Captain America has one of the most iconic outfits in the annals of superhero history. While many superheroes have a red, white, and blue patriotic American color scheme, Steve Rogers’ particular combination is the definitive version. This summer, however, this classic hero is revisiting an era he was previously iced out of: disco culture.

The 1970s were a unique era for pop culture, marked by the rise of disco music, flashy fashion, and a general vibe of exuberance. This retro delight (or fashion disaster depending on your perspective) is part of Marvel’s campaign of Dazzling Disco variant covers, celebrating the mutant Dazzler’s new solo series by Jason Loo and Rafael Loureiro.

Across 21 variant covers, Marvel artists will depict the universe’s greatest heroes staying alive on the dance floor in unbuttoned collars, tight pants, and wide lapels. Dazzler was created in the late 1970s as a joint venture between Marvel and Casablanca Records, a label that dealt with a lot of disco artists. The deal fell through, however, but rather than let their work go to waste (especially since Dazzler had already been teased in other Marvel books), Marvel published Dazzler’s first solo series in 1981. She’s mostly been a team player ever since, but as the X-Men begin their new ‘From the Ashes’ era, she’s once again a solo star.

Marvel’s Dazzler Variant Covers

Title

Artist

Release Date

Avengers #17

Scott Campbell

August 7

Daredevil #12

Scott Godlewski

August 7

Deadpool #5

Annie Wu

August 7

Doctor Strange #18

Marguerite Sauvage

August 7

Fantastic Four #23

Ben Su

August 7

Incredible Hulk #15

Todd Nauck

August 7

Uncanny X-Men #1

Pablo Villalobos

August 7

Amazing Spider-Man #55

Luciano Vecchio

August 14

Immortal Thor #14

Lee Garbett

August 14

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #23

Karen Darboe

August 14

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #8

Guiseppe Camuncoli

August 14

Venom #36

Rickie Yagawa

August 14

Werewolf By Night: Red Band #1

Jeremy Wilson

August 14

X-Factor #1

David Lopez

August 14

X-Men #2

Olivier Vatine

August 14

Incredible Hulk #16

Edwin Galmon

August 21

Scarlet Witch #3

Jessica Fong

August 21

Amazing Spider-Man #56

Joelle Jones

August 28

Captain America #12

Elizabeth Torque

August 28

X-Force #2

Phil Noto

August 28

Avengers Assemble #1

Anand Ramcheron

September 11

Alex Ross photorealistic painting of Captain America (left) and Iron Man (right.)

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Captain America Gets His Own Dazzler Suit

Steve Rogers Gets a Second Chance at Disco

Steve Rogers' catch-up list from the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

As shown in his “catch-up notebook” in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers has been curious about disco for a while. Now, he actually gets to live it. Elizabeth Torque’s groovy art gives Steve a wide, open collar to show off his pecs, and adds the perfect accents by star-spangling his pants. It seems he may have also bedazzled his shield, better to reflect Dazzler’s light attacks. However, given the overall blue tone of his outfit, there’s one classic hero who did live through the 1970s that his new look evokes – Nightwing.

After Dick Grayson retired from being Batman’s sidekick Robin, he debuted a new alter ego in 1984: Nightwing. His high-tech suit was optimized for mobility, drawing on Dick’s experience not only with the Dark Knight, but as an acrobat with the circus. With a low-cut top, lighter colors, and a wide lapel, George Pérez’s design was meant to remind readers of Nightwing’s time with the Flying Graysons. However, given the time of its debut, it brought another theme to mind: disco. Nightwing’s perfectly coiffed hair and sex-symbol status didn’t do much to dissuade this association, and the costume is remembered today as Nightwing’s disco suit.

nightwing (2)

The new look suits Steve, and given the nature of the Marvel Universe, fans may see it again. Reality warping, time travel and shapeshifters mean any look is possible, and popular variant cover looks have a habit of returning. Maybe if he makes an appearance in Dazzler’s new solo series, he’ll bring this outfit out of the closet for an adventure with her, fitting in at the roller rink or dance floor. After all, even a symbol of heroism like Captain America isn’t immune to the allure of disco fever.

Captain America #12 is coming August 28 from Marvel Comics.

  • Captain America Face and Shield in Alex Ross Comic Cover Art

    Captain America
    Created By:
    Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

    First Appearance:
    Captain America Comics

    Alias:
    Steve Rogers, John Walker, Sam Wilson

    Alliance:
    Avengers, Invaders, S.H.I.E.L.D., U.S. Army

    Race:
    Human

    Franchise:
    Marvel