Steve Rogers may be the most famous Captain America, but in the comics, he wasn't even the first. Falcon & Winter Soldier.
But Steve Rogers' shield is destined to wind up with an unexpected hero in the future. In Cable & Deadpool #25, Steve Rogers crossed paths with the X-Men's Cable, the time-traveling hero who was - at the time - attempting to establish his own island paradise nation. It wasn't the first time the two encountered one another - Captain America and Cable actually teamed up to take down Nazi Sentinels in World War II - but this time Nathan Summers was in a rather more chatty mood. He revealed that, in his timeline, he became the future's Captain America; the Sentinel of Liberty, who, inspired by the legacy of Steve Rogers, led armies in the battle for freedom and justice.
It's a fascinating moment, casting Cable in a whole new light; he's not only a mutant revolutionary, but he's also heir to the mantle of Captain America. What's more, from Cable's conversation (and psychically-shared memories), Nathan seems to have carried that shield for years. When he gets the chance to pick up Captain America's shield in the present, it's like being reunited with an old friend, and he is forced to it he is tempted to refuse to give it back. He does so, of course, in part out of respect for the timeline - but also, in part, because of his respect for Steve.
Steve Rogers, for his part, is shaken by the revelation his legacy will live on for millennia. He's always tended to take each day at a time - understandably, given his experience of having been revived in an unfamiliar world - but suddenly Cable confronted him with the truth that his actions really do matter. However much the world may change, Captain America will never be forgotten.
