8 Feats That Show Off the Weapon’s Incredible Power

As great as Captain America is, the shield he wields is truly one of the most impressive things about him. Not to imply that Steve Rogers isn’t an impressive hero or that he’s incapable of doing amazing things without it. But Captain America’s star-spangled shield has helped him out of a number of jams throughout the years.

Let’s be real, the shield is just great. Thanks to its unique alloys, it’s incredible at both offensive and defensive moves. It’s powerful enough to separate the Hulk’s head from the rest of his body and strong enough to withstand a direct blast from Galactus himself. Read on to see just why Cap’s shield is so damn powerful.

8

Confirmed to Have An Impossible Molecular Structure

As Seen In: Avengers #215

Just what is Captain America’s shield made up of? Generally a combination of vibranium and adamantium. But is there more than meets the eye? One of the Avengers’ foes thought so. Molecule Man confronted the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and took a peak at the makeup of their weapons, but he was most fascinated by Cap’s shield.

What’s really bizarre is that Molecule Man was also looking at cosmic weapons like the Silver Surfer’s board and Thor’s hammer Mjölnir. But despite the power flowing through them, there’s something far more fascinating on a molecular level with Captain America’s shield. Having such a unique weapon is a pretty impressive feather in Captain America’s cap.

7

Cut Off a Tank Turret

As Seen In: Captain America: Living Legend #1

With as much as it knocks and bounces around, people tend to forget that, while not designed for cutting, Captain America’s shield can slice through things pretty easily. Captain America: Living Legend proved that when Rogers faced off against a small battalion and threw his shield at a tank, cutting the turret gun clean off.

It’s just wild to think that something so small could do such damage to a real weapon of war. But thanks to the unique properties of the shield, it can slice through metal as easily as Wolverine’s claws can cut down bad guys. It’s moves like this that made Captain America such a legend during World War II.

6

Held Up a Building

As Seen In: Captain America #10

While Captain America prefers his standard shield, he’s used a few alternates over the years, the most infamous being his glowing energy shield. But while it’s not as famous as the classic, it’s just as powerful. In Captain America #10, Steve and Sharon are trapped under a pile of debris and the only thing standing between them is Cap’s shield.

Granted, a large portion of the credit goes to Steve’s incredible strength here. But to withstand the weight of a collapsed building, something would have to be almost supernaturally resilient. Thankfully, Steve’s iconic shield gave him and Sharon the time they needed to figure out a plan to escape this near-death experience.

5

Deflected Godzilla’s Atomic Breath

As Seen In: Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1

Captain America has faced a lot of powerful beasts in his time, and most recently, he’s gone up against the likes of the King of the Monsters. Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe saw Marvel’s biggest icons teaming up to stop the rampaging kaiju and, during the confrontation, Cap uses his shield to reflect Godzilla’s atomic breath right back towards him.

It’s stunning to see Captain America stand up to such an attack (especially since Superman got fried by atomic breath just a few years back in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong). Looks like the strange makeup of Captain America’s shield is far better at resisting Godzilla’s signature attack than Superman’s entire being.

4

Decapitated the Hulk

As Seen In: New Avengers: Ultron Forever

The Hulk is supposed to be the strongest there is, but even he has his limits. In New Avengers: Ultron Forever, Doom has plucked several heroes from across time and space to stop Ultron. He observes the heroes he’s selected, only to discover that the Hulk has actually been decapitated by Captain America’s shield.

Thankfully, readers are spared the more gruesome imagery. Still, decapitating Hulk shouldn’t have been easy (even Doom is shocked). But for all the strength the Hulk gains with his anger, it’s not enough to stand up to the mighty power of Captain America’s shield. Hulk is powerful, but not enough to prevent that kind of attack.

3

Took on Death Incarnate

As Seen In: Captain America #8

Steve Rogers has stared death in the face plenty of times, but in Captain America #8, that became quite literal. He joined an avatar of life stop her twin brother, an avatar of death, and traveled to a dimension infested with death. With an upgrade to his shield, Steve effortlessly takes on an entire undead army.

Admittedly, Steve had a big helping hand here. And while his shield didn’t keep any of the cool upgrades it received, it was all down to how Captain America used his trademark weapon. Whether protecting Steve or helping him mow down zombies, the shield is the perfect tool for any occasion.

2

Blocked Galactus’ Blast

As Seen In: What If…? #70

Anyone even slightly familiar with Galactus knows how powerful he is. In What If…? #70, the Avengers are working together to stop Galactus’ invasion, but none of them are enough to stop the powerful entity. And yet, when Galactus blasts the team, Steve survives by covering with his shield, allowing him to fight on a bit longer.

Godzilla is one thing, but Galactus is a cosmic entity who keeps the balance of the universe in check. One would think there’s nothing on Earth that could stand up to an embodiment of entropy. But Captain America’s shield did, or at least would have been one of the few things that could have stymied Galactus’ invasion (if only briefly).

1

Blocked a Celestial Blast

As Seen In: A.X.E: Judgment Day #4

What’s more powerful than Godzilla or Galactus? A Celestial, of course. During A.X.E.: Judgment Day #4, the mighty being Progenitor has reached its judgment of humanity and sentences the beings of Earth to death. Progenitor blasts Manhattan with a powerful beam, but Cap uses the shield to protect himself and a passerby (who unfortunately dies).

Celestials are basically the top of the food chain in the Marvel Universe and their power is godlike. Let’s be real, Captain America should have died. But that shield of his is so powerful, even someone like Progenitor couldn’t destroy it. If any feat shows just how cool and overpowered Captain America’s shield is, it’s this one.

First Appearance

Captain America Comics

Alias

Steve Rogers, John Walker, Sam Wilson

Alliance

Avengers, Invaders, S.H.I.E.L.D., U.S. Army

Race

Human

Franchise

Marvel