Captain America has been a mainstay in Marvel Comics and pop culture since his first appearance in 1941. In the 80 years since, Steve Rogers has seen and done it all. Some of his comic book arcs have gotten very weird, especially in the early eras of the character's history, when realism and continuity weren't exactly top priority.
There are a number of comic book storylines that Captain America 4 may use, but it's probably a safe bet that some or all of these weird comic book arcs won't be among them. With that said, a lot of the stories still have a lot of charm that makes them worth revisiting.
Captain America's Weird Tales
Perhaps the weirdest comic book story arc for Captain America literally took place in Captain America's Weird Tales. In 1949, Captain America Comics abruptly altered its course from standard superhero fare to being a horror comic.
Rebranded Captain America's Weird Tales with issue #74, the comic continued to focus on Captain America but also included backup stories that were unrelated and horror-focused, like the attack of "The Wee Males." This didn't help sales and the title was canceled not long after.
The Golden Girl
Comic book fans know that Bucky Barnes is Captain America's sidekick from World War II. But they may not know he had another, the Golden Girl, or that many of their Golden Age stories were weird.
She debuted in Captain America #66 in April 1948 and featured in many stories after, including “The Secret Behind the Mirror,” in the next issue. Golden Girl is kidnapped through a magical mirror into another dimension. Betsy Ross was also Captain America's love interest during this time.
Secret Empire (Original)
The first Captain America story arc called "Secret Empire" had a very topical bent when it appeared in 1974. Captain America discovers a clandestine conspiracy at the heart of the American government, but the story takes a weird turn.
It's heavily implied that the leader of the conspiracy is Richard Nixon, who was then the actual President of the United States. After Steve Rogers unmasks him - the reader never sees their face - the leader ends his own life and the whole thing is swept under the rug.
Streets Of Poison
Comic books got very topical beginning in the '70s, including addressing issues like drug use with the comic book sidekick of Green Arrow. Captain America also addressed it, but less successfully in the 1990s. In "Streets Of Poison" from Captain America #372-378, Steve Rogers becomes addicted to drugs himself, after being exposed to methamphetamine.
The drugs cause him to become an enraged version of himself, going after drug dealers and villains with violent means and also getting into huge battles with his allies like Black Widow. While the intentions were good, the entire story arc is over the top and weird.
Nomad
Steve Rogers stepped away from the role of Captain America for a time, becoming Nomad. Not only were the stories with Nomad a little weird, his high-collared black suit is one of the most outlandish costumes in Marvel Comics history. In Captain America #180 from 1974, Rogers becomes Nomad after the fallout of the "Secret Empire" story.
The stories are marked by a general silliness - like Rogers tripping over his own cape - that wasn't really part of the Captain America ethos at the time. In his absence, other important versions of Captain America emerge in the comics, including Sam Wilson.
Madbomb
The "Madbomb" storyline runs through Captain America #193-200 and focused on Captain America and Falcon trying to stop the device from driving people violently insane. The Madbomb was actually one of several such weapons that were essentially brains inside bombshells. They emitted a sonic frequency that drove people insane.
The codenames for the various bombs included Peanut, Dumpling, Big Daddy, and Omega, which further underscored the weirdness of the storyline.
Nazi Frankenstein
Fans seeking comics featuring more of Captain America might be interested in The Invaders, though issue #31 might be more of curiosity. The World War II-era team of Captain America, the Human Torch, and Namor, the Sub-Mariner encounter a version of Frankenstein created by the Nazis in Germany.
The weird confluence of Frankenstein's monster and World War II ends up being weird given there is no effort to try and connect the creature to his classic origins or even explain how he came to be there.
Heroes Reborn
Heroes Reborn was a major 1990s crossover event for Marvel Comics, which saw the Avengers and Fantastic Four collectively rebooted in a pocket universe. The entire experiment was marked by odd choices, including the artistic approach to Captain America by artist Rob Liefeld, which resulted in some sympathy for the iconic hero from comic fans.
Though the idea to streamline the continuity of the characters was part of the object behind the story arc, some choices, like giving The Falcon superpowers from a transfusion from Steve Rogers, were a bit weird and didn't stick.
Secret Empire
The second "Secret Empire" storyline from 2017 remains a controversial event in Marvel Comics history. In the story, Steve Rogers is revealed to have been a secret HYDRA agent the entire time, not only making the twist weird but very out of character.
It was simply never believable, and the ultimate twist - that HYDRA Captain America was in fact not the real one - felt inevitable and necessary. The violence of the story, which included the violent death of Black Widow, also felt out of step with the comic.
Man And Wolf
"Man And Wolf" might be hands down the weirdest Captain America comic book story arc of all. Running through Captain America #402-407, the story sees Steve Rogers transformed into a werewolf known as "Cap-Wolf."
Captain America is joined by Wolverine and Feral from X-Force as he investigates a series of murders involving a werewolf, which he fears involved the Man-Wolf. This eventually leads to him becoming one himself and one of the goofiest stories in modern Captain America comics.