Steve Rogers is the man most associate with the mantle of superhero and Avenger Captain America. But fans may be surprised to learn that he isn't the FIRST Captain America in the history of the Marvel Universe. That honor goes to a hero whose adventures predate even the country after which he is named.
Unlike most other versions of Captain America, the Captain America of the Revolutionary War is canonical, having been referenced more than once in the main Marvel Universe (otherwise known as Earth-616). First created by Jack Kirby himself, this Captain America made his first appearance (appropriately enough) in Captain America's Bicentennial Battles #1 in June 1976, and made his latest appearance this year in Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth.
Steven Rogers of the Revolutionary War was an ordinary soldier, a skilled, fit fighter, but with none of the enhanced capabilities of his descendant. He fought alongside the human mutate Ulysses Bloodstone, and Wallace Worthington, and battled members of the Hellfire Club. He wore a distinctive red, white, and blue uniform, and carried a shield not unlike that of his super-enhanced descendant (although his was wrought of regular iron). While not much else is known about his origin and backstory, Ruins of Ravencroft shows this Captain America fighting in one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War, and subsequently being killed by an exploding cannonball.
The canonization of a Captain America during the Revolutionary War does make some small wrinkles in Marvel history. While the Captain America moniker isn't officially given to this Revolutionary War character, his garb and shield are highly reminiscent of the Captain America with which we're all familiar. Additionally, this Captain America would seem to exist before the United States of America existed (perhaps explaining why he isn't identified by name). The biggest question left remaining is whether THIS Steven Rogers is in fact related to the Steve Rogers who later becomes the Captain America we know; modern-day Cap is the result of World War II experimentation, and is the child of Irish immigrants. As marvel.fandom.com hypothesizes, perhaps at some point Rogers' family traveled from the American colonies, back to Ireland, and then immigrated back to America, but this seems highly suspect.
While Captain America's Bicentennial Battles was published in 1976, the story about Cap's supposed ancestor was perhaps written as a piece of patriotic fluff to celebrate a monumental anniversary in the country's history. With Ruins of Ravencroft, that side-story is made canon, a legitimate piece of Marvel history. As the established origins of our modern-day Captain America run counter to what we now know of his Revolutionary War predecessor, future stories could perhaps clear up some overarching questions.
However, now that this Captain America IS an official part of the Marvel Universe, opportunities abound to explore other heroes and characters from that period (something which the Ravencroft series is already currently doing), enriching the already fantastic and thrilling Marvel Universe.
