Captain America (Steven "Steve" Rogers) is a superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He appears in the Ultimate Marvel line of books, and is an alternative version of Captain America. The character first appeared in The Ultimates #1 (March 2002), and was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch (based upon the original version of the character by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby).
Fictional character biography
Steve Rogers grew up in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, a scrawny child protected from neighborhood bullies by his best friend "Bucky" Barnes. Horrified by newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers was inspired to enlist in the Army around the time that the United States entered World War II. However, because of failing the physical test, he was rejected. Refusing to work in factories, he reattempted enlistment several times. His luck changed during another visit to a Recruitment Center when Military Sergeant Dugan recruited him for Project: Rebirth, after hearing Rogers' pleas. After voluntarily subjecting to surgery, steroid treatments, and other experimental treatments supervised by Doctor Erskine, Rogers became the first genetically-enhanced super-soldier. During the final treatment, he noticed a suspicious soldier focusing on him instead of standing guard. The shady man revealed himself as a Nazi spy sent to murder Rogers in the event that he survived the entire experiment. Rogers stopped him from destroying the experiment, but not before the spy murdered Doctor Erskine and other soldiers who attempted to stop him. Fully committing himself to the American war efforts, Rogers bid farewell to his sweetheart Gail Richards, becoming Captain America.
For the next three years, he underwent numerous covert operations, often accompanied by Bucky, now a war photographer, and sometimes alongside James "Lucky Jim" Howlett. During one mission, Captain America was able to infiltrate Arnim Zola's facility and kill his first experimental monster, which Zola dubbed "Siegsoldat" ("Victory soldier"). The experiment's dead body then fell on Zola, seemingly killing the latter. During one of his few leaves he met up with Gail and they spent the night together, which resulted in her becoming pregnant. He would later come into battle with Herr Kleiser, who possessed a prototype atomic bomb, made with alien technology, and was meant to target the White House. Captain America managed to get to the bomb as it was launched. In a successful attempt to stop it in mid air, he fell into the sea and was lost, presumed dead.
The Ultimates
Years later, Captain America was found in the Arctic Ocean, frozen in a block of ice, and was revived. Initially he thought S.H.I.E.L.D. were a group of Nazi soldiers who had captured him, but eventually realized that he was in a different time after seeing a modern New York City. He discovers that his best friend Bucky Barnes is now married to his fiancée and that all of his loved ones are dead.
After catching up to his new era, Captain America is inducted into the Ultimates, the superhero task force maintained by S.H.I.E.L.D. Soon after, the Ultimates are faced with the Hulk. Rogers was able to put down the Hulk briefly during combat. When he was about to inject the Hulk with an antidote, the Hulk made a surprise attack and broke the needle and the Hulk then began beating Cap, until Thor came to the rescue. After the Hulk had reverted to Bruce Banner, Cap knocked the former out and had Banner taken back to the Triskelion.
After learning that his teammates Hank and Janet Pym's quarrels with each other had left Janet hospitalized and nearly dead, Rogers tracked the now fugitive Hank to a bar and engaged him in combat, emerging victorious. He then takes Janet flowers and other gifts, but she was not amused by his actions and rejected his gifts. Rogers soon discovered that his nemesis, Herr Kleiser, had survived World War II and was an alien soldier. This was why he would always seem to survive, Cap saying that he has killed Kleiser "twice". When Kleiser resurfaced, the two resumed their enmity. During the Chitari invasion, Rogers fought Kleiser in combat, but was unable to defeat him due to his regeneration abilities. When the Hulk was dropped into their battle, Captain America convinced the Hulk that Kleiser was "hitting on Betty", causing the Hulk to mutilate and then eat Kleiser. After the successful battle against the Chitari, Rogers danced with Janet and a relationship between them bloomed. The relationship would later become sour as Rogers's 1940s personality created a generation gap, causing Janet to secretly go back to her ex-husband.