17

I assume that it's fairly heavy to account for the amount of force behind it when thrown, although that could be attributed to Cap's super-strength. However, I seem to recall an occasion where a normal human being picked it up.

Is there a stated canon for how heavy Captain America's shield is and does this vary between continuities? (The Marvel Movie Universe, for example, says that the shield made of a lightweight yet durable alloy)

Improve this question
2
  • The shield is made of Vibranium, I recall, a force and energy absorbtive element. So rare a substance that the shield contains nearly all the known supply. Made by the elder Stark, as seen in the recent Captain America movie
    – Ihor Sypko
    Commented May 14, 2013 at 19:49
  • I'm guessing you may have been thinking of the time Kelsey Kirkland (at the time a normal human woman) picked it up and used it to defend a downed Cap?
    – Monty129
    Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 13:58

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
33

According to Marvel Universe:

Captain America's only weapon was his shield, a concave disk 2.5 feet in diameter, weighing 12 pounds.

Marvel Wiki lists it as 10 pounds, but since Marvel Universe is run and curated by Marvel employees, I'd trust that figure more.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    The site you've quoted contains a disclaimer that it's not curated info. "Take note, True Believer! This crowd-sourced content has not yet been verified for accuracy by our erudite editors! - - MARVEL EDITORIAL STAFF"
    – Valorum
    Commented Apr 4, 2021 at 6:22
  • Also, the wiki no longer lists it as ten pounds.
    – Valorum
    Commented Apr 4, 2021 at 9:20
4

This isn't canon, but this article uses math and physics to figure out that Captain America's shield in the MCU weighs 43.9 pounds.

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    Except there's a few flaws in the data from that article. As noted in the 2nd comment on the article, they should have taken some data from a different scene where Cap throws the shield too, and chances are the weight would have come up different, seeing as it's assumed the animators didn't take the time to figure out the velocity required to match the weight of the shield to make it accurate.
    – Monty129
    Commented Jul 16, 2014 at 17:03
  • I'll take your word for it about there being flaws I didn't dig into the math. I still think it's useful since an entirely accurate weight for the Cinematic Universe is unlikely.
    – numaroth
    Commented Jul 16, 2014 at 21:35
  • 2
    I agree, it's pretty impressive that someone took the time to figure all that out based purely from the trailer scene alone.
    – Monty129
    Commented Jul 16, 2014 at 21:39
4

Echoing the accepted answer, the (fully canon) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 1 #3) lists the weight of Captain America's shield as 12 pounds.

Captain America carries but one weapon, his shield. A 2½ foot diameter concave disc weighing 12 pounds...

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.