Marvel Officially Announces Name of Captain America's New Sidekick

Published Nov 2, 2026, 6:30 PM EST

Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words.

Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II.

Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno.

Marvel is officially giving Steve Rogers' Captain America a new sidekick, and now fans know the name by which this new character will be known. Not only that, we have a first look at their Iron Man-style armor.

Upcoming issues of Captain America will see Steve Rogers operating outside Earth-616 canon, as one of his villains (identity not yet known) warps reality, leaving Steve trapped in a "dystopian future" where his name is mud.

Along for the ride is a truly unlikely sidekick, joining the honored ranks of Steve Rogers' sidekicks, including Bucky Barnes, Rick Jones and Lemar Hoskins.

Marvel Confirms Captain America's New Sidekick Is 'VIC'

Captain America's new sidekick is "Vic" - a recently introduced child clone of Doctor Doom. First seen in April's Captain America #10, and created by Chip Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti, Vic is a secret contingency plan by the original Doom intended to eventually become his heir. While Vic is a genetic copy of Doctor Doom, he was activated early and doesn't have the dictator's memories.

Now, Marvel has confirmed that Vic will return for Cap's far-future adventure, with the summary for Captain America #17 reading:

ON THE RUN! In the aftermath of ARMAGEDDON, Captain America goes on the run with VIC, the child clone of DOCTOR DOOM. The U.N.-backed S.H.I.E.L.D. has demanded Vic be turned over, pitting Cap against NICK FURY. Meanwhile, one of Cap's oldest enemies returns!

Vic is then shown on the covers of Captain America #18 and #19, with the summary for the latter confirming Cap will still have "the child clone of Doctor Doom" in tow.

Raised in Latveria, Vic has been subject to Doctor Doom's propaganda but trusts Steve as his protector. However, with international sentiment turning against superpowered beings following Avengers Armageddon, it seems Nick Fury's reconstructed S.H.I.E.L.D. won't trust Cap as the proto-villain's guardian.

Captain America's New Sidekick Will Get His Own Iron Man Armor

While solicit information for Captain America #17 reveals Vic will travel with Steve, it's #19 that proves he'll be a full-fledged sidekick. Valerio Schiti's art for the issue shows Vic in a hooded jacket with an Iron Man mask and gauntlet. He and Steve stand alongside a silvery Iron Man - likely a new character, given the story is set in the future.

The cover also hints they'll face villainous versions of Spider-Man and potentially the Falcon, suggesting that this dystopian future is one in which the Avengers' legacy has been corrupted.

This Isn't The First Time Steve Rogers Adopted A Major Villain's Son

Longtime fans will have déjà vu at the thought of Steve traveling a dystopian world with a supervillain's clone son. 2012's 'Castaway in Dimension Z' arc saw Cap adopt and raise Ian Rogers, the genetically engineered son of Arnim Zola. Steve and Ian spent years as a family in the brutal dimension, with Ian later coming to Earth-616 as the new Nomad, where he still operates.

However, it's worth noting that Steve is taking on Vic as a sidekick at a very different time in his life. Avengers Armageddon saw Bucky Barnes killed by the Red Hulk while Steve was in a coma. It's likely that there's never been a time when he wanted a young hero by his side less, and his focus is probably going to be on protecting Vic rather than training him.

Will Captain America End Up Raising The Next Doctor Doom?

Of course, with the events of One World Under Doom and Doctor Doom recently tricking Captain America into helping him take over Hell itself, there's also likely to be a lingering question in Steve Rogers' mind - would the world be better off without another Victor von Doom?

Captain America's next arc will see him take on a dystopian future with new sidekick Vic, a child clone of Doctor Doom without the supervillain's memories or powers, but with all of his potential for evil.