Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers #15!!

Few heroes have what it takes to fill the inspiring shoes of Captain America, but Hawkeye has stepped up to prove she is worthy of the mantle. In the midst of Blood Hunt’s vampire invasion, a new contender for Steve Rogers’ shield emerges, as Kate Bishop reminds the Avengers that she has all the best qualities of a leader.

In Avengers #15, Captain America’s team is faced with the monumental task of saving hostages while dispatching Nazi vampires. With the eternal night giving blood drinkers the advantage, everyone is operating outside the usual playbook. When Steve Rogers gets separated while facing Baron Blood, the rest of the team needs some direction, and the remaining civilians could use a dose of hope.

Unexpectedly, that makes it Kate Bishop’s moment to shine. Not only does she pull out SHIELD knowledge that helps save innocent lives, but her cheeky speech to the hostages is exactly what they all need to keep going.

Kate Bishop Has What It Takes To Be Captain America

Avengers #15 – Written By Jed MacKay; Art By C.F. Villa, Federico Blee, & Cory Petit

Blood Hunt has the world scrambling, but some heroes do their best thinking in the midst of chaos. Fortunately for her fellow teammates and trapped civilians, Kate Bishop is one of them. Being Hawkeye requires quick, unconventional thinking, since she routinely faces enemies with extraordinary abilities and keeps up with ultra-powerful friends. She has to stay one step ahead of everyone else (or at least catch up fast), whether it’s by coming up with new trick arrows for any situation or pulling out childhood knowledge of SHIELD resources, as she did to get hostages onto floating SHIELD pods.

The speech is hardly Hawkeye’s first brush with leadership, either. She revived and led the West Coast Avengers team and has plenty of experience with the Young Avengers, fellow Hawkeye Clint Barton, and other superhero mentors. This might be her first-time fighting vampires, but it’s hardly her first rodeo. As she tells the hostages in Avengers #15, she doesn’t have powers, but she’s still fighting alongside the Avengers to keep them safe. Kate Bishop knows exactly how inspiring that can be. She became a hero through intense training, hard work, and drive, and she knows “ordinary” people can survive the extreme.

Marvel’s Hawkeye Knows How to Inspire Hope in Impossible Situations

Kate Bishop Is A Fearless Fighter

Being an archer in Blood Hunt has advantages. As Kate eloquently puts it, “vampires hate sticks” and she’s firing off plenty of them. Beyond that, she knows what it takes to do the right thing with the odds stacked against her. Steve Rogers was a fighter before taking the Super Soldier serum, and Kate Bishop has the same willingness to help, even if she isn’t as equipped for the job as other heroes. They share that stubbornness and internal drive. Hawkeye’s willingness to put herself on the line is inspiring, and she has all the best qualities of Captain America.