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Captain America
Steve Rogers
Steve Rogers
"I'm loyal to nothing, General — except the Dream."
Alter Ego: Steven "Steve" Rogers
Notable Aliases: Anthony Schwarz, Blondie, The Blue Devil, Brett Hendrick, The Brooklyn Project, Buck Jones, Captain Flagpole, Captain World, Cap-Wolf, Crossbones, Eagle, Expatriate, The First Avenger, Flag Boy, Flag-Face, Flag-Man, General Overview, Grampa Steve, Granny, He Whose Name Should Not Be Stated Aloud, Kapitan Amerika, The Living legend, Lord of the Frozen Ice, Man Out of Time, The Man Without a Country, Mister Avenger, Mortal Enemy of HYDRA, Nathan Hale, Nomad, Rembrandt, Roger Grant, Roger Stevens, Scourge of All That Is Evil, Sentinel of Liberty, Shield-Slinger, Sky King, Spider-King, Star-Spangled Avenger, Stevie, Steven Grant Rogers, Striped Crusader, Subject 223, Super-Soldier, "Symbol of Freedom", The Captain, Weapon I, Winghead, Wing-Tips, World's Top Cop, Yeoman America
Editorial Names: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier
First Appearance: Captain America Comics Vol 1 #1 (March, 1941)note
"I've been given a second chance. I must make sure that I'll prove worthy of it."
Rejected by the army during World War II but still intent on serving his country, Steve Rogers volunteered for a Super Soldier project that would give him increased physical capabilities greater than those of all but the mightiest human athletes. It worked, and once given a uniform and shield, he became a patriotic symbol in his fight against the Axis powers before disappearing mysteriously. Flash forward many decades, and a new generation of superheroes found him frozen in suspended animation. Once thawed he became a member, and later leader, of The Avengers.Steve Rogers provides examples of:
- 10-Minute Retirement:
- Cap famously abandoned his identity in the 1970s after finding out the identity of the Secret Empire's leadernote and continued to operate as the Nomad.
- He also gave up the identity in the 80s when the U.S. Government tried to force Cap to work as a government-sanctioned operative. He spent several weeks travelling America anonymously, until a chance encounter with the eco-terrorist Brother Nature inspired him to continue superheroics by donning a black costume and changing his name to "The Captain".
- After he came Back from the Dead before Siege, he refused to take up the shield full-time, instead letting Bucky Barnes continue as Captain America until his Faking the Dead during Fear Itself.
- When his Super Soldier Serum is deactivated, he gives the identity and shield to The Falcon as he's been rendered an old man. When Kobik restores Steve to full, he tells Sam to keep using the name and the shield, though he'll be back in the saddle as well, missing the adventure of it all.
- Abusive Dad: Steve's father Joseph was an alcoholic who beat him and his mother Sarah.
- The Ace: Boy is he ever. He's a born leader, an incredibly excellent strategist, an extremely formidable combatant, and overall, one of the greatest superheroes in comic book industry. It's no wonder why the superhero community reveres him.
- A Father to His Men: One of the reasons why people to turn him as the leader is his protectiveness and concern over them. He frequently looks out for them and treats them like family.
- All-American Face: Cap was conceived as the ultimate symbol of america. He has the big A for a reason.
- All-Loving Hero: He's the Marvel counterpart of Superman, after all. At one point Magneto tried to erase his mind of all prejudice towards Mutants, to prove his claim that even someone like Cap could be prejudiced. Problem for Magneto: Captain America has no prejudice towards anybody.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Steve was bullied as a kid, his skinny physique making him an easy target in the eyes of bullies.
- All Your Powers Combined: An Empowered Badass Normal version. Anyone who knows about athletes can tell you that not every physique is suited to every type of athletic performance. Marathon runners are not sprinters, sprinters are not weightlifters, weightlifters are not pole vaulters, and so on. However, Cap can do it all thanks to his Super Soldier Serum that gives him slightly above the peak of human ability in all of these things at once.
- Alternate Company Equivalent: With Superman, not in terms of power set, but in terms of moral character and status as The Paragon for their respective universe's superheroes and civilians.
- Ambiguously Christian: We never see him reading the Bible, attending church, or praying (unlike his explicitly Christian Ultimate Marvel counterpart), but Maria Hill describes him as a churchgoer in Avengers Standoff and he invokes the will of God toward the end of Roger Stern's Cap run.
- The Artifact: Steve's secret identity rarely ever served much purpose, as he had no consistent civilian supporting cast; he had one pretty much because it was assumed all superheroes should have one. Done away with in 2002, and it hasn't really impacted the comics much at all.
- Badass Biker: Steve's main mode of ground transportation is frequently a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
- Badass Cape: Dons one as the Nomad.
- Balance, Speed, Strength Trio: The Balance to The Falcon's Speed and The Winter Soldier's Strength. Steve is fairly fast and strong, but he's not as fast as The Falcon because The Falcon has wings and not as strong as The Winter Soldier because The Winter Soldier has a cybernetic arm.
- Battle Couple: With Sharon or Rachel/Diamondback.
- Bash Brothers: With both Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes.
- Becoming the Mask: Meta level. In part because he has no real secret identity, Cap and Steve are pretty much synonymous (and everyone knows it). Any other Captain in Marvel tends to get called by something else.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Cap is one of the friendliest, most easygoing guys you'll ever meet. Granted, once you piss him off you better hope you're Made of Iron, because he's one of Earth's premiere martial artists and he's got .
- Big Good: Mainly for The Avengers, but also the Marvel Universe as a whole. Any superhero worthy of the title in the Marvel U will defer to Cap, no exceptions. He's SO MUCH a Big Good that he's actually been able to lift Thor's hammer'', something only possible for those who are worthy.
- Boxing Battler: Fitting his rough Irish-American background, Steve is a very talented boxer and uses a lot of jabs, hooks and uppercuts to pound enemies into submission. His strength means that he can usually take non-powered opponents with just one hit.
- Boy Next Door: Sweet, sincere, honest and well mannered.
- Brainwashed and Crazy:
- Happened to him on one unfortunate instance, courtesy of Dr. Faustus and the Grand Director. He even wielded a swastika-adorned version of his shield.note
- In a second instance, when restoring Steve to physical and mental perfection, Kobik* rewrote his past so that he believes himself to be a deep-cover HYDRA agent, as a result of her own brainwashing by the Red Skull.
- Blue Is Heroic: Despite being supposed to represent the American flag, blue is by far the most prominent color in his costume, invoking this trope.
- Bound and Gagged: Gets himself tied up in Avengers Issue #275 and gagged with a white cloth. He's still held captive by issue #276.
- Brooklyn Rage: Subverted on the "rage" part as he's the nicest, most polite guy from Brooklyn you'll ever meet. Except if he finds out you're trying to kill people or bully the innocent, at which point he's gonna use all his strength and skills to stop you. And he'll still try to talk you out of it with a polite lecture even as he's beating the crap out of you.
- Brought Down to Badass: In at least one instance when the super soldier serum failed, Steve's enemies learned the hard way that losing his strength didn't mean Steve forgot how to fight. Eben when he grew old thanks to the serum being removed, he still remained to kick some asses as the leader of SHIELD.
- Brought to You by the Letter "S": The letter "A" is emblazoned on his mask and is an iconic part of Cap's outfit.
- Bulletproof Vest: While his shield is undeniably his greatest defense, his uniform is no slouch itself. It's made of kevlar, nomex and light weight titanium, which makes it capable of withstanding bullets. Case in point…
- Cannot Talk to Women: On occasion. Co-workers in the Avengers, yeah, but when it comes to romantic matters...
- The Cape: He is probably Marvel's best capeless Cape. Cap makes it clear on numerous occasions that he doesn't stand for America as a nation specifically, but for "the Dream", to the point where he's willing to fight and die for his beliefs against his own government.
- Cape Snag: His outfit as Nomad had a cape... for about five minutes. The first time Steve tripped over it, off it went.
- Captain Geographic: Of (where else but) America. Steve Rogers is the Trope Codifier.
- Captain Patriotic: Though he's a man of the American Dream, rather than the American government.
- Captain Superhero: He might not be the first, but he's one of the most famous. However, he is one of the few who have actually earned the title of Captain.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: Steve doesn't have any super powers but the serum enhanced him to the absolute pinnacle of physical perfection, meaning that he is every bit as strong, fast, agile and durable as it's possible for a human being to be without being superhuman and with none of the trade-offs real athletes have to make such as strength versus agility or short term feats of skill against endurance and extremely resistant to diseases, infections, poisons and heals at a much faster rate than humans, in addition to having a slowed aging process and extremely fast mental skills.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Steve's not good at not helping people. Backfires on him when the serum started wearing off in the 90s. His doctor informed him that if Steve avoided his typical routine of superheroing, he'd be perfectly fine, and the serum would remain active for the rest of his life. But Steve is Steve, and even with Diamondback nearby trying to make him moderate himself, he just can't. So the serum soon goes out.
- Cool People Rebel Against Authority: This is the essential modernization of Cap in the 1970s. Rogers became so disillusioned by the American establishment and the abuse of the US Government that he eventually gave up being Cap for a while in favor of Nomad, the man without a country. Eventually, he realized that he could champion America's ideals as Cap, giving him the liberty to butt heads with the US Government when necessary.
- Crazy-Prepared: Captain America has spent a lot of time analyzing the data files the Avengers have compiled on all the major supervillains. No matter who he faces, chances are Cap already has a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses.
- Create Your Own Hero: His entire origin story is based around this trope. His powers came from the super soldier serum, which in turn came from Project Rebirth, AKA Weapon I. No, you did not misread that. Captain America is Weapon I, just like how Wolverine is Weapon X. Project: Rebirth is, just like Project: Wolverine (Weapon X's other name), a subdivision of a secret mutant-eradicating governmental program known as Weapon Plus. The Weapon I branch of the Weapon Plus organisation's goal was to create an army of super soldiers to not only eradicate the nazis, but also help them destroy all mutants as well. However, Weapon I, unlike Weapon X, fell apart and failed in its objective for two reasons: One, the guy who invented the super soldier serum was assassinated by a Nazi spy before he could share the serum's "recipe" with anyone else, thus leaving the program with only a few remaining super soldiers. Two, The few super soldiers they created have obviously no desire to destroy all mutants, wich makes them useless in Weapon Plus's mutant-eradicating grand plan.
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: In-universe example, during a time he got temporarily de-aged into a teenager thanks to Sersi. Steve keeps trying to fight like his usual self, forgetting he's a scrawny teenager with no muscle. Painful beatdowns follow.
- Dark Is Not Evil: His costumes as The Captain and as Nomad are predominantly black, but despite taking on those suits to sever himself from the government, he's still very much on the side of good.
- Dating Catwoman: Diamondback, who reformed in part because of his influence.
- Depending on the Artist: The trend in recent years of depicting Cap (Steve Rogers' suit, anyway) with scale armor (see the current page pic), a look that debuted in the 1990s Sentinel of Liberty miniseries that retold his origin. Historically, Cap's shirt was said to have been made of "synthetic chainmail", which wouldn't have such an obviously scaly look (and was usually drawn as though he was wearing normal superhero tights).
- Depending on the Writer:
- Exactly how strong and tough Steve is compared to regular guys depends on the writing. He's never depicted as being strong enough to throw cars around or anything like that (even agility-based Spider-Man is stronger than him), but if the writer is generous, with great effort he can bend weak steel, heal from injuries in days that would have most guys laid up for months (and heal in months what would take most guys years, or never) and run at the speed of a sprinter for the duration of a marathon runner...but again, the extent of this depends on the writer. Many claim "it's not superpowers, really", but isn't having the body of an omni-athlete without needing to train excessively a power of its own?
- While he is widely considered the Big Good of the superhero community, how Steve interacts with his fellow heroes during teamups or Crisis Crossover stories can wildly vary. During times of need, Captain America can approach other heroes much more diplomatically, try to talk things through, and even defer to them if he really feels the need to. But in other stories, he can be much more unreasonable, refuses to consider any other points of view, maintains a stubborn "my way or the highway" attitude, and will throw the first punch with little to no provocation, like he did against Wolverine during the Avengers vs. X-Men story.
- Determinator: If anything Cap has can be likened to an actual super power, it's his absolute refusal to give up. Even friggin' Thanos has seen this firsthand◊. Basically, if the fight's not over, Cap's still fighting.
- Disability-Negating Superpower: He used to be incredibly frail and sickly until he took the super soldier serum, which cured him of his ailments and made him the pinnacle of human physical potential.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Initially refused to tell the Avengers he was having problems with the serum because he didn't want them pitying him.
- Empowered Badass Normal: There's a reason his Super Serum was so sought after. According to
Word of God, it pushes all of his physical abilities and skills to a "superhuman" level, not to mention that few if any humans have every single athletic ability at peak potential all at once (speed plus stamina plus strength, etc). Thus, he is quite capable of holding his own with people who have more impressive superpowers. In real life, athletes have to make tradeoffs between strength, endurance, agility etc., and also different body types are better suited to different athletic disciplines - the very best sprinters are large and muscular whereas the best long-distance runners are short and skinny. Demonstrated by decathletes who have to train for ten different events - they are not as good at them as those athletes who specialize in them. Cap doesn't have these limitations; he can sprint 100m in 9.75 seconds, run a marathon in two hours, bench press 500kg, and perform Olympic-level feats of gymnastic ability. Plus, it allows him to live longer than normal humans would thanks to his "perfect cells" (also said by word of God). Captain America is superhuman, but just barely, to the point that he Fights Like a Normal, not unlike Black Widow. - Endearingly Dorky: The fact that despite being a seven foot slab of beefcake he has no idea how to talk to women romantically is often one of the things that draws them to him. Diamondback already thought he was a smokin' hottie, but this didn't help.
- Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: Despite being an otherwise All-Loving Hero, Rogers most despises two people: the Obstructive Bureaucrat Henry Peter Gyrich and Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull. Rogers absolutely can't stand being around the former and he has a very mutual enmity with the latter.
- Expansion Pack Past:
- He's probably had more adventures in World War II than there were days in the war; there's a tendency for stories involving him to feature a one or two-page flashback to some World War II event to contrast with whatever's happening in the present. Famous World War II events (D-Day, for example), have been retold frequently with conflicting information about what he was doing then.
- Cap's Marvel NOW! ongoing series appears to do this for his past prior to becoming the Super-Soldier, showing the hardships Steve and his family had to go through in 1930s America.
- Extremity Extremist: Steve is very skilled at using his agility and strength to deliver devastating kicks from Karate, Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Taekwondo and can take out most enemies with just one hit.
- Face–Heel Turn:
- Captain America was accused of doing one during Operation Rebirth (teaming up with the Red Skull, though the two were teaming up to stop Hitler), leading to him being briefly exiled from the US.
- Later went though another one in Captain America: Steve Rogers and Secret Empire, after Kobik rewrote his memories to make him think he has been a secret undercover agent of Hydra this whole time. The finale to the latter gave this a retcon, with him having been trapped in the Cube and the other Steve being from an Alternate Universe.
- False Memories: In Captain America: Steve Rogers #2, it's revealed Red Skull used Kobik, a girl created from a cosmic cube, to rewrite Steve's memories to make him believe he's been an agent of HYDRA all along.
- Fanboy: An early issue of Avengers has Cap in his downtime digging in to Lord of the Rings. Turns out Cap likes fantasy stories.
- Fatal Flaw: As Steve himself has admitted, he can be too quick to judge and too slow to forgive, which has caused more than one unnecessary fight with other heroes.
- A Father to His Men: Any team he gets put in charge he treats like his family, possibly because of Bucky.
- The Fettered:
- Cap is completely loyal to the cause of good, his morals and his ideals. This is a great thing for everyone, cause he is indisputably the moral center of the Marvel Universe. Any hero who wants to do the right thing just needs to follow Cap's example.
- Parodied in "The Ballad of Captain America's Disapproving Face" by the Murder Ballads.If you can't tell the Captain what you're damn well up to, then don't damn well get up to it at all!
- Fighting Irish: His parents were Irish immigrants.
- Fights Like a Normal: His physical attributes are cranked up past peak human capability via his Super Serum, but he still fights with ordinary punches, kicks and shield throws.
- Fish out of Temporal Water:
- The basis for Cap's re-introduction into the modern era. It wasn't so bad in the 60s, where he only lost fifteen years, but as time's marched on...
- This got worse in the Dimension Z arc. Although Steve was missing from his home dimension for only 30 minutes, he lived there for 12 years — Word of God states that he spent longer in Dimension Z than he has spent in the present day since thawing out.
- Folk Hero: Steve signed up for Project: Rebirth because he couldn't tolerate great evil like the Nazis existing, and so he pretty much set the standard for superheroism going forward. Now in the present day, as far as he's concerned, nothing has changed.
- From Zero to Hero: He was once a weak, scrawny kid who was declared unfit for service due to how feeble his body was until he was handpicked for Project: Rebirth, a project meant to create super soldiers. Now he's Captain America, one of the greatest superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
- Genius Bruiser: Part of what makes Cap so formidable: he backs up his physique and fighting ability with a sharp tactical mind and leadership skills as the serum enhanced his mental abilities as much as his physical ones, giving him perfect recall and allowing him to process information and master skills very quickly. There's a reason he's been the Avengers' leader since the day he joined.
- Gentle Giant: Steve is this trope even with his costume on.
- The Good Captain: Was actually a Captain in the US Army before getting frozen and being listed as MIA.
- Good Counterpart: Rogers was given the whole Captain America persona specifically in part to counter the terrifying propaganda value of Germany's Red Skull.
- Good Is Not Dumb: So very much.
- Gratuitous French: Often referred to Peggy Carter as "mam'zelle".
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Along with Innocent Blue Eyes, befitting of one of the purest people in the Marvel Universe.
- Healing Factor: Downplayed. It's nowhere near as fast as Wolverine's, but his healing ability is still much faster than a normal human being's. Cuts and bruises heal much faster, he's highly immune to diseases and infection, and he can't get drunk, which is remarkable because Wolverine can despite having a much faster healing ability.
- The Hero: He's The Leader of The Avengers and the Big Good of the Marvel Universe.
- Heroic BSoD: A rare sight, but at the end of the first issue of the Age of Ultron storyline, we see Cap slumped against the wall, looking utterly hopeless and emotionally defeated for the first time, since ever.
- Heroic Build: Justified. The serum was supposed to enhance his physiology to peak-human levels so he became incredibly muscular and tall in the process.
- Heroic RRoD: Essentially the reason the super soldier serum in his bloodstream started failing in the 90s. Steve puts himself through the average body-builder's monthly routine on a nigh-daily basis. Sooner or later, something was going to throw up a little white flag.
- Heroic Willpower: His will is probably the only thing he has that's harder than his shield. He has managed to resist the effects of mind control several times because of this.
- He's Back!: The appropriately-titled Captain America: Reborn, dealing with Steve's return to the land of the living.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier) and Sam Wilson (The Falcon).
- Hidden Depths: Rogers is a great sketch artist and illustrator, and that was before he became a Super-Soldier. Drawing is one of his main pastimes with the other being training at the gym.
- Holier Than Thou: Captain America's Black-and-White Morality can come across as this to other characters and readers in morally grey situations. The "Incursions" storyline has the entire multiverse at risk and the only way to save two colliding universes is to destroy the Earth of one and if not done everyone in both universes dies. Despite all other possible options explored and failed Captain America insist this is not acceptable and wastes resources pursuing the characters who were more willing to pursue this option to buy Earth time instead of trying to find a better solution (and, matter of point, is never shown looking for any alternate solution).
- Honor Before Reason: Even as the world becomes more hateful, dark, and cynical, Steve Rogers refuses to lower himself to the standards of "normality."
- Hope Bringer: As long as Cap isn't giving up, NO ONE is giving up. No other hero in the Marvel Universe has the capacity to bring hope as much as Cap, he's the rock that serves as the foundation for the entire Marvel superhero community.
- Human Popsicle: Fortunately, Rogers' enhancements from Project Rebirth are a great rationale to make that still seem believable.
- Humble Hero: Part of the point of him. He wasn't anything too special before he got the Super Soldier Serum, and he's pointed out he wasn't supposed to be unique, just the first of many. His humility is one of the reasons he's the embodiment of the American Dream: he's a nobody who became a somebody, and he's eternally thankful for it. Perhaps best summed up by the following exchange from Captain America: The First Avenger:Red Skull: What makes you so special?Cap: Nothin'. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn.
- Hunk: A well-built, muscular man with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes.
- I Call It "Vera": Some stories indicate that, in Cap's head, the shield is actually named "Shield".
- Ideal Hero: Steve believes whole-heartedly in the American Dream and always strives to stand up for what's right, even when what's right and what's legal are in opposition. The man is practically the embodiment of Good in the Marvel U.
- The Idealist: Steve is a firm believer of the American Dream, and he strives hard to attain it.
- I Gave My Word: Several of Cap's opponents have noted that when Steve gives his word, he damn well keeps it, and everyone else will go along with it.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Cap can do anything with his shield besides make it stand up and bark. And it's not from some special power - just time and a lot of practice.
- Improbable Weapon User: Cap's shield, which he uses as not only a shield against weapons fire, but as a throwing weapon itself.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: There is a reason why Steve's the moral center of the Marvel Universe. He's so noble, he's one of the few beings ever to be able to lift Thor's hammer with no effort.
- Inspector Javert: Steve turns into this in X-23: Target X. He feels personally responsible for all the killings X-23 has carried out because she slipped his grasp after her field test by masquerading as a wounded survivor. He reveals he's been tracking her down ever since (approximately six years) and is obsessed with bringing her to justice. He's driven to the point where he completely ignores Matt Murdock's attempts to warn him that S.H.I.E.L.D. won't care really about justice, but instead will use her as a weapon the same way she was used by the Facility. Before he can actually turn her over, however, he recognizes the truth of this and that Laura was as much a victim as the people she killed, and lets her go.
- Irony: He strongly resembles the "Aryan superman" ideal of the Nazis, but he's a patriotic American who despises Nazism and holds values antithetical to Nazi ideology.
- Going even further, all of his superhuman traits are completely artificial and not determined by his genetic heritage, and before the serum, he was a second-generation Irish-Catholic immigrant born with multiple health defects. In essence, he's a delightfully mean-spirited mockery of Nazi ideals.
- It's Personal:
- With the original Baron Zemo, who is responsible for Bucky's apparent death and Steve's becoming a human popsicle, with his son deciding to go after Steve in the name of petty revenge.
- His conflict with the Red Skull. While Steve would oppose the man on basic principle alone, the Skull has gone out of his way to make things personal between them. Not helping was that time Schmidt was running around in a duplicate of Steve's body...
- Just One Man: No single other hero has caused so many enemy commanders to scream out "kill him you fools, he's only one man!"
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Steve has a number of other superheroes looking up to him as their personal hero. The list includes Peter Parker, Wade Wilson, and even Frank Castle. Steve also has his own personal hero in the form of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the one presented to him his signature vibranium shield.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: One of the most prominent jaws in Marvel Comics.
- Large and in Charge: He measures 6'2" and frequently takes on the role of the leader of the teams and organizations he's part of.
- Lawful Stupid: Sometimes, especially during the Gruenwald days, Steve can be just a bit too much of a goody two-shoes for his own good, like letting himself be arrested by Vegas cops for stopping supervillains (Steve was convinced if he just explained himself at the station, rather than use his reputation as Captain America, it'd all get sorted out).
- Legacy Immortality: Defied. Steve once held onto the notion that he could simply retire from super heroics one day, but his final battle with William Burnside caused him to realize that the concept of "Captain America" is too powerful to just be left on the table. If he were to quit suddenly, someone else would be inspired to fight the good fight, even if they weren't necessarily ready for it as was the case for several others on this page. With this in mind, he resolves to keep wielding the shield while helping train potential successors from Bucky to Sam, so that if anything were to happen to him, a new physically and psychologically fit replacement would easily pick up where he left off.
- Light Is Good: Evidently. The colors of his outfit are a lighter shade of blue, red, and white, and he has light blonde hair and light blue eyes.
- Lightning Bruiser: Thanks to the Super Serum, Steve is fast enough to exceed 40mph and strong enough to lift up to 1200 pounds, making him a good example of this trope.
- Living Legend: Though Steve being Steve, he doesn't see himself as one.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Cap's shield is unbreakable and invincible. It also serves for both offense and defense, since Cap can throw it to attack his enemies from long range or beat them with it in close combat. Its unique alloy even makes it able to damage enemies that might otherwise be immune to physical harm-the iron in it is harmful to demons, the vibranium causes pain to energy-based creatures, etc.
- Made of Indestructium: His shield is made of vibranium, proto-adamantium and an unknown third component. Not even regular adamantium can cut it. After its destruction being torn in half by the Serpent, Iron Man repaired it using the mystical Asgardian metal Uru, making it even more durable.
- Magnetic Hero: Captain America is so well-respected by the superhero community that they usually follow his lead whether he's their official leader or not. This is because he's both incredibly competent despite being only barely superhuman and because they trust him to always be true to the right ideals. It comes to a point that when he fails them, the whole community gets demoralized (ex. in Civil War.)
- Married to the Job: Steve just won't quit. Unfortunately, sometimes this means he has no life outside of being Captain America or the Avengers, and without those he tends to get a little down. One time when Diamondback asked him if he took a day off, his answer was telling; he's too busy exercising or going over case files. When she asks him when the last time he had some actual Me Time was, he can't even recall. He's pretty sure it was more than a year ago, though...
- Master of Disguise: Not that this is his usual style, but he is nonetheless almost as good at it as his insidious enemy, Red Skull. With proper preparation, he can make himself quite unrecognizable.
- Military Superhero: Emphasis on both words. Cap started out as a Super-Soldier (and actually ranked officer, the Captain is both his moniker and actual army rank) for the United States Army. He actually did the jump in D-Day with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and fought the frontlines against the Nazis. Yet back then, he was already a paragon of virtue and heroism. Being unfrozen in the present only confirmed that honest and selfless asskicking is NEVER out of style.
- Missing Mom: His mother died of tuberculosis when Steve was young. One of his most treasured possessions is the last photo of her, which Baron Zemo once torched just to be especially petty (during Civil War, Zemo restored it as a gesture of good faith. Well, that and to manipulate Steve, because Zemo's like that).
- Momma's Boy: Steve had a close relationship with his mother in contrast to his father's abusive relationship with him. She appears to have shaped Steve's strong moral compass and desire to do good.
- Mr. Fanservice: Post-serum, he's a tall, handsome, muscular man who already had shiny blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes before the serum. He's also frequently shirtless when he's training to emphasize just how well-built he is.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Roger Stern gave this to Captain America, in order to handwave various conflicting backstories for Captain America, past and future, in terms of having Cap's memory damaged due to him being frozen alive.
- My Greatest Failure:
- Losing Civil War, as hell on earth broke out afterwards.
- Well before that, there was his failure to save Bucky from dying in WWII, though this was subverted once he found out what actually happened.
- He spent as much as eight years personally hunting X-23 down after her first assassination, because he mistakenly let her go when she disguised herself as a survivor of her own rampage. He subsequently blamed himself for all of her subsequent killings (of which there were lots). It pushes him into full-blown Inspector Javert territory.
- Navel-Deep Neckline: Steve's Nomad costume has a v-shaped neckline that goes down to his waist.
- Nazi Hunter: Cap hunted them during the war and has had to sniff them out after being unfrozen, since many of his enemies are Nazis. This includes the Red Skull.
- Never Gets Fat: The Super-Soldier Serum sustains and keeps his body in top shape, meaning that if he were to take on an unhealthy diet, his body would always stay in shape.
- Nice Guy: Under the uniform, he is still a kind and polite gentleman and the picture of the wholesome 1930's boy next door.
- Nice to the Waiter: A good example of Steve's kindness is his respect for the people. In Captain America/Iron Man, he kindly thanks a police officer who hands him his shield back.
- Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Noble Male to Tony Stark's Roguish Male. Steve is humble, polite, and generally more civilized while Tony's arrogant, oftentimes insufferable, and hedonistic.
- No Man Should Have This Power: A firm believer in the idea that supreme power doesn't belong with anyone. He once shattered the Forever Crystal, a reality-warping crystal he could've used to rewrite history however he liked, because of this.
- Omniglot: Steve can speak a wide array of languages apart from English like Japanese, Spanish, French, and German.
- Old Hero, New Pals: After being defrosted and having new adventures as part of The Avengers, this trope was reinforced by the fact that he had already lost his supporting cast in the meantime.
- One-Man Army: OK, sometimes Cap brings along a partner or a friend. But it's not like he needs to....
- One-Steve Limit: Averted; William Burnside legally changed his name to Steve Rogers. So there are two Steve Rogers.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: One of the few people able to easily wield Mjölnir, and fairly consistently. While not treated with quite the same weight, there's the cowl and shield. Anyone trying to fill those shoes knows they're in for Hell if they fail.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Steve is one of the nicest people there is, usually willing to give pretty much anyone short of your total bastards either a second chance or benefit of the doubt. That he can't stand Henry Gyrich should tell you just how much of an unlikable arse the man is.
- Papa Wolf: To Bucky in the original Captain America comics
- Paper-Thin Disguise: For a while, Cap disguised himself as a hero known as The Captain. The costume looked identical to his normal Captain America costume except for darker colors and a slightly different chest-insignia. He even threw a shield around that also had a slight color-change. Here is a cover depicting both costumes.◊ This costume somehow fooled everyone, including his allies on The Avengers. The costume would later be worn by the USAgent.
- The Paragon: It's pretty much a given that in all of comic books, regardless of companies, the only characters who are bigger paragons than Captain America are Superman and DC's Captain Marvel. See the page quotes. He promised himself that he'll use his abilities only in pursuit of a future better than the present.
- Photographic Memory: The serum also enhanced Steve's intellect and gave him perfect recall, allowing him to memorize details and events with absolute precision.
- Platonic Life-Partners: He's pretty much this with most of the female Avengers he works with, with special mention to Wasp and Carol Danvers. He's also decent enough friends with Black Widow.
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: His "mighty shield" is thrown this way, thanks to both his expertise and its makeup.
- Primary-Color Champion: Well, his costume is based on the American flag.
- Protagonist-Centered Morality: The most extreme example in Marvel Comics period. Fans and even writers often lampshade this by saying If Cap agrees with it, it's ok. It even goes as far as condemning torture or mass murder. See also You Remind Me of X below.
- Red Baron: Cap has been known as: The First Avenger, The Sentinel of Liberty, The Living Legend, The Man Out of Time, and The Super Soldier.
- Rousing Speech: He's good at these. During the events of Mighty Avengers, Spidey and Falcon both half-jokingly suggest it's just something about the shield that generates the desire to break out in epic speeches.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Cap makes it clear that he's loyal to the American Dream, not the government itself. When the Commission on Superhuman Activities wanted him to be their lapdog, he turns in his shield and uniform, which makes up the Captain America mantle, and strikes out on his own as The Captain.
- Sealed Good in a Can: Frozen in 1945, woken up... about twelve years before now.
- Shield Bash: When he's in close quarters combat, he resorts to this if he has his shield with him.
- Significant Birth Date: He was born on July 4th, which is Independence Day for Americans. Fitting for a patriotic superhero. Subverted in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty: That isn't his actual birth date, but rather the propaganda about him says so for this purpose, with his actual birth date being unstated.
- Sixth Ranger: Cap famously joined The Avengers in the fourth issue of the team's eponymous comic, but is treated as a founding member anyway (unless someone - Tony - is holding the Jerkass Ball. Official Avengers regulations are pretty clear Cap is not actually a founding member).
- The Spymaster: Served as one in the Nick Fury mold after coming back from his death following Civil War, as "head of National Security". He operated without the shield and his iconic costume, and under his real name, as Bucky was already serving as Cap. It didn't stick.
- The Stateless: In the aftermath of the Secret Empire (a conspiracy to take control of the United States led by a thinly-veiled version of then-president Richard Nixon), Steve lost faith in his country and abandoned his identity as Captain America, adopting the persona "Nomad".
- The Stoic: Steve's kind and caring, but a reasonably no-nonsense, serious man, and he barely jokes or even has care-free moments because he's truly a soldier out of time and is very detached from people socially as a result.
- The Strategist: There's a reason why any hero worth their weight will defer authority to Cap when the world's about to break.
- Strawman Political: As might be expected of a character intended to embody what is best about a nation. Writers either tend to use him as a mouthpiece for what they personally think America should be (616 Captain America is usually used for this), or as a voodoo doll for everything they see wrong with America (Ultimate universe Captain America is usually used for this). Needless to say that character consistency usually isn't a priority for these writers.
- Strong and Skilled: Whenever he acquires a power-up (which is usually Mjölnir), he becomes this. Even in his normal state, he combines his incredible physical abilities with combat skills among the best in the Marvel universe, showing mastery in numerous martial arts such as Boxing, Karate, Judo, Aikido, Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Savate, Jeet Kune Do, Wrestling, Wushu, Capoeira and Kickboxing.
- Strong as They Need to Be: His strength can vary from being weaker than Spider-man, to having an even fight against Iron-Man.
- Sue Donym: Brilliant strategist and tactician. Terrible liar. Whenever he goes undercover, Steve has a tendency to call himself "Roger Stevens".
- Superhero Packing Heat: He's not above using firearms in combat and he's shown to have exceptional accuracy with them. Makes sense given how good he is at hitting targets with his shield.
- Super-Reflexes: Captain America doesn't dodge bullets, he blocks them with his mighty shield. Yet somehow, even when surrounded on all sides by gun-wielding Mooks, the shield always seems to be in the right place. This even applies when he is mind-controlled chemically; an early story set in World War II has him under the influence of such a chemical by the Red Skull, but when he is taken before Adolf Hitler and the Fuehrer takes a swing at him, Cap reflexively blocks it with his shield, a body function that the Red Skull can't suppress.
- Super-Soldier: He began as the first of what was to be an army of super-soldiers, but after he was altered the creator was killed and the process was never successfully duplicated. This was eventually retconned to be part of the Weapon Plus program. Has a good claim on being the Trope Namer.
- Technical Pacifist:
- Some writers have gone out of their way to say that Captain America has never taken a life, even during World War II. This would ultimately be debunked by Mark Gruenwald, who had Captain America kill an agent of ULTIMATIUM in order to stop the goon from killing innocent hostages. It has also been stated that he had killed during WW2. That said, Steve prefers not to and would like to avoid it if possible.
- Handled beautifully in the movie: when asked by Dr. Erskine if he wants to enlist to kill Nazis, Steve Rogers answers that he doesn't want to kill anybody... but that he dislikes bullies of all stripes and wants to stand up for the little guy. He's subsequently shown to go in guns blazing in many missions, but hey, he's doing it to save the world, a valid reason if there ever was one.
- The Teetotaler: Not just because he can't get drunk. Thanks to his dad's own alcoholism, Steve rarely likes drinking himself.
- Thou Shall Not Kill: Zig-zagged as it's mostly Depending on the Writer. While he certainly did kill people during his time as soldier in WWII, he mostly prefers not to kill in modern days. He has a personal dislike for Anti-Heroes like Wolverine or Punisher who have no problems taking lifes. There are occasions where he does see it as necessary to kill someone, but most of the time he would avoid it.
- Throwing Your Shield Always Works: Cap's Signature Move and also one of the most iconic examples in fiction, making him the trope's patron saint.
- To Be Lawful or Good: There are several times in Steve's superhero career where he faced this dilemma (an example of this is Civil War), but most of the time (Depending on the Writer), he puts "good" above law, as he defends American ideals rather than American laws.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: He has his moments. Whether it's justified or completely out of character the fans will never agree on.
- Transhuman: Steve is a super soldier created by a procedure that enhanced his abilities beyond natural human limits. While individually, his physical abilities are just above the finest athletes, it's not naturally possible for humans to excel in every physical area through training. This makes Steve "barely" super human as he can perform feats a normal human is incapable of. The treatment also enhanced his healing abilities and drastically slowed his aging.
- Übermensch: Ironic considering his origins and general theme, but Captain America fits as a heroic example, and something of a deliberate Reconstruction of the idea come modern incarnations. Cap was originally written to be straight pro-American war propaganda — a noble, loyal Super-Soldier fighting for America to help kick Adolf Hitler's ass, turning the Nazis' views of racial and "genetic" superiority onto themselves — but following a period of dormancy and being revived in The '60s as part of The Avengers, the character became more defined as a man out of his own time, one who often questions the concept of loyalty to an ever-changing country and government whose morals have generally become quite jaded and controversial. As a result, Steve Rogers has increasingly become less defined as a militaristic pawn of the US government (a dynamic which has itself become the basis of several explicitly anti-heroic foils like U.S. Agent) and more of being a symbol for what he decides to be America's ideals — that of being compassionate, intuitive, trustworthy, adaptable, and just. He truly is loyal to nothing except "The Dream."
- Underestimating Badassery: There are villains who dismiss Cap as a "glorified acrobat." One gang with that assumption try invading the Avengers Mansion with just him inside on monitor duty. They soon learn what dealing with a One-Man Army really is like as they barely subdue him with a lucky grazing shot, then get their butts kicked thoroughly when he revives and breaks out of his bonds for Round two.
- Undying Loyalty: Easily inspires this on all the superhero community, but it's also a defining trait of his. He'll never leave a man behind.
- Utility Belt: Cap has one in case of any emergencies. It contains a number of first aid materials, antidotes, and other stuff such as lock picks and grenades.
- Walking the Earth: When Steve's feeling particularly down about the modern world, he likes to randomly drive around America and see the sights.
- Weak, but Skilled: Steve is supposedly weaker than Spider-Man, pales in comparison to those of many of the enemies he's defeated, yet he manages to beat them through his keen tactical ability, outstanding combat skills and sheer force of will.
- Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Take one good look at him in uniform.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: One of Steve's greatest strengths is his nigh-unwavering belief in the goodness of other people. Sometimes, however, he can be astoundingly too trusting of some people.
- With Great Power Comes Great Hotness: Project Rebirth transformed him from an asthmatic weakling to the pinnacle of human athleticism with the Lantern Jaw of Justice to match.
- The Worf Effect: Want to show off how badass the latest villain is? Have him break Cap's indestructible shield. It's usually done by a high tier reality warper, but The Serpent did it with his bare hands.
- Workout Fanservice: He's frequently shirtless when he's training to emphasize his physique. Just look at these.
- World's Best Warrior: Has the distinct honor of being considered The Best Warrior in the Omniverse! Captain America is the superhero that all other heroes respect in combat ability, tactics, and leadership.
- The Wrestler In All Of Us: Steve is well-versed in Wrestling and uses throws, suplexes, body slams, dropkicks, chokeslams, elbows and superkicks to defeat opponents.
- You Remind Me of X: During Avengers vs. X-Men, Tony pretty much calls Steve out on acting exactly like Tony did during Civil War.
Isaiah Bradley
Isaiah Bradley
As Captain America
Notable Aliases: Black Captain America, Black Kapitan Amerika, Captain America
First Appearance: Truth: Red, White & Black Vol 1 #1 (January, 2003)
Isaiah Bradley is the last surviving test subject of a secret government project attempting to recreatenote the Super-Soldier serum, which he was an unwitting participant.
In more modern times, Isaiah is the grandfather of Patriot II of the Young Avengers.
- Allegorical Character: His origins were explicitly based on the infamous The Tuskegee syphilis experiments.
- Beta Outfit: His Captain America outfit unintentionally looks like one since by then Steve is already Captain America, and he just swiped a spare uniform and unpainted shield, and wore a bandanna instead of a cowl.
- Death Faked for You: The US government told Isaiah's family he and his unit were killed in action, so they wouldn't think to go looking for them.
- Depending on the Artist: In the original Truth his Captain America suit is a regular spare one, but later art (as pictured) gave him a darker variant with shorter sleeves.
- Disproportionate Retribution: He got captured by Nazis after liberating a concentration camp, met Hitler himself and broke out, but was thrown into prison for almost two decades after being court-martialed for treason... because he had stolen a spare uniform and shield of Steve's. With Steve himself being unaware of any of this until much, much later.
- Flawed Prototype: They hadn't quite worked out all the details on their recreated formula when they tested it on Isaiah. He's got the super powers, but at the cost of eventual severe brain-damage. Still, he managed to dodge the "murderous insanity" and "death" that some of the other failed attempts have produced. Other survivors of the same program got physical deformities like swollen heads.
- Subverted however with regard to Steve himself, as Isaiah is not a test run for him, though even other Marvel writers have sometimes overlooked this. As the creators of Truth themselves have noted, it's always been canon that Steve took the serum before Pearl Harbor (since the very first Captain America comics predate it) while Isaiah enters the army because of Pearl Harbor. That said, the story reads like it's retconning canon until it's revealed it only added details, not changed existing ones.
- Living Legend: To those who know he exists, he's revered as the "Black Captain America".
- Long-Lived: Steve was frozen in a block of ice. Isaiah got to the twenty-first century the normal way - one day at a time. He's looking pretty good for a man in his eighties.
- The Neidermeyer: Had the misfortune to be led by such an officer (naturally, white and racist) who threw away the lives of all the other survivors of the recreated serum tests by sending them into battle bare-handed (to the point where the last one is killed in the act of killing him too).
- Retired Badass: He's no longer Captain America, and is just a normal (relatively speaking) citizen now, but although he's well past his prime, and the serum that have him his powers caused brain damage, he's still more than capable handling himself in a fight, as seen when he protects his grandson from a bunch of hoodlums in Patriot's backstory.
- Strapped to an Operating Table: Isaiah didn't volunteer to be experimented on. Later on during the war, he was captured by the Nazis, who planned to pick him apart to make their own super-soldier, but he was freed before that could happen.
William Naslund
William Naslund
As Spirit of '76
Notable Aliases: Spirit of '76
First Appearance: Captain America Comics #49 (August, 1945) note ; Invaders #14 (March, 1977) note ; What If? #4 (August, 1977) note
A man from Pennsylvania who initially served as part of the short-lived WW2 team the Crusaders, and took up the mantle of Captain America after Steve went missing in action. His tenure was short-lived, and he died in the line of duty.
- Badass Cape: As Spirit of '76, he wore a cape which was fireproof and bulletproof.
- Badass Normal: Unlike most of his successors, he had no superpowers of any kind.
- Canon Immigrant: Originally, the story of William becoming Cap was just a What If...? story, but it made its way into continuity anyhow.
- Expy: As the Spirit of '76, he was designed to be a counterpart of the Freedom Fighters' Uncle Sam.
- Killed Off for Real: He was killed in 1946 by one of Adam-II's robots, trying to protect a young John F. Kennedy.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Although unlike Steve's adamantium-vibranium shield, William's was just a regular steel shield.
- Retcon: A bit of Roy Thomas's continuity soothing, to explain a few discrepancies.
Jeffery Mace
Jeffery Mace
As Patriot
Notable Aliases: Patriot
First Appearance: Human Torch Comics #4 (March, 1941)
The Golden Age Patriot and third Captain America.
- Battle Couple: With his wife Betsy Ross.
- Captain Patriotic: He's literally named Patriot.
- Killed Off for Real: Died of cancer after coming to terms with his past, with the original Captain America at his bedside.
- Legacy Character: Third person to become Captain America. He himself was succeeded as Patriot by Elijah Bradley.
- Primary-Color Champion: His Patriot costume was also red and blue with some yellowish green.
William Burnside
William Burnside
As "Captain America"
As "The Grand Director"
Alter Ego: Steven Rogers (legally changed from William Burnside)
Notable Aliases: Captain America of the 1950's, Steve, Prof. Rogers, Grand Director, "Captain Un-America" (by Barnes only), The Flag, Bad Cap
First Appearance: Young Men #24 (December, 1953) note ; Captain America #153 (September, 1972) note ; Captain America #231 (March, 1979) note
A devoted fanboy of Captain America, William "Billy" Burnside volunteered for a government program and had his face surgically altered to resemble that of Steve Rogers following Cap's apparent death at the end of WWII. Rediscovering a version of the super soldier serum that granted Rogers his powers, Burnside became the Captain America of the 1950s, complete with his own Bucky, Jack Monroe. Tragically, Burnside was driven around the bend by his use of his unstable variant of the serum, losing his mind and seeing Communists everywhere. Put on ice in the hopes a cure could eventually be found, Burnside broke free during the modern era, where his insanity has made him a tool for many villains, including Doctor Faustus and the far-right Watchdog militia.
- Absent-Minded Professor: An emeritus example, who has memory issues and sometimes literal insanity, as Depending on the Writer. Presumably due to mental damage from the defective super-serum.
- Ax-Crazy: Burnside is sometimes portrayed as dangerously insane.
- Badass Bookworm: Before he became Captain America, he was a mild-mannered professor of American history.
- Bad Present: Thinks the current day is this, since present-day society has pretty much destroyed everything he once loved about America. However, he remains determined to restore the good old days of true Americanism... or die trying.
- Being Evil Sucks: Being a 1950s-era conservative in the 2010s America definitely sucks for him. From his POV, his country has turned into a madhouse where abortion is publicly funded, white people are discriminated against, and homosexuals are married in Christian churches. The only people who agree with him on the principles that once made America great are fundamentalist know-nothings and present-day fascists and right-wingers, which pains an articulate, sincerely patriotic conservative intellectual like Burnside no end.
- Black-and-White Morality: Anyone who is with him fighting for the traditional values and people of America is good. Anyone who is against him is one of the Communists, or at least one of their useful idiots.
- Black-and-White Insanity: As a character defined by both their Black-and-White Morality and their status as being on the wrong side of the law (and culture, and history), it's not uncommon for Burnside to be portrayed as taking his simplistic morals to extreme interpretations. This is especially likely if Faustus is involved, since Burnside's already unstable mind is like putty in the hands of a Psycho Psychologist.
- Broken Ace: A successful intellectual and academic, charming and good-looking, with Super-Strength and fighting ability... But in the present day, everything and everyone he once loved are gone, he is an enemy of what his country has turned into, and the Psycho Serum he was exposed to is slowly driving him insane.
- Captain Patriotic: More so even than the original Cap, who has turned against America occasionally and adopted the alternate superhero identity Nomad, the Man Without a Country. Obviously, this would be unthinkable for a superpatriot like Burnside.
- Cerebus Retcon: Originally, he was the same character as the "main" Captain America, when his series was briefly revived in the 1950s, but later changes to his post-World War II story invalidated those appearances. A 1970s comic established this Cap as an impostor, thereby returning them into continuity, and also made him brainwashed and insane. It also deconstructed the stories where he went against civil rights protesters by revealing that the Sanity Slippage caused by the flawed serum had exacerbated existing racism and Black-and-White Insanity and led to him attacking innocent Hispanics and African-Americans for supposedly being communists, implying these stories were a look Through the Eyes of Madness.
- Commie Nazis: His major villain as Captain America was the Communist version of the Red Skull, the legendary Nazi supervillain, who had joined the Soviets after the war to continue the struggle against American capitalism. (Though a later rewrite established that this Skull, too, was an impostor.)
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: It's pretty obvious that the writers aren't exactly enamored of the 1950s, and they tend to play up the bits of its values they dislike when portraying him.
- Depending on the Writer:
- How crazy/evil he is varies a lot between different appearances. Is he a genuinely well-intentioned crusader for truth, justice and a slightly old-fashioned American Way, a paranoid Knight Templar, or a downright psychotic crypto-fascist? As of his last appearance in the Two Americas arc, he's settled on 'paranoid Knight Templar', working with the Watchdogs to blow up the Hoover Dam to make a statement, forcing Bucky to dress up in the old Bucky costume and constantly barely restraining himself from lashing out at his loyal men in the belief that they're his enemies.
- Also, the technobabble for how his powers work, and how different they are from the original Cap's.
- Divergent Character Evolution: Originally, he was meant to be the "real" Captain America, who, like a patriotic citizen, kept fighting the Communist menace in the 1950s after the Nazis were defeated; thus, his characterization did not differ from his in any important respect, except that his main enemies were Reds rather than fascists. However, later writers rewrote the story to establish his 1950s portrayal as an impostor. Now, he is a literally paranoid right-winger, while the original Cap is usually written as fairly liberal.
- Driven to Villainy: Originally, Burnside was an upstanding history professor who volunteered to serve his country as Captain America after the disappearance of the original. But awakening out of decades of suspended animation in a Bad Present where the Communist conspiracy he denounced in the 1950s appears, in his eyes, to have completely succeeded at subverting America and turning it into what he considers a Cultural-Marxist hellhole, he sees no other option but joining with the Watchdogs in their guerrilla struggle against the corrupt system.
- Dueling Messiahs: Sometimes with the original Cap, over who is the true American Captain Patriotic and whose vision for America is the right one. Roughly speaking, Steve Rogers embodies the liberal conception of what America is (or ought to be), while Burnside represents the conservative/reactionary one.
- During the Two Americas arc, Bucky was the one to take him on and advertising hyped this angle up with the tagline, 'Who will wield the SHIELD?'
- Evil Knockoff: Of Cap. Not made to be evil originally, but turned out that way due to a combination of (in-universe) Values Dissonance and Psycho Serum.
- Evil Reactionary: Played somewhat sympathetically — he was an educated and respected 1950's history professor who was dumped head-first into the modern age. While Rogers' progressive ideals helped him cope with the culture-shock, Burnside's conservatism ensures he'll never properly adapt, and all his evil acts are primarily motivated by a deep-seeded need to create some kind of familiarity and control in a confusing and frightening world.
- Fictional Political Party: Under Faustus' control, Burnside was the head of the National Force, a far-right organization which crusaded against Black inner-city crime.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: Grew up in the 1930s, and spent long periods in suspended animation from the 1950s on. The cultural shift in American life in the half-century or so since he was last active horrifies him beyond words, to the point that he will sometimes team up with latter-day fascists if they are the only ones fighting this utter nightmare.
- Gentleman and a Scholar: His original personality, which he sometimes still displays. When written like this, he is kind, chivalrous (in a now dated, but very much not malicious way) and generally displays the attitudes of an educated, compassionate conservative gentleman of the first half of the 20th century.
- Hero-Worshipper: Of the original Cap. He wrote his thesis on Captain America, and later volunteered to follow in his footsteps as part of a top secret government program.
- Human Popsicle: After his apparent death in the 80s, he reappeared during Brubaker's run, having been kept alive by Dr. Faustus like this.
- Imposter Forgot One Detail: After all the trouble he went through to be able to imitate his hero exactly, he only put stripes on the front of his costume and not all the way around. This isn't an invention of Steve Englehart either; even when he was being depicted as the actual Steve Rogers, he was never drawn with the full wraparound. When Falcon calls him out for this oversight, a caption states that this was what clued him in to the fact Burnside isn't the real Steve Rogers.
- Light Is Not Good: His Dictator costume is all white and his personality in general fits much of the trope.
- Mad Scientist: A little bit, as he helped recreate the original Captain America super-soldier process.
- The Mentally Disturbed: Burnside suffers from schizophrenia, among other illnesses, and now genuinely believes himself to be the first Captain America, Steve Rogers.
- Obliviously Evil: He just wants to change America back to the way it was when he was a young man, by getting rid of affirmative action, third-world immigration, feminism, homosexuality, political correctness and so on, and doesn't view this as evil. The methods he uses to do it sometimes are and sometimes aren't; Depending on the Writer, he can be portrayed as anything from an old-fashioned chivalrous white knight to a ranting militia fanatic. Regardless, however, his gullibility makes him supremely careless about whom he'll team up with in his quest for a return to law, order, morality and sanity — for example, in one story, one of his allies was the dependable American patriot Red Skull.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted, He legally changed his name to Steve Rogers. So there are two Steve Rogers. (And counting his real name, two Captain Americas named "William".)
- Only Sane Man: Thinks he is this, in a world of madmen who allow public nudity and homosexual marriage.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Attacked Civil Rights protestors for being Communists, and still views non-whites with deep suspicion.
- Increased in one story where he was under the influence of Doctor Faustus, who used him to fight the black gangs in New York. Together with Faustus's More than Mind Control, his conservatism made him embrace a very "robust" approach to their criminality.
Captain America: A white America is a strong America! - Putting on the Reich: When brainwashed by Faustus, he led the National Force militia, which displayed some open trappings of neo-Nazism.
- Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: Views these people as "real Americans" and hates just about everything else about modern society.
- Shadow Archetype: He is a chilling reminder of what the real Captain America could've been without his progressive ideals and morality. After all, the only reason he isn't the real Cap is because of retcons. Cap himself notes that he could have just as easily turned into the same "Reds under the bed" fascist maniac, since he didn't go through a psych eval before taking the serum.
- Super-Strength: He's far, far stronger than the real Captain America, capable of smashing Winter Soldier through two brick walls with a single punch. It's never made clear if this is a quirk of Burnside's unstable Super Serum, stems from his violent insanity, or maybe is derived from a mixture of both.
- Tragic Villain: As seen in his backstory and original appearances, Dr. William Burnside was both highly talented and a genuinely kind and well-intentioned man, whose greatest wish was to serve his country and help protect it from totalitarian Communism. Thus, he volunteered for a dangerous military program to recreate Captain America when the original was believed dead. Tragically, however, the defective super-soldier process has taken a heavy toll on his once brilliant mind, and in the present day his mainstream, respectable conservative 1950s ideals are seen as old-fashioned at best and oppressive at worst by most people.
- Unwitting Pawn: Repeatedly; most frequently of Doctor Faustus.
- Villainous Valour: He is still Captain America, even if a conservative/reactionary version, with all that entails as regards bravery, devotion, and prowess. Regular Cap usually beats him, but few others. And he never gives up.
- Would Hit a Girl: Not something he is comfortable with, given his origins as an old-fashioned gentleman. But he is also a soldier, and has learned that modern women will frequently abuse his chivalrous notions.
Bob Russo
Robert "Bob" Russo
As Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America Vol 1 #178 (October, 1974)
Baseball player who attempted to take up the mantle of Captain America. He was retired seconds into his heroic career, by swinging into a brick wall.
- Alliterative Name: Robert Russo.
- Heroic Wannabe: Tries succeeding Steve Rogers as the new Captain America… and accidentally breaks his arm in a rooftop swing while trying to stop a robbery.
- Sports Hero Backstory: Was a star baseball player… which doesn't make him qualified for the role of Captain America at all.
"Scar" Turpin
"Scar" Turpin
As Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America Vol 1 #179 (November, 1974)
Biker who attempted to be Captain America. Failed to prevent a robbery and was beaten up by a gang.
- Heroic Wannabe: Attempts to succeed Steve Rogers as Cap after Bob failed… only to get horribly beaten up by a gang when he was attempting to stop a robbery.
Roscoe Simmons
Roscoe Simmons
As Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America Vol 1 #178 (October, 1974)
Roscoe assumed the role of Captain America after Steve Rogers became Nomad. He lasted only a short time before being killed in the line of duty.
- Brooklyn Rage: Like Steve, Roscoe hailed from Brooklyn.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: The Red Skull was not remotely happy to find someone other than Steve wearing the cowl, and had Roscoe crucified as a message.
- I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Roscoe's horrific death would hang over Steve for years.
- Killed Off for Real: Died in Captain America #183, and has stayed dead since.
John Walker
John Walker
Alter Ego: John F. Walker
Notable Aliases: Jack Daniels, Super-Patriot, Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America #323 (November, 1986) note ; Captain America #333 (September, 1987) note ; Captain America #354 (June, 1989) note
John Walker had his strength enhanced in hopes of being a hero for his country like his fallen brother. After a tenure upholding the mantle of Captain America, Walker re-established himself as U.S.Agent where he went on to have extensive service as a member of, and even leader of, the Avengers.
Clint Barton
Alter Ego: Clinton Francis Barton
Notable Aliases: Hawkeye, Ronin, Captain America
First appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (as Hawkeye), Fallen Son: Death of Captain America (as Captain America)
A long-time Avenger and colleague of Steve Rogers. After a temporary case of death, Barton was resurrected. Approaching Tony Stark after the events of Civil War, Clint was offered the chance to take up the shield of the then-deceased Steve Rogers, being one of the few people who could successfully wield it. However, on his first patrol, Clint encountered his own successor, Kate Bishop of the Young Avengers, whose words on honoring Clint's legacy cause him to have a change of heart, handing the shield back to Stark's possession.
See Hawkeye
Bucky Barnes
Bucky Barnes
As Bucky
As Winter Soldier
As Captain America
Alter Ego: James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes
Notable Aliases: Bucky, Winter Soldier, Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 (March, 1941) note ; Captain America #1 (January, 2005) note ; Captain America #34 (January, 2008) note
Formerly Steve Rogers' Kid Sidekick during World War II, when he was known as 'Bucky'. He was apparently killed shortly before Steve was frozen in suspended animation, but was recently revealed to have been captured, near death, by the Soviets. Equipped with a cybernetic arm and Brainwashed into becoming the assassin known as the Winter Soldier, he played the role of a villain until Steve brought him back to his senses and had him reform. With the apparent death of Steve, Bucky took the mantle of Captain America with the blessing of Tony Stark. He kept the shield after Steve's resurrection, only to be apparently killed in battle with Cul, the Serpent, at which point the mantle went back to Steve, while Bucky resumed operations as the Winter Soldier.
See Bucky Barnes
Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson
As Falcon
As Captain America
Alter Ego: Samuel Thomas "Sam" Wilson
Notable Aliases: "Snap" Wilson, Falcon, Blackwing, Blackbird, Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America #117 (September, 1969) note ; All-New Captain America #1 (November, 2014) note
Sam Wilson was a social worker before he was a super hero. After witnessing unspeakable acts of gang violence, he took up the codename "The Falcon" and fights to keep the streets safe.
See The Falcon
Dave Rickford
Dave Rickford
As Captain America
Alter Ego: David Rickford
First Appearance: Captain America Vol 1 #615.1 (May, 2011)
David Rickford is a highly decorated Special Forces soldier who was augmented by Nick Fury (posing as the Power Broker) to adopt the mantle of Captain America.
