way back to the Marvel Universe, writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Pérez launched a new volume of the Avengers.
Captain America is a member of the superhero team, next to Hawkeye, Photon, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and more.

Captain AmericaBefore Heroes Reborn, Mark Waid and Ron Garney were receiving positive feedback for their works on Captain America. The pair came back to tell more Cap stories in a new volume (with Andy Kubert becoming the main artist starting with #8).

Captain AmericaAfter Mark Waid’s departure, writer Dan Jurgens (known for his Death of Superman storyline) took over for a two-year run in which Cap must somehow stop the war efforts of the Hate-Monger, save Ka-Zar from the monstrous murderer Count Nefaria, face Protocide, and much more.

Want to know more about U.S. Agent? Marvel has your back! Check out the trade U.S.Agent: The Good Fight, collecting some of the most notable stories about the character (including his first two miniseries).

Captain America, From Marvel Knights to Disassembled (2002-2005)

In the aftermath of 9/11, Captain America – already a man out of time – must adjust once again to a terrifying new global landscape. From the ruins of the World Trade Center to the horrors of a small town rocked by terrorism, the star-spangled super-soldier is forced to consider what it means to be the Sentinel of Liberty in an age of incomprehensible new threats in a collection of stories written by John Ney Rieber (#1–9, 12), Chuck Austen (#8–16), Dave Gibbons (#17–20), Robert Morales (#21–28), and Robert Kirkman (#29–32). It was followed by Christopher Priest’s short run exploring the bond between Cap and his best friend, the Falcon. And in the middle of it all, Avengers Dissambled happened.

This period was previously collected as followed (including some Avengers stories):

Logo Avengers for the Jonathan Hickman's Avengers Reading OrderAvengers Disassembled! the Scarlet Witch suffered a breakdown that, combined with her powers, had catastrophic consequences. This is the beginning of Brian Michael Bendis’ run on The Avengers which affects Cap and other heroes and launches everyone in new directions. For more information, check out our reading order.

Published during this era, Captain America: Red, White, and Blue is an anthology with more than fifty creators who have crafted stand-alone stories each told with a color palette limited to Cap’s signature colors of red, white and blue.

Captain America by Ed Brubaker (2005-2013)

Though Ed Brubaker didn’t write the longest run on Captain America, he certainly wrote the most well-known and celebrated run today which served as an entry point in the world of Cap for many new readers (including yours truly). He brought back Bucky as the Winter Soldier, dealt with Cap’s death and resurrection, and more including the death and life of his greatest enemy, the Red Skull, and the emergences of a new threat, General Aleksander Lukin, the head of one of the most powerful corporations in the world! We already have an article with more information dedicated to Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America (with the several collections) but here’s the list again for completion’s sake!

Logo Avengers for the Jonathan Hickman's Avengers Reading OrderFollowing the events of Avengers Disassembled and the Avengers in ruins, a new team named The New Avengers is created. Steve Rogers is a member, with Iron Man, Captain America, Luke Cage, Wolverine, Ronin (aka Echo), Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Sentry.

The following stories have been published during this era but are not written by Brubaker:

  • Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America
     Collects Fallen Son: Wolverine, New Avengers, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Iron Man, Captain America Comics #1. Happens after Captain America Vol. 5 #25
  • Captain America Corps
    Collects Captain America Corps #1-5 and material from Age of Heroes #4. A time-travel miniseries taking place during Captain America (2005) #611.
  • Captain America: Allies & Enemies
    Collects Captain America And Falcon #1, Captain America And The First Thirteen #1, Captain America And Crossbones #1, Captain America And Batroc #1, And Captain America And The Secret Avengers #1.
  • Captain America: Theater of War
    Collects four poignant and deeply personal stories from Captain America’s journey through America’s wars, including World War II, the Iraq War, and the Civil War.
  • Captain America: Forever Allies
    Collects Captain America: Forever Allies #1-4, Young Allies 70th Anniversary Special and Young Allies (1941) #1. This is a Bucky story.
  • Captain America: Hail Hydra
    Collects Captain America: Hail Hydra #1-5.

Marvel NOW! Captain America (2012-2015)

It’s Marvel Now! The creative team of Rick Remender and John Romita, Jr. take Captain America in new and improbable directions: stranded in the upside-down territory known as Dimension Z, facing the fury of Nuke and the machinations of the Iron Nail, losing his powers, and more!

Logo Avengers for the Jonathan Hickman's Avengers Reading OrderAs a complementary reading, you can also check out Rick Remender’s run on Uncanny Avengers in which Cap is a member. He also stars in the Avengers by Jonathan Hickman.

Thanos - Infinity Reading Order, a Marvel EventInfinity event! Thanos makes his world-shattering return, and his armies fire the opening shots of a galactic war that will be fought both on Earth and in deep space – with our heroes caught between both battles! Cap plays an important role in it, see our Infinity reading order for more details.

All-New Invaders starts here! This reboot of the classic series Invaders sees Captain America, Namor, the original Human Torch, and the Winter Soldier waging a war against the Kree to save Earth. The title lasted 15 issues (buy it on amazon), with the last two taking place after Captain America vol. 7 #22.

Captain AmericaAt this stage, Sam Wilson takes over the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers and he is joined by new partner Nomad to tackle threats including the fearsome Scarecrow, Batroc and Baron Zemo’s newly ascendant Hydra! Plus: Sam Wilson assembles a new team for the Mighty Avengers and works with Spider-Man and the Inhuman.

  • Captain America: Sam Wilson – The Complete Collection Vol. 1
    Collects Captain America (2012) #25, All-New Captain America: Fear Him (2015) #1-4, All-New Captain America (2014) #1-6, Amazing Spiderman Special (2015) #1, Inhuman Special (2015) #1, All-New Captain America Special (2015) #1, Captain America: Sam Wilson (2015) #1-6

Also collected in (with some Avengers stories):

All-New, All-Different Captain America (2015-2018)

Sam Wilson is still Captain America during this new Marvel Initiative, but he will have to share the title with Steve Rogers following the events in Avengers: Standoff! Both titles are written by Nick Spencer (with artists Daniel Acuña and Jesus Saiz), and he gave what can be considered the most controversial run on the character. On one side, the writer explores what it means to have a black Captain America with Sam Wilson. On the other side, he alters Steve Roger’s history to make him the leader of Hydra…

Logo Avengers for the Jonathan Hickman's Avengers Reading OrderAvengers: Standoff! Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson find themselves in a standoff with high and very personal stakes. And this tense conflict quickly escalates out of control, drawing in several Avengers teams! But it all begins in the small town of Pleasant Hill, an idyllic community with friendly neighbors…and a terrible, dark secret.

  • Avengers: Standoff
    Collects Avengers Standoff: Welcome to Pleasant Hill #1, Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha #1, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2016) #3-4, Uncanny Avengers (2015) #7-8, All-New, All-Different Avengers #7-8, New Avengers (2015) #8-10, Captain America: Sam Wilson #7-8, Illuminati (2015) #6, Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2015) #6, Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega #1.
  • Captain America Sam Wilson Vol. 2 Standoff
    Collects Captain America: Sam Wilson #7–8; Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha #1; Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega #1

Civil War IICivil War II! A new Inhuman emerges, with the ability to profile the future, and the ramifications ripple into every corner of the Marvel Universe. Lines are drawn, bodies fall, and the Marvel Universe will be rocked to its very core. Both Captain America series has tie-ins to this event, though Captain America: Steve Rogers is more essential. See our Civil War II reading order for more details.

Secret Empire Icon 29Secret Empire! This is it! Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty, is living a lie! The Cosmic Cube has remade the world’s greatest hero into a secret true believer in the cause of Hydra, wholly dedicated to its mission of progress through authority and unity through adversity! Now, using the trust and respect he’s been accorded by the great powers of the Marvel Universe, Steve Rogers makes Hydra’s ideals a reality – and changes the landscape of the world dramatically! See our full reading order for an issue-by-issue order

  • Secret Empire
    Collects Secret Empire #0-9, Free Comic Book Day 2017 Defenders #1
  • Captain America: Secret Empire
    Collects Captain America: Steve Rogers #17-19, Captain America: Sam Wilson #22-24.
  • Generations Sam Wilson Captain America/Steve Rogers Captain America #1
    Collected in Generations

Captain AmericaFollowing Nick Spencer’s departure, a familiar Captain America writer made his return: Mark Waid! He is reunited with artist Chris Samnee (Daredevil, Black Widow) for a new short run in which Captain America is on a journey across America to restore his tarnished reputation.

Captain America Fresh Start (2018-2023)

New (fresh) start, new team! Ta-Nehisi Coates and Leinil Francis Yu became the new creative team as Captain America is still distrusted by his own country. Facing new threats and being framed for a crime he did not commit, Captain America must confront what it means to fight for a country that no longer cares for the same ideals.

Logo Avengers for the Jonathan Hickman's Avengers Reading OrderAvengers Fresh Start! Thor Odinson, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark are reunited and reform the Avengers for a new fresh start by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness.

Springing from events in the pages of Avengers and Defenders: The Best Defense, The Invaders make their return for a 12-issues series (buy it on amazon).

Also available in:

Captain AmericaSam Wilson and Steve Rogers decide two Captain Americas are better than one, kicking off a new age for the Captain America saga. Tochi Onyebuchi and R.B. Silva penned Sam Wilson’s new life chapter as he picks up the shield once more; Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Carmen Carnero take a special interest in the shield with Steve Rogers.

Right now… Captain America by J. Michael Straczynski (2023-)

J. Michael Straczynski is back at Marvel to tackle an American icon! Decades ago, Steve Rogers changed the world forever. Now, powerful and insidious forces are assembling to ensure he never does it again. Past, present and future collide as the Sentinel of Liberty reckons with an existential threat determined to set the world on a darker path – at any cost!

Did we forget an important issue? Did we make a mistake? Let us know in the comments!

Pin
Tags:

7 thoughts on “Captain America Reading Order”

    1. Carole
      Reply

      Hey Luis,

      Thank you for your comment! I added The United States of Captain America just above the “Captain America / Iron Man” miniseries. It takes place after Ta-Nehisi Coates finished his run but before the launch of a new period with Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Carmen Carnero.

  3. Author
    Reply

    Hey Carole, thank for the reading list but I would like to know what you meant to put in the 2000-2004 era since you left it blank.

    1. Carole
      Reply

      I noticed you’ve left similar questions on our Thor, Spider-Man, and Iron Man Reading Order pages, so I thought I’d start with a general answer.

      First, remember: you’re never obligated to read everything! Focus on the periods or specific stories that interest you most; you can always come back to earlier issues later if you feel like exploring more. This is especially true for older stories. While today’s comics can sometimes make it feel like you need to read it all, that’s not the case! Even important stories can be skipped without missing too much. There are major runs I haven’t read myself!

      For example, let’s look at your selection of Captain America issues. It includes the Stan Lee and Gene Colan run, during which the Falcon made his first appearance (in Captain America #117) and led to the series being retitled Captain America and the Falcon. But this isn’t one of the most celebrated runs in the character’s history. The importance level varies depending on your interests, your familiarity with the characters, and what you’re looking to get out of the stories.

      Hope this helps!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *