Marvel Unveils New Captain America Shield, And It's The Strongest Yet

Steve Rogers abandons his original Captain America shield in favor of a new defensive weapon. Captain America's iconic shield has been broken, stolen, and completely destroyed across numerous comics. Steve Rogers' original triangular model was destroyed after World War II; during the original Secret Wars, Doctor Doom reduced it to a pile of metallic debris. The Molecule Man dissolved the shield, while Thanos famously shattered it with a casual backhand during The Infinity Gauntlet storyline. The Asgardian god of fear, the Serpent, snapped the shield in half during Fear Itself, and King Thor vaporized a massive portion of it using a blast of divine Odinforce.

When stripped of his primary weapon, the Star-Spangled Avenger has proved his martial versatility by mastering an impressive array of alternative weapons. During his early World War II campaigns, Captain America carried standard military firearms and knives across the trenches. When forced to substitute his shield, Cap has temporarily wielded hard-energy versions of his classic weapon and Asgardian weapons like Mjolnir. Not to mention, Steve Rogers has improvised new weapons and makeshift versions of his shield using all kinds of regular objects like car doors and metallic debris.

Still, not even death and the afterlife can keep Steve Rogers away from his shield, as Captain America transforms a primordial weapon into a throwable disc through sheer power of will.

Captain America's Antidivine Shield Makes Evil Spirits Explode

Captain America #15; Written By Chip Zdarsky; Art By Valerio Schiti & Romulo Fajardo Jr

Steve Rogers has achieved the impossible after his near-death experience fighting Red Hulk, which left his body in a comma and his soul stuck in Hell. Captain America has rallied demonic forces and teamed up with Doctor Doom himself to confront Mephisto. Their main weapon is the Antidivine, a force of the cosmos forged specifically to kill angels in the final battle of existence. While Doom sets his eyes on it, it's Steve Rogers who wields it, transforming it from a sickle into his classic circular shield in Captain America #15. Due to its supernatural nature, Captain America's Antidivine shield causes Red Skull's demonic army to explode on contact.

Captain America's Antidivine shield can also change directions in the air, a feature that makes it quite similar to Thor's Mjolnir, as Steve Rogers can use it to neutralize dozens of enemies all over the battlefield before calling it back to his hands. When fighting face-to-face with his archnemesis Red Skull, Captain America's new shield seems to start breaking, suggesting that the Antidivine can't hold its shape permanently. Still, the ability to kill beings as theoretically untouchable as angels makes the Antidivine one of the most lethal weapons in the Marvel Universe, especially against demonic entities like Mephisto.

Captain America's Lack Of Tech Enhancements Has Earned Him Mystical Ones

Steve Rogers' Power Upgrades Are Quite Exclusive

Steve Rogers’ deliberate avoidance of advanced technology ties his true potential to his unbreakable human spirit. Unlike Tony Stark and Reed Richards, who rely on high-tech suits of armor, or other heroes who constantly upgrade their offensive gear with cutting-edge shielding devices, Captain America chooses to fight as a straightforward soldier equipped with a basic uniform and a simple vibranium alloy disc. Steve's rejection of synthetic shortcuts forces him to rely entirely on his courage, and the universe seems to reward his unadulterated soul with legendary mystical weapons. Throughout the years, Captain America has been worthy of lifting Mjolnir, and now he can wield the Antidivine without injury.

Steve Rogers' inherent goodness burns so brightly that it cuts through the despair of Mephisto’s domain, inspiring a mass uprising among lost souls who haven't seen light in millennia. In Captain America #14, Steve Rogers even appoints Veratok as the leader of the rebellion over the prophet Torvoz the Preacher, arguing that Veratok's sincerity will allow Hell's population to thrive. Yet, true to his nature as a humble kid from Brooklyn, Steve Rogers will eventually reject his current divine power after fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with demons in order to return to his earthly duties.

What do you think about Captain America's adventure in Hell?

Captain America #13 is available September 2 from Marvel Comics