Captain America: 8 Powerful Marvel Characters Who Are Related to Steve Rogers

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It has been 85 years since Captain America debuted in Marvel Comics – and across the decades, more than a handful of characters have turned out to be related to Steve Rogers. This list explores some of the most powerful, exciting characters who have become part of Captain America’s family at one point or another over the years.

As hardcore Marvel fans know, Captain America has a unique family tree – and that is just upon considering the mainstream Marvel continuity, without even factoring in the vast Marvel Multiverse, which has featured the offspring of different Steve Rogers variants over the years.

From adopted children, to long-lost “twins,” and other various familial connections that have been drawn between different characters and Captain America over the years, this list chronicles the most iconic and infamous members of the Star-Spangled Avenger’s extended family.

Debuts: Captain America #1 – Written By Rick Remender; Art By John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Dean White, & Joe Caramagna

Steve Rogers was once trapped in Dimension Z, a pocket dimension created by Arnim Zola. Zola captured Captain America in an attempt to infuse his blood with a baby that Zola made from a test tube. Steve was able to escape Zola’s clutches ,but not his dimension, where time moved much slower than in the main Marvel Universe. He decided to take Zola’s son and raise him as if he were his own, doing just that over the course of a decade within the pocket dimension.

Eventually, Zola caught up with Steve, capturing the boy, whom Captain America had named Ian. Subsequently, Zola twisted the boy’s mind, teaching him to hate Captain America – and eventually leading him to take the codename Nomad, in a dark homage to his “father.” Thankfully for Rogers, he was able to help Ian under the error of his understanding, transitioning Nomad from being a rival to being a sidekick.

7

Grant Rogers (Aka Flag Smasher), Captain America’s “Twin Brother”

Debut: Captain America: Sam Wilson #7 – Written By Nick Spencer; Art By Ángel Unzueta, Daniel Acuña, Matt Yackey & Joe Caramagna

As a clone, Grant Rogers can essentially be framed as a “twin brother” to Steve. More than most twin brothers, Grant and Steve have a complicated relationship, especially in how much Grant nearly ruined Steve’s reputation. Grant is best remembered for infamously impersonating Steve and, on his behalf, saying “Hail Hydra” before he was revealed to be a clone; he resurfaced recently as Captain Krakoa, working with the mutant-hating organization known as Orchis to tarnish the reputation of mutants and the former Captain Krakoa, Cyclops.

When the plot was revealed and Grant was discovered to be underneath the mask, Captain America and the Avengers Unity Squad were able to stop him from blowing up the Empire State Building. Because Orchis held control over forces in the American judicial system, the ex-Hydra Cap wasn’t punished for his crimes, but before he returned to the shadows, he announced to the world he had decided to claim for himself a far more dangerous code name: Flag Smasher.

6

Hercules, Captain America’s Ancestor

Debut: Captain America Comics #38 – Written By Otto Binder; Art By Syd Shores & Vince Alascia

Not to be confused with the Greek God Hercules, who is a different Marvel character altogether. Instead, this refers to a previous incarnation of Steve Rogers, who worked alongside Bucky’s great ancestor, Bucka, in Ancient Egypt. Rogers’ and Barnes’ secret origins were revealed to them after being captured by Dr. Emil Natas, the leader of the Black Mob. By probing their minds and revealing long-dormant memories, Dr. Natas soon explains that though this is the first time they met, he promises Steve that they have been fighting as far back as the beginning of time itself.

In the beginning, he was a slave driver named Phao Na Tash and Rogers was a slave rescuer named Hercules. Na Tash was whipping a boy named Bucka and forcing slaves to build the pyramids when Hercules came to his rescue, impervious to pain. Hercules leads an army of freed slaves to destroy Na Tash’s rule. Under reincarnation, they would meet again during the Middle Ages, as Emil would be foiled once more by Captain Amerigo and his squire, Bucky.

5

James Rogers, Captain America’s Son

Avengers #2 – Written By Brian Michael Bendis; Art By John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Dean White & Cory Petit

Audiences will know James Rogers best as a character from the 2008 movie, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, but this variant world would be canonized as an alternate universe within the comics a couple of years after the fact. As the story goes, James Rogers is the son of Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanova a.k.a. Black Widow. This takes place in a universe that gets conquered by Ultron.

In an effort to protect the next generation of heroes from Ultron’s dictatorship, Tony Stark would raise and train him and other Avengers children in secret. When the time was right, James and his siblings would find the children of other Avengers, taking initiative to lead the next generation of superheroes. After destroying Ultron, the new Avengers would work toward dismantling the rest of Ultron’s forces. These post-movie adventures have been recollected in the comics, including one where James is killed by Mephisto in Hell’s invasion of New York.

4

Crusader, Captain America’s Daughter

What If…? Secret Wars: 25 Years Later – Written By Jay Faerber; Art ByGregg Schigiel, Jose Marzan Jr. Paul Turtrone, & Chris Eliopulos

Referring to the original Secret Wars crossover, this reality centers around a scenario where the heroes of Marvel did not leave Battleworld. In this reality, Galactus and the Beyonder destroy each other before finding a way back home. With different heroes in a closer, longer proximity to each other than usual, many heroes that readers wouldn’t expect to have romantic feelings for each other suddenly end up together.

Wolverine and Storm give birth to Torrent, the Human Torch and Wasp are parents to Firefly, and Steve Rogers and Rogue get together to have Sara Rogers,who becomes the Crusader. In addition to inheriting her father’s super strength and her mother’s ability to fly, she proves herself worthy of lifting Mjolnir as the leader of the Young Avengers.

3

Ultimate Red Skull, Captain America’s Son

Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 – Written By Mark Millar; Art By Carlos Pacheco, Danny Miki, Justin Ponsor, & Cory Petit

In Earth-616, the Red Skull has spent years opposing Captain America, but on Earth-1610, the original Ultimate Universe, he was much closer as an enemy than he’s ever been. In this world, Steve Rogers has a tryst with one Gail Richards, promising to return and marry her right before he’s deployed to Europe. Unfortunately for Gail, Steve would become encased in ice and presumed dead before that could happen, and before he’d learn that Gail was pregnant.

In that time, Gail is pressured to surrender her child to the US military, who trained him to become his generation’s next super-soldier. By 14, he already surpassed his father, but he also developed the mind of a sociopath, hating the people who had trained him. Upon finally escaping, the teenager becomes a hitman, specifically the man who would assassinate JFK.

Acts like this – as well as carving out his facial skin with a kitchen knife, exposing his actual red skull to the world – were the child’s way to rebel against the American ethics, morals, and sensibilities that birthed Captain America as a symbol. His efforts would capture A.I.M.’s attention, who recruited the unnamed child after he turned 17. He’d commit evil acts for years before learning that his absent father had resurfaced back into the world.

2

Ubermensch, Captain America’s Son

Captain America and Bucky #622 – Written By Ed Brubaker; Art By Marc Andreyko, Chris Samnee, Chris Samnee, Bettie Breitweiser & Joe Caramagna

In a throwback storyline showcasing the duo’s 1940s adventures, this comic also showcases the incredible Invaders super team, comprised of Captain America, Toro, The Human Torch, and Namor the Sub-Manor. Even the wicked Arnim Zola was impressed by this collection of superheroes, but it inspired the mad scientist to craft an evil concoction. The Nazis and Zola overwhelm and kidnap them all except Bucky. This wasn’t an oversight on behalf of the Nazis that Barnes escaped, as they only needed the central four.

By painfully extracting DNA from the Invaders, Zola is able to create the Ubermensch, a super soldier who encompasses all of the powers and abilities as everyone on the squad. As Bucky notes, the creature boasts the speed of Namor and Steve, can flame on like Johnny Storm, and is virtually impervious to pain. His only drawback is that his powers drain fast, and with this creature being what is basically a newborn without an understanding of his great power, Bucky just needed to evade the beast long enough to buy himself time to free the other heroes. Once free, the monster and his creator are apprehended.

1

Steven Rogers, Captain America’s Brother

Deadpool #27 – Written By Daniel Way; Art By Carlo Barberi, Walden Wong, Marte Gracia, & Joe Sabino

On paper, Steve Rogers is the perfect physical specimen, so naturally, he’s the prime candidate for cloning. This clone was created by Doctor Bong, convinced that cloning Captain America would allow him the perfect subject to commit crimes unscathed and without suspicion. The theory works when Deadpool – who idolizes Captain America – swoons when the fake Steve recruits Wade Wilson to join his Secret Avengers. Clones were also made for Moon Knight and Black Widow. In Doctor Bong’s words in Deadpool #28, Clone Steve (or Batch 191) and his genetic counterparts are imperfect clones, and Wade’s former psychiatrist wants to use them to recruit Deadpool, a “genuine article.”

Overall, Bong wants to use his team of clones (and Deadpool) to steal weapons of mass destruction that he proceeds to sell on the black market for top dollar. Bong’s plan goes upward when the real Secret Avengers swoop in, causing confusion in Deadpool after he starts fighting the real Steve Rogers. To disrupt that confusion, he captures the clone Rogers and the real Rogers in an attempt to get to the bottom of who is the man in on Doctor Bong’s plan. He notices that the clone has a bullet hole tear in his costume when Deadpool never shot him in their fight.

Even more mysteriously, the Steve with the bullet hole in his costume does not have a scratch on him, as if the hole healed on its own already. Doctor Bong’s clones have a regenerative power. Using his deductive reasoning, Deadpool concludes that this Captain America is a fake, and rectifies the confusion by blowing his head clean off.

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