Sam Wilson
Few characters in Marvel history have had a journey quite like Sam Wilson's — bursting onto the scene in Captain America #117 in 1969, a landmark Silver Age debut crafted by the legendary Stan Lee and Gene Colan, he arrived at a pivotal cultural moment and never looked back. Over an extraordinary 57-year publishing history spanning 724 catalogued appearances, Sam has become one of Marvel's most enduring and significant figures, racking up an impressive 24 key issues that collectors prize and historians point to as milestones. His world is populated by the very best of the Marvel Universe — he shares his pages with Steve Rogers, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and more, placing him squarely at the heart of Marvel's biggest stories across Captain America and Avengers titles alike. If you're building a serious Marvel collection or simply want to trace one of comics' most compelling and consequential characters from Silver Age origins to the present day, Sam Wilson is absolutely essential reading.
#117
Trivia
- 🗓️ Sam Wilson first appeared in Captain America #117 in 1969 — that's 57 years ago. It's a recognized key issue.
- 🎨 Co-created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan.
- 🏆 Ranks #131 of 59,192 characters in our catalog by number of appearances — one of the most-published characters we track.
- 📚 Appears in 724 issues across 394 different series.
- ⭐ 24 of their appearances are key issues collectors actively chase.
- 📈 Has appeared in comics for 57 years (1969–2026) — a true Silver Age mainstay.
Covers through the years — 1971–2022
1971
1976
1982
★ 1989
1991
1996
2004
2009
★ 2012
2014
2020
2022