Warning: this article contains spoilers for Captain America/Iron Man #5!
Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, is famous for upholding righteous values of truth and justice while putting his life on the line time and again as he fights alongside the Avengers in an effort to save anyone who needs his help. Throughout his comic career, his code of honor has rarely frayed, making his respect something that is highly sought, both in the comics and the MCU. And in his latest adventure, Captain America proves that he respects a surprising Avenger above all others.
In Captain America/Iron Man #5 by Derek Landy and Angel Unzueta, Captain America and Iron Man have joined forces to take down a villainous A.I. known as Overseer programmed to decimate the world. Those who programmed it to do so, however, were a team of D-List superheroes called the Paladins, who made Overseer just strong enough to put up a public fight but weak enough to eventually defeat in an effort to raise their profile.
Once Captain America and Iron Man discover what the Paladins have done, they attempt to arrest them for their thoughtless crimes, which sparks a pretty one-sided battle. While Captain America is taking down the Paladins’ leader, Vox, he admits his foe had potential to be an actual superhero and could have learned from someone who truly understands the responsibility of possessing great power. When Rogers says this, he isn’t talking about himself, but another member of the Avengers. Captain America says, “There’s a young man I could have introduced you to. You spend the day with him, you’d understand. Between the jokes and the swinging around, you’d understand.” Based on what he says to Vox and the regard he holds for the Avenger in question, Captain America’s comments suggest that he sees Spider-Man as the ideal symbol of superhero values.
Spider-Man is a prime example of a genuinely pure-hearted superhero as he has committed himself to helping others even if it puts his own life in danger. Other than perhaps joking around, Spider-Man is very similar to Captain America in terms of the level of responsibility he has taken to ensure the world is made a better place. Despite this, it’s somewhat surprising Captain America holds Spider-Man in such high regard. In the past, Peter has failed to live up to Steve Rogers’ more rigid sense of heroism – ignoring the Avengers’ briefing emails – and his irreverent sense of humor in battle is something Cap can’t help but call out even when praising him. Despite this, Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s most committed heroes, risking his life for friend and foe alike even as the public hate him, and it seems Captain America understands Peter’s true nature.
More than that, Captain America references Spider-Man when he could have mentioned literally any hero from his long life – including Iron Man, who’s actually present. It seems that when Steve Rogers thinks of what it means to be a powerful, responsible hero, Spider-Man is the name that comes to mind. While fans of the MCU might be surprised to know Captain America thinks so much of Spider-Man, it turns out the arachnid Avenger is Steve Rogers’ definition of a hero.
