First Avenger How could a guy with no real powers lead the Avengers

[SuperFerret]

He also has to be near Cyclops to do something.

 

[KalMart]

You are all geeks.

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

wait...this thread is real?

 

[Astro13Zombie]

Because he's Captain America.

 

[C. Lee]

He has beserker rage

The new mutant VALIUM GIRL takes care of that.

 

[C. Lee]

wait...this thread is real?

No...you're dreaming...go back to sleep.

 

[cryptic name]

i hate to add to the off topic-ness and am annoyed as anyone about the proliferation of Wolverine...but: Cyclops is a great fighter, a strong leader, and a powerful mutant. Wolverine is a living weapon that is for all intents and purposes unstoppable and unkillable. In a real fight, he takes Cyke down, no question.

 

[captainrogers]

i hate to add to the off topic-ness and am annoyed as anyone about the proliferation of Wolverine...but: Cyclops is a great fighter, a strong leader, and a powerful mutant. Wolverine is a living weapon that is for all intents and purposes unstoppable and unkillable. In a real fight, he takes Cyke down, no question.

....given Cyke's recent openess to lethal measures, I don't think he'd let Logan close enough to make any sort of move. Those beams can be pretty lethal. But these ARE comics. There are justifiable(as well as unjustifiable) reasons either could take the other out.

 

[GhostPoet]

So...only strength determines who can be a leader? Intelligence, compassion, and things like that don't count, huh?

Waitaminute...isn't that how we do things in America??

=P

 

[The Question]

... i was always wondering

you have a god (thor), you have iron-man, you have a thousend more gifted superheros - how come a guy with lil' wings on his head on not real super-powers could become the leader ????

By having leadership skills. This isn't some old fashioned warrior society where the leader is the guy with the biggest muscles. He's the leader because he's the best suited for the job and everybody likes him.

 

[Steelsheen]

agreed with the others.

apologies for lack of a better example, but the typical assumption of being "leader of the pack" would be Superman and the Justice League. back in the old days its probably true because Supes was the strongest, but over the decades it has proven that his strength of character and ability to inspire is even stronger than any of his super abilities. thats why despite the knights-of-the-round-table leadership set up of the Justice League, everybody still looks to Superman as the defacto leader and not Batman.

Batman is not exactly the image of the typical leader, despite all the other sidekicks and groups he's affiliated with. Batman's brand of leadership isnt to inspire, but to blaze the trail, not really caring if anybody follows him or not. it just so happens that that brazenness prompts others to follow him. sheep mentality does the rest.

the Avengers set up is that you have a leader that inspires but isnt as superpowered as the rest of the group (i will get to Iron Man later)-- taking facets of the Superman-Batman characterization. and thats the beauty of it-- it emphasizes Captain America's ability to inspire and to lead people a lot more powerful than himself but is not a "damsel in distress" situation that a prompts a group to form around (such as the Fellowship of the Ring for lack of a better example). and where is Iron Man in this set-up? he's the maverick, the devil's advocate-- the guy that balances the leader.

every group/ partnership needs a leader and a devil's advocate. that keeps the balance. otherwise everything will end up extremely lopsided-- either you have a dictatorship or disunity.

 

[misjuevos]

if you need an answer to fit with the avengers movie then how about this. cap is the only one with military training and shield is very militant in their operations. so they would try to pick the most qualified. cap is the only one with any field training in leading a squad. so he is choice number 1. also the others respect cap since they knew of him back in the day as a fallen hero.

 

[Denny67]

Strange that he can run inconceivably fast, yet only bech press slightly more than real weight lifters. Were those limits set recently or a good while ago? The record in the 40's was less than half of what it is now; that might account for it.

I think what you are lacking is the proper context.

The people who bench that much weight are far from “normal weightlifters.” There are only a handful of people worldwide that can bench that much and it is only due to a lifetime of training, and regardless of any denials is in fact with the aid on anabolic steroids. All with a singular focus aimed all maximizing that one specific lift.

To "just be able to" beach that much within the framework of your normal, everyday, walking around, state of fitness is absolutely astounding and would be without a doubt classified as "superhuman."

 

[Shivsguy616]

I think what you are lacking is the proper context.

The people who bench that much weight are far from “normal weightlifters.” There are only a handful of people worldwide that can bench that much and it is only due to a lifetime of training, and regardless of any denials is in fact with the aid on anabolic steroids. All with a singular focus aimed all maximizing that one specific lift.

To "just be able to" beach that much within the framework of your normal, everyday, walking around, state of fitness is absolutely astounding and would be without a doubt classified as "superhuman."

I didn't say "normal weightlifters". I said "real weightlifters".
Actually the main reason for the ability to lift so much is compression shirts, but that's besides the point. Of course Cap "just being able to" is superhuman, but my point was that his "just being able to" run that fast is superhuman to a far higher level; one far, far beyond the capabilities of any human now or likely ever.

 

[Hoblin]

Whenever anyone asks me what superhero's powers I would like to have, I always say "Captain America."

Word.

 

[marcvader]

It would be cool if there was a show like mythbusters around the time of the Cap movie release that explored the science behind optimal human conditions, the physics behind the shield, and protective military gear.

 

[Shivsguy616]

Someone needs some comic reading to do.(sic)

Why?

 

[misjuevos]

It would be cool if there was a show like mythbusters around the time of the Cap movie release that explored the science behind optimal human conditions, the physics behind the shield, and protective military gear.

there was something similar to this on the dark knight blu ray. showed his gadgets and the practical real life versions of them.

 

[storyteller]

Its for the same reason they need to be teamed together. The threat require more then just punching. It needs a military strategist. Thor is a damn viking who doesn't know what that means. He has the hulk mentality with a hammer.

 

[wobbly]

I didn't say "normal weightlifters". I said "real weightlifters".
Actually the main reason for the ability to lift so much is compression shirts, but that's besides the point. Of course Cap "just being able to" is superhuman, but my point was that his "just being able to" run that fast is superhuman to a far higher level; one far, far beyond the capabilities of any human now or likely ever.

Whichever writer came up with the 'mile in a minute' idea probably didn't think about it too much and do the math (the fastest a human can run at this time is still under 30 mph...Having Cap sprint twice that fast is pushing it).
The way I've looked at Cap's abilities is take every world record there is for for running, jumping, strength, swimming, acrobatics, etc, and ramp it up a few notches for Cap.
The only huge difference is his being able to sustain speed/strength endurance would take him well beyond the records held by current middle/long distance runners, swimmers etc. And with things like weights he could press 500kg continuously, rather than just in one big lift.

 

[KatarHol]

I think Frank Miller said it best in Daredevil Born Again......."A soldier with a voice that could command a God....and does.."

 

[captainrogers]

Whichever writer came up with the 'mile in a minute' idea probably didn't think about it too much and do the math (the fastest a human can run at this time is still under 30 mph...Having Cap sprint twice that fast is pushing it).
The way I've looked at Cap's abilities is take every world record there is for for running, jumping, strength, swimming, acrobatics, etc, and ramp it up a few notches for Cap.
The only huge difference is his being able to sustain speed/strength endurance would take him well beyond the records held by current middle/long distance runners, swimmers etc. And with things like weights he could press 500kg continuously, rather than just in one big lift.

It was Brubaker, and I think he had the pseudo caveat of "when I have to" in terms of that running performance. But these are comics, and a characters abilities are usually dictated by what the story requires.

 

[captainrogers]

I think Frank Miller said it best in Daredevil Born Again......."A soldier with a voice that could command a God....and does.."

Most awesome description of caps abilities. "muscles like pistons" or something like that.

 

[KatarHol]

Most awesome description of caps abilities. "muscles like pistons" or something like that.

He's only in maybe,5 pages of that story but his presence is so strong,it may be my favorite Cap thing in all of comics. Especially when Nuke is shooting up that hallway and then the sound effects change from BLAM,BLAM,BLAM to PING,PING,PING....and the look on his face is like..."I'm about to crap my pants because here comes Captain freakin America"

 

[wobbly]

I think Frank Miller said it best in Daredevil Born Again......."A soldier with a voice that could command a God....and does.."

That was a great story all round. Miller at his best