Captain America’s Worst Ever Shields (And Why They’re So Terrible)

When it comes to iconic weapons, Captain America has one of the best and most recognizable in his shield. It has gone through many iterations and while his main one is made of a unique vibranium-metal alloy, he has had some that haven’t been as strong. He has also had some that are just downright not very good. From aesthetically poor designs to malfunctioning equipment, there are quite a few with major issues. While some shields can get a few points for creativity, many are truly terrible. These are Captain America’s worst shields.

Captain America is easily associated with his shield thanks to his patriotic color scheme. However, there are times when he has foregone this look entirely – particularly in alternate realities. Venturing outside Earth-616 doesn’t mean a shield will be terrible – many are fantastic – but some of Cap’s variants get protection even worse than a standard, non-indestructible shield.

Captain America’s Worst Variant Shields

In Avengers Fairytales #1 (2008) – from C.B. Cebulski and João Lemos – Captain America and the Avengers take on the role of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys to Scarlet Witch’s Wendy. In this iteration, Cap goes simply by Captain, since he lives in Neverland and isn’t a representative of America. Here, his shield is actually his shadow. While this fits with the aesthetic of the story, it is barely ever present. When it is shown, it at least has additional abilities. It can be a much larger shield or be completely absent (it is a shadow, after all), however, the lack of use makes it a notable disappointment. Cap is known for his shield throwing skills and none of those are on display here – plus there is no visual appeal to Captain America’s shield itself since it’s purely a shadow. The concept and potential uses are amazing and this easily could have been one of his best, but the execution is less than stellar, making it a miss compared to several of his other shields over the years.

Another terrible shield is the one the hero got as a gladiator in Exiles #9, from Judd Winick and Mike McKone. In an alternate reality where the Skrulls have successfully conquered Earth, Steve Rogers is their favorite entertainment. Called ‘the Captain’ in a world where human nations no longer have meaning, Steve eventually turns traitor and leads the other human and mutant heroes to freedom, but his spiked shield with a huge purple center is a gift from the Skrulls who love to see him beat down his peers. It couldn’t look less heroic, placing vicious offense over the defense that makes the shield such an iconic accessory.

Similarly, Captain America finds himself with a new identity in Exiles #56 from 2004, by Tony Bedard and Jim Calafiore. While the shield he takes up in this issue isn’t the absolute worst, it certainly doesn’t read as any iteration of Captain America. Neither does Cap himself, appearing as a barbarian with a sword and shield. While this shield fits his aesthetic for the issue, it’s a shield in the most traditional sense, lacking any special abilities or connection to Steve’s traditional role. Captain America’s shields don’t always have to be patriotic, but in alternate universes they should always appear to be distinctly his.

Steve Rogers’ Blandest Shields

While Captain America’s shields haven’t all had the best visual designs and some could be debatable on appeal, his shield is typically identifiable by its star insignia. Other iterations of the shield from alternate eras sometimes change the center motif, but the arrangement is still decidedly that of Captain America, involving bright colors and striking iconography. However, there are some shields that don’t read as Captain America’s at all – because they bear no insignia and are just too plain and prototype-esque.

For example, there’s the energy shield present in Marvel Mangaverse #4 (2002), from Ben Dunn. This shield has a pink hue, like Captain America’s other energy shields, but this one appears overly small. It has no patriotic aesthetic or a mirroring aesthetic to be similar to Cap’s (in this case outrageous) costume. Additionally, Captain America dies at the hands of Doctor Doom and his shield is of no apparent use.

Another bland shield is the adamantium version he adopted when his mantle was taken from him by the government. In Captain America #339 from 1988 – by Mark Gruenwald, Kieron Dwyer and Tony DeZuniga – the mainstream version of Steve becomes the Captain, while John Walker becomes Captain America. As a result, Tony Stark builds Steve Rogers a new shield – a pure silver-colored one with no insignia whatsoever. While he can’t operate as Captain America with his usual shield, his alternate shield doesn’t do much for him visually, and clearly communicates that this isn’t a fun new identity. Fans were meant to want Steve to re-assume his usual role, and this bland shield pushes them in that direction. It would have been better if matched with his new look, especially since it just look like a prototype – the vibranium shield he gets a few issues later (#342) is much more fitting.

Captain America’s Worst Shield

In The United States of Captain America #2 – from Christopher Cantwell and Dale Eaglesham – Captain America brought back his photon shield. This is an electric shield and, like many of Captain America’s shields, it was developed by Tony Stark. Considering some of the brilliant equipment that Stark has built and how lightweight this shield must be, it seems like it would be a shoo-in for one of Captain America’s best. Unfortunately, it takes the cake as the worst for one main reason: it doesn’t function very well out in the field. In fact, it becomes absolutely useless when a fight just adds water.

While energy and water don’t tend to mix, Iron Man is in possession of suits that can be used underwater. He can even fight underwater. The tiniest splash or pond should never put Captain America’s shield out of commission. This shield has no back-up method for when it shorts out, and it shorts out far too easily. This lack of basic functionality makes it Captain America’s worst shield. While other shields have been weaker, they’ve at least been dependable – a major plus for a tactical genius like Steve Rogers. With a wooden shield, Cap can still do some major damage, but with a shield he can’t trust, he’s always at a disadvantage.

Captain America has had incredible shields over the years and in the future, he’s sure to have more. Aesthetics and function should combine in a balance that maintains the hero’s iconography, turning a normal man into a symbol of Steve Rogers’ beloved American Dream. Few shields live up to Captain America‘s iconic disc, but at the very bottom of the barrel are those that ditch the meaning behind the character’s symbolism, and especially those that short out in the middle of battle.

About The Author

Samantha King
(834 Articles Published)

Samantha King is a Comic News Writer for Screen Rant. She has a B.A. in English & American Literature with a concentration in Shakespeare and a minor in Creative Writing from UTEP. She also has a M.S. in Library Science from the University of North Texas.

Samantha used to get in trouble for reading comics in class back in high school, but she gets the last laugh. She took a graphic novel course in college and now gets paid to write about comics. She runs her own blog at: www.therealworldaccordingtosam.blogspot.com

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