For other uses, see Captain America (disambiguation)

"For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same." ―Steve Rogers to Peggy Carter

Captain Steven Grant "Steve" Rogers is a World War II veteran, a founding member of the Avengers, and Earth's first known superhero. Rogers grew up suffering from numerous health problems, and upon America's entry into World War II, he was rejected from serving in the United States Army despite several attempts to enlist. Rogers ultimately volunteered for Project Rebirth, where he was the only recipient of the Super Soldier Serum developed by Abraham Erskine under the Strategic Scientific Reserve. The serum greatly enhanced Steve's small and frail body to the peak of human physicality. After Erskine's assassination and being doubted by SSR head director Chester Phillips, Rogers was relegated to performing in war bond campaigns, where he posed as a patriotic mascot under the moniker of Captain America.

In 1943, Rogers rejoined the SSR after single-handedly liberating Allied prisoners from a HYDRA base, after which he began leading his team of Howling Commandos in many operations against HYDRA. His World War II exploits made Steve a living legend, and during this time he also formed a close relationship with SSR agent Peggy Carter. Rogers ultimately helped the Allies win the war and defeat HYDRA's leader Red Skull, but crashed into the Arctic during his final mission to stop a plane carrying bombs bound for the United States. Rogers then spent sixty-six years unconscious and frozen in ice under a state of suspended animation, before he was eventually found by S.H.I.E.L.D. in the early 21st century.

When he awoke, Rogers found himself alone in a modern world that he hardly recognized, with no idea what to do with his life. Following Loki's theft of the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury enlisted Rogers' help in retrieving the Tesseract and stopping Loki from destroying the world. Joining the Avengers, Rogers played a key role in the Battle of New York, successfully stopping the invasion, capturing Loki, and reacquiring the Tesseract.

Rogers then joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as a counter-terrorist operative. While uncovering a conspiracy inside the organization, he encountered the Winter Soldier, and discovered that HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. intending to use Project Insight as a way to bring about a despotic new world order. He then learned that Winter Soldier was his best friend Bucky Barnes, who he thought was killed in action during World War II, but had since been physically enhanced and brainwashed by HYDRA. Alongside Black Widow, Maria Hill and Falcon, Rogers then ended the HYDRA Uprising.

Rogers and the Avengers reassembled and then embarked in an all-out war against HYDRA, recapturing the Scepter and capturing Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Rogers and the team then encountered Ultron, the new peacekeeping artificial intelligence program designed by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, which had gone rogue and plotted to exterminate humanity. Following a prolonged and brutal conflict in which Vision's creation gave them an advantage, Ultron was defeated during the Battle of Sokovia. Several of the original Avengers then departed, leaving Rogers and Romanoff to lead and train the new Avengers team.

The new Avengers conducted several international missions, and during an encounter with Crossbones and his mercenaries, Scarlet Witch failed to contain an explosion triggered by Crossbones, which resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians from Wakanda. The United Nations used the disaster to ratify the Sokovia Accords, but Rogers saw their draconian nature and refused to sign, resulting in a rift between himself and Avengers co-leader Tony Stark. Bucky Barnes then resurfaced as the prime suspect of a terrorist bombing; Rogers chose to protect his best friend, and he and his anti-accord allies became renegades. Upon learning Helmut Zemo was responsible, Rogers fought against Stark and his pro-accord allies before finding Zemo, only for Zemo's schemes to succeed as he revealed to Stark that Barnes assassinated his parents, prompting an enraged Iron Man to attack Barnes. Rogers then engaged in a fierce personal fight with Stark and emerged the victor, but with the Avengers deeply divided.

Rogers eventually rescued some of his anti-accord associates from the Raft, and had Barnes sent to Wakanda to be cured of his brainwashing. Rogers, Black Widow, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch subsequently became fugitives, but when Thanos and his Black Order attacked Earth seeking the final Infinity Stones, Rogers emerged from hiding in order to protect Vision. Rogers had Vision brought to Wakanda, while he and Black Panther's army held off the onslaught of Outriders sent down by Thanos. Despite helping to destroy Thanos' army, Thanos effortlessly overpowered Rogers and all the other heroes before killing Vision and taking the Mind Stone. Thanos then snapped his fingers and wiped out half the population of the universe, leaving Rogers to witness many people die.

Five years after the Snap, Captain America and his fellow Avengers eventually found a way to safely travel through time using a modified Quantum Tunnel, returning to various points in the past to amass all six Infinity Stones, which Thanos had destroyed before the Avengers found and killed him. The stones were used to resurrect all the lives taken by the Snap, and Captain America participated in the Battle of Earth, where he was deemed worthy of Mjølnir and wielded it in combat against Thanos and his army, who had followed the Avengers forward to the present through the Quantum Tunnel. After Iron Man sacrificed his life to finally defeat Thanos, Rogers attended his friend's funeral before traveling back in time to return Mjølnir and the Infinity Stones. Rogers succeeded and then chose to return to the 1940s, where he married Peggy Carter. Rogers grew old and reunited with his friends in the present, entrusting Sam Wilson with his shield.

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Biography

Early Life

Meeting James Barnes

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." ―Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers was born on July 4, 1918, to Sarah and Joseph Rogers in New York City. Before Rogers had been born, his father was confirmed to have been killed in action in World War I. At a young age, he met Bucky Barnes who would eventually become his best friend. Rogers suffered from asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, high blood pressure, and heart trouble, among other illnesses, and thus was frequently attacked by bullies on the streets. However, his resilience, despite his small stature, inspired Barnes to come to his aid and fight off the bullies when he was needed.[1]

Rogers attended George Washington High School in Brooklyn from 1932 to 1936, and later Auburndale Art School, also in Brooklyn, from 1937 to 1938.[13] During one of their trips together, Rogers and Barnes had ended up being forced to get a ride back towards Brooklyn on the back of a freezer truck as they had used all their remaining train money to buy hotdogs, while Barnes had also inadvertently managed to spend three dollars as he attempted to win a stuffed bear for Dolores.[14] Another time when they were at Coney Island together, Barnes convinced Rogers to ride the Cyclone, resulting in Rogers throwing up.[1]

Mother's Death

"Thank you, Buck, but I can get by on my own."

"The thing is, you don't have to. I'm with you to the end of the line, pal." ―Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes

In 1936, Rogers' mother died of tuberculosis[13] and was buried next to her husband. Following the funeral, Rogers spoke to Bucky Barnes, who offered to have Rogers stay at his place and do errands to earn his keep. Rogers declined, saying that he could get by on his own. Seeing Rogers struggling to find his house keys, Barnes revealed his secret key and told him that he did not have to because he was with him "to the end of the line."[6]

A year later, during their art class, Barnes and Rogers found out that the United States of America had joined the World War II. Rogers wanted to join the United States Army to go fight in Europe against the Nazis, so Barnes trained him for two weeks at Goldie's Boxing Gym. Soon, Barnes and Rogers went to a US Recruiting and Induction Center in New York City where Rogers was classified as 4F and rejected from service, but Bucky later enlisted in the Army.[15]

Rejected for Service

"Look, just give me a chance."

"You’ll be ineligible on your asthma alone."

"Is there anything you can do?"

"I'm doing it. I'm saving your life." ―Steve Rogers and 4F Doctor

Seeing the rise of Adolf Hitler and the horrors of World War II, Rogers became determined to enlist in the United States Army. While in New York City in 1943, Rogers made another attempt to be enlisted, using a false enlistment card which claimed he was from Paramus. While waiting to be called up, Rogers read a newspaper with another recruit who claimed seeing the horror that was happening in France made he reconsider signing up, to which Rogers insisted he had not changed his mind.

Upon getting to the desk, Rogers was asked about how his mother and father had died following the ending of World War I. Due to all his various health and physical issues, Rogers was rejected for service in the military, despite his multiple attempts at several enlistment offices. However, he had remained determined to fight alongside his friends and other soldiers in the war and would try to convince the doctors to at least give him a chance to fight, but to no avail.

Disappointed that he would still be unable to go overseas and join in the war effort, Rogers went to a local cinema to try and take his mind of the situation. While at the screening, Rogers watched as an advert was played showing the different ways soldiers and civilians can help with the war effort, showing footage of the rise of Nazi Germany and the efforts the United States of America and the other Allied Forces were putting in to stop Hitler's advancements. While the film showed soldiers signing up, Rogers considered the footage of all the efforts people at home could do if he was still unable to fight overseas.

When a loud jerk inside the cinema yelled at the screen and showed disrespect to the message of the film, Rogers told him to show some respect. When the bully continued yelling out and insisting that they stop showing the footage and finally play the movie, Rogers was the only person to stand up to the bully, telling him to shut up, only for the bully to stand up and reveal himself to be considerably bigger than Rogers and ready for a fight whoever told him to shut up.

The bully proceeded to take Rogers outside before he then began to beat him up for telling him to shut up. Despite being smaller and unable to defend himself, Rogers still refused to give up, getting up from every punch and using a garbage can lid to defend himself and insisting he could do this all day, until he was finally knocked over and beaten. Rogers was then rescued by Bucky Barnes, who chased off the bully before helping Rogers to get on his feet.

Looking at his friend, Rogers then realized Barnes was wearing his uniform while he confirmed he would ship out with the 107th Infantry Regiment to go to England the next day. While Rogers expressed his disappointment that he would not join him, Barnes then smiled and insisted that they had to celebrate his last night before heading out into combat by going to the Stark Expo, which Rogers agreed to go to despite his poor mood, still wanting to support Barnes.[1]

Stark Expo 1943

"There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don’t understand. This isn't about me." ―Steve Rogers to Bucky Barnes

In his attempt to cheer up Rogers, Bucky Barnes convinced him to attend the Stark Expo and see an exhibition of the future technologies with him as well as two girls as a double date which Barnes had kept a secret from Rogers. Upon seeing Bonnie and Connie excitedly waving at Barnes, Rogers questioned what he had told his date about him, to which Barnes insisted he had only told her the good stuff, which had made Rogers even more nervous.

While they explored the Expo with the girls, Rogers and Barnes had then witnessed Howard Stark demonstrating his flying car prototype which would be built by Stark Industries, with Stark enthusiastically claiming that with his technology he and his company were currently developing, automobiles of the future would not even have to touch the ground at all. As the demonstration went underway, Rogers tried to offer Connie some sweets which she rejected before they watched as Stark's car then promptly crashed to the ground due to still being unfinished, much to the great amusement of the crowds.

Despite all of the incredible exhibits that were being displayed at the Expo, when Rogers had seen a nearby enlistment office adjacent, he had quietly snuck away from Barnes and the girls as he then made another attempt to go enlist in the United States Army once again so he might finally have a chance of fighting overseas with his fellow men. While waiting his turn to enlist in the Armed Forces, Rogers then posed beside their picture of a soldier who was wearing an army uniform, although Rogers' own short stature meant he rather apathetically only came up to the picture's chin while looking at himself.

Barnes noticed his absence and later found Rogers, attempting to convince him not to enlist again in case he was arrested for lying on his enlistment form again, but Rogers insisted that he needed to fight for his country as the threat of World War II and Nazi Germany still continued to grow. Finally, Rogers argued that he had no right to do any less than the other men fighting for their freedom before he and Barnes said their goodbyes, knowing that Barnes would be shipping out onto England with the 107th Infantry Regiment the next morning, with the pair sharing joking insults and a hug as Barnes left.[1]

Meeting Abraham Erskine

"I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."

"Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is the little guy, huh?" ―Steve Rogers and Abraham Erskine

Having overheard Rogers' conversation with Bucky Barnes about wanting to help in the war, Abraham Erskine decided to meet Rogers in a secluded room where Rogers was awaiting his tests. Seeing the doctors leave the room, however, Rogers became concerned that his forging of enlistment paperwork had been discovered as he quickly put his shoes back on and prepared to leave.

Erskine, however, then stepped inside the room and explained that he represented the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Rogers then questioned where Erskine was from, insisting he was not troubled when Erskine revealed he was born in Germany. Erskine then asked Rogers if he wished to go overseas and kill Nazis, to which Rogers questioned if he was being tested before saying that he did not wish to kill anyone; he simply did not like bullies no matter where they were from.

Impressed by this answer and all of Rogers' continued efforts to be enlisted with the United States Army, Erskine then decided to enlist Rogers as a candidate of Project Rebirth, telling him that this would be his chance to join the war effort in World War II, which Rogers had then enthusiastically accepted, delighted to be given the opportunity to serve.[1]

Training Begins

"We are going to win this war because we have the best... men. And because they’re gonna get better. Much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man." ―Chester Phillips to Steve Rogers

Rogers agreed and under the supervision of Abraham Erskine, he traveled to Camp Lehigh to begin his training. Upon arriving, Rogers watched as Peggy Carter introduced herself and showed her strength by hitting Gilmore Hodge when he attempted to disrespect her. Chester Phillips then arrived and gave a speech to the cadets, taking an instant dislike for Rogers as he believed that such a small man should not be involved in their operations.

Rogers trained hard in his attempts to prove himself to be a worthy soldier with the United States Army, but struggled on much of the physical training, managing to get tangled in a rope climb and falling upside down. Rogers was also often mocked and bullied by the other soldiers, including Hodge who would kick out the structures behind him to ensure that the barbed wire fell on Rogers which he would be forced to crawl through all of the mud.

However, Rogers' determination and quick thinking often made him stand out from the group, even when he was still struggling to keep up with the other soldiers physically. While out on their run under the orders of Michael Duffy, Rogers and the other cadets were offered a ride home if they successfully took down a flag from the top of a pole, with Rogers being too tired to join the others in desperately trying to climb up the pole physically to take down the flag.

Rogers, however, approached the situation more thoughtfully and, rather than attempting to climb up the flagpole, Rogers instead simply removed the pole's support pin, allowing it to fall down before removing the flag as it lay on the grass. With that, and being the first cadet in the camp's history to successfully take the flag, Rogers gained his ride to camp in Carter's Jeep, much to the annoyance of the other soldiers who had failed to think of it.

Despite all of Rogers' continued efforts to prove himself to be worthy, Phillips was unconvinced of Erskine's claims that Rogers was the right person for the Project Rebirth procedure, still ignoring Erskine's instance that they needed to look at qualities in a subject that went beyond the physical, although Phillips claimed that Hodge was the best fit due to him being big, fast and someone who obeyed orders and was therefore the perfect soldier for them.

As Erskine argued that Hodge was simply a bully, Phillips decided to demonstrate that Hodge was braver than Rogers by throwing a fake grenade at the cadets. Much to Phillips surprise, Hodge ran for his life while Rogers jumped over the grenade in order to protect his fellow soldiers from the blast that never came. Having seen Rogers commit an act of self-sacrificing bravery, Phillips finally relented to Erskine, much to his annoyance and Erskine's satisfaction.[1]

Accepted for Rebirth

"The serum amplifies everything that is inside. So, good becomes great. Bad becomes worse. 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." ―Abraham Erskine to Steve Rogers

With the decision made that Rogers would be the one cadet selected to undergo Project Rebirth, Rogers was sent back into his room to await the procedure in the morning. The night before the treatment, Rogers was visited by Abraham Erskine who came with a drink, before Rogers asked him why he had been selected for the experiment as opposed to any of the other stronger potential soldiers.

Erskine explained how the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler had gained all its power in Germany and how Erskine himself had been selected by Hitler to produce the perfect soldier. Erskine then revealed to Rogers that his first test subject, Johann Schmidt, underwent an imperfect version of the treatment, suffering negative side-effects due to his inner ambition for power and selfish obsession with becoming a superior man.

However, Erskine reassured Rogers that despite everything that had happened to Schmidt upon taking the Super Soldier Serum, he had chosen Rogers because he was inherently a good man and one that because he had been weak his whole life, would not lose respect for the strength he would gain. Erskine offered Rogers a drink before he took it away as Rogers still had his procedure the next morning and therefore could not consume any liquids, although Erskine himself still insisted that he could have a drink himself. Amused, Rogers and Erskine promised to share this drink after the treatment.[1]

"How do you feel?"

"Taller."

"You look taller." ―Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

On the day of the procedure, Rogers was escorted to a secret facility by Peggy Carter. As they drove together, Rogers pointed out many of the locations in New York City where he had been beaten up as he and Carter talked about being picked on and ignored for something they could not change; Rogers for his height and Carter for her gender. Despite Rogers' awkwardness while speaking with her, Carter was charmed by Rogers' sincerity and good moral values.

Once they had arrived, Rogers followed Carter into the Facility where the Strategic Scientific Reserve members were awaiting their arrival in order to begin the procedure as was planned. Rogers then watched agent Carter as she greeted the elderly woman who was standing behind the shop desk, giving her their secret code which granted them access into the secret facility, which was being hidden behind a large bookcase to avoid suspicion from members of the general public.

As soon as they stepped inside the main room, Rogers witnessed all of the scientists turning and looking at him, awaiting the beginning of the experiment, before Abraham Erskine greeted Rogers and Carter while Howard Stark prepped the machinery. While Rogers was instructed to remove his clothes and prepare for the experiment, Chester Phillips was watching from a safe distance with many other various Generals and Senators.

Once Rogers was strapped into the Vita-Ray Chamber, Erskine gave a short speech to Phillips and all the other people watching about exactly how Project Rebirth would work and what their procedure entailed, promising this would be the first step towards bringing them to peace during World War II. Rogers was injected with a needle which made him wince, as he noted that the injection was not nearly as bad as he thought it was going to be, before Erskine then revealed that this injection had merely been penicillin, making Rogers slightly more nervous as he considered what could be coming up next.

Before subjecting Rogers to the super-soldier treatment, Erskine gave a countdown and then placed a comforting hand on Rogers' shoulder before injecting him with the Super Soldier Serum which had caused Rogers considerable pain. Erskine then ordered Stark to activate the machine which lifted Rogers up in the air. Before the final stages occurred, Erskine questioned how Rogers was doing, to which he simply joked if he still had time to go to the bathroom.

Erskine ordered Stark to proceed as they then began dosing Rogers with large amounts of Vita Radiation. Although the treatment was extremely painful, causing Rogers to scream out in agony and almost force Erskine and Stark to shut off the reactor to save his life, Rogers demanded that the scientists to keep going regardless of his pain. Eventually, the experiment was complete and Rogers finally emerged from their experiment with a greatly enhanced physique.

Rogers went from being 5'4" tall and weighing 95 pounds to being 6'2" and weighing 240 lbs, with the serum also curing his previous medical afflictions. Carter greeted Rogers as he stepped out of the Vita-Ray Chamber, asking how he felt, to which the awestruck Rogers could only comment that he felt taller. While Carter gave Rogers a t-shirt to cover himself up, all the other scientists and generals then came down to congratulate the team, with Stark expressing his amazement. Brandt then began commenting on how Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party were about to get very nervous following this extraordinary success as more of the scientists and generals had then gathered around Rogers.[1]

"Who the hell are you?"

"The first of many. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA." ―Steve Rogers and Heinz Kruger

Shortly following the Project Rebirth experiment, however, Heinz Kruger who infiltrated the facility, shot and killed Abraham Erskine. As Kruger fought through the soldiers in his way, he then stole the last vial of Super Soldier Serum and escaped. Rogers ran onto Erskine's aid, but there was nothing he could do. Erskine pointed to Rogers' heart, reminding him of their earlier conversation, and died.

Determined to bring Kruger to justice, Rogers then pursued him on foot, saving Peggy Carter when she was almost run over by Kruger. While Kruger drove away in a stolen taxi, Rogers ran after him through the streets of New York City and, due to his enhanced physicality, Rogers was able to catch up with Kruger, despite still struggling to handle all of his newly found abilities and inadvertently crashing through a shop window which Rogers apologized for.

Finally, Rogers leaped from car roofs and launched himself onto the roof of Kruger's Lucky Star Taxi and tried to pull him out while they continued charging through the city. However, Kruger began firing into the roof of the taxi, mildly wounding Rogers who managed to avoid most of the gunshots before Kruger took his eyes off the road to get yet another shot at Rogers and caused the taxi to crash, while Rogers was thrown off but came out of the wreck uninjured.

Getting back onto his feet, Rogers continued running after Kruger, only to be shot at, forcing Rogers to pick up the Taxi's broken car door which he used to defend himself. As the crowds attempted to run for their lives, Kruger then grabbed a child from the street, taking him to the docks with the gun to his head while still firing at Rogers. Unwilling to allow the boy to come to harm, Rogers continued after Kruger while the boy's mother still cried out in utter horror.

When Rogers caught up with Kruger on the docks, he witnessed the assassin holding his Walther P38 at the boy's head, forcing Rogers to step out to try and stop Kruger from harming the boy. Kruger responded by trying to shoot Rogers, only to realize that he was out of ammunition. Frustrated, Kruger threw the boy over the docks and ran, but when Rogers went to save the boy, he discovered the boy could swim and continued chasing after Kruger.

When Kruger made his final desperate effort to escape by getting in the submarine, Rogers still refused to allow him to escape justice and dove into the water after Kruger. Swimming through the water with all of his newfound might, Rogers managed to catch up with the submarine and punched through the glass of the cockpit, forcing Kruger outside and dragging him all the way back to the surface for interrogation.

Rogers dragged Kruger back to the surface and threw him onto the docks where he proceeded to smash the serum in ensure that the Strategic Scientific Reserve could not use it again. Rogers then demanded to know who he was while Kruger insisted he was merely the first of many, giving the HYDRA salute before he then committed suicide via Cyanide Pill before he could be interrogated any further, dropping dead in front of Rogers.[1]

Recruited by Brandt

"Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?"

"Sir, that's all I want."

"Then, congratulations. You just got promoted." ―Brandt and Steve Rogers

With Abraham Erskine now deceased, any hope of reproducing the Super Soldier Serum was seemingly lost. Blood samples were taken from Rogers in hopes to replicate the formula. Out of the twelve, one was given to Howard Stark.[16] Rogers then spoke with Peggy Carter who insisted that if the experiment could have only worked once, Erskine would have been glad it worked on Rogers.

Finding Stark still working on the Fieser Dorsch, Rogers heard that whatever HYDRA was now working with was more technologically advanced than anything they had. Rather than be confined to a lab while scientists attempted to rediscover Erskine's formula, Rogers tried to convince Chester Phillips to allow him to serve overseas and defeat Johann Schmidt, but Phillips refused, noting that he was not the army he had wanted, claiming Rogers was just not enough.

While Rogers was left gutted that once again he would not be able to serve in World War II as he had wanted, Brandt, however, approached Rogers and claimed that his actions in stopping Heinz Kruger and saving the young child had been noticed by the public. Brandt then offered Rogers the chance to serve his country on the most important battlefield of the war, which Rogers had gladly accepted, with Brandt then promoting him there on the spot.[1]

Captain America

Working for the USO

"You were meant for more than this, you know."

"For the longest time, I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I'm wearing tights." ―Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

However, rather than putting Abraham Erskine's work to its intended use and being sent to serve overseas as he expected, Brandt had ordered Rogers to go and tour the nation in a colorful costume as Captain America. Rogers agreed, tasked to promote war bonds for the Treasury Department and encourage American participation in the war effort.

Rogers found performing difficult and awkward, still wishing to fight with his fellow soldiers against the forces of Nazi Germany and the continuing rise of HYDRA under the leadership of Johann Schmidt. But instead, he was forced by Brandt to perform and pose for photographs to keep the morale of the people back home on the rise. Despite his awkwardness, Rogers still tried to make the best of the situation, enjoying the reactions of all the young children.

With the help of this large show featuring music and dancers, even including a fake Adolf Hitler for Rogers to knock out night after night, Captain America became a star across the country, much to the ever-growing delight of Brandt who insisted on posing for some pictures with Rogers himself. Following each show, Rogers would sign autographs for the children who admired him, and following one show he was greeted by a beautiful woman wanting an autograph from him, which made the still shy Rogers rather awkward.

The continued shows allowed Rogers to become a living icon for the American people during the war, even starring in his own comic book series and several movie serials in which he would heroically battle against and defeat the Nazis while still wearing Captain America's Uniform. These comic books were sent overseas to France where they were enjoyed by both the United States Army soldiers as well as children back home.

Rogers continued to travel the country from state to state as his own popularity continued to grow with the wives and children whose husbands and fathers were fighting overseas against Hitler's forces. At the end of the shows, Captain America would demonstrate his strength from the Super Soldier Serum by lifting a motorcycle and three of the dancers above his head while the music finished, much to the amazement of his ever growing audiences.[1]

Performing Overseas

"As soon as I'm free, you turn this thing around and get the hell outta here!"

"You can't give me orders!"

"The hell I can't! I'm a Captain!" ―Captain America and Peggy Carter

In 1943, while touring to active servicemen in Italy, Rogers learned the soldiers of the United States Army did not enjoy his act as much as the nine-year-olds for whom he usually performed. Instead of getting behind his message, Rogers had abuse yelled out by Gilmore Hodge and other soldiers who insisted on seeing the Star Spangled Singers instead of Captain America himself.

Depressed at the job with Captain America's USO Show he had been given and wish to be a soldier serving on the front lines, Rogers took a free moment to sketch himself as a performing monkey. He was then joined by Peggy Carter who tried to persuade him that he was meant for more than what he was doing, reminding him of the reasons why Abraham Erskine had selected him, commenting on how much Rogers sounded like Brandt when he attempted to defend his recent work. Rogers, however, noted that despite all his disappointments in his current work, at least he did not end up being experimented on to gain the Super Soldier Serum while in labs.

During their conversation about his work as Captain America, Rogers watched as even more wounded soldiers returned back to the base and learned that the 107th Infantry Regiment had been seemingly completely wiped out during battle against HYDRA while they had been fighting in Azzano. Upon hearing this, Rogers realized this was Bucky Barnes' unit and desperately set out to learn if his closest friend had been killed or not during the conflict.

Running across the camp with Carter, Rogers then went immediately to Chester Phillips tent who teased Rogers over his Captain America character. Rogers begged Phillips to inform him if Barnes was alive or dead, with Phillips explaining they believed he was gone. Rogers demanded to know what rescue mission was taking place, but Phillips confirmed none was planned as it had been deemed far too dangerous and would risk the lives of even more soldiers.

Although Phillips seemingly confirmed Barnes as K.I.A., Rogers had refused to believe that Bucky was dead and stole weapons and some equipment, including his shield, in an attempt to drive to the HYDRA base and find him. Rogers asked if Carter meant what she said when she claimed to believe he was meant for more than children's shows, which she confirmed. Seeing his determination, Carter convinced Rogers to let her aid him.

Carter and Howard Stark assisted Rogers by flying him into Austria, thirty miles behind enemy lines. During the journey, Rogers had an awkward conversation with Carter when he mistakenly thought she had begun a relationship with Stark. Their plane was suddenly shot at by enemy guns, and Rogers had ordered Carter to turn the plane around once he was clear. She tried to tell him that he could not give her orders, but he claimed he could as he was a Captain.[1]

"Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find."

"Wait! You know what you're doin'?"

"Yeah. I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times." ―Captain America and Gabe Jones

Rogers then leaped from Howard Stark's plane and landed safely on the ground in Austria before immediately going out to complete his mission. Rogers snuck aboard a HYDRA truck, easily knocking out both of the guards inside before he then managed to successfully infiltrate the HYDRA Fortress run by Johann Schmidt. Once his truck pulled up, Rogers knocked out the guard who came to look in using his shield, managing to not raise the alarm as he proceeded to make his way through the facility while still desperately attempting to avoid detection to all costs.

Once there, Rogers knocked out the second HYDRA guard without raising the alarm before making his way through the facility to find the P.O.W.s locked away in there and bring them back to the safety of the allied camp. During his search through the facility, while trying not to be caught, Rogers had found a piece of Tesseract technology which he stole, hoping that Stark could analyze their technology in order to find the secret to HYDRA's increase of power.

Finally, Rogers located the cell and freed the captured soldiers, being questioned by Gabe Jones about who he was supposed to be, to which Rogers simply answered that he was Captain America, much to all of their considerable confusion. Once freed, Rogers then spoke with Dum Dum Dugan and James Montgomery Falsworth as well as the other prisoners about their plan, before all of the soldiers fought against their former HYDRA captors, allowing them to escape.

While Dugan and the other former soldiers kept HYDRA on the run as they ran out of the Austrian HYDRA Weapons Facility and towards the freedom of their allied camp, Rogers had then continued with his search of Bucky Barnes and, on the way, he spotted Arnim Zola as he was just leaving a room in a desperate hurry and had taken with him all of his various plans and blueprints and prepared to escape before he could then be captured. When Rogers entered the room which Zola had just exited in such a hurry, he found Barnes strapped to a table having seemingly been experimented on.

Rogers freed Barnes from his restraints, finding Barnes was dazed and briefly confused as to why his best friend had become so much taller. Before they tried to escape, Rogers took note of a map of Europe in Zola's office citing eventual targets for HYDRA. While they ran through the facility, Rogers was asked what happened to him and rather than explain Project Rebirth and all the effects of that, he simply claimed he had just joined the army.[1]

Showdown with Red Skull

"You are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!"

"Then how come you're running?" ―Red Skull and Captain America

However, as they were still attempting to make their way towards the exit, the entire facility began to explode so they tried to find another way out. As they made their way upstairs away from all of the flames, Rogers was then confronted by Johann Schmidt who was attempting to escape with Arnim Zola. While Schmidt expressed his delight at meeting Captain America, claiming he was a great fan of his films, Schmidt noted that while Abraham Erskine had clearly succeeded in his plans with Project Rebirth, with Schmidt claiming that while he thought Rogers was impressive he was hardly an improvement.

Wishing to shut him up and take him into custody, Rogers punched Schmidt in the face, only to notice he that his punch had damaged Schmidt's prosthetic mask. Schmidt then responded by angrily punching at his shield, causing a large dent due to his enhanced strength. They had a brief fight where Schmidt showed off his incredible strength by knocking Rogers to the ground before Rogers was able to kick him across the platform.

Zola separated the pair by retracting the bridge, as Schmidt revealed his face to be a mask, removing it to display the red-colored, skull-like face. While Rogers looked on, Bucky Barnes nervously questioned if Rogers had that same face. Schmidt then claimed that he and Rogers had both left humanity behind, before turning and making his escape in his Focke-Wulf Triebflügel, while Rogers and Barnes were left to die.

With little time to spare before the entire facility was consumed in flames, Rogers managed to get himself and Barnes upstairs where he found the only exit to the other side was a steel beam on the top floor. Rogers allowed Barnes to go first, only for the beam to become loosened by the weight as Barnes barely managed to get to the other side before the beam fell into the flames several floors below them, leaving Rogers with seemingly no exit remaining for himself.

Believing there was no hope left for him, Rogers ordered Barnes to escape without him, only for Barnes to insist that he would not leave without Rogers. Running out of time, Rogers used his Super Soldier Serum enhanced strength to move a steel bar out of his way, before making a desperate leap across the platforms. Despite almost being consumed by a fireball, Rogers had succeeded and regrouped with Barnes. As they made their way back, Rogers realized his radio had been damaged so he could not inform Peggy Carter of their survival and journey back, forcing them to make their journey on foot.[1]

Return to Camp

"Some of these men need medical attention. I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

"That won't be necessary." ―Steve Rogers and Chester Phillips

Before long, Rogers had reunited with all of the escaped Prisoners of War, learning Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones had successfully stolen a HYDRA Mini Tank during the conflict, and together, they had their way back towards the United States Army camp. While they were being greeted upon arrival, Rogers then asked Chester Phillips to give the men medical attention and then to reprimand him for his actions. However, Phillips refused to punish Rogers for disobeying his direct orders, knowing he had saved the lives of over 400 captured soldiers.

Rogers was then greeted by Peggy Carter asked him why he arrived late and Rogers explained that he could not call his ride as the radio she gave him had been broken. Bucky Barnes then called for all the people to acknowledge that Captain America was a hero and every soldier cheered and applauded for the man who had saved the prisoners from the clutches of HYDRA and the Red Skull. News of Captain America's rescue was soon published in papers across the world.[1]

Recruiting the Commandos

"You ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

"Hell no. That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him. But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

"You know what? It's kind of growing on me." ―Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes

Rogers traveled to England where he briefed Peggy Carter on what he had learned during his raid on the HYDRA Facility, including the locations of other HYDRA bases across Europe which he had seen on Arnim Zola's map.[1] When Howard Stark then entered the base, he questioned why Rogers was not collecting his medal from Brandt, which he had just decided to skip, leading to Chester Phillips complimenting Rogers for it.[17] As it was suggested that Rogers would need a team to go back onto the front lines of World War II, Rogers explained he was putting together a team himself.

Going into the Whip & Fiddle, Rogers met with some of the men he had saved from Red Skull and invited them into his team, nicknamed the Howling Commandos, to attack the other known bases belonging to HYDRA. While James Montgomery Falsworth claimed that the idea of reading back into the front lines sounded like good fun, Jim Morita also agreed while Gabe Jones and Jacques Dernier spoke to one another in French and agreed. Dum Dum Dugan finally informed Rogers that he would always be happy to fight, so long as Rogers agreed to open his tab at the bar so they could keep drinking, which Rogers agreed to, much to the soldiers' considerable delight.

While the other men celebrated their recruitment, Rogers then went to speak with Bucky Barnes asking if he was willing to follow Captain America into the fight against HYDRA, to which Barnes claims he would follow his friend from New York City who would never back down from any fight. Barnes then asked if Rogers was planning on keeping Captain America's Uniform when they went back onto the front lines as Rogers said the uniform was growing on him.

While they were speaking, they were then interrupted by the arrival of Carter, who had arrived in a form-fitting red dress which had made nearly the entire Whip & Fiddle go silent. Carter informed Rogers that Stark had some equipment he wanted Rogers to try in the morning. As Carter noticed the music, Barnes invited her to dance, only for Carter to ignore him and look at Rogers as she told him that once World War II was finally over, the pair should potentially go dancing together. When Carter had left, Barnes complained about being invisible to her, noting that he was only used to this happening to skinny Rogers, much to the great amusement of Rogers.[1]

Howard Stark's Upgrades

"What about this one?"

"No, no, that's just a prototype."

"What's it made of?"

"Vibranium. It's stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It's completely vibration absorbent." ―Steve Rogers and Howard Stark

The next morning, Rogers returned to the base in London where he was supposed to meet with Howard Stark. As he struggled to find where Stark currently was, Rogers asked Lorraine who informed Rogers that Stark was currently speaking with Chester Phillips. Lorraine then invited Rogers to sit and wait, before revealing that she had been reading all about the Liberation of Allied Prisoners of War and Rogers' involvement, despite Rogers still insisting that he was merely doing what needed to be done.

Lorraine, however, had insisted that Rogers had done far more for the efforts in World War II than most had, noting that the men who he had saved would have wives back at home who would likely wish to express their gratitude. As Rogers had still tried to insist that his efforts were not a big deal, Lorraine had still decided to reward his war efforts with her passionate kiss, claiming that it was on behalf of all the grateful women of America who wanted to thank him.

Rogers and Lorraine's kiss had been seen by Peggy Carter who had arrived to bring Rogers to meet with Stark. Although Rogers had still desperately tried to dismiss the situation, Carter proceeded to berate him by claiming that he had always wanted to join the United States Army and had ended up just like any other soldier. Rogers then answered this by questioning if she was into a relationship with Stark, as Carter noted that Rogers did not understand women.

Rogers later spoke to Stark for advice on the matter, which had resulted in Stark then jokingly claiming that there was almost no way to predict what a woman was thinking, which is why he had now concentrated on his work with Stark Industries. During their own talk about work, Stark provided Rogers with a new uniform and showed off new weapons for him to take into combat situations. Rogers, however, stopped at a new circular shield made of vibranium capable of negating large amounts of damage, which he then decided should become his primary weapon and defense during combat missions due to it being almost completely indestructible and vibration absorbent.

Rogers took an instant liking to the shield as he then enthusiastically showed it off to Carter, noting how this was almost indestructible as Carter had arrived to collect Rogers. The shield's strength was quickly proven when Carter shot at him multiple times as revenge for kissing another woman, noting when Rogers had been proved to be unharmed that it clearly worked well enough.

As Rogers and Stark watched the satisfied Carter leave the room as she had clearly proved her point to him following his attempt to kiss another woman, the shocked Rogers presented Stark with his own designs for the new version of his uniform, which Stark had accepted. Rogers' new version focused on both using the original concept of Captain America in a more practical setting as he went onto the front lines of the still continuing war effort.[1]

Fighting HYDRA

"That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve... Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would... who would become my husband as it turned out." ―Peggy Carter

Finally, Rogers was sent to the front lines of World War II, now in command of the Howling Commandos. Rogers embarked on his quest to sabotage and destroy HYDRA facilities all across Europe. He led the team still using the name Captain America to inspire his fellow soldiers, now wearing a new and upgraded uniform with a similar design, but more practical for use.

With the Commandos, Rogers took the fight onto HYDRA, personally attacking HYDRA outposts and destroying them. Using his strength gained from Project Rebirth, Rogers was able to keep his men moving as they pushed their way through Europe to take back land that HYDRA took. Riding his Motorcycle, Rogers sabotaged HYDRA facilities and escaped as they exploded, satisfied with his work.

While World War II continued, Rogers and his Howling Commandos continued fighting against Nazi Germany, with Rogers becoming a more experienced military leader as a result. While Rogers was giving orders to Bucky Barnes and Dum Dum Dugan along with all of the rest of the Commandos, he realized the cameraman filming his work had taken footage of his compass, which contained a photograph of Peggy Carter, much to Rogers' embarrassment as he quickly made a move away from the camera crew filming him any more, knowing full well that Chester Phillips would likely be amused if he ever saw the footage showing Rogers' compass.[1]

In winter of 1944, Rogers had single-handedly managed to stop a Nazi blockade and saved over six hundred men, including the man who had eventually become Peggy Carter's husband.[6] Rogers then continued focusing on destroying HYDRA facilities, with Barnes now acting as the Commandos' sniper while he kept the unit safe as they explored the destroyed facilities to ensure their slow victory.[1]

As the war moved in favor of the Allies, Rogers met with Dwight D. Eisenhower to discuss all their upcoming battle plans. He was also filmed sharing a laugh with Barnes, as well as storming a beach alongside his fellow United States Army soldiers.[6] All of Rogers' actions during the war greatly enraged Johann Schmidt who found his schemes becoming constantly delayed by the actions of Rogers and his current team of the Howling Commandos standing by his side throughout their continued conflict against HYDRA.

While Rogers and his Howling Commandos had continued gaining victories, the Strategic Scientific Reserve had also managed to secure victories over HYDRA, allowing the Allies to slowly gain the advantage over Adolf Hitler as the war continued. As their missions continued, Rogers' leadership continued growing, allowing him to move beyond his persona as a propaganda hero and become a true leader in America's battle against the Nazis and HYDRA.[1]

"We only got about a ten-second window. You miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield."

"Better get moving, bugs!" ―Captain America and Dum Dum Dugan

In one particular mission against HYDRA, following receiving some information on the location of one of HYDRA's top scientist Arnim Zola, Rogers and his Howling Commandos let about a plan to capture Zola, ridding Red Skull of one of his key allies. While they awaited the train that Zola on, Rogers and Bucky Barnes reminisced about the time they had gone to Coney Island and Rogers had thrown up from a ride, with Barnes comparing it to their new mission.

As the train was spotted, Dum Dum Dugan and Jacques Dernier had assisted Rogers, Barnes and Gabe Jones by setting up their zip line across the mountains as they then led a stealth attack and prepared to board Zola's armored train. Going first, Rogers warned that they only had a ten-second window to get onto the train as they were all wished luck by James Montgomery Falsworth. The mission had gone ahead as Rogers and Barnes stepped inside the train.

While Jones stayed on top of the train, Rogers and Barnes had gone inside and silently moved through the carriages, searching for Zola. Rogers led the way, with both of them walking their guns armed and ready. However, when Rogers moved into the next carriage, the doors were then suddenly closed between them as they were quickly ambushed, as Rogers had found himself faced with a HYDRA soldier armed with Heavy Assault Rifle which he fired at him.

With Barnes also coming under fire from several HYDRA soldiers who had cornered him, Rogers knew he did not have much time to get to Barnes' aid. Shooting at the HYDRA soldier, Rogers then swung across the carriage on a pulley system before knocking out the soldier. Rogers then used the Heavy Assault Weapon to blast open the door before giving Barnes another gun which he used to kill the final HYDRA soldier who was attempting to attack him.

As they took a breath, Barnes insisted that he had the soldiers on the ropes, reminding Rogers of their conversation regarding the Loud Jerk back home in New York City. However, before the pair could relax, the other soldier returned and fired upon them with his heavy assault rifle and, despite attempting to use Rogers'shield to try and defend himself, Barnes was struck by yet another blast and was thrown from the train before Rogers took out the soldier.

Despite all his desperate efforts to save his friend who was hanging onto the side of the train for dear life, Rogers watched in utter horror as Barnes fell down into the ravine to his presumed death, devastated that he was unable to save his childhood friend. Luckily, Zola was still captured by Gabe Jones and then handed over to Allied forces and interrogated by Chester Phillips. The mission proved to be successful as Zola provided the Allies with the intel needed to defeat HYDRA.[1]

Mourning Bucky Barnes

"It wasn't your fault."

"Did you read the reports?"

"Yes."

"Then you know that's not true." ―Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers

Following the loss of Bucky Barnes, Rogers went back to London which had been bombed during The Blitz and had a drink alone in the Whip & Fiddle to mourn his friend's death, only to then learn that because of the Super Soldier Serum, he was unable to get drunk. He was joined by Peggy Carter, who tried to assure him that Barnes' unexpected death was not his fault.

Although Rogers insisted that Barnes' death during the Capture of Arnim Zola was his own fault, Carter told him that Barnes knew that their mission to bring an end to World War II was worth giving his life for. Rogers then said that he would not stop until they had finally defeated HYDRA, while also vowing that he would personally take down the Red Skull himself to avenge Barnes' sacrifice, to which Carter reminded him that he would not be alone.

Following the interrogation of Arnim Zola, it was learned that HYDRA was planning an imminent attack on the United States of America. Rogers attended a briefing with running by Chester Phillips and learned about Red Skull's plans with his Tesseract technology while they discussed their plan to bring an end to HYDRA and Red Skull himself. Seeking to avenge Barnes, Rogers, along with Howard Stark and the remaining members of the Howling Commandos, crafted a plan in which Rogers ride into the base alone on his Upgraded Motorcycle and then have the army follow him once he broke through their defenses.[1]

"So, what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door."

"Why not? That's exactly what we're gonna do." ―Jim Morita and Captain America

With little time to spare, the Strategic Scientific Reserve put Rogers' plan into action as he rode into the HYDRA Headquarters alone on his motorcycle which had been upgraded with extra weaponry for this mission by Howard Stark. As had Rogers charged towards the base, multiple HYDRA soldiers on motorcycles rode behind him planning to kill him.

However, Rogers used his upgrades from Stark to his advantage, first firing a wire across the trees which knocked several HYDRA soldiers off their motorcycles before Rogers then activated a flame thrower which destroyed several more bikes while also giving him a boost of speed. With only two soldiers remaining, Rogers drove up beside them and simply pulled the pin out of one of their grenades, causing both motorbikes to be destroyed inside a fireball.

As he neared the base, Rogers placed his shield on the front of his bike while he dodged the attacks of a HYDRA Mini Tank that was set up in front of the base that was HYDRA's final line of defense to stop Rogers from getting inside. Having blown up the tank with a missile, Rogers then rode up to the front of the base and leaped inside, dodging fire from the soldiers' Arnimhilation 99L Assault Weapons who were trying to stop him before then activating his motorcycle's self destruct.

Finding himself surrounded, Rogers leaped off the motorcycle and allowed it to crash into the wall of the facility, causing a massive explosion which left a large hole in the wall. Using his shield as his main weapon and defense, Rogers successfully defeated many soldiers inside the outer area of the base, using his incredible strength to throw the men across the battlefield and throwing his shield at them. Rogers continued to fight against all of the soldiers but was eventually stopped when they had arrived with the flamethrowers, trapping him in a box of flames while many others arrived with guns aimed directly at Rogers, ending the clash.[1]

Captured by Red Skull

"He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine. But he gave you everything. So, what made you so special?"

"Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn. I can do this all day." ―Red Skull and Captain America

Having been outgunned during the clash, Rogers was then taken prisoner and brought to the Red Skull inside his quarters. Schmidt noted that Rogers had been incredibly arrogant to attack their HYDRA Headquarters without any other backup, before questioning if Abraham Erskine had told him that there were no limits to their superhuman abilities.

Rogers noted how Erskine had told him that Schmidt was insane, to which Schmidt arrogantly claimed that Erskine had merely resented his genius before trying to deny what he believed was rightfully his with the Super Soldier Serum. When Schmidt noted Rogers had been handed all this power willingly, he asked him why Erskine chose him to undergo Project Rebirth, Rogers simply answered there was nothing special about him, and he was just a kid from Brooklyn.

This angered Schmidt and he punched Rogers and knocked him to the floor until he became calm again. Rogers told Schmidt that he would not give up, to which Schmidt then tried to shoot him in the head. However, before he could fire, the Howling Commandos broke into the room, thanks to Arnim Zola's information he gave them, they knew where Schmidt's quarters were and were able to burst through the window to begin their assault and to rescue Rogers.

While the Howling Commandos fired about the HYDRA soldiers and freed Rogers, Schmidt ran from the chaos while his soldiers fought. Unwilling to allow Schmidt to escape Rogers ran after him, with James Montgomery Falsworth quickly throwing him his shield to assist him during the fight. When he eventually caught up to Schmidt, Captain America immediately threw his shield at him; however, it got stuck in a doorway and Schmidt continued running to get to freedom. While Rogers tried to get the shield free, a HYDRA soldier armed with a pair of flamethrowers attempted to kill him, so Rogers was forced to hide behind a corner to protect himself.

As Rogers was forced to hide from the flames, Peggy Carter ran up behind the soldier and shot him the back, causing his Flamethrower to implode and killing him. Rogers then ran straight up to Carter and reminded her of what she had said to him following the Liberation of Allied Prisoners of War by noting that she was late. Carter, however, reminded Rogers to focus on capturing Schmidt, causing Rogers to retake his shield and then continued the chase of Schmidt.

Rogers managed to spot Schmidt just as he was boarding his bomber-plane known as the Valkyrie, along with many soldiers and prepared to take off. While a large battle had just erupted between the HYDRA soldiers and their Strategic Scientific Reserve soldiers, Rogers ran through the battle to get to the Valkyrie and stop Schmidt, leaping over the heads of the soldiers and avoiding the gunfire as he ran as fast as he possibly could to catch up to Schmidt's plane.

However, Schmidt began charging the plane down the runway and Rogers failed to catch up to him. However, just as Schmidt began to get away from him, Rogers was then greeted by Chester Phillips and Carter who had just arrived in Johann Schmidt's Coupe and offered Rogers a ride to catch up with Schmidt. Rogers got in and they raced after the plane, with Phillips also using the car's boost to bring them alongside the plane's wing. Just before he jumped aboard the plane, Rogers and Carter had their first and last kiss, as Phillips had jokingly insisted that he would not be kissing Rogers as well.

As they neared the plane, Rogers prepared to jump on board, with little time to spare as they reached the end of the runway. Just as the plane took off, Rogers leaped onto the wheel and flew away with it, while Carter and Phillips managed to stop in time and watched from the HYDRA Headquarters as Rogers flew away. Once he had gotten onboard, Rogers immediately set about looking for Red Skull so he could finally end Schmidt's schemes for world domination.[1]

"You could have the power of the gods! Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations! I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags!"

"Not my future!" ―Red Skull and Captain America

While on the Valkyrie, Rogers discovered the full extent of Red Skull's plan. He noticed that the bombs on board the plane were self-piloted nuclear aircrafts that were going to be detonated over populated cities across the United States of America, killing millions. Rogers stayed unseen for a few minutes, then began attacking the HYDRA soldiers who were getting ready to board their aircraft. Rogers kept the HYDRA soldiers from reaching their aircraft by fighting them off, using a knife to stab one in the back, before dropping another out of the plane with his aircraft, causing him to fall to his death and the bomb to fall into the ocean.

Eventually, one of the soldiers had gotten in a HYDRA Parasit, which Rogers tried to stop from leaving the plane by using his own shield to attack the soldier inside of the cockpit. Unfortunately, it did launch with Rogers and another HYDRA agent on top. While the pilot then desperately attempted to knock Rogers off the aircraft by spinning wildly in the air, this only resulted in the other soldier falling into the turbine and being cut to pieces while Rogers stayed onboard.

Rogers tried to pull out the soldier who was piloting the Parasit, but he pulled the ejecting button, and Rogers took control of the Parasit. Rogers tried to fly back to the Valkyrie, but the Red Skull proceeded to attempt to shoot Rogers out of the sky by using the ship's main weapons. Rogers dodged these attacks and flew back into the ship, crash landing back inside before reclaiming his shield and going in search of Red Skull in order to finally end their conflict.

Rogers then made his way throughout the plane until he had reached the cockpit, which he found to be seemingly empty. However, Rogers realized just in time that Schmidt had sneaked behind him and fired his Arnimhilation 99L Assault Weapon at him, which he was able to block with his shield just in time. With one of the windows now shattered, Red Skull noted how Rogers clearly never gave up, to which Rogers then admitted was true before charging towards Red Skull to fight.

Having blocked several more shots, Rogers disarmed Schmidt and the pair began fighting one another. While Schmidt briefly managed to get hold of Rogers' shield and had struck him with it, Rogers responded by knocking Schmidt into the controls of the plane, making the ship free fall. While they had a brief fight in midair, Schmidt managed to kick Rogers away before crawling to the controls and getting the ship back into a normal flight path.

Once the plane leveled out, Rogers fell onto a higher platform while Schmidt drew his HYDRA Pistol and attempted to shoot at Rogers. While Rogers avoided the shots, Schmidt ranted that Rogers was misusing the power of all the gods and vowed that the future would have no flags. Refusing to accept this, Rogers then threw his shield at Schmidt as he crashed into the Tesseract Cradle which had been used in order to harness the Tesseract's incredible power.

Horrified that his ultimate prize had been damaged, Schmidt picked up the Tesseract which had been disconnected from the containment unit due to impact. Rogers then looked on as a portal through space opened, which transported Schmidt to Vormir. Rogers, believing the Red Skull had died, then watched while the Tesseract melted a hole into the plane and dropped into the ocean below.[1]

Crashing into Ice

"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy... this is my choice. Peggy..."

"I'm here."

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance." ―Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter

Having witnessed the Red Skull's apparent death, Rogers began to pilot the Valkyrie and desperately attempted to change its flight path away from the United States. However, he quickly realized that the plane was going too fast and the landing controls had been damaged, leaving it permanently stuck on autopilot. With no clear means of landing the plane safely, Rogers used the ship's intercom to then call the HYDRA Headquarters, which was now controlled by the Strategic Scientific Reserve following their victory. While Jim Morita answered, Peggy Carter stepped in and talked to Rogers.

Informing her that the Red Skull had been killed, he told her that the plane was en route to New York City and it was going too fast for him to think of a plan of stopping it. He then told her that the only way to save New York was to crash land the ship into the Arctic, sacrificing his own life. As Rogers descended the ship down, he and Carter spoke to each other as if Rogers was not going to crash, arranging a date to finally go dancing. When the ship finally crashed, it left him trapped and preserved in the ice.[1]

Disappearance

Remembered in History

"A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice. Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare." ―Smithsonian Narrator

Rogers was mourned by a nation that had admired his heroic rise from the USO Stage to the newsreels, and who now believed him to be dead due to crashing on the ice. He left a cultural and political impact on the world, changing it for the better or the worse. In his attempt to recover Rogers' body, Howard Stark found the Tesseract, which was studied by the Strategic Scientific Reserve.[1]

Captain America was still a widely famous figure and a radio serial called The Captain America Adventure Program was developed, featuring fictional adventures during the war during which he would battle against Adolf Hitler with the aid of Betty Carver. Despite its ever-growing popularity, the program was extremely historically inaccurate, and Peggy Carter, having being involved in most of Captain America's missions during the war, hated the show, especially because her own role had been fictionalized as the typical "damsel in distress" who was often saved by Captain America.[18]

One of the blood samples that was taken from Captain America after the Assassination of Abraham Erskine was kept by Stark who wanted to use it in the hope that he could potentially develop a panacea from Rogers' Super Soldier Serum-infused blood. Carter confiscated the sample which was kept in the Blitzkrieg Button,[16] and ultimately got rid of it by pouring it off the Brooklyn Bridge. Stark missed his friend greatly and viewed Captain America as his greatest accomplishment, which Johann Fennhoff was able to use as manipulation. However, Carter convinced him, and herself, to finally let him go.[19]

Over the decades following his apart demise, Captain America had passed into memory as the modern world's first superhero, making his exploits in World War II fighting against HYDRA and the Red Skull become well known, especially to the people of the United States of America. In honor of Rogers' heroic legacy, Agent Carter went on to help Stark found S.H.I.E.L.D. and eventually married a man whom Captain America had saved during the course of the war.[6]

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Search

"My God. Base, give me a line to the Colonel."

"It's 3 AM, sir."

"I don't care what time it is. This one's waited long enough." ―S.H.I.E.L.D. Lieutenant and S.H.I.E.L.D. Tech

Having remained trapped within the ice for nearly seven decades after Rogers' crash landing following his fight with Red Skull onboard the Valkyrie, a S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by Director Nick Fury had once again gone in search for his body. A big fan of Captain America, agent Phil Coulson was part of this small team. They searched for a year to find Rogers' body. When they had finally found him, Rogers was discovered to miraculously still be alive while frozen.[20]

Reawakening

"We thought it best to break it to you slowly."

"Break what?"

"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost 70 years." ―Nick Fury and Steve Rogers

When Rogers arrived in New York City, he was defrosted and kept in a simulated 1941 environment to try and ease him into what was now happening. When he awoke, he quickly became suspicious; the baseball game broadcast from the radio in the room was one of the Brooklyn Dodgers home games, which he had personally attended at Ebbets Field.

As Rogers put together that he was now being deceived, he was then greeted by a female Agent who wished him a good afternoon. Rogers demanded to know where he was before noting that the Game was from the wrong year and demanded the truth. Scaring the agent, she called for back up as Rogers quickly escaped into the streets of New York City. In Times Square, he discovered to his horror that everything around him had considerably changed.

As Rogers stood in amazement, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents surrounded him before he was then greeted by Nick Fury, who informed him that he had been asleep for nearly seventy years. Rogers realized that many of his friends from the Howling Commandos were all likely dead and he was now lost within a world which he knew nothing about. Thinking sadly about Peggy Carter, Rogers then informed Fury that he had a date with Carter which he unfortunately missed.[1]

Readjusting to Life

"Things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up." ―Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson

Rogers found himself lost in a world that had moved on without him and found it difficult to adjust to his new surroundings considering where he had left his life during World War II. He spent a few weeks inside seclusion at the Retreat that was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s many Safe Houses.[21] He then moved into an apartment in New York City. While there, Rogers looked through some files of his friends from the 1940s. He eventually found the file for Peggy Carter, which stated she was still alive.

The file also contained her current phone number, but he hesitated to call because he was afraid of how Carter would react to seeing him after so many decades assuming he was dead. Later, he went to a nearby diner in New York and met Beth, a waitress who asked if he had sat outside Stark Tower in the hope of seeing Tony Stark fly by as Iron Man. When Beth noted they had wireless, Rogers mistakenly thought she meant radio, while a man encouraged him to ask for her number, but Rogers did not. He then went to a boxing gym.[22]

Initiation into the Avengers

"I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill."

"Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world."

"I went under the world was at war, I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost."

"We've made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently." ―Steve Rogers to Nick Fury

While working out in a boxing gym, Rogers recounted various events that took place during his era in World War II including his victorious fights against HYDRA alongside the Howling Commandos. However, Rogers recalled Bucky Barnes' death, his fight with Red Skull, his sacrifice, the last conversation with Peggy Carter, and being discovered and defrosted. These memories of his life before waking in 2011 infuriated Rogers until he broke the punching bag.

Just at the moment when Rogers was putting up a second punching bag, Director Nick Fury approached him and questioned if he was having trouble sleeping, to which Rogers noted that he had almost slept for seventy years and therefore had had his fill. As he took off his gloves, Rogers noted how when he had awoken, he was told the war against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party had been won, but he was unsure what America had lost in the meantime. Fury then explained that he had come to Rogers with a new mission that he was needed for, which was not just to get Rogers back out into the world, but was in fact to save the entire world from ultimate destruction.

Director Fury then informed Rogers that a dangerous and powerful being known as Loki had stolen the Tesseract and intended to use it to conquer and rule the Earth. Having heard this, Rogers was not thrilled to learn that HYDRA's secret weapon and power source had found its way into this era, as Rogers had last seen it falling into the sea following the defeat of Johann Schmidt during the Battle in the Valkyrie. Fury then explained that Howard Stark had discovered the Tesseract while searching for Rogers, believing that this could be the key to unlimited and sustainable energy all around the world.

Rogers accepted the assignment to track down the Tesseract and Loki as Fury noted that S.H.I.E.L.D. would bring him up to speed on everything before the mission to find Loki went ahead. When Fury noted that since he had been asleep the world had become even stranger than he knew, Rogers and Fury made a bet for ten dollars that nothing would surprise him anymore. When Fury had asked him if there was any more useful information regarding the Tesseract that S.H.I.E.L.D. was not already aware of, to which Rogers stated that they should have left it in the ocean before walking out.[2]

Meeting the Avengers

"I hope I'm the man for the job."

"Oh, you are. Absolutely. We've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little old fashioned?"

"Everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned." ―Steve Rogers and Phil Coulson

On his way to S.H.I.E.L.D. for the mission aboard the Quinjet, Rogers was debriefed by Phil Coulson about the selected people who were part of the Avengers Initiative. One member in particular that intrigued Rogers was Bruce Banner. Coulson revealed to him that Banner attempted to recreate Abraham Erskine's Super Soldier Serum, resulting in Banner being exposed to high levels of gamma radiation and transforming into Hulk, although Coulson had insisted that Banner was still a genius.

Coulson and Rogers shared an awkward moment when he revealed that he watched Rogers being defrosted following his discovery in the Arctic and then expressed with great enthusiasm how much of an honor it was to have Rogers on board to lead this team. Rogers was somewhat skeptical of himself being the right candidate to lead this new team against Loki: However, Coulson reassured Rogers that he was before explaining and that he had personally had overseen the development of their Newly Constructed Uniform for Rogers to wear which included design input from himself regarding the look.

Rogers was surprised that he would be wearing his trademark stars and stripes since in this modern era it would appear to be outdated and old-fashioned in 2012. Coulson, however, reassured him that with the enormous threat they were about to face, people would need an old-fashioned symbol to inspire them with hope that would be much needed. Once arriving onto the Helicarrier, Rogers was introduced to Natasha Romanoff, as well as Banner who was now awkwardly walking all around the Helicarrier before shaking Rogers' hand and expressing his amazement at seeing Rogers alive.

While Rogers and Banner discussed finding the Tesseract, they were advised by Romanoff to move back inside, just moments before the entire Helicarrier then lifted into the air, much to Rogers' amazement while Banner jokingly noted what a poor idea this was due to the risk of him transforming into Hulk and causing complete mayhem inside the flying headquarters. Rogers, Banner and Romanoff then stepped inside the main control room where Nick Fury then ordered his second in command, Maria Hill, that the ship's cloaking be put on, allowing them to not only fly but become invisible.

Rogers watched all of this latest technology with amazement before walking over to Fury and fulfilling the bet they had made by paying him ten dollars as he was suitably amazed by what he had just seen. While Rogers continued exploring the entire ship, Banner then spoke to Fury about searching for the Tesseract, while Romanoff noted her fear that they would not find Loki and his mind controlled hostages, who included Clint Barton and Erik Selvig in time. Banner suggested that they track down the Tesseract by using Gamma Radiation, with Fury agreeing to use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s contacts to get this done.

While they waited for results from Banner's search for the Tesseract so they could then go down and capture Loki to bring an end to the conflict, Rogers stood beside Agent Coulson who, as Romanoff had warned him about previously, shyly asked if Rogers would be willing to sign his vintage Captain America Card Collection which he had collected. Once Rogers agreed to sign the cards, Coulson continued speaking with him as he noted that they were his vintage set which had taken him several years to collect all of them, while also proudly commented on how they were still in almost mint condition.[2]

Capturing Loki

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The soldier, the man out of time."

"I'm not the one whose out of time." ―Captain America and Loki

Eventually, their hunt paid of as Jasper Sitwell informed his superiors that Loki had been located in Stuttgart, Germany, with Sitwell also commenting his great surprise that Loki did not appear to even be attempting to hide his own identity. Once they had confirmed Loki's location, Director Nick Fury informed Rogers that he would be in charge of capturing Loki before he immediately suited up into his New Uniform and headed off to Germany, with Natasha Romanoff acting as his backup.

Upon arriving in Germany at the Gala, Rogers witnessed Loki forcing an entire crowd of the bystanders to kneel before him, following the murder of Heinrich Schäfer. Seeing Loki was about to execute some of the terrified people, Captain America used his shield to deflect an incoming blast from Loki's Scepter, thus protecting an elderly man who refused to kneel before Loki. Rogers commented that the last time he had been in Germany during World War II, he had come into conflict with HYDRA and the Red Skull who he had previously also defeated. Getting back onto his feet, Loki noted that Rogers was the soldier he had already heard of, calling him a man out of time.

Rogers, however, noted that he was not the one who was out as time, just before Black Widow appeared behind in the Quinjet and ordered Loki to surrender. As Loki defiantly fired a beat of energy from his Scepter which barely missed the Quinjet, Rogers then engaged in a fierce battle with Loki. who often gained the upper hand due to his superior Asgardian strength, blocking yet another throw of his shield. Standing over him, Loki tried to force Rogers to kneel in surrender, but Rogers swore that he would not. Their fight continued although Rogers was at a disadvantage against the God of Mischief.

Captain America had managed to hold his own with his fight against Loki, despite being considerably outmatched by the Asgardian's own strength, just long enough for Iron Man to arrive on the scene. As Iron Man flew down, he fired his powerful blast which knocked Loki back before aiming every weapon his Mark VI Armor had towards the God of Mischief. As Rogers reclaimed his shield and stood by Iron Man, Loki seemingly surrendered so easily, dropping his Scepter and then agreeing to go with them as their prisoner, making Rogers somewhat suspicious that it had been far too easy to defeat him.[2]

"Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here."

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!"

"Then prove it. Put that hammer down." ―Captain America and Thor

On route back to the Helicarrier, Rogers spoke to Tony Stark, noting that he was highly uneasy with Loki's surrender, as it appeared to be far too easy considering the fight they had previously engaged with. While they were speaking, Stark openly mocked Rogers, before they discussed how Director Nick Fury would often keep secrets from them both. However, they were interrupted by a mysterious thunderstorm, as Rogers saw a frightened Loki, he sarcastically asked if he afraid of lightning.

Loki, however, explained that he was nervous because he was in fact not fond of what would soon follow all the lightning, making Rogers somewhat uneasy. Without warning, Thor then appeared on the roof of the Quinjet and promptly broke inside. As Stark donned his Mark VI Armor, Thor knocked him back into Rogers before he grabbed Loki and flew away with him. Stark immediately pursued them and, despite Black Widow advising him to sit it out, being too dangerous for him, Rogers skydived after both of them, insisting that there was only one god and he did not dress like either Thor or Loki.

Having parachuted down to Stuttgart, Rogers eventually arrived in the forest area to witness Thor and Iron Man engaged in a fearsome battle against each other for the capture of Loki, with Thor intending to bring Loki back into Asgard to face imprisonment for his crimes. Using his shield, Captain America had intervened and attempted to reason with Thor, questioning what it was he was doing there. Once Rogers pointed out that they should not be fighting with each other, but should instead join forces against Loki's schemes, asking Thor to put his hammer down as the sign of peace between them.

In response, Thor refused to put down his hammer and instead knocked Iron Man back, before then leaping towards Captain America, bringing Mjølnir down upon his shield. The shield absorbed the impact instead, and had created a massive shockwave throughout the surrounding woodland, sending Thor hurtling backward. Afterward, the three of them stood up and looked at each other. Once they saw the massive amount of damage caused from their clash, they agreed to stop fighting and then taking Loki into captivity together, bringing him back to the Helicarrier to be locked away in there.[2]

Working on the Helicarrier

"You need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark."

"You think I’m not? Why did Fury call us and why now? Why not before? What isn’t he telling us. I can’t do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury’s hiding something?" ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark

While Loki was escorted onboard the Helicarrier and placed into a steel containment cell specifically designed to hold Hulk if this was necessary, Rogers and his other teammates watched the holographic video of Nick Fury interrogating Loki over his schemes before Rogers asked Thor about what he intended, with Thor revealing that Loki had an army of the Chitauri who he would use to conquer the Earth, handing over the Tesseract to his leader in exchange.

As the group attempted to learn Loki's primary objective and why he had just allowed himself to be captured by them, Tony Stark arrived with Phil Coulson on the bridge and explained exactly why Loki now needed to use Iridium and Erik Selvig's knowledge to stabilize and harness the Tesseract's energy to open a portal. Rogers questioned what kind of Power Source Loki would need which Stark and Bruce Banner discussed in detail. They then discussed Loki's Scepter, with Fury comparing its power of brainwashing to the Wizard of Oz, which excited Rogers as he had finally understood this reference.

Upon Fury's request, Banner had teamed up with Stark to locate the Tesseract. Rogers walked in on Stark attempting to provoke Banner into turning into Hulk, and confronted him about the potential danger he could cause, demanding that he instead resume the task of finding the location of the Tesseract. Stark, however, revealed that his primary focus had become learning exactly why S.H.I.E.L.D. had brought them all together and what Director Fury was planning for bringing them together at this time. Rogers then questioned if Stark thought Fury was hiding something important from all of them, which Stark had confirmed as he noted that Fury was still a spy.

Stark then forced Doctor Banner revealed his own misgivings about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s motivations behind researching the Tesseract in the first place, with Banner noting that Loki's quote about a warm light for all mankind, while he was being interrogated, might have been a reference to Stark Tower back in New York City. Stark then revealed that he was using J.A.R.V.I.S. to hack into the Helicarrier in order to learn what Fury was hiding for them, which made Rogers incredibly uncomfortable, leading to Rogers accusing Stark of refusing to stay focused on defeating Loki, which Stark insisted was not true.

Becoming initially doubtful of their theories, Rogers ordered Stark to go back to tracking down the Tesseract before he then went off and searched the storage areas of the Helicarrier. Sneaking into closed off parts of the ship, Rogers had eventually discovered what Fury was seemingly hiding from them. Opening a box hidden in one of the rooms, Rogers found HYDRA weaponry and technology, including the Arnimhilation 99L Assault Weapons which had been used by the Red Skull and surmised that S.H.I.E.L.D. was in fact attempting to harness all the power of the Tesseract to create similar weapons to these.[2]

Avengers Argument

"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. And I've seen the footage. The only thing that you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play. To lay down on the wire and let the other guy crawl over you." ―Captain America and Tony Stark

As Rogers returned with the Arnimhilation 99L Assault Weapon, he had personally confronted Director Nick Fury about his secret intentions to use the Tesseract to make weapons based on the Red Skull's original designs. An intense argument broke out between the team with Director Fury and the other members of the Avengers as they demanded information on Phase 2, until Fury confessed to be finding ways to protect Earth from Asgardians and other powerful cosmic beings.

As the argument intensified, Thor explained that it was Fury's work with the Tesseract that had attracted Loki and his allies to it, leading to Stark comparing Phase 2 to a nuclear detergent, while Rogers and Fury made a comment on how Stark Industries had previously made money building weapons for the United States Armed Forces. While Rogers and Tony Stark argued on the ethics of heroism, Rogers had argued that Stark was not the type of man who would make the real sacrifice, while Stark argued that the only reason Rogers was special was due to Howard Stark's work with the Super Soldier Serum.

With everyone agreeing that they were being manipulated by Fury, Doctor Bruce Banner claimed that the Avengers were not a team but a time bomb. As Stark made jokes, Rogers began to lose his temper as he threatened to fight Stark, leading to Thor laughing at them. Finally, Banner began confronting everyone, confessing to have once tried to end his own life before picking up the Scepter as he became more angry. Seeing this, Rogers managed to get through to him as Banner realized that Loki had been manipulating all of them while he was on the Helicarrier which is what had led to the argument.[2]

"Stay in the control unit and reverse polarity long enough to disengage mag–"

"Speak English!"

"See that red lever? It'll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word." ―Iron Man and Captain America

As the group's argument came to a head, the Helicarrier came under attack by Hawkeye, who fired one of his Explosive Arrows to damage one of the Helicarrier's engines, threatening to make it fall out of the sky. This forced Captain America and Iron Man to put aside their differences and work together to help to save the damaged ship before it was too late. While Iron Man repaired the turbine, Captain America first checked the computer relays, which he struggled with due to his personal lack of understanding of modern technology.

Once he had completed his task, Rogers was informed that Iron Man would be restarting the Helicarrier's propellers himself, and therefore he needed Rogers to pull a red lever when he called him to allow Iron Man to get free before he was shredded. However, as Rogers waited for Iron Man's signal, he was forced to fend off Loki's brainwashed agents, with one attempting to throw his grenade to further damage the propellers which Rogers managed to block before firing at them with a machine gun as he desperately attempted to keep them at bay while Iron Man was working on restarting the engines.

However, while Rogers was still engaged with his firefight, the entire Helicarrier began to fall to it's side as Clint Barton had successfully gotten past Nick Fury and Maria Hill before using yet another one of his Trick Arrows to shut down the Helicarrier's power. With Loki's agent still firing at him while the Helicarrier tilted, Rogers had lost his footing and fell from the platform, barely holding on by grabbing a wire. Meanwhile, Iron Man began requesting that Rogers pull the lever as requested, forcing Rogers to use his strength to pull himself back onto the platform while still avoiding all the enemy gunfire.

Rogers was just able to pull the lever as required moments before Iron Man would have been shredded in the propeller blades, allowing Iron Man to fly to his aid and knock out the final one of Loki's agent before he could shoot Rogers. Rogers and Stark then learned that during the ensuing battle, both Thor and Hulk were thrown from the Helicarrier and now their locations were currently still unknown, while agent Phil Coulson had tragically been killed when he was impaled through the back with Loki's Scepter moments before Loki managed to make his successful his own escape from the Helicarrier.[2]

Mourning Phil Coulson

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

"We are not soldiers! I'm not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I. He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does, but right now, we gotta put that behind us and get this done." ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark

Following the Attack on the Helicarrier, Rogers and Tony Stark had a meeting with Director Nick Fury to discuss what to do next following these events. Fury showed Rogers Agent Phil Coulson's vintage Captain America Card Collection which he had not managed to sign before his death, while Rogers saw them stained with Coulson's blood. Fury explained his intention to form the Avengers fight the battles that S.H.I.E.L.D. never could, noting Stark knew about this.

Stark left the meeting early and went to the spot where Coulson had died while he had been trying to save Thor's life. Rogers spoke with him there, questioning if Coulson was married and learning of his relationship with a cellist. When Rogers called Coulson a good man, Stark claimed that he was an idiot for not waiting for backup before engaging in the fight. While Rogers tried to get his mind back on the mission and focused on Loki, he questioned if his was the first time Stark had ever lost a fellow soldier, leading to Stark claiming they were not soldiers and refusing to fight for Fury anymore.

As Rogers continued trying to keep Stark focused, he noted that Loki needed a power source for the Tesseract and they needed to focus on figuring out where this could be. When Stark noted that in killing Coulson and trying to tear them apart, Loki had made this conflict personal, noting that this was entirely the point as Loki wanted to be seen being victorious over the Earth. All Rogers' own attempts to get through to him worked, while Stark realized that Loki required Stark Tower back in New York City to power the Tesseract as this had been designed to create self sustaining energy which Loki needed.[2]

Recruiting the Avengers

"I need men in these buildings. There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or through the subway, you keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" ―Captain America and Silva

The death of Phil Coulson was would finally bring the team together. Regardless of all he had been through thus far in the modern world, Rogers soon found the strength to do what needed to be done and take command of the Avengers as their new leader. As Iron Man flew into New York City and confronted Loki directly, Rogers and Natasha Romanoff teamed up with the recently recovered Clint Barton, who had just been successfully freed from Loki's mind control.

Having put on his Newest Uniform and collected his shield, Captain America alongside Romanoff and Barton had then matched together inside the hanger and took over a Quinjet which was being watched by Agent Tyler who tried to stop them but was instead ordered to leave by Rogers, as Tyler offered no further resistance. Despite their direct orders from Director Nick Fury and Maria Hill to stay onboard while they still continued repairing their own ship and gathering their intelligence back, Barton piloted the Quinjet off the Helicarrier instead as they flew away to New York in order to assist Iron Man.

When they eventually arrived in New York, they discovered to their horror that Loki had already succeeded in his plan as a portal had opened from Stark Tower above the city and the Chitauri army had begun their attack. As Loki engaged in a fight against Thor, a blast from Loki's Scepter caused their Quinjet was shot down, but they were all able to survive the crash due to Barton's flying skills. As they ran out inside the streets, Captain America looked up into the portal and saw a monstrous Leviathan flying down and laying waste to the city, with even more Chitauri warriors leaping off the Leviathan.

Seeing the countless forces still attacking from their portal, Captain America took cover beside Black Widow and Hawkeye and noticed Loki riding one of the Chitauri Chariots and firing down upon all the innocent bystanders. Knowing that he had to get the people out of harms way, Captain America had agreed to leave Black Widow and Hawkeye to fight off the Chitauri soldiers on the ground while he ran ahead. Leaping off the bridge, Captain America then jumped from a crashed bus, which was promptly destroyed by Chitauri fire before running down the streets as fast as he possibly could.

As Rogers felt his priority should be ensuring the protection of the endangered civilians, he ran to the nearest officers of the New York City Police Department, dodging the Chituari attacks as he went. Finding Officers Silva and Saunders, Captain America gave him orders for how to ensure the safety of the people. Officer Silva questioned why he should take orders from Rogers, but before he could answer, he was attacked by three Chitauri soldiers who he defeated with ease. Seeing Captain America's strength and skill in battle, Officer Silva decided to instead follow his orders.[2]

Fighting the Chitauri

"Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You've got the lightning, light the bastards up. You and me, we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk. Smash." ―Captain America

Having just ensured the safety of the innocent bystanders during all of the chaos, Captain America then regrouped with Black Widow and Hawkeye who were still fighting back against the Chitauri, using their guns and bow and arrows as their primary weapons against the invaders. They were then joined by Thor, who confirmed that the Tesseract could not be damaged as they agreed to focus of the attacking army for the time being as Rogers came up with their battle plan.

Before Rogers could continue working out his battle plan, they were joined by Bruce Banner who commented on the horror around them. When they witnessed a Leviathan coming towards them, Rogers had advised Banner to get angry as Banner noted that his secret was that he was always angry before he transformed into Hulk and then destroyed the Leviathan, as Rogers used his shield to protect Black Widow from the explosion. With the Avengers assembled, Rogers proved his tactical genius by giving each member their assignment in order to fight back against the massive invading alien army.

Captain America ordered Hawkeye to stake out from a building to call out patterns and any strays, Iron Man to provide air support and superiority, Thor to use Mjølnir's lightning blasts to bottleneck the portal, therefore preventing any reinforcements from coming through. As the others went off to complete their tasks, Captain America told Black Widow that they would fight together in order to keep the fighting on the ground, and for Hulk to simply do what he does best: smash. Rogers then fought beside Romanoff to take on countless numbers of Chitauri troops that were coming their way.

While the battle went ahead and the Avengers did their duty, Captain America assisted Black Widow as she was fighting just one Chitauri soldier, using her own bite to stun the alien before turning his staff back on it. As they overlooked the burning battlefield, Rogers noted that they had to find someway of closing the Tesseract's portal in order to end the invasion. Romanoff decided to go to the top of Stark Tower herself and attempt to close it, asking Rogers to help her by launching her up in the air and allowing her to catch a ride on one of the Chitauri Chariots flying overhead.

While Romanoff flew across the battlefield in order to get near to the Tesseract and speak with Erik Selvig about how they could stop it, Captain America found himself surrounded by the alien forces who fired their guns at him. While Captain America held them back on his own, he was eventually rejoined by Iron Man, who flew down, knocking several of the aliens off the bridge before they then teamed up as Iron Man fired a beam of energy at his shield which deflected and intensified the beam as he knocked back and killed several more of the attacking Chitauri forces.

While he was taking out yet another Chitauri soldier who had pinned him down, Rogers had heard from Clint Barton that the Chitauri had taken a large group of over five dozen innocent civilians as their hostages inside of a nearby bank, with these hostages also including the waitress Beth who he had previously met. These aliens prepared to execute them with an explosion, but Captain America dived into the building used his shield to take down the lead Chitauri. In his desperate attempt to save the innocent civilians, Rogers began to take out this entire battalion of the invaders by himself.

However, during the fight, Captain America's Helmet was torn off his face before he knocked back the other Chitauri soldier behind him. Looking up, Rogers realized that a Helmetless Chitauri and picked the Chitauri Bomb back up, while Rogers dived for his shield which saved him from the explosion, althou