Captain America’s Signature Weapon Isn’t Actually A Shield
Captain America’s iconic weapon was never designed to be a shield. The mysterious alloy it is made out of was only put in that shape by accident.
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Comic fans may be surprised to learn the famous weapon Captain America charges into battle with isn’t actually a shield. A comic published back in 1985 reveals that the iconic piece of equipment that Steve Rogers carries was actually intended to be part of a much more dangerous weapon.
There are several weapons in the Marvel Universe that instantly resonate with fans. Images of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, Wolverine’s adamantium claws, and Spider-Man’s web-shooters come to mind. But arguably none is more iconic than Captain America’s shield. The star-studded, red, white, and blue disc serves as more than just a unique weapon. It’s a symbol of liberty and justice, one that follows the mantle of Captain America even as Steve Rogers passes on the role to others.
In Captain American #303, written by Michael Carlin and pencilled by Paul Neary, Obadiah Stane seeks to replicate the shield’s unique metal and abducts its creator, government Doctor Myron MacLean, to accomplish this. With the help of super-villains Machete and Zaran, Batroc the Leaper manages to steal the shield for MacLean to run tests on. At this point, MacLean recalls how the shield was created before World War II. He was working as a metallurgist in a lab run by the US government, attempting to create a powerful alloy by bonding vibranium and steel. After several failed attempts, MacLean dozed off. When he awoke, the bond was successful. The doctor poured the alloy into a discus simply because it was ideal for testing, but he was never able to replicate the mysterious process. Eventually, the government procured the disc, painted it, and handed it to Captain America. The rest is history.
Cap didn’t always use the discus shield, though. In his first appearance in Captain America Comics #1, published back in 1941 by Timely Comics, Cap uses a medieval-style heater shield. The circular disc shield didn’t appear until the following issue. While the original shield has returned occasionally over the years, through most iterations Cap has stuck with the rounded shield.
Dr. MacLean and the shield’s origin story has been expanded upon over the years. The most recent update was that he chose the discus shape not just for testing but so that it may also be used as a hatch for a tank. The government hoped to use MacLean’s alloy to build a fleet of tanks, but that obviously didn’t work out when the doctor was unable to replicate the process. His attempts, though, led to the creation of another of Marvel’s strongest metals: adamantium. This only goes to show that just like Captain America’s shield, some of the most iconic elements of the Marvel universe are nothing more than happy accidents.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/captain-america-shield-origin-accident-discus-comics/