A new Marvel Comics cover imagines what would Captain America look like if he replaced Iron Man during his infamous origin where he was kidnapped and had to build the armor to survive. John Cassady and Dave Stewart's latest variant cover for Iron Man celebrating Steve Rogers' 80th anniversary shows Captain America in a new suit, that's his own version of Tony Stark's original bulky armor that helped him escape what appeared to be certain death in his debut issue.
In Tales of Suspense #39 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, Stan Goldberg, Don Heck, and Gene Colan, Iron Man was born. In the issue, weapons dealer Tony Stark was captured in Vietnam after sustaining a life-threatening injury. Telling his kidnappers he would help build them a super-weapon, Star really worked on a suit of armor that could keep him alive. Partnering with local scientist Ho-Yinsen, Stark built a bulky grey suit which both helped him escape and saved his life. The iconic origin was adapted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) wore a similarly low-tech, bulky armor in his escape.
This week, Marvel Comics released a handful of new covers celebrating Captain America's 80th anniversary at the publisher which featured reimagined heroes donning their own takes on Steve Rogers' classic ensemble. Among the cover includes a stunning variant imagining Miles Morales' Spider-Man as Captain America by Iban Coello and Alejandro Sanchez. Other variants include Black Widow getting her own Captain America costume by Mark Brooks, the Fantastic Four all becoming the hero in a cover by Nick Bradshaw and Rachelle Rosenberg, as well as Moon Knight getting his own spin on Cap in a variant cover from Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia. While all of the covers imagine heroes in their own Captain America armor, the variant for Iron Man imagines the hero replacing Iron Man.
In Cassady and Stewart's variant for Iron Man #10, Captain America gets a suit that's reminiscent of Tony Stark's first armor. In the cover, Steve Rogers' ensemble is less form-fitting and more sizable than it ever has been. Captain America's helmet looks like it's made out of concrete or some other hard material. In the image, Steve Rogers strikes a pose, as his mouth is severely sunburned from the opening on his helmet. It's certainly a different look for the hero.
For readers wanting to celebrate Captain America's 80th anniversary, the covers begin rolling out later this month. Cassady and Stewart's Iron Man #10 cover will be in comic shops on July 14, 2020.