Red Guardian

A Soviet counterpart to Captain America, this Red Guardian emerged during the Cold War era as a champion operating behind the Iron Curtain, representing a parallel vision of patriotic heroism on the opposite side of the superpower divide.

Born into the Cold War tensions of 1989's Captain America #352, Red Guardian arrived in the Copper Age as Marvel's answer to the question of what heroism looks like on the other side of the Iron Curtain. With credits from the legendary Mark Gruenwald alongside Kieron Dwyer and Al Milgrom, this character carries serious Marvel pedigree from the start. Over three decades of publication, Red Guardian has kept remarkable company — sharing adventures with Captain America himself, Crimson Dynamo, and Perun — and boasts affiliations with the Avengers, Alpha Flight, and the Soviet Super Soldiers, making them one of Marvel's most internationally connected figures. With a key issue to their name and appearances stretching from 1989 all the way to 2020, this is a character whose place in Marvel's geopolitical tapestry rewards any collector willing to dig in.