Captain America is one of Marvel’s greatest heroes. Gifted with a Super Soldier Serum, he has great strength and fighting skills that he uses to battle villains like a superhero.
Yet, he is a human and does not have the same superpowers of other characters like Thor or the Hulk.
Captain America is an enhanced human but more vulnerable than the likes of the Hulk or Thor. His speed, endurance, and will to fight for good only protect him so much.
What can kill Captain America? In the comics, many things can harm or bring death to Captain America. In the MCU, Steve Rogers appears to die from old age.
Contents
What Killed Captain America in the Comics?
In the comics, Captain America has died numerous times. Since Captain America first appeared in 1940, he was often killed or faked his death, and then returned.
In the 1964 issue Avengers #4, Steve Rogers met his end when he was thrown from a plane over the ocean. Yet, because of his Super Soldier Serum, he survived under the ocean and later returned to fight with the Avengers again.
In Captain America #111, Hydra set a trap for and shot Captain America multiple times. Yet he faked his death in this case.
In a later comic from the 1990s, Infinity Gauntlet #4, Thanos strikes the Captain. We assume he died from the blow, but Steve Rogers later returns.
Captain America can thus be killed in ways that humans are killed–dropping from high altitudes, gunshot wounds, and super-strong blows. The difference is that he can come back to life.
He has presumably died in numerous ways, including being stuck in the freezing cold ocean for about twenty years, his super serum breaking down, and an energy blast that wiped out all the Avengers.
More recently in Captain America: The Death of the Dream, long-time enemy Red Skull pulls off an assassination of Captain America, with a brainwashed Sharon Carter carrying out the final blow.
The Captain has also been blown up by a nuclear bomb and killed by a robot in the comics. So, he is vulnerable.
He is in the end a human with greater abilities, but not a superhero. Any lethal item that can kill a human can kill Captain America.
Hence, there is a range of ways that Steve Rogers can be killed, but he manages to return. Captain America finds a way to live on.
What Killed Captain America in the MCU?
In the Avengers: Infinity War movie, Thanos landed a direct punch on Steve Rogers that may have killed him. Captain America may have only lived because Thanos used the mind stone to go back in time.
The idea is that Thanos did kill Captain America during the Battle of Wakanda but accidentally brought him back to life.
Like the comics then, the Captain prevails, but the movies are still different from the comics.
In Avengers: Endgame, we see an aged Steve Rogers hand his shield to his successor the Falcon. He does not die on screen, but his character is killed off.
Captain America had journeyed to the past to live out his days with Peggy Carter and returned to the present to hand over the shield.
So, in the MCU, old age presumably killed Captain America. That’s what we can conclude from the follow-up television series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, when Sam Wilson, the Falcon, gives the Captain’s shield to the Smithsonian.
By the end of this series, Wilson does take over for Captain America. So, with that denouement, which is similar to the comics, we could say Steve Rogers is killed off by another character taking his place.
However, in what is called MCU’s Phase 4 with new shows on Disney+ and the idea of the multiverse, Captain America may not be dead after all.
Speculation about what happened to Steve Rogers resurfaced. Some commentary indicates that he could be very old, but not dead, and living in seclusion or even hiding.
Others have pointed to comments by She-Hulk that hint at Captain America still being alive. Audiences never see him die on screen, perhaps the Avengers are faking his death to protect him.
If he is still alive, then the comics and movies have a lot in common.
Who Could Kill Captain America?
In addition to Thanos and Thor, other Marvel characters could kill Captain America.
The characters Magneto and Hyperion could overpower Steve Rogers, while the Hulk could smash him to pieces.
Captain America also did not fare well when he fought Ultron, so the latter could potentially kill him.
Iron Man physically beat Captain America to the point where Rogers could have died. Yet, the Captain did repay the favor, so they could be considered even.
Crossing into DC Comics terrain, several characters could potentially defeat and kill Captain America, such as Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Batman.
Despite all his strengths, Captain America is still vulnerable.
Captain America: Killed Yet Alive
Captain America faced many deaths in the comics but always managed to return to life. The ninety-eight-pound weakling who transformed into the Captain lives on and is not dead.
In the MCU, Captain America went back in time to live out his days and may have died from old age. Yet, the possibility remains that Steve Rogers still lives. He may return again to carry on with his patriotic power.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.