Captain America Killed Off

The venerable superhero is killed in the issue of his comic that hit stands this week. A sniper shoots down the shield-wielding hero as he leaves a courthouse, according to the New York Daily News, which saw an advanced copy of the comic. The death of Captain America ends a 66-year run for the superhero created in 1941 to encourage patriotic feelings during World War II.Over the years, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books, published by New York-based Marvel Entertainment, have been sold in a total of 75 countries. But resurrections are not uncommon in the world of comics, and Marvel Entertainment editor in chief Joe Quesada said a Captain America comeback wasn't impossible. Still, the character's death came as a blow to co-creator Joe Simon. The 93-year-old Simon, worked with artist Jack Kirby to devise Captain America as a foe for Adolf Hitler.