Captain America’s iconic costume raises a lot of confusion given its similarity to the Puerto Rican flag. Here’s everything you need to know about the differences between the two and what they represent.
The Captain America costume features a blue color with a single white star on the chest and white stripes along the shoulders. The Puerto Rican flag, on the other hand, has a single white star on the left third, surrounded by a blue triangle centered on the left edge of the flag.
The two are remarkably similar, and it’s no wonder that people are confused as to what Captain America’s costume is supposed to represent. The rest of this article will explain the differences between the two and what the original design behind the costume was intended to convey.
What Is the Captain America Costume Like?
Good ole Cap features a blue and black tracksuit with a single white star on the chest, accented by three white stripes that cross the shoulders.
His iconic shield has three concentric circles from the outside to a central blue circle, going from red to white to red to blue. In the blue circle, the shield features a star .
What Is the Puerto Rico Flag Like?
The Puerto Rico Flag has a similar color scheme of red, white, and blue. A blue triangle juts out from the left edge, forming a point at the center of the flag.
In the blue triangle a white star accentuates the left third. The rest of the flag consists of five stripes, three of which are red and two of which are white. The red stripes are the outer two and the central stripe, while the white stripes comprise the rest of the flag.
Why Are the Two So Similar?
The confusion between the two designs is likely due to the fact that both the Captain America suit and shield feature a blue color marked by a single star. Similarly, the Puerto Rican flag is recognized for its white star in a blue triangle.
The design of Captain America’s suit, in its various forms, is not intended to represent the territory of Puerto Rico, at least not officially.
According to the Marvel fandom, the costume was designed with the colors red, white, and blue to distinguish Captain America from the villain Red Skull and inspire the U.S. and Allied forces; however, the connection between Captain America and Puerto Rico isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.
Puerto Rican Marvel character America Chavez, who recently made her first movie appearance in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, once took on the role of Captain America in a different Marvel comic, taking on the moniker Miss America. As such, in another universe, at least, the two are strongly connected.
Final Thoughts
The traditional design of Captain America’s costume is not supposed to be evocative of Puerto Rico’s single-starred flag, although the similarity of a white star emblazoned on a blue background is certainly striking.
