The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

Is Captain America Bulletproof?


Of course, when anyone decides to inject themselves with a super serum, become a super soldier, and then fight the worlds largest underground crime organisation like Hydra - they’re likely to come into contact with gunfire. And when Cap is on the mission to fight Nazi’s, it’s fair to say that he’ll also come into contact with a lot worse! 

Just in The Marvel Cinematic Universe alone, we’ve seen come up against tesseract fuelled weapons, bullets, double-barrel flamethrowers, Mjolnir, another super soldier, high tensile webbing, and of course….a Titan called Thanos! 

We’ve seen him get battered, bruised, shot and thrown around like a rag doll. But is he bulletproof?

captain america with bulletproof shield
click to enlarge
+ 3

Captain America’s Powers

After being drugged with the super serum, Steve Rogers transforms into the perfect human specimen, possessing superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility and intelligence. As well as this he has the ability to heal extremely quickly, mending broken bones as fast as a day as well as any wounds. His metabolism is so fast that his liver processes alcohol so quickly and he can’t get drunk.

Despite his superhuman healing ability, Captain America’s skin can be pierced and therefore he is not bulletproof. We see him get shot near the ribs in Captain America: The First Avenger during his first chase with a Hydra agent. However, we see quickly that alongside his healing ability has come a substantial increase in pain tolerance too.

captain america after taking super serum
click to enlarge
+ 3

Captain America’s Suit

Captain America’s suit is completely fire retardant and the weave of armour embedded within also makes him bulletproof. Captain America has had regular gunshot wounds in his arms, legs and shoulders but has not a bullet pierce him around any important extremities.

Captain America’s Shield

Even though Captain America can be shot, injured and killed with bullets. You’ll rarely ever see him without his bulletproof shield. The shield is made completely from Vibranium, a rare metal sourced from a meteor that landed in Wakanda, the home country of Black Panther. 

Vibranium may be extremely abundant in Wakanda and used to propel their technologically advanced utopian country (as well as Black Panther’s Suit), but it is difficult to source anywhere else on the planet apart from Cap’s shield. In some Arcs, it’s also laced with a steel alloy, as well as adamantium (the same metal found in Wolverine’s claws and the strongest material element on Earth).

Captain America with shield and Winter Soldier
click to enlarge
+ 3

One of the properties of Vibranium is that it absorbs almost 100% of the impact that it comes into contact with. It’s the reason that no one can hear Black Panther when he runs. Therefore it’s almost indestructible and can take a far bigger hit than from some bullets.

Similarly to Batman who wears a kevlar suit to keep him safe from stab wounds or gunfire, Captain America has the weapons and gadgets to make him bulletproof. Alongside his super speedy healing, he’s almost invulnerable.

Related: How Did Spider-Man Get His Powers?

For more articles like this, take a look at our Marvel page.