The U.S. Army has always loved its fictional, star-spangled Avenger and brother-in-arms: Captain America. Because Steve Rogers served in the Army, he is entitled to receive the benefits of being a soldier. Logically, this would include back pay for the 66 years he spent frozen in ice.
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For those not in the know, Cap (alias Steve Rogers) was a scrawny kid who fought to enlist and served his country in World War II. Because his heart was pure, he was chosen to receive the super-soldier serum, an experimental drug that would improve his physical abilities, metabolism, and generally make him, well, a Super Soldier.
Thus, he became Captain America.
Although his origin has World War II roots, to keep Captain America’s backstory of service as a World War II hero relevant across eras, just know that Rogers was frozen in ice and thawed out years later.
That number is 66 years, and it’s a long time to spend frozen. Fan theories have surfaced about exactly how much he would be owed by the Army when he finally returned to active duty. This caught the attention of an Army spokesman who clarified that, if he were real, Rogers would have received back pay.
In the comics, this was answered briefly and never mentioned again in Captain America #312. He’s given a check for “almost a million dollars,” which he tries to refuse. He then decides to use the money to set up a hotline through which citizens can reach him for help—because Captain America is that kind of guy.
Marvel Comics’ sliding timeline is confusing, so it’s hard to fact-check that amount. After all, based on comic continuity, it’s only been fewer than 30 years since Spider-Man was bitten (and Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” premiered more than 20 years ago—feel old yet?), so let’s take the writer’s word and move on. Things get more interesting, however, if we focus on the current Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Cap and calculate his back pay.
A Redditor, Anon33249038, the user who grabbed the attention of the previously mentioned Army spokesman, did the math to include the Army’s 1945 O-3 pay grade (including biannual raises) all the way up to the start of the 2011 MCU film, “The Avengers.” His total amount owed would be a surprising (and staggering for any real-world soldier) $3,154,619.52, adjusted for inflation.
The spokesman pointed out the many missing variables in that equation, including the fact that Rogers’ $313.50 was paid quarterly instead of monthly, some misinterpreted pay scales, and any unaccounted-for promotions while Capt. Rogers was listed as missing until he was dropped from the roll.
All of which is confusing because he was presumed dead until Nick Fury found him just before “The Avengers.”
The more accurate amount, given all the variables, comes from the folks at Nerdist. Since he was never officially promoted to major, the time-in-service pay increases stop at 18 years, and calculating pay monthly for 66 years at the same rate, adjusting for inflation, gives you a grand total of $4,692,152.56 owed to Captain America. They reached this by adjusting his $375,474.00 for inflation until 2011.
However, DFAS has never had to deal with a 66-year gap for a frozen-in-time, super-serum-infused hero having to adjust each paycheck for inflation. But, when the military gives back pay, they don’t usually factor in inflation or annual pay increases. Which seems unfair to anyone, but especially Captain America.
The solution is much simpler than everyone made it out to be. If he were to be paid at more current rates, his total amount would be a similar $4,782,888.00 in just base pay alone. Granted, Captain America would probably turn that check down, just like in the comics… if the VA didn’t try to renegotiate it down to an “almost a million” first.
