The Nerdy Dozen: Best of Captain America

I originally wanted to do one of these lists in honor of the return of Steve Rogers to the present day Marvel Universe. Obviously I did not get it posted to meet that sort of deadline, so instead we’ll honor the premiere weekend of his new movie. For me this list is a “best of” Cap’s greatest comic book moments or maybe better put, the moments that made a guy named Steve Rogers worthy of being called Captain America.

12) Ultimates #10 – This A don’t stand for France

“Surrender? SURRENDER? You think this letter on my head stands for France?!” I know this is a line meant to be an edgy joke for the supposedly edgier and hipper Ultimate line at Marvel. But even still is symbolizes that every version of Cap is a fighter to the end with no intention of ever quitting.

 11) Captain America #445 – Cap escapes the Cosmic Cube

The Red Skull is quite the schemer. In the storyline this moment takes place in he is trying to gain full control over the Cosmic Cube and has both Captain America and Hitler (yes really) trapped inside it. His hope is that Cap will kill Hitler and then stay trapped inside the cube. But Cap eventually figures out what is going on, escapes the Cube and proceeds to lay the smackdown on the Skull (again).

10) Captain America #453 – Cap saves the day and Bill Clinton

So after all of that Red Skull/Cosmic Cub mess, Cap was in a lot of trouble with the US Government for things he’d done while caught up in that scheme. Never one to take that sort of thing lying down, Steve sets out to not only save the day but also clear his good name. For my money the big moment in this story isn’t Cap taking down Machinesmith, foiling his plan or saving the president in the process. The moment is actually the president acting like a fanboy towards Cap while returning his shield at the end of the story and how Cap takes everything that has happened in stride.

9) Captain America #254 - Cap kills Baron Blood

Long before Ed Brubaker and others reminded us of what a bad ass Cap could be this story let us know that Cap would get his hands (or shield) dirty if the situation called for it. Steve Rogers was a soldier before a super hero and he has never forgotten that sometimes saving lives might call for taking one. Even though he agonizes over it and does not want it to come to that, like he says, “There is only one way to totally destroy a vampire.”

8) Captain America #180-184

Sometimes deserving to be Captain America means you don’t want to be Captain America. Of course no one knows this more than Steve Rogers who has on more than one occasion given up his role because he disagreed with what the leaders of Marvel’s US government have expected of him. None of these “vacations” from the role have been that long lasting but in each he both left and returned to his familiar title and costume because of his sense of duty and need to do the right thing.

7) Tales of Suspense #79-81 – Cap vs The Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube

I feel like this one is cheating just a bit as “the moment” is much longer than just one scene. But this battle symbolizes several key ingredients of Cap’s character and mythology for me. Cap is tested once again by his arch-nemesis the Red Skull and for the first time the Cosmic Cube but believe it or not that isn’t the sticking point for me. The focus is that Cap is faced as he is so many times with an evil force controlling a power he can’t compete with or even understand. But the gravity of the situation does not send him running in the opposite direction; instead it is why he’s there in the first place. More than anything, Cap wins this battle because he refuses to quit knowing that if he fails the world is in jeopardy.

6) Civil War #1 – Whose side are you on?

The Superhero Registration Act was the issue of the day in the Marvel Universe and quite literally tore the US portion of their world apart for awhile. Right off the bat each side of this issue had a leader to gather behind. Iron Man had been douching it up behind the scenes to have a prominent spot in this conflict as the leader of the Pro-Registration. But who would lead the Anti-Registration forces? The moment of the first issue of this series for me is Cap being cornered by the new director of SHIELD and an armed guard as he is being told that he is expected to lead their forces in arresting his fellow heroes who might defy the law. Most people might not choose that moment (surrounded and on the heli-carrier) to not only voice his displeasure but to refuse his orders. There could be a way to debate the issue from the inside or failing in that leave his duties in an easier fashion. But Cap felt the act and the actions that would follow it were wrong, and he was not going to behave other wise, even if it meant having to make a stand and an escape in a less than ideal situation.

5) JLA/Avengers # 1-4 – Leading the heroes of 2 Universes

Since they have to fight each other before they get to the bad guys, Cap (like the rest of the heroes) had some off moments in this crossover. But when it came time for the final charge and they needed someone to lead the assembled forces into battle there was no doubt from anyone who that should be. And hey, earning the respect of both Superman and Batman in only 4 issues is no small feat. Just an example of why I picked him as the greatest leader in comics in a previous Nerdy Dozen.

4) Amazing Spider-Man # 537 – No you move.

This one isn’t an epic battle or even a fight, just one hell of a pep talk. Marvel was locked in their “Civil War” and things had gotten dirty with both sides having already done things that they wished they hadn’t done and more nastiness yet to come. Cap and Spidey are on a roof top (where all great talks in comics happen) and Pete (having just left the Pro-Reg side) is in dire need of inspiration. Steve basically lays out his entire belief system for Pete by quoting Mark Twain and reassures him that standing up for what you believe in is always the right thing to do.

3) Infinity Gauntlet #4 – Cap stands up to Thanos

At this point in the story Thanos has already killed half the universe, including slaughtering nearly all of the heroes who teamed together in an attempt to stop him. Most people if left standing in that situation would run or hide. None of those people would be Captain America. It’s not just that he stands up to Thanos to give the Silver Surfer perhaps one last shot to take the Infinity Gauntlet from him (which he fails to do), he stands up to him because he doesn’t consider there to be any other option. He’s Captain “freakin” America and he don’t lay down for nobody.

2) Marvel What If? V1 #44 – What if Captain America was revived today?

Or say in 1984 to be more exact? This story has been redone to fit other time periods but I loved this book when it came out (I was 9) so we’ll focus on this particular telling. In this tale the Avengers never rescue Cap from that block of ice and instead he stays frozen until a submarine finds him in the 80’s. While he was sleeping, someone from the government decides to awake up crazy Cap and Bucky from the 50’s and make use of them. Soon the Secret Empire comes calling and takes advantage of their craziness to mold them into the perfect role models for their political agendas turning him and the US into the very thing the real Captain America would fight against. Needless to say once Cap returns to the US he immediately joins in with the resistance and leads them into a dramatic battle against the bogus Captain America. Just like Maximus, not only does he win the battle but he wins the crowd and then pins a ribbon on his comeback by singing America The Beautiful with the crowd.

1) Captain America #25 – His own death

At this scene unfolds, Steve Rogers is probably at one of the lowest moments of his life. He has surrendered in an attempt to end the fighting and destruction being caused in Marvel’s “Civil War” over the Superhuman Registration Act. And now he is being paraded in front of the media and into a court house to face charges for leading the anti-reg group. He is handcuffed and being humiliated for standing up for what he believed to be the right thing. Then things start to get worse as he sees he and his guards are about to be fired upon by snipers. And what does he do? He does what a guy named Captain America would do and knocks his guard out of the way to take the bullets himself. Cuffed and having one of the worse days of his life, he is still ready to sacrifice himself to try to save someone else. Too bad his girlfriend shoots him in the gut a few pages later but that’s a whole other list.

So there you have it, my list of the best examples of what makes Steve Rogers a guy that his fellow heroes from gods to billionaires to soldiers and all the rest worthy of following as Captain America. But as sure as I am that you should go see his new movie (in theaters now), I’m sure I missed some great moments. So what moments do you think best symbolize who Captain America is?

Comments

[Shawn Daughhetee]

#12 is my favorite Cap moment! I quote it all the time.

[Ted]

#4 is probably my favorite b/c it happened almost right when I was getting back into comics. Great list, Brian.

[Jo-El]

What? No Cap-Wolf?