250's for America's 250 · Day 24: Captain America #250 — "Cap for President!"

Publishing: Saturday, July 4, 2026 · Marvel Comics · Cover date: October 1980

Cover art by John Byrne (pencils) and Joe Rubinstein (inks) — the iconic "Captain America for President" campaign-button design

See full issue details on the Grand Comics Database →

Happy Fourth of July — and happy 250th, America. There was only ever one issue that could close this series. On the nation's 250th birthday, we land on the Sentinel of Liberty himself, in a story that's all about what it means to be a symbol of a country.

The issue

"Cap for President!" arrives in the middle of the real 1980 election. The New Populist Party tries to draft Captain America as its presidential candidate. Cap foils terrorists attempting to bomb the party's convention and meets the organizers, who lobby him hard to run. Steve Rogers wrestles with the offer — and ultimately concludes that he serves the American Dream better as Captain America than as a partisan politician, declining the nomination. It's a much-anthologized meditation on patriotism, idealism, and what Cap actually stands for — the perfect note to end on.

Who's in it

• Captain America (Steve Rogers) — weighing a real shot at the presidency against what he believes his symbol is actually for.
• The New Populist Party / Sam Underwood — the political organizers trying to draft Cap as their candidate.
• The Avengers and friends — Iron Man, the Vision, the Wasp, the Beast, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, and Edwin Jarvis all make cameo or supporting appearances.
• J. Jonah Jameson and Joe Robertson — Daily Bugle figures weighing in on the political spectacle.
• Bernie Rosenthal — Steve Rogers's girlfriend of the era, grounding the story's civilian side.

Behind the book (creators)

• Plot: Roger McKenzie & Don Perlin · Script: Roger Stern
• Pencils/breakdowns: John Byrne · Finishes/inks: Joe Rubinstein
• Colors: George Roussos · Letters: Jim Novak
• Editor: Jim Salicrup

Meet the creators

Roger Stern closes out this countdown the way he opened his involvement in it: with the script. This is his third credit in the series, after Day 13's Amazing Spider-Man #250 and Day 14's Avengers #250 — making him the only writer to touch three separate milestone #250 issues across this entire 24-day run, and a fitting through-line to end on.

John Byrne also makes his second appearance in the countdown (after Day 11's Fantastic Four #250), this time providing breakdowns for one of Captain America's most quietly beloved single issues. Joe Rubinstein, finishing the art here, was one of the most prolific and versatile inkers of the era, embellishing pencillers across both Marvel and DC through the late '70s and '80s and giving this issue's iconic campaign-button cover its crisp, poster-ready finish.

What it's worth

A common but deeply beloved Bronze Age issue, prized for the brilliant Byrne campaign-button cover and the standout story. Raw VF/NM copies typically run $15–$40, and CGC 9.8 copies sell in the ~$130–$200 range (a dealer 9.8 was seen at $159.99). A milestone anniversary issue that punches well above its price in cultural value.

Where to read it (collected edition)

Reprinted in Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 9: Dawn's Early Light (collects #247–266 and Annual #5) — and the volume title alone ("Dawn's Early Light") makes it the ideal stopping point for a series about America's 250th.

That's a wrap on "250's for America's 250" — 24 milestone #250 comics, from a 1957 Batman mystery to a 2020 indie marathon, landing on Captain America for the Fourth of July. Thanks for counting down with us. Happy 250th, America.