When Does "Captain America Comics" #1 (1940) Take Place?
"Captain America Comics" #1 is a superhero comic-book written by Joe Simon with Jack Kirby and released December 12th, 1940.
It takes place on the fictional Marvel Universe timeline in the year:
We know this because the first story, "Case No. 1. Meet Captain America", begins with a time and place setting in a narration textbox that reads "U.S.A. --- 1941".
1941 AD
We know this because the first story, "Case No. 1. Meet Captain America", begins with a time and place setting in a narration textbox that reads "U.S.A. --- 1941".
Furthermore, a very early scene depicts a President of the United States who strongly resembles the real-world President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (serving from 1933 AD to 1945 AD). Immediately afterward, Roosevelt introduces the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Arthur Grover. This is certainly intended to be an analog for the real-world J. Edgar Hoover (serving from 1935 AD to 1972 AD).
If one accepts the concept of the sliding timescale of the Marvel Universe, the events of this story might not always take place at this point, as they might move forward in time relative to new stories. As Douglas Wolk wrote in 2021, "The big Marvel story is a funhouse-mirror history".
It is a chronologically midway story in the Marvel Universe timeline (a first chronological story to feature Steve Rogers/Captain America and Bucky Barnes).
It was adapted to film in 2011.
It was adapted to film in 2011.
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"Captain America Comics" #1 also includes the stories:
--"Case No. 2" written by Joe Simon with Jack Kirby
It takes place on the fictional Marvel Universe timeline in the year:
1940s AD
Other than clearly taking place after the first story (the Captain America origin story, which occurred in 1941 AD), this story is unplaceable.
It is a chronologically midway story in the Marvel Universe timeline.
--"Captain America and the Soldiers' Soup" is believed to be written by Joe Simon with Martin Burstein
This story is a prose short story in-between comics stories.
It takes place on the fictional Marvel Universe timeline in the year:
1940s AD
Other than clearly taking place after the first story (the Captain America origin story, which occurred in 1941 AD), this story is unplaceable.
It is a chronologically midway story in the Marvel Universe timeline.
--"Captain America and the Chess-Board of Death" written by Joe Simon with Jack Kirby
It takes place on the fictional Marvel Universe timeline in the year:
1940s AD
Other than clearly taking place after the first story (the Captain America origin story, which occurred in 1941 AD), this story is unplaceable.
It is a chronologically midway story in the Marvel Universe timeline.
--"Captain America and the Riddle of the Red Skull" written by Ed Herron
It takes place on the fictional Marvel Universe timeline in the year:
1940s AD
Other than clearly taking place after the first story (the Captain America origin story, which occurred in 1941 AD), this story is unplaceable.
It is a chronologically midway story in the Marvel Universe timeline.
It was adapted to film in 2011.
--"Murder, Ltd.", a back-up story written by an unknown writer; is not a Captain America story, it stars Hurricane/Mike Cury/Mercury/Makkari of the Eternals.
It takes place on the fictional Marvel Universe timeline in the year:
1900s AD
Other than taking place during the 20th century, this story is unplaceable.
It is a chronologically midway story in the Marvel Universe timeline.
and
--"Stories from the Dark Ages", a back-up story believed to be written by Otto Binder; is not a Captain America story, it stars Tuk, Caveboy.
--"Stories from the Dark Ages", a back-up story believed to be written by Otto Binder; is not a Captain America story, it stars Tuk, Caveboy.
It takes place in the years:
50000s BC
Other than taking place sometime in "the Prehistoric wilds of 50,000 B.C.", this story is unplaceable.
It is a chronologically early story in the Marvel Universe timeline.
