Have a happy, Cappy Christmas

Word Balloons #1192: Captain America's Christmas celebrations

With the holiday season upon us, I’m taking a look this week at another favorite comic-book character and some holiday-themed stories he has appeared in. Captain America doesn’t have as many holiday tales as last week’s stars, the X-Men, but he has enough to make for some happy back-issue hunting. 

Captain America #292 

“An American Christmas” (April 1984)

Writer J.M. DeMatteis joins artists Paul Neary and Eduardo Baretto for this issue, which introduces the Native American hero Black Crow, who does battle with Captain America. Steve Rogers and his girlfriend at the time, Bernie Rosenthal, throw a Christmas party in Cap’s Brooklyn Heights apartment, which is interrupted by another visit from the Black Crow. There’s not necessarily a lot of holiday content in this one, but there is a Christmas tree and a big emotional finish. 

Marvel Holiday Special 1991

Steve Rogers is volunteering at the holiday dinner at the VFW when he meets Rebecca Proctor, a woman who doesn’t know what became of her brother back in World War II. Her brother’s name? James Buchanan Barnes, a.k.a. Cap’s wartime partner Bucky. Steve visits Rebecca and her family on Christmas to explain what happened to Bucky and to share what he can with Rebecca. Written by Len Kaminski with pencils by Ron Lim and inks by James Sanders III. A pin-up in the issue by Rik Levins and Dan Panosian features Cap and his then-girlfriend Diamondback by a Christmas tree.  

Winter Soldier: Winter Kills (2006)

Only tangentially a Captain America story, this issue focuses on Bucky, revived as the Winter Solider in modern times and experiencing his first Christmas since 1944. He’s contacted by Nick Fury to stop a raid by the Young Avengers that could compromise a Hydra base that Nick has been shadowing. 

Written by Ed Brubaker with Lee Weeks, this captures the melancholy of the holiday for a man who missed many of them through no fault of his own, and his desire to make up, to some degree, for lost time. 

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewLprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.