This is the latest in a feature where I just share some bit of comic book history that interests me. Here is a collection of all of the installments in the feature so far.

Today we take a look at a dozen original designs of notable superheroes, from the 1940s through the very early 1990s...

Enjoy!

Here's Joe Simon's original presentation of Captain America for Martin Goodman at Timely Comics...



Here, with Jack Kirby's inks (and possibly finishes, as well), is that sketch added into the first issue of Captain America Comics (this was the 1940s, they couldn't waste a perfectly fine drawing like that)...



Heritage Auctions auctioned off this H.G. Peter drawing, the first drawing of Wonder Woman, complete with notes from William Marston about the design...



As featured in this week's Comic Book Legends Revealed, here is Jack Kirby's original design for the Black Panther (back when he and Stan Lee were calling him the Coal Tiger)...



We leap forward to the 1970s as we see John Romita do a trio of designs.

First, his initial design for the Punisher (based on Gerry Conway's basic idea)...



Then his design for Wolverine...





And finally, his design for Ms. Marvel...



As a bonus, here's Romita's first Mary Jane Watson sketch...



Go to the next page, as we hit the 1980s!

This might actually be late 1979, but whatever. Here's John Byrne's original sketch for Kitty Pryde...



Next up, we have John Romita's original designs for Firestar for the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends cartoon...





Here is George Perez's design for Nightwing...



Here's Neal Adams' design for the Tim Drake Robin...



Courtesy of 2000's X-Men Archives: Sketchbook, here are Jim Lee's original sketches for Gambit...



Finally, here's Rob Liefeld's original designs for what became Cable...



What awesome pieces of comic book history!