Superheroes You Didn't Know Used Captain America's Shield

Captain America's vibranium shield stands as one of the most iconic pieces of equipment in the history of comic books. Not only does it symbolize everything that he represents, but it's also a powerful defensive tool that shields others from the forces of evil. Steve Rogers is the original bearer of both the shield and the mantle of Captain America, but there have been others along the way who've donned one or both when he was unable. Here's a look back at some of the fine folk who've used Captain America's shield, his name, or even both.

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans know Sam Wilson as Cap's buddy the Falcon, but in recent issues of the comics, Wilson actually became Captain America when Steve Rogers was forced to give up the title after being drained of his super-soldier serum by a bad guy calling himself the Iron Nail. As the All-New Cap, Wilson kept busy fighting the forces of Hydra and Warbringer, and even helped stop an army of Chitauri from coming to Earth, aided by Iron Man, Spider-Man, Vision, Thor, Nova, and Ms. Marvel. Even after Rogers regained his powers through the intervention of a sentient cosmic cube named Kobik, Wilson stayed on the job, giving the country two Caps.

James Buchanan Barnes, otherwise known as Bucky, is Steve Rogers' lifelong best friend and longtime sidekick—and you might also know him as the Winter Soldier, the super-powered assassin who had his brain scrambled by the Russians after seemingly dying in action during World War II. Rogers took his own turn being presumed dead after the events of the Civil War comics crossover event in 2006-'07, after which Bucky took on the Captain America mantle, adding a pistol and combat knife to his uniform along with the shield. We suppose being a former Soviet Union assassin makes it difficult to get out of the killer mindset.

Vance Astrokvik, otherwise known as Major Victory, has an edge on Steve Rogers because he also has psychokinetic powers. He was also one of the founding members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and has alternate reality versions of himself that took on the identities of Marvel Boy and Justice—which at one point put two of him in the Avengers, but that's beside the point. As Vance, he went on a quest to retrieve Captain America's shield, which he then wielded. He ended up calling himself Major Victory and even donned an outfit much like Cap's. Those psychokinetic powers must have really helped when it came to tossing that shield around.

Isaiah Bradley has a bit of a messed-up background, including his forcible recruitment by the U.S. Army to become a test subject for the recreation of the Super Soldier Serum that produced Captain America. Hundreds of African-American soldiers were tested, but only a few ended up superpowered like Cap; this group was then made into a black ops team. Before heading out on his final assignment, Isaiah stole a Captain America costume and shield, causing him to be court-martialed. Later, Isaiah actually met Steve Rogers, who presented Bradley with his old uniform. Cool gesture, right?

Cable's a time-traveling cyborg who also happens to be the future son of Cyclops and Jean Grey, which tells you right off the bat that he's an incredible badass. In Avengers X-Sanction, Cable ends up fighting with Captain America. During the tussle, their weapons are swapped and Cable gets his hands on the legendary shield, while Cap gets stuck with his pistol. What followed is a fight that made us wonder what it would be like if Cable was a time-traveling Captain America—or if Captain America was a cyborg. Hmm.

If you're a fan of crossovers, this little tidbit might blow your mind. While DC Comics and Marvel are rival houses, the companies have seen fit to combine their universes for the occasional crossover. In JLA/Avengers, we saw two of our favorite super-teams come together, which brought the awesome spectacle of seeing Superman himself wield Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, and Captain America's shield. The power of being able to wield a weapon of such destruction and an impenetrable shield is almost too much for Supes, who seems to almost have a conniption fit as he uses both items.

Thanks to the alternate reality hijinks of comic books, we've got a timeline in which the combatants of the Secret Wars settled down to live normal lives and some couples tried to start families on Battleworld. It turns out that one of these couples was made up of Steve Rogers and Rogue of the X-Men. Together they had and raised a daughter named Sarah, who would eventually take on the superhero name of Crusader. She was super strong, resistant to harm, and could fly. Oh, and she also permanently borrowed her dad's shield and was able to pick up and wield Mjolnir—no big. Sarah, along with her friends, went off to fight Vincent Von Doom as he tried to take over Battleworld, following in their heroic parents' footsteps.