CAPTAIN DISCOBOLUS

Captain America and the Discobolus do not only share a shield and a perfectly athletic physique; surprisingly, both have a historical connection to World War II.

In fact, the beauty of the statue struck Adolf Hitler so strongly during his trip to Italy in May 1938 that he had the artwork “granted” to him by the subservient Italian government. The Discobolus therefore remained in Germany until 1948, when the noble Captain – already in suspended animation – was unaware that his great enemy had been defeated.

Marvel Comics owns the character Captain America.

The Discobolus was a bronze sculpture created by Myron around 455 BC. Although the original statue has been lost, the subject has survived through the centuries thanks to marble Roman copies.
The athlete is depicted at the moment when his body, after crouching to gather momentum and strength, is about to open up and release the tension, generating greater energy in the throw. He will then rotate and hurl the discus, involving his entire body in the movement.
This statue shows how much athletes were admired in ancient Greece, and how their athletic bodies inspired the ideals of beauty and perfection associated with the gods.

Trivia: The study of the statue enabled the early organizers of the modern Olympic Games to recreate the sport of discus throwing, a discipline whose practice had been lost over time.

Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. He first appeared in Captain America Comics No. 1, published in 1940 by Timely Publications, a predecessor of Marvel.
Captain America’s civilian identity is Steve Rogers, a frail young man rejected by the United States Army due to physical unfitness, who is transformed into the peak of human physical perfection through an experimental “super-soldier” serum. Equipped with a costume inspired by the American flag and a virtually indestructible shield, Captain America and his sidekick Bucky Barnes frequently fought against the Red Skull and other Axis agents during World War II.
In the final days of the war, an accident left Captain America frozen in a state of suspended animation until his awakening in the modern era. He resumed his heroic activities as a costumed superhero and became the leader of the Avengers, though he often struggles to adapt to the new age as a “man out of time.”

Symbols: shield, American flag.

Trivia: The cover of “Captain America Comics” No. 1 is one of the most iconic in comic book history, but it is not without controversy. At the time, the United States was about a year away from entering the war against the Axis powers in World War II, yet the comic’s cover depicted a man dressed in the American flag punching the Führer in the face.

The United States was not yet at war with Germany, and this highly provocative image caused several problems for the creators, who were reportedly forced to hire bodyguards for protection against Nazi sympathizers.