“This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion.” – Dr. Abraham Erskine<p><br>
“Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — "No, you move." – Steve Rogers<p><br>
WHEN CAPTAIN AMERICA THROWS HIS MIGHTY SHIIIIIIELLLDDDD....<p><br>
First off, let me just preface this by saying that I'm not an American. I don't have any particular allegiance to that country (Keep up the great comics and movies though, guys!), and I don't really have a patriotic connection to the Captain either. But what makes Steve Rogers my third favorite superhero is the idea, or the concept, that he represents. In the words of Captain America himself, he's loyal to nothing but the Dream. He's not a lapdog of the US government, and he's not just another soldier fighting for his country (No disrespect to any servicemen and women here!). But rather, he is his country. He wears the flag of his nation loyally as a patriot, and while he might have started off as a propaganda statement, Captain America has evolved to represent every American or any human being who has ever felt love for their own country. When you tear away all of the politics and bureaucracy and red tape nonsense, when you mold a man who doesn't care for the demagogues pulling the strings but rather for the common people - that's when you have Captain America. Loyal to Americans and to what America means. As cheesy as it might sound, I think that we all have a little Captain America in us (That's the cue to start humming 'For the land of the freeeee', by the way).<p><br>
But that's not the only reason why I love the Captain. The second main draw for me is his origins. Superheroes are wish-fulfillment power fantasies, as many comic psychoanalysts love pointing out, and while Cap's origin is much like that, I think it goes a lot deeper. Steve Rogers was a scrawny orphan, always weak and unable to defend himself, struggling to make a living during the Depression in one of the harshest eras of American history. But his motivation to be Captain America wasn't to be stronger for being strong's sake. It wasn't a desire for power that drove him, or a desire to show others what he was capable of. It was a desire to do his part for his country. If being stronger would give him the opportunity to serve his nation, he would take it. Steve Rogers risked himself for an experimental procedure that could possibly kill him...all because he felt it was the right thing that an American should do. As Cap himself puts it in the First Avenger: 'There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them'. Talk about 'Not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country', huh? There's a thing or two you can learn from a fictional character like that.<p><br>
And his reputation is immense as well. He is the defining leader of both the Avengers and Earth's superheroes in general (When you think of the Avengers, you don't think of Gilgamesh, now do you?). Through the multiple decades of his career, he's led some of the most powerful superhumans, and when there needs to be someone calling the plays in the field - no one looks any further than the Captain himself. He's made some bad calls over the years (Seriously, why couldn't Cyclops and Cap just have a sit-down? Conflict-resolution skills, people!), but Captain America has proven time and time again why he's referred to as a living legend, and why other superheroes respect him so much. Everyone defers to the Captain on the battlefield, and while some might find that annoyingly Mary Sue-ish, I think the character has earned it. But aside from his leadership skills, I also love his personality so much. In a time where superheroes often have complex flaws and problems, Captain America - much like his own era - represents heroes from a simpler time. Back when there was black and white, and good and evil. When heroes were morally upright citizens who did the right thing and who never failed to stand up for their beliefs.<p><br>
And then there's the costume. Oh Lord, the costume. Bats and Supes might be higher on my list, but the Super-Soldier's uniform is still my favorite. Thank you so much, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby! Everything about his outfit just screams 'superhero' to me. From the iconic discus shield, to the blue chainmail, to the 'A' symbol and wings on his head. Hell, even the classic buccaneer pirate boots. All costuming gold. When you see the red, blue, and white in a comic-book, you know that the Captain's here to save the day. And then there's his villains. The badass-looking Crossbones, the hilariously awesome Arnim Zola, the intimidating Baron Heinrich Zemo, and most of all - the devious Red Skull (Number 18 on my list!). And who can forget all the classic arcs and storylines that Cap has had, both in the Avengers and in his own books. Ed Brubaker's entire Captain America run is just one continuous line of storytelling awesomeness. An intriguing mix of history, patriotism, espionage, and the superhero comic-form at its finest. If you haven't read Brubaker's Captain America's run, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It shows Cap at both his best and his worst.<p><br>
Also, as an amateur artist myself, I like how one of Cap's hobbies is painting and art. It gives a human touch to the Star-Spangled Avenger, don't you think?<p><br>
