In Marvel Comics, Captain America has had many different outfits over the years, but his most embarrassing outfit was added to the Marvel canon in the best way possible. Captain America has upgraded his suit multiple times for various reasons, including to incorporate new technology into his suit or to change his superhero identity altogether. But one of his oddest suits came from a made for TV movie from 1979.
While Captain America has had many great adaptations in the last 15 years many fans forget about his original silver screen debut in 1979. The 1979 Captain America movie aired on CBS and starred Reb Brown as the titular hero. The movie greatly changes Captain America’s origin story, having Steve gain his powers after being mortally wounded in an attempt on his life and taking a serum his father synthesized out of his own glands. In this version of the character, his outfit is rather barebones, consisting of a skintight blue suit with white and red stripes and a star on his chest as well as a blue motorcycle helmet with wings and an "A" on it. In addition to his low budget suit, the character also features a version of Captain America’s shield made out of clear plastic. All in all, it is a rather embarrassing look, which explains why Marvel kept it out of the main continuity for so long. But when they did finally canonize it, they did it in a perfect way.
In Deadpool #4 by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne, Deadpool and Captain America team up to hunt down Madcap, who is brainwashing people into wearing Deadpool masks and committing crimes. When they head to the villain’s apartment, they use a motorcycle, and Steve wears the same helmet he wore in the 1979 movie. While neither character comments on this helmet, it is a great Easter egg for long time fans of the character. And it couldn’t have happened in a more fitting comic than Deadpool.
Deadpool is the most gleefully irreverent character in Marvel Comics and on top of that he frequently breaks the fourth wall. Even if he didn’t comment on it, it must give Wade great joy to be the one to introduce one of Cap’s silliest costumes from outside the comics into the main Marvel continuity. Steve already looks grumpy enough having to deal with Deadpool throughout their team up and this couldn’t have helped his disposition.
This costume has reappeared in the comics outside of Deadpool, being featured in Captain America’s armory alongside his other historical costumes. So, it is clear that this wasn’t just a one-off Easter egg, but an actual introduction into the canon. Having this introduction occur in the pages of Deadpool was a great way to cleverly poke fun at the silly nature of the 1979 movie costume while also not appearing out of place in the usually more serious Captain America comics.