Captain America

"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[src]
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 the United States' 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 Rogers' physical abilities to superhuman levels. 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 Rogers 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 was believed to be killed in action, but had since been physically enhanced and brainwashed by HYDRA. Alongside Black Widow, Maria Hill and Falcon, Rogers then ended the HYDRA Uprising at the Battle at the Triskelion.
Rogers and the Avengers reassembled and embarked in an all-out war against HYDRA, recapturing the Scepter and capturing Baron Strucker. After Ultron, the new peacekeeping artificial intelligence program designed by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, had went rogue, Rogers and the Avengers rallied to stop it from exterminating humanity. Ultron was ultimately defeated during the Battle of Sokovia, after which several of the original Avengers departed, leaving Rogers and Romanoff to lead and train the new Avengers team.
The new Avengers conducted several international missions, but failed to avert a catastrophic incident while on assignment to capture Crossbones in Nigeria. 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. After the Accords ratification was bombed, with Bucky Barnes resurfacing as the primary suspect, Rogers and his anti-accord allies became fugitives of the law while assisting in his escape. Upon learning Helmut Zemo was the true mastermind, Rogers fought against Stark and his pro-accord allies before confronting Zemo in Siberia. When Zemo revealed Barnes' role in the Assassination of Howard and Maria Stark, Rogers came to Barnes' defense once an enraged Stark attacked him. They engaged in a fierce 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 Wanda Maximoff continued to be fugitives from the law, but when Thanos and his Black Order attacked Earth seeking the Infinity Stones, Rogers emerged from hiding in order to protect Vision. Rogers had Vision brought to Wakanda, and came to the country's defense when it was attacked by the Order with an onslaught of Outriders. Captain America failed to stop Thanos from taking the Mind Stone and wiping out half the universe's population. Rogers survived, and journeyed through space to Planet 0259-S, where the Avengers killed Thanos.
Five years after the Snap, Rogers and his fellow Avengers eventually found a way to safely travel through time, returning to various points in the past to amass all six Infinity Stones, making amends with Tony Stark in the process. The stones were used to initiate the Blip, and he resumed the mantle of Captain America once more to participate in the Battle of Earth, where he discovered he was deemed worthy of Mjølnir, wielding it in combat against Thanos and his army from an alternate timeline. After Stark sacrificed his life to wipe out Thanos' forces, Rogers volunteered to return the stones to their respective timelines. He opted to return and remain in the 1940s, where he married Peggy Carter. Rogers grew old and reunited with his friends in the present, entrusting Sam Wilson with his mantle and shield. Rogers entered retirement, with his current whereabouts unknown to the general public.
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
==== Meeting James Barnes ====
: "Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky."
: ―Steve Rogers[src]
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. Rogers lived with his mother in Hell's Kitchen. Rogers was playing with his toy soldiers when he was suddenly called by his mother, who was terminally ill due to the tuberculosis she contracted while in the hospital where she worked. Realizing the resemblance between Rogers and his father, Sarah guessed that his son would like to be a soldier just like his father, but that many people would say that he could not because he was in poor health. However, his mother reminded her son that although his body appeared fragile, he had a heart ten times his size and made him promise that whatever his dream, he would use his head to stay out of trouble. Rogers agreed, would remember in the years to come.
In Hell's Kitchen years later, Rogers became involved in a fight with a group of bullies, who demanded a fee for crossing Tenth Avenue. Despite his physical and numerical disadvantage, Rogers refused to pay, and the thugs began beating him until another boy arrived and began defending him because he was tired of seeing the thugs stealing money from small children like Rogers. Rogers helped his rescuer in battle by hitting one of the bullies with a circular trash can, and the bullies fled the alley. The boy was inspired to face the aggressors by following Rogers introduced himself as James Buchanan Barnes, although his friend called him "Bucky."
Barnes eventually became Rogers' 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 Rogers' aid and fight off the bullies when he was needed.
Rogers attended George Washington High School in Brooklyn from 1932 to 1936, and later Auburndale Art School, also in Brooklyn, from 1937 to 1938. During one of their trips together, Rogers and Barnes had ended up being forced to get a ride back to 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 $3.00 as he attempted to win a stuffed bear for Dolores. Another time when they were at Coney Island together, Barnes convinced Rogers to ride the Cyclone, resulting in Rogers throwing up.
==== 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[src]
In 1936, Rogers' mother died of tuberculosis 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, insisting that he could get by on his own. Seeing him struggling to find his house keys, Barnes revealed his secret key and assured Rogers that he did not have to because Barnes was with him "to the end of the line."
In December of 1941, during their art class, Rogers and Barnes learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and that the United States of America had officially entered World War II. Rogers immediately 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 for service, but Barnes later enlisted.
=== World War II ===
==== 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 Doctor[src]
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 him 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 off 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 with whomever 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.
==== 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[src]
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. 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.
==== 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[src]
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.
==== 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[src]
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 in 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 dummy training 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.
==== 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[src]
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.
==== Project Rebirth ====
: "How do you feel?""Taller.""You look taller."
: ―Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers[src]
On the day of the procedure, Rogers was escorted to a secret facility by Peggy Carter. While they drove together, Rogers pointed out many of the locations in New York City where he was beaten up as he and Carter shared being picked on and ignored for something they could not change; Rogers for his size and Carter for her gender. Despite Rogers' awkwardness while speaking with her, Carter was charmed by his 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.
==== Assassination of Abraham Erskine ====
: "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[src]
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 to 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 to 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.
==== 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[src]
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. 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. During the further testing, Rogers pushed a bulldozer to test his strength, it was easily the fastest time.
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.
=== Captain America ===
==== Performing 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[src]
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 cultural 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. Rogers also lost his virginity to a woman during the tour.
==== Disobeying Orders ====
: "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[src]
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 wishing 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 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 Barnes 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.
==== Liberation of Prisoners of War ====
: "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[src]
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.
==== 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 Steve Rogers[src]
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.
==== 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[src]
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.
==== 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[src]
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. 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. 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.
==== 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[src]
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.
=== Fighting HYDRA ===
==== Howling Commandos ====
: "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[src]
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. He also inspired civilians with his new look, inspiring them to attack a HYDRA member who held a kid hostage, after he stole SSR files.
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.
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. 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.
As the war moved in favor of the Allies, Rogers met with Dwight D. Eisenhower to discuss America's 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. 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.
==== Capture of Arnim Zola ====
: "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[src]
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.
==== 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[src]
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 rode into the base alone on his Upgraded Motorcycle and then had the army follow him once he broke through their defenses.
==== Attack on HYDRA Headquarters ====
: "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[src]
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.
==== 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[src]
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, and Schmidt prepared 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 at 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 on board, Rogers immediately set about looking for Red Skull.
==== Battle in the Valkyrie ====
: "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[src]
While on the Valkyrie, Rogers discovered the full extent of Red Skull's plan. He noticed that the bombs on board the plane were piloted suicide drones 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 path of the propellers, shredding him as Rogers was able to cling on for life and stay on board.
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.
==== 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[src]
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.
=== 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[src]
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.
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.
One of the blood samples that was taken from Captain America after Abraham Erskine's death 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, 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.
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, Carter went on to help Stark found S.H.I.E.L.D. and eventually married a man whom Rogers had saved during the course of the war.
==== 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[src]
Having remained trapped within the ice for nearly seven decades after Rogers' crash landing following his fight with Red Skull on board the Valkyrie, a S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by Nick Fury had once again gone in search for his body. The team, which also included a big fan of Captain America, Phil Coulson, searched for a year to find Rogers' body. When they had finally found him, Rogers was discovered to miraculously still be alive while frozen. Rogers was able to survive in sub-zero temperature over the course of seven decades thanks to his enhanced metabolism and immune system that he acquired thanks to the Super Soldier Serum.
==== Reawakening ====
: "You've been asleep, Cap. For almost 70 years. You gonna be okay?""Yeah. Yeah, I just... I had a date."
: ―Nick Fury and Steve Rogers[src]
When Rogers was brought to 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 the woman 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 woman, she called for backup 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.
==== 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[src]
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. 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 Iron Man flying by. When Beth noted they had wireless, Rogers mistakenly thought she meant radio, while a man encouraged him to ask for her number, but Rogers decided not to and later went to a boxing gym.
=== Chitauri Invasion ===
==== Initiation into the Avengers ====
: "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[src]
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, 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 Third Reich 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.
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 Rogers 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, Rogers stated that they should have left it in the ocean before walking out.
==== Meeting the Avengers ====
: "Word is you can find the cube.""And is that the only word on me?""Only word I care about."
: ―Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner[src]
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 the 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 Maria Hill to activate the clocking mechanism, allowing the Helicarrier 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 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 the gamma emition, with Fury agreeing to use S.H.I.E.L.D. resources to get it 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 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.
==== 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[src]
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, 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 standing in front of the terrified people and preparing to execute the one who did not kneel down, Captain America deflect the blast from Loki's Scepter with his shield, saving the man. 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 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, 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, 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.
==== Skirmish in Germany ====
: "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[src]
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 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.
==== 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[src]
While Loki was escorted on board 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 benefactor 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 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.
==== Avengers Argument ====
: "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."
: ―Steve Rogers to Tony Stark[src]
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, Bruce Banner claimed that the team was nothing but a time bomb waiting to explode. 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 angrier. 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.
==== Attack on the Helicarrier ====
: "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[src]
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 its side as Hawkeye 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 Phil Coulson had been killed by Loki moments before he managed to make his successful his own escape from the Helicarrier.
==== 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[src]
Following the Attack on the Helicarrier, Rogers and Tony Stark had a meeting with Nick Fury to discuss what to do next following these events. Fury brought Phil Coulson's vintage Captain America Card Collection which Rogers had not managed to sign before his death, while he 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.
=== Battle of New York ===
==== 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[src]
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 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 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 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 Silva and Saunders, Captain America gave them orders to the New York City Police Department, so they could ensure the safety of the people. 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, Silva decided to listen to him and gave the orders to his fellow NYPD officers.
==== 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[src]
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 soldier 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 Hawkeye 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 had picked the Chitauri Bomb back up, while Rogers dived for his shield which saved him from the explosion, although he was still blasted out the building, landing hard on a nearby car. As Captain America painfully got back to his feet, he watched as members of the United States Army and New York City Police Department then took all of the terrified civilians away from the still active danger zone.
==== Closing the Portal ====
: "Stark, these things are still coming!""I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it.""Stark, you know that’s a one way trip."
: ―Captain America and Iron Man[src]
Rejoining their battle against the Chitauri, Captain America was soon partnered with Thor, together taking out wave after wave of enemies. Rogers had taken a direct hit on the side from a Chitauri staff, which injured him. However, he still refused to stop fighting. Eventually, Gideon Malick and the rest of the World Security Council decided to drop a nuclear bomb onto New York City in order to prevent the Chitauri from spreading, despite the fact that it would destroy Manhattan and kill everyone there in the process.
Once the missile had been launched, Nick Fury immediately informed Iron Man of the bomb coming straight for them with mere minutes to spare. Despite Black Widow noting that she could use the Scepter to close the Tesseract's portal, Stark told Rogers not to give the order yet as he managed to fly the bomb through the portal and have it destroy the Chitauri Command Center which in turn killed the Chitauri soldiers. However, it appeared that Stark did not survive the explosion. Seeing no other choice, Rogers ordered Romanoff to close the portal, thus saving the entire Earth from conquest.
Just as the portal was being closed, they discovered that Stark had managed to survive: However, he was unconscious and tumbling down to the ground at some speed. Stark was saved from the fall back to Earth by Hulk as Rogers and Thor quickly ran to his aid. They discovered Stark's heart was not beating; however, Hulk managed to scare him awake with a roar. When he awoke, Rogers informed Stark that they had won the war. Rogers then joined all the other Avengers going up to Stark Tower in order to recapture Loki who, knowing he was defeated, finally surrendered without any resistance. Once the battle was over, the Avengers were joined by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who arrived to secure the Scepter, while Rogers proceeded to coordinate a search and rescue team.
==== Departing the Avengers ====
: "What, that this is somehow their fault? Captain America saved my life. Wherever he is and wherever any of them are, I would just... I would wanna say thank you."
: ―Beth[src]
Following their victory in the Chitauri Invasion and before they split up, Rogers and other Avengers then ate silently together in the Shawarma Palace. While they were eating, they were interrupted by the arrival of War Machine, who arrived too late to help them in the battle. Sometime after the battle, they gathered in Central Park to see Thor return home to Asgard with the Tesseract with a bound and muzzled Loki, as Rogers closely watched the Tesseract's transportation.
Once Thor had departed with Loki to bring him to justice, the rest of the Avengers then went their separate ways until the next time Earth needed them to defend it from whatever threat came. Rogers personally shook hands with Tony Stark before Stark and Bruce Banner drove off together, as Rogers then rode off on his motorcycle to see what awaited him in this new world.
==== School Discipline ====
: "Hi. I'm Captain America. Here to talk to you about one of the most valuable traits a soldier or a student can have – patience. Sometimes patience is the key to victory. Sometimes, it leads to very little; seems like it's not worth it. And you wonder... why you waited so long for something so disappointing."
: ―Captain America[src]
Sometime following the Battle of New York, Captain America, on the behalf of the Department of Education, was recruited to host his own fitness challenge for the United States' public schools, such as the Midtown School of Science and Technology. He also hosted a series of public service videos, which were dubbed Rappin' With Cap, covering various topics with the purpose of educating America's youth.
The topics Captain America had spoken about to the schoolchildren included fire hazards, the importance of a nutritional diet, human reproduction, the vitality of math and reading skills, tooth decay, head lice, and detention. In one of the videos, Rogers spoke long and hard about the virtue of patience, claiming it could be the key to victory or could potentially lead to very little and be somewhat disappointing for the person who had waited. Ironically, he grew impatient during filming and asked how many more videos were left.
=== S.H.I.E.L.D Agent ===
==== Defeating Mercenaries ====
Rogers would eventually be accepted into S.H.I.E.L.D. as a field agent, continuing his fight to protect people under Nick Fury's command. He was partnered with Natasha Romanoff, although he was not very trusting in in the organization. One day, they drank a milkshake in an old Brooklyn diner where Rogers grew up. They were undercover trying to stop a mercenary group called the Cadre from kidnapping Sana Amanat to make weapons for them. Captain America eventually defeated them with help of Amanat, who kicked the last member while being in a choke hold.
Afterwards, Rogers, Brock Rumlow, and Romanoff were in pursuit of Baker and his team because they stole the Zodiac. Baker took the Zodiac and jumped off the building, intending to set off his parachute. However, Rogers jumped after him and held onto the chord, disabling the parachute. A frightened Baker handed over the Zodiac so that Rogers would let go. Rogers told his team that he thought the Zodiac was destroyed, but Romanoff explained that S.H.I.E.L.D. said that to keep its availability a secret. This caused Rogers to not trust S.H.I.E.L.D. even more.
==== Meeting Sam Wilson ====
: "Must have freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing.""It takes some getting used to."
: ―Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers[src]
While on an early morning jog in Washington, D.C., Rogers frequently overlapped a man; every time he passed him, Rogers jokingly called out to him "on your left." Rogers later caught up again with the man who introduced himself as Sam Wilson, a former United States Air Force veteran who was now working in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Wilson was able to fully understand Rogers' experiences of being a veteran returning home from World War II and all of the difficulties surrounding that experience, with the pair discussing how sleeping on a comfortable bed had become much more difficult for them. Rogers listed off all the ways that living in 2014 was not as bad as it might appear, pointing out how helpful the internet was with helping him catch up with what he had missed while frozen. The two talked about their lives and Wilson recommended some music for Rogers to listen to, including Marvin Gaye, which he added to his list of things in the new world he had to watch, listen to or experience.
They were interrupted when Natasha Romanoff arrived to pick Rogers up for the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. mission after texting him. As Rogers was leaving, he teased Wilson by inviting him to go running some other time while Wilson then invited Rogers to come and join him at a meeting for those suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, which Rogers then promised to do so. As Romanoff pulled up, she jokingly asked where the Smithsonian Institution was, comparing Rogers to a fossil.
==== Retaking of the Lemurian Star ====
: "Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life pods, get 'em out. Let's move."
: ―Captain America[src]
Taken on board a Quinjet to be flown to the mission while also being debriefed, Rogers was told by Brock Rumlow that they needed to rescue hostages of Georges Batroc who had hijacked a S.H.I.E.L.D. ship, the Lemurian Star, somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Captain America ensured that he knew exactly how many hostages were on board, which included Jasper Sitwell, before complaining about Nick Fury sending them on missions like this to cover his errors. Captain America gave Rumlow and the other members of STRIKE their mission orders before then preparing to go into combat himself.
Rogers was tasked with attacking the ship first, as his own strength enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum would give him the advantage in the battle. As he prepared his own uniform for the mission, Rogers spoke with Natasha Romanoff who tried to set him up on a date with Kristen, much to Rogers' disagreement as he still loved Peggy Carter and felt he had too much work. Much to Jack Rollins' surprise, Rogers then dived off the Quinjet into the ocean without a parachute to slow his descent.
Having landed on the Lemurian Star alone, Captain America single-handedly defeated almost every pirate on the ship without raising the alarm. Using his shield to gain the advantage, he managed to get past teams of Batroc's soldiers before they could fight back. When one pirate came close to alerting Batroc, Captain America stopped him with a knife throw and was saved by Rumlow shooting another pirate before continuing on his mission.
Captain America requested that Black Widow give him an update, but she was busy subduing Gerald Durand along with all of Batroc's pirates. Once Black Widow was in position and had ensured that the ship would not be moving, Rogers ordered STRIKE to get ready as Rumlow shot the remaining pirates and rescued the hostages while Romanoff cleared out the engine room. As Rumlow's team engaged the pirates, Captain America threw his shield at Batroc, who made his escape.
With Sitwell and the other hostages now safe, Captain America then went searching for Batroc, while Rumlow then informed him that Romanoff had seemingly vanished during the mission and not met with STRIKE like she was supposed to. Before he could find out where Romanoff was, Captain America was suddenly ambushed by Batroc. The pirate taunted Captain America about relying on his shield or other weapons.
Accepting Batroc's other to fight by speaking in French, Captain America then fought against him in purely hand-to-hand combat. During their battle, Captain America discovered that Batroc was a more formidable fighter than he had anticipated as he had able to deflect all of his own attacks. Despite Batroc's continued attempts to kill him, Captain America proved to have the advantage due to the Serum inside his veins, which Batroc did not stand a chance against. Eventually, Captain America won and knocked Batroc out by smashing him through a locked door and knocking him out with a final hard punch.
After the fight, Rogers discovered Romanoff hacking into the ship's computer. He learned she had a secret assignment to recover some S.H.I.E.L.D. data from the ship through a USB drive. This somewhat annoyed Rogers, who was unhappy at being kept in the dark about the fact that Romanoff had now been given a secondary mission by Fury. The situation was made worse when Batroc woke up and threw a grenade at the pair. Rogers deflected the grenade with his shield and they leaped out of the path of the explosion. They both survived the explosion, but Batroc escaped during the chaos. Rogers made it clear he blamed Romanoff for the failure to capture him.
==== Project Insight ====
: "Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff.""Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom. This is fear."
: ―Nick Fury and Steve Rogers[src]
Reporting back to Nick Fury at the Triskelion, Rogers then expressed his anger with Fury over lying to him. Rogers claimed that Fury's plan to give Black Widow a secret order endangered the entire mission, noting that his own team should be able to trust each other. Fury argued that he had sent in Captain America purely so that this did not happen and that the last time he trusted someone, he lost an eye. Eventually, Fury promised Rogers that he would now be more honest with him.
Fury then took Rogers to the facility's sub-levels, telling a story along the way of how his own Grandfather used to carry a large gun with him at all times in order to ensure he was never mugged for his lunch bag. Fury told Rogers that S.H.I.E.L.D. had something bigger than his grandfather's gun as he showed him the new Helicarriers were being constructed in the hangar, with brand new technology and weapons designed by Tony Stark to make them more advanced.
Introducing Rogers to Project Insight, Fury explained that S.H.I.E.L.D. now planned to use the Helicarriers to eliminate threats to the global security before they even happened. Rogers was discontent with this, finding S.H.I.E.L.D.'s newest methods to be too extreme. When Fury noted what Rogers' generation did during World War II, Rogers insisted this was not the same, claiming Fury was spreading fear and not freedom. When Fury insisted Rogers get behind the program, he refused and left.
==== Getting Advice ====
: "Knowing that you helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. is half the reason I stay.""Hey. The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over."
: ―Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter[src]
Disillusioned by Nick Fury's new attitude towards the global security, Rogers revisited his past by visiting the Captain America division of the Smithsonian Institution. There, he saw videos of his time in World War II with all of the Howling Commandos fighting against Red Skull. When a young boy recognized him, Rogers smiled and gestured him to keep quiet, which the amazed boy agreed to do.
Rogers found a memorial for Bucky Barnes, which presented him as Rogers' friend and the only member of the Howling Commandos to lose his life in the fight against HYDRA. Rogers then watched an interview with Peggy Carter where she discussed her relationship with Rogers and how he changed her life even after she believed him to have been killed in action. Carter told the story of when Rogers had saved over 1000 men, including the man who became her husband.
Rogers went to see Carter in her retirement home, now aged past ninety years. They discussed the changing world, and Rogers admitted that the reason he stayed at S.H.I.E.L.D. was partly because she helped found it. Rogers went on to express how he had hoped that now serving with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers would help him find his place in the new world, but it just was not the same or as simple as it was during World War II. Carter then laughed that Rogers was always overdramatic about this sort of thing.
Carter told Rogers that while he had saved the world, she and others had mucked it up while he had been gone. When Carter began to cough, Rogers handed her a glass of water. She looked up and appeared to have forgotten their entire conversation, reacting like she was seeing Rogers for the first time in seventy years; Carter had developed Alzheimer's in her old age. Though saddened, Rogers smiled and told Carter that he could never leave his best girl while she owed him a dance.
Seeking some new advice, Rogers decided to visit the Department of Veterans Affairs to listen to Sam Wilson talk to soldiers who were suffering from Posttraumatic stress disorder. Rogers found himself feeling at home around other United States Armed Forces veterans as he listened to their stories about how they had come home only to feel of out of place. Wilson offered them all whatever advice he could to try and help them move forward.
Rogers spoke to Wilson after the meeting as they discussed what they were going through as former soldiers, with Wilson revealing that his friend and partner, Riley, was killed in action. When he questioned if Rogers was considering retiring, Rogers told Wilson that he had no idea what else to do with his life other than obey orders and serve. Wilson joked he could be the Ultimate Fighter before he encouraged Rogers he could do whatever it was that he wanted to do.
==== Loss of Nick Fury ====
: "There are a lot of things you don't about me.""I know, Nick. That's the problem."
: ―Nick Fury and Steve Rogers[src]
Riding his motorcycle back towards his apartment building late in the evening, Rogers parked it and then went upstairs towards his own apartment to rest, still considering both of his recent talks with Peggy Carter and Sam Wilson as well as his place within S.H.I.E.L.D. in the wake of learning of the new Project Insight. Rogers had strong disagreements about the moral implications of possibly supporting such a project, still believing that its use of preemptive targeting now promoted fear for America.
Once reaching his floor, Rogers had a brief talk with his neighbor, Kate, about how her work as a nurse was going. He even built up the courage to then ask Kate out on a date by offering to let her use his own washing machine in exchange for having a cup of coffee with him. However, Kate declined for the moment since her hospital scrubs had been exposed to germs, much to his slight disappointment. Rogers then became suspicious when Kate told him that she'd heard his stereo playing, which he had turned off.
Rogers snuck into his apartment through the window and found Nick Fury sitting on his couch. Fury claimed to Rogers that his wife kicked him out; however, when Rogers turned on the lamp, he saw that Fury was severely injured. Fury revealed from his phone that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised and they might be overheard by the undercover enemies, who were listening in. Fury told Rogers that only his friends knew the truth about him. Without warning, Fury was shot several times in his back through the wall, collapsing into Rogers' arms.
With the remaining strength he had, Fury gave the Lemurian Star flash drive to Rogers and ordered him not to trust anyone before falling unconscious. While Rogers pulled Fury out of the way and behind cover, his neighbor then smashed in the door, armed with a gun and revealing herself to be Agent 13, who was ordered by Fury to keep an eye on Rogers. Agent 13 called for medical assistance and explained the situation to S.H.I.E.L.D. while desperately trying to save Fury.
Rogers spotted the assassin attempting to make his getaway, so he grabbed his shield and went in pursuit, leaping from his apartment window into the building across the street and leaving Agent 13 to take care of Fury. Rogers smashed his way through various office doors and was still barely able to keep up with the incredibly fast assassin. Using all of his strength, Rogers kept just behind the assassin until he saw a chance to confront him.
Rogers eventually caught up and threw his shield at the assassin, but the masked assailant easily caught it with his cybernetic arm. Rogers was shocked at this as the two enemies locked eyes with each other before the assassin threw the shield back at Rogers with some considerable force. Rogers was so winded that he paused for just a moment, allowing the assassin to escape as Rogers looked out over the city for him.
Fury was taken to a hospital where Rogers rejoined him and observed the operation with Natasha Romanoff by his side. They watched together in horror as it was reported that Fury's heart had stopped. Rogers and Romanoff were joined by Maria Hill and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as the doctors operated, but were unable to revive him and Doctor Fine pronounced him dead. Fury was taken away and Hill asked to take care of the body. Romanoff began to question Rogers about the identity of the shooter, predicting that the bullets used were Soviet upon hearing about his incredible speed and robotic arm, indicating she knew who the assassin was.
Upon being questioned by Romanoff about why Fury was inside his apartment, Rogers feigned ignorance about why Fury went to him. Before they could continue the discussion, Brock Rumlow informed Rogers that he was wanted for a hearing at the Triskelion with Alexander Pierce to discuss what had happened. Romanoff told Rogers that he was a terrible liar. He then used this quiet moment to hide the USB Fury had given him in a vending machine.
==== Alexander Pierce's Warning ====
: "He told me not to trust anyone.""I wonder if that included him.""I'm sorry, those were his last words."
: ―Captain America and Alexander Pierce[src]
When he arrived at the Triskelion, Captain America had encountered Agent 13 again just as she left Alexander Pierce's office. As they passed one another, Rogers barely acknowledged her before shaking Pierce's hand, with Pierce claiming it was an honor to meet him as his own father had served with Rogers during World War II. Rogers was questioned by Pierce, who said he was one of Nick Fury's closest friends, explaining how they met in Bogotá and wanting to know who was responsible for Fury's death.
Pierce questioned Rogers over why Fury had been in his apartment before they discussed how his home had been bugged, with Pierce noting that it was Fury himself who had done so. Pierce then showed Rogers video footage of Georges Batroc while he was being interrogated and revealed that Fury was secretly responsible for the hijacking of the Lemurian Star, the current theory being that he was attempting to cover up the sale of the classified information.
Attempting to prove his own loyalty to Fury, Pierce told Rogers that he took a seat on the World Security Council because Fury had once asked him to, claiming that they both shared the idea that to build a better world sometimes meant tearing the old one down. Knowing that he could not trust Pierce, Rogers told him nothing of what Fury said, and left him to return to the hospital, despite Pierce's warning that he would not allow anybody to stand in his way.
==== Escape from the Triskelion ====
: "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"
: ―Captain America[src]
With his meeting completed, Rogers then got inside the elevator and prepared to leave the Triskelion. Before he could go down, however, Rogers was joined by Brock Rumlow who greeted him and expressed his own condolences for Nick Fury's death, claiming that what had happened was messed up. As they went down, Rumlow noted that forensics had found hair fibers of Fury's killer on the rooftop, although Rogers recommended that they wait a bit longer before investigating personally, before the elevator then stopped and collected more some people.
As the elevator slowly began to fill up with even more STRIKE operatives, Rogers quickly sensed that something was wrong. Once Jack Rollins stepped inside with his hand on his weapon, Rogers noted that another agent was sweating as he came to the conclusion that Alexander Pierce had organized an ambush for him for withholding information. Giving them all one chance to leave, Rogers asked if anyone wanted to get out, before the fight began.
Losing all pretense, Rollins and these other agents attacked Rogers, who used his enhanced strength and martial arts training to gain the upper hand. As all of the attackers had successfully managed to disarm Rogers of his shield, they also attempted to use a pair of Magnetic Handcuffs to keep him from fighting back. However, they could only get one on as Rogers was unwilling to give in. Having only one free hand, Rogers fought off his opponents.
Despite Rumlow attempting to use his Taser Rod to subdue him, Rogers managed to break free of the magnetic handcuff and then proceeded to take out two more agents with considerable ease. Eventually, the last conscious double agent was Rumlow, who told Rogers that the fight was not personal. He attacked and managed to shock Rogers with the Taser Rod twice before Rogers disarmed him.
Finally, Rogers landed a hard strike against Rumlow before throwing him into the ceiling and knocking him out, replying that this attack did feel personal. As Rogers then attempted to find a way out of the building to avoid arrest, he discovered more STRIKE agents were coming to capture him, having been sent by Jasper Sitwell. Seemingly trapped, Rogers found that the only clear way out was to cut the elevator cables with his shield.
Once the elevator stopped its free fall, Rogers realized that Sitwell and Pierce had sent agents onto every floor to capture him. He finally threw himself out of the elevator glass and fell several floors through the atrium of the Triskelion and onto the floor, using his shield to absorb the impact. While the horrified S.H.I.E.L.D. looked on, Rogers managed to get back on his feet despite being in considerable pain and then continued trying to escape, all while Sitwell watched this unfold on his monitors and ordered that Rogers be stopped.
With little time left to spare in his escape as Sitwell had just authorized the Triskelion to be locked down, Rogers managed to run to and drive away on the back of his motorcycle, successfully escaping a roadblock set up for him. However, as Rogers rode straight down the bridge, he discovered that Sitwell had sent a Quinjet to stop him. Rogers remained unintimidated however, and instead continued driving straight towards the Quinjet, avoiding all of its gunfire.
Rogers managed to ride right up to the Quinjet before throwing his shield into one of its engines and launching himself onto its roof. From there, he proceeded to damage the Quinjet by throwing his shield at its back wings before leaping off, thus causing the jet to crash-land before Rogers escaped out into Washington, D.C.. In order to keep S.H.I.E.L.D. from tracking him, Rogers hid his uniform inside the duffle bag of a high school coach, whose clothes he took.
==== Hiding in Plain Sight ====
: "I know who killed Fury. Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years.""So he's a ghost story."
: ―Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers[src]
Having successfully escaped from the Triskelion ambush, but aware that Jasper Sitwell's agents were hunting him, the now disguised Rogers returned to the hospital, where he realized that the USB was gone from where he had hidden it inside the vending machine. As Rogers was looking for the USB, Natasha Romanoff appeared behind him, revealing that she had already taken it.
Pushing her inside an empty room, Rogers aggressively questioned where the USB was, while Romanoff questioned why Nick Fury had given it to him. Upon being told that Fury indeed hired Georges Batroc to hijack the Lemurian Star, Romanoff confessed to knowing who killed him. She told Rogers that the masked man was an assassin called the Winter Soldier, credited with numerous assassinations in the last 50 years, and she had encountered him once before.
Despite the high risk levels, the pair came to believe that they could still trust each other. Rogers and Romanoff both put on a quick disguise, with Rogers complaining about his shoes being too big for him, and went out in public looking for answers regarding what was happening. While Romanoff gave Rogers tips on going undercover, they then went to an Apple store and used a laptop to open the USB, searching for any valuable information on it.
While Romanoff hacked into the computer to access the USB drive, they were greeted by Aaron, who enthusiastically offered to help them. Romanoff managed to politely move him away by pretending to be Rogers' fiancée, as Aaron complimented how Rogers' glasses looked on him. With Rogers keeping an eye on the time as they knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would be able to trace the USB, Romanoff eventually triangulated where the drive could be unlocked down to New Jersey. Rogers recognized the coordinates as Camp Lehigh before insisting that they leave.
Upon exiting the store, the two soon realized that STRIKE had already arrived. Rogers prepared to fight the agents but Romanoff instructed him on how to get out of the mall before Jack Rollins could find them. Trying to avoid being detected, Romanoff told Rogers to be intimate with her by holding her close and laughing. Spotting Brock Rumlow coming towards them, she responded by kissing Rogers publicly to deflect Rumlow's attention before they escaped, briefly throwing Rogers off.
=== HYDRA Uprising ===
==== Arnim Zola's Confession ====
: "HYDRA died with the Red Skull.""Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."
: ―Steve Rogers and Arnim Zola[src]
Having gotten away from Brock Rumlow's STRIKE team just in time, Rogers and Natasha Romanoff then stole a car and drove to New Jersey. During their trip, Romanoff questioned where Rogers had learned to steal a car and he answered during World War II. He later clarified to her that they were borrowing and told Romanoff to take her feet off the dash. She had then teased Rogers about if their kiss had been his first since the 1940s, which he firmly denied.
As they drove along, Rogers and Romanoff began discussing how she managed to hide her true self for so long, resulting in Rogers still not having a clear idea of who Romanoff was despite all of their time working together in both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. When she questioned who Rogers wanted her to be, he just told her to be his friend. Romanoff smiled at this and advised Rogers he might be in the wrong business if he was actually looking for friends.
When they finally arrived at Wheaton that evening, Rogers returned to Camp Lehigh, the old training camp where he had once trained during World War II before undergoing Project Rebirth. While he and Romanoff explored the base, Rogers thought back to his days of training as Michael Duffy pushed him during running exercises, which the skinnier Rogers had struggled with. Eventually, he spotted an ammunition hut in the wrong place and went to investigate.
Inside, they found a S.H.I.E.L.D. secret storage room which had been clearly left untouched for decades, with the walls featuring photographs of Howard Stark and Colonel Chester Phillips. Rogers was asked by Romanoff who Peggy Carter was upon seeing a photograph of her as well, which he avoided answering. Moving downstairs inside the facility, they came upon rows of old computers inside a S.H.I.E.L.D. office. There, they found a more modern looking USB slot and placed the drive inside it.
The computers powered up as the voice of an A.I. activated, which recognized Rogers and Romanoff. The voice noted that he and Rogers had previously met back in 1945 before Captain America managed to capture him during World War II. Rogers quickly realized that the voice was that of Red Skull's scientist, Arnim Zola; Zola revealed that his consciousness had been uploaded into a computer before his death in 1972, allowing his own mind to continue living on.
As Rogers listened on in horror, Zola explained to them how he had been recruited by Operation Paperclip after World War II's end, and from his new position as a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was able to quietly rebuild HYDRA within the United States. Rogers refused to believe this, but Zola accessed his data files and showed how HYDRA changed strategies following the war and began tricking the entire world into surrendering their own freedoms through decades of their careful manipulation.
While Zola explained that he had been working on an algorithm that HYDRA wanted, he told them that some of the deaths of S.H.I.E.L.D. leaders were due to HYDRA and showed a picture of Howard Stark, implying that his and his wife's fatal car crash might not have been a sudden accident. Hearing and seeing this, Rogers realized that Tony Stark's parents were killed by the Winter Soldier, just like Nick Fury. Zola revealed their goal was to lead to the world into accepting Project Insight to gain peace of mind, claiming this as HYDRA's ultimate victory.
Before Rogers and Romanoff could get any more information out of Zola, they realized that Alexander Pierce had sent a missile to their location. Zola locked them inside and, with seconds to spare, Rogers ripped out the floorboards and pulled Romanoff with him just as the missile blew up the facility. Rogers used his shield to keep the debris from crushing them. He then carried Romanoff out of the rubble and ran to safety just as Brock Rumlow's STRIKE team arrived.
==== Sam Wilson's Help ====
: "I thought you said you're a pilot.""I never said a pilot.""I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason."
: ―Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson[src]
Managing to escape from Camp Lehigh's destruction, Rogers and Natasha Romanoff then went to seek refuge. With just a few people they felt they could trust left, Rogers brought them to the home of Sam Wilson. Not wasting any time, he apologized to Wilson and explained that they were looking for somewhere to hide out, before Romanoff noted that everyone they knew was trying to kill them. Wilson allowed them to come in and recover from their ordeal.
As the pair got cleaned up, Rogers spoke to Romanoff and asked if she was okay following what they had learned about S.H.I.E.L.D. and all that had been going on behind the scenes. Romanoff admitted how she had thought she was fighting the good fight by joining S.H.I.E.L.D., but now felt she had just traded the KGB for HYDRA. Romanoff expressed how she now struggled to understand who exactly she had been lying for and whether she was fighting for the wrong side.
Romanoff then noted that Rogers had saved her life and questioned if it had been the other way around, would he have ever trusted her to save his. Rogers assured her that he felt he could following this conversation. Lightening the mood, Romanoff joked that Rogers seemed chipper for the man who just recently learnt he had died for nothing following World War II's conclusion before they were then interrupted by Wilson inviting them to breakfast.
Sitting down to discuss the situation, they agreed that the air-strike would have been ordered by Alexander Pierce, and they would have to find a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D./HYDRA agent to learn more. As Rogers and Romanoff realized that Jasper Sitwell was also clearly involved with Pierce's operations, Wilson revealed that he was part of the military project called EXO-7 Falcon, testing of a new form of winged Jet-Packs, and agreed to help Captain America in whatever way he could.
==== Threatening Jasper Sitwell ====
: "Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future.""And what then?""Oh, my God. Pierce is gonna kill me.""What then?!""Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time."
: ―Steve Rogers and Jasper Sitwell[src]
The team then traveled back to Washington, D.C. in order to corner and talk to Agent Jasper Sitwell, following their recent discovery that he had been secretly working for HYDRA all along. They waited until Sitwell finished his private meeting with Senator Stern, who whispered "Hail HYDRA" to Sitwell as a sign of his loyalty before saying goodbye. Taking advantage of Sitwell being on his own, Sam Wilson then personally called up Sitwell and forced him up on the roof of a tall building nearby their location, under the threat being shot at by a sniper if he attempted to disobey.
Together with Natasha Romanoff, Rogers had dragged Sitwell onto the roof and demanded that he tell them everything he knew about Arnim Zola's algorithm, although Sitwell denied all knowledge, also denying he had been onboard the Lemurian Star for any reason. When Sitwell pointed out that Rogers was not the kind of man to push him off the roof, Rogers simply handed him over to Romanoff to kick off the edge before Falcon caught Sitwell and brought him back up.
Terrified, Sitwell proceeded to reveal that Zola's algorithm could calculate if a person would be a threat to HYDRA in the future. He also told them that HYDRA was soon going to use Project Insight as a weapon to eliminate everyone who they saw as their opponent, mentioning Tony Stark and Bruce Banner as some of their planned targets along with Stephen Strange. This would also mean that millions of innocent people would die as a result.
==== Battle of Washington, D.C. ====
: "Bucky?""Who the hell is Bucky?"
: ―Captain America and Winter Soldier[src]
The group took Jasper Sitwell into their custody and began driving towards Washington, D.C.. As they drove, Rogers explained his plan to use Sitwell to gain them access to the Triskelion and force him to shut down Project Insight before it had the chance to be activated. Sitwell, however, exclaimed that this was a terrible idea that would never work, though Rogers and the others simply ignored him and continued driving.
However, before they could all reach the Triskelion and continue with their plan, they were attacked by Winter Soldier and his men, who had been seemingly sent by Alexander Pierce. Before the group even had a moment to react, Sitwell was then ripped out of the car and killed by being thrown into traffic. The Winter Soldier then shot into the car and proceeded to rip out the vehicle’s steering wheel, which caused them to lose control and crash the car on the road.
Rogers, however, had saved his allies by kicking open the car door and allowing them to ride it onto the road to relative safety while their car crashed multiple times, leaving them to face the Winter Soldier and his team of HYDRA soldiers who had instructions to kill them all. The battle broke out and Rogers saved Natasha Romanoff when he had managed to block a grenade blast, fired by the Winter Soldier, with his own shield. The subsequent explosion knocked Rogers off the bridge and into an oncoming bus, briefly taking him out of the clash and leaving his allies to fend for themselves against Pierce's soldiers, who immediately began firing upon them without any sense of mercy.
Once Rogers had come to, he was almost immediately fired at by a HYDRA soldier armed with a minigun, but Rogers regained his shield and blocked the bullets before he subdued the soldier while being aided by Sam Wilson, who kept all the soldiers at bay after stealing one of their guns and firing back at them. With the HYDRA mercenaries being dealt with, Rogers then began chasing after the Winter Soldier who was now attempting to assassinate Romanoff.
Rogers soon found Romanoff using her bites to try and defeat the Winter Soldier herself, but she was then shot through the shoulder and defeated. Before she could be executed, Rogers charged in and ambushed the Winter Soldier, blocking a strike from his prosthetic arm with his own shield. Having deflected the punch, Rogers was then kicked off the car roof before being shot at by the Winter Soldier, but he managed to block the shots with his shield.
Winter Soldier proceeded to use every weapon he had available to him to attack Rogers, although he was still unable to get a clean shot as Rogers continued using his shield to defend himself before fighting the Winter Soldier more directly. The Winter Soldier briefly managed to get his hands onto Rogers' shield, which he had proceeded to launch at Rogers before their fight then continued, with the shield becoming embedded in the side of a nearby van.
While they fought, Rogers did everything he could to defend himself while the Winter Soldier drew a blade and then began slashing at Rogers in an attempt to kill him. However, both had quickly proved themselves almost equally matched as neither could land a final hit against the other. As their battle escalated, Rogers managed to get some defensive blows in against his enemy before kicking him into a nearby parked van and attempting to finish the fight.
The pair were forced to resort to hand-to-hand combat as the Winter Soldier had struck back against Captain America, managing to avoid being slammed to the ground before using his bionic arm to attempt to strangle the Captain before then throwing him across a car. Once Captain America was briefly defenseless on the floor, Winter Soldier attempted to finish the job by striking a hard blow but he missed and instead cracked the concrete as Rogers moved out of the way.
Rogers found that the longer the fight went on, the more aggressive Winter Soldier became as he was seemingly incapable of allowing his target to live. As the Winter Soldier continued striking Rogers, he drew another knife before pinning Rogers against a nearby van. Using his robotic arm to give him even more strength, Winter Soldier plunged his knife into the van and tore through the metal, as Rogers avoided the blade and then threw the Winter Soldier off him.
While the Winter Soldier was getting back onto his feet, Rogers was able to reclaim his shield, which was still embedded in the nearby van, as he blocked all of the Winter Soldier's continued strikes with his knife. Despite the Winter Soldier continuing to become more enraged by the fight, Rogers was able to dodge one blow before then embedding his shield into the Winter Soldier's bionic arm, causing serious damage and giving Rogers a clear advantage.
Eventually, Rogers had managed to throw the Winter Soldier over his shoulder which had resulted in his assailant’s mask being ripped from his face, revealing that he was in fact Bucky Barnes. When a horrified Rogers called his name, Winter Soldier replied did not know who that was before attempting to shoot Rogers again. Just then, Falcon kicked Winter Soldier over from mid-air and Romanoff drove him off with the grenade launcher which he had dropped earlier, while Rogers was still left in a shocked silence.
While Rogers was still distracted by the revelation, they were quickly surrounded by Brock Rumlow and his STRIKE agents. Rogers, Romanoff, and Wilson were then arrested by all of Rumlow's men, with Jack Rollins keeping his gun trained on Rogers' skull despite Rumlow ordering him not to kill Rogers there as there were too many cameras. Rogers did not resist as he wondered how Barnes had survived since World War II and was now the Winter Soldier.
==== Nick Fury's Survival ====
: "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been compromised, you’ve said so yourself. HYDRA was right under your nose and nobody noticed.""Why do you think we’re meeting in this cave? I noticed.""And how many paid the price before you did?"
: ―Steve Rogers and Nick Fury[src]
While in the HYDRA van being driven away by Brock Rumlow to an unknown location in order to execute them, Rogers then discussed how Bucky Barnes had survived since World War II. While they were speaking, one of the HYDRA guards suddenly tased the other and revealed herself to be Maria Hill. She then used a Mouse Hole to help them escape before Rumlow discovered the deception.
Agent Hill took them all to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Dam Facility where they immediately called on Doctor Fine to treat Natasha Romanoff's wounds. Upon their arrival, Hill showed them into the room where Director Nick Fury was resting, revealing that he did not die and had survived with the aid of Fine as well as the use of Bruce Banner's Tetrodotoxin B, though he was still severely injured due to the gunshots through his chest.
The group discussed Alexander Pierce's plans and how HYDRA had used Barnes and Arnim Zola to finally achieve their goals of controlling the world. Hill and Fury told them that Project Insight was only hours away from launching and that they had to act quickly in order to save millions of lives. The Helicarriers would hover in a triangle, connected, locking on all of their targets before firing. The only way to prevent this would be to use three special chips that would take away S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control of the Helicarriers. Rogers then demanded that they also destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. in this mission as he blamed them for the disaster, which Fury eventually agreed to.
Stepping outside, Rogers thought back to living in Brooklyn shortly after his mother had died, and how Barnes had been there for him at that time. Rogers was then joined by Sam Wilson, who reminded Rogers that when they went into the mission, Barnes would be there waiting for them as Winter Soldier and Rogers would need to stop him. Rogers insisted he could still save his friend despite Wilson’s warning that he may not have any choice with that.
Rogers told Wilson to collect his EXO-7 Falcon to be ready for their mission, noting that if they were to fight in a war then they would need to have a uniform. Having lost his suit earlier in order to avoid detection, Rogers broke into the Smithsonian Institution museum and stole his suit from World War II. After which, the group went off to stop Project Insight, arriving just outside of the Triskelion in order to complete their mission and save humanity’s freedom.
==== Battle at the Triskelion ====
: "I know I'm asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high, it always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."
: ―Captain America[src]
With both Sam Wilson and Maria Hill by his side, Captain America then successfully broke into the Triskelion, all while Black Widow was infiltrating a meeting with the World Security Council by using the Photostatic Veil to disguise herself as Pamela Hawley. In the meantime, Captain America managed to take over the control room with ease by banging on the door and waiting for Agent Moore to investigate before finding himself being held at gunpoint by the three heroes.
Rogers used the PA system to send out his message across the base and inform the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents listening of HYDRA's infiltration within their organization, and that Alexander Pierce was their leader, with Brock Rumlow's STRIKE unit also being HYDRA. Rogers told everyone that HYDRA was responsible for Director Nick Fury's apparent assassination and that they could not allow the HYDRA to initiate Project Insight, before asking them to stand with him.
Once he had finished his speech, Captain America and Falcon prepared to assault the Helicarriers and battle all the HYDRA agents on board to ensure they could not complete Pierce's plan to use Arnim Zola's algorithm to murder several million people across the world, which included their fellow Avengers. While they ran towards the Helicarriers, which were just beginning to launch, Falcon questioned how they would be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys as everyone appeared to be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, before Captain America simply told him to look for the agents shooting at them. With that, Wilson used his EXO-7 Falcon to fly up overhead and battle the Quinjets which were now being sent to kill them.
While Falcon flew overhead, Captain America leaped onto a nearby launching Helicarrier where he had charged towards all the HYDRA agents who had been sent to stop him. Without breaking his pace, Captain America avoided the gunfire while using his shield and his own superior skills to strike back against his enemies. While he was fighting, Hill reminded Rogers that they only had eight minutes left in order to complete their infiltration mission.
Having managed to take out the HYDRA agents on the Helicarrier, Captain America ran into the main weapons center where he then inserted the chip which would allow them to force the three Helicarriers to target each other. Hill then confirmed with Wilson that they had managed to insert two of the chips, with some hardship, leaving just one more to be inserted in order to fully thwart Project Insight and save millions of innocent lives from HYDRA.
Although he had successfully placed their computer chip, Captain America was soon discovered by all the remaining HYDRA agents on board the Helicarrier who began firing at him. With little time to spare, Captain America requested Falcon's help as he leaped from the Helicarrier and plummeted towards Washington, D.C. several hundred feet below. Falcon managed to catch up in time and pulled Captain America all the way back up to the third and final Helicarrier.
However, before they could enter the Helicarrier, the pair were ambushed by Winter Soldier who pushed Captain America overboard and damaged Falcon's wing suit before also kicking him overboard. Wilson fell back to the Triskelion, where he got caught up in a fistfight with Agent Rumlow, while Rogers nearly fell to his death, but he was able to hang onto the Helicarrier. Now it was all on Rogers to complete the plan and defeat HYDRA.
==== Duel in the Helicarrier ====
: "I'm not gonna fight you. You're my friend.""You're my mission. You're... my... mission!""Then finish it. 'Cause I'm with you to the end of the line."
: ―Captain America and Winter Soldier[src]
Captain America entered the Helicarrier in order to put their final chip in place before he was confronted by Winter Soldier, who stood firmly in his way. Rogers desperately begged Barnes to listen to him, noting that Project Insight would soon kill millions of innocent lives. However, Rogers saw that Barnes was simply not going to listen to reason and, running out of time, Captain America then steeled himself for what must be done in order to complete his current mission.
Despite what Rogers wanted, the two former friends fought violently against each other, as Captain America began the fight by launching his shield at the Winter Soldier, which his opponent blocked with his bionic arm before they began their struggle. Rogers used his shield to block all the Winter Soldier's gunshots before then disarming him and attempting to keep him away while he rearmed the Helicarrier.
The pair then battled each other over control of the chip; the Winter Soldier responded by throwing Captain America off the ledge before they continued their fight, with Rogers desperately attempting to keep the chip safe from harm. In his attempt to win their fight, the Winter Soldier launched Rogers' shield at him, before firing at him again, which Rogers managed to block with his shield before launching his shield back at the Winter Soldier who used his arm to block the blow.
Following a long and brutal battle between the pair where the Winter Soldier attempted to kill his target while Captain America tried to emotionally reach him, the Winter Soldier managed to get his hands on the chip, before Captain America had put him into a tight chokehold and demanded that he drop it. Captain America finally managed to subdue the Winter Soldier, by choking him out until the Soldier lost consciousness and dropped the chip.
Rogers attempted to get the chip into place with only seconds left before Project Insight would initiate. However, he was shot multiple times by the Winter Solider, with one bullet that went through his stomach. Using whatever energy he had left, Rogers managed to get the chip in place just in time, allowing Maria Hill to gain control of the Helicarriers. Before making them fire on each other, Hill had acknowledged that Rogers was still on board, but he commanded her to do it anyway.
With Rogers still on board, their mission went ahead exactly as they had planned, with all of Alexander Pierce's Helicarriers firing at one another. The Helicarrier that Rogers and Barnes were in was the last one remaining while the other two were blown out of the sky. Their Helicarrier crashed into the Triskelion, causing it to collapse and crush Brock Rumlow under the debris. As the Helicarrier had still continued to fall, some debris landed on Barnes, trapping him against the glass windows.
Running to his friend's aid, Rogers had freed the trapped Winter Soldier who immediately betrayed him, despite Rogers insisting that the Winter Soldier did indeed know who he was. Rogers desperately tried to remind the Soldier that his name was James Buchanan Barnes, telling him of their friendship in the 1940s. While the Winter Soldier now attacking Captain America, Rogers still refused to fight Barnes, dropping his shield and allowing Barnes to secure an easy victory.
Refusing to accept the truth about his past, the Winter Soldier began to savagely beat Rogers with his metal arm, determined to complete his mission to kill Captain America for HYDRA. Before Rogers had lost consciousness from the brutal assault, he promised Barnes to be with him until the end of the line; a promise Barnes once gave him decades ago in 1936 following Sarah Rogers' funeral. This caused Barnes to realize what he was doing to his long-time friend.
However, just as Barnes came back to his senses and stopped his attacks, a large piece of debris fell and caused the floor to collapse underneath them. The unconscious Rogers then fell into the Potomac River below and nearly drowned, but Barnes decided to not leave his old friend to die and dived in, saving him. Barnes then dragged Rogers back to the shore and walked away, leaving Rogers to be found by the authorities while Barnes had then disappeared.
==== Search for Winter Soldier ====
: "You're going after him.""You don't have to come with me.""I know. When do we start?"
: ―Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers[src]
Rogers eventually woke up sometime following the Battle at the Triskelion in a hospital, finding Sam Wilson at his bedside and calling out "on your left" again. Wilson then filled Rogers in on what had happened after he was found; S.H.I.E.L.D. had gone through some major changes, having been dismantled as a result of the HYDRA Uprising. Having successfully killed Alexander Pierce during the battle, Nick Fury was officially dead, and he had destroyed all evidence of his survival.
Later, standing by his headstone, Fury ordered Rogers to tell anyone who asked that he was dead as he left to thwart HYDRA operations in Europe. Meanwhile, Natasha Romanoff went to a Senate hearing to defend their actions, proclaiming that they could not arrest the Avengers because the team is the best qualified to protect the world. After Romanoff gave him a file on Bucky Barnes, Rogers decided to start looking, with the help of Wilson, for his friend so that he could convince Barnes of who he really was and save him.
=== War on HYDRA ===
==== Reassembling the Avengers ====
As Rogers continued his search for Bucky Barnes, the continued threat of HYDRA still endured, causing the Avengers to reassemble in bring an end to the terrorist organization. Using the former Stark Tower, now renamed Avengers Tower, as their headquarters, they embarked on several missions to ruin HYDRA's plans for world domination.
==== Battle of Sudan ====
: "Let's take 'em down fast, boys!"
: ―Captain America[src]
While searching through files about Barnes, Rogers was informed by J.A.R.V.I.S. that the team was assembling to help Black Widow in Sudan. Captain America led the team into the battle, where they encountered many HYDRA operatives in Chitauri armor. Together the team defeated the soldiers, along with their leader, Doctor Jensen.
==== Capturing Baron Strucker ====
: "Baron Strucker. HYDRA's number one thug.""Technically, I'm a thug for S.H.I.E.L.D.""Well then, technically, you're unemployed. Where's Loki's Scepter?""I know when I'm beat. You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope.""I'll put it right under illegal human experimentation."
: ―Captain America and Baron Strucker[src]
Eventually, Rogers led the Avengers in an assault on Baron Strucker's base, having learned that Strucker was using the Scepter to create an army of his own enhanced soldiers for HYDRA to use against their enemies.
Rogers rode his motorcycle into their battle against Strucker's soldiers, throwing his shield at the HYDRA soldiers while commanding the Avengers' actions. When Iron Man cussed while trying to break through the base's defense systems during the battle, Rogers told him to mind his language, much to Stark's amusement, while Rogers checked with J.A.R.V.I.S. about Strucker's technology and the defense systems the base currently had in place.
While Rogers defended calling Stark out on his language, he then threw his motorcycle at another HYDRA convoy. When they realized Strucker's guns were targeting the innocent people of Sokovia, Stark then sent the Iron Legion to protect the people. Rogers ignored the continuing teases and fought alongside Thor, using their combined strength to destroy the HYDRA Tanks, also jokingly commenting that it had seemed like the soldiers were lining up to be defeated.
During the continuing battle, Hawkeye was injured when he had been suddenly attacked by Pietro Maximoff and then took a shot from one of Strucker's bunkers. Captain America himself was also then briefly attacked by Maximoff, who he noted was too fast for him to even see and warned the other Avengers. With little time to spare, Rogers had ordered Thor to take Hawkeye onto the Avengers' Quinjet to receive treatment while they continued the assault on Strucker's base.
Once Iron Man had successfully destroyed their defenses, Captain America broke into the HYDRA Research Base and began searching for Loki's Scepter. During his search, Rogers was informed by Black Widow that the battle had been one, as Rogers ordered her to collect Hulk and return him back to Bruce Banner. Before long, Rogers located Baron Strucker who immediately surrendered to him, knowing that he did not stand a chance for victory.
During his confrontation with Baron Strucker, Rogers was then attacked by the woman who used her powers to throw Rogers down a flight of stairs before making her own escape. Rogers quickly recovered from the attack and knocked out Strucker by hitting him with his shield, and took him into their custody while all of the rest of the Avengers had successfully defeated the remaining HYDRA army and Tony Stark found the Scepter inside Strucker's laboratory.
==== Return to Base ====
: "File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts.""Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?"
: ―Maria Hill and Steve Rogers[src]
With the mission a success and HYDRA officially defeated, Rogers with the other Avengers flew back on the Quinjet, with Rogers still checking in while Clint Barton and Bruce Banner recovered from their experiences during the battle. Along the way, Rogers and his own allies had observed the Scepter and commented on their victory over HYDRA.
Pleased to have finally ended their search for Loki's Scepter while also having a major victory over HYDRA, Tony Stark then requested to Thor that he be allowed to keep the Scepter under observation for a few days to study it before it was returned to Asgard, also noting they should have a party to celebrate their victory. Thor then agreed to keep the Scepter on Earth, and Rogers also agreed that a party to celebrate the successful defeat of HYDRA was a good idea.
Once they had arrived back at the Avengers Tower, the team was greeted by Maria Hill. While Helen Cho took Barton away to receive treatment following his injury, Hill briefed Rogers on the twins they had all encountered, who had been identified as Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. She explained their poverty while living in Sokovia and how they lost their parents, which had led to them both volunteering for Baron Strucker's enhancement experiments.
When Hill called the Maximoffs' decision to be experimented on by Strucker insane, Rogers expressed his understanding of the twins' decision, comparing his own decision to allow a German scientist to experiment on him, referring to Abraham Erskine's Project Rebirth. When Hill noted that they were not fighting in World War II like he was in the 1940s, Rogers argued that from the Maximoff's point of view, they were still in their own war before heading downstairs.
==== Victory Celebration ====
: "It's just, she's not the most open person in the world. But with you she seems very relaxed.""No, Natasha, she... she likes to flirt.""I've seen her flirt, up close. This ain't that."
: ―Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner[src]
Rogers joined the Avengers, plus Sam Wilson and James Rhodes, at a party in Avengers Tower to celebrate their victory over HYDRA. Rogers and Wilson discussed working together and their continued search for Bucky Barnes. When Rogers suggested Wilson could join the Avengers, Wilson claimed not to be interested in joining. They went on to discuss Rogers finding himself a house in Brooklyn.
Later, Rogers and Thor drank thousand-year-old alcohol from Asgard with a group of World War II veterans. Although Thor deemed only himself and the Super-Soldier Rogers to be strong enough to drink the powerful alcohol, one of the Veterans insisted upon having a drink of the Asgardian alcohol. Thor relented with Rogers' nod of approval which resulted in the man having to be carried away from Avengers Tower for instantaneously becoming too drunk.
While the party had still continued, Rogers went to the bar and came across Bruce Banner speaking to Natasha Romanoff, with Romanoff clearly flirting with the nervous Banner. When Romanoff left, Rogers spoke to Banner, telling him that Romanoff was clearly attracted to him and noting how Romanoff was usually much more closed off but seemed highly relaxed around him, although Banner had still insisted that Romanoff was merely enjoying have a flirt with him.
Rogers insisted that as he knew what it was like to leave a love too long, and therefore Banner should not let the chance for a happy life go past, noting that he had been flirted with by Romanoff in the past while they worked as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and the way she spoke to Banner was more than mere flirting. As Rogers walked away, Banner pondered this before questioning exactly what Rogers meant when he had claimed that Romanoff had flirted with him in the past.
Once most of the guests had finally returned home from the party, the group, joined by Helen Cho, took turns attempting to lift Mjølnir. Leading the attempts was Clint Barton who was the first to try and when he failed, both Tony Stark and James Rhodes tried using Iron Man Gauntlets but still failed to even make the hammer move an inch, much to the great amusement of Thor who continued pushing the other Avengers to try out their luck during their game.
When Rogers finally stepped up and attempted to lift Mjølnir, he was able to briefly nudge the hammer, much to Thor's surprise, but in the end, he was still unsuccessful. Ultimately, Stark had suggested that the hammer was actually imprinted with Thor's fingerprints and was not enchanted by Odin with Asgardian magic as Thor claimed, but Thor simply insisted that none of them were worthy enough, causing all the others to mockingly boo him for his egotistical claims. Unknown to Thor, Rogers actually was deemed worthy of Mjølnir, but he chose to not lift it to be polite as that would have made Thor feel "less special."
=== Ultron Offensive ===
==== Attack on Avengers Tower ====
: "I had to kill the other guy... He was a good guy.""You killed someone?""Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices."
: ―Ultron and Steve Rogers[src]
The party was interrupted when a loud noise rang through the room before broken down robot stepped forward, calling itself Ultron. The robot claimed that all the Avengers could never be worthy, as they were all killers who wanted to protect the world, but not allow it to change. Ultron then claimed to have killed someone to get to them but had refused to tell Rogers whom he had actually killed.
Announcing that the only path to peace on Earth was the Avengers' deaths, Ultron and some hijacked Iron Legion drones attacked the group, proclaiming humanity inferior and ready for extinction. Rogers and the rest of the group engaged in a violent battle with Ultron, with Rogers kicking over the table to block an incoming drone which was flying directly for him and Maria Hill, although Rogers was still thrown across the room as the drone had crashed straight into him.
Leaping onto a flying drone's back, Rogers used his strength to pull the drones apart with his bare hands before he could shoot at Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff. During the clash, Rogers was thrown across the room and smashed into walls until he was thrown to the ground. Seeing another drone about to shoot Helen Cho, Rogers had immediately run straight to Cho's aid and then proceeded to throw the drone back towards Thor who smashed it apart.
With one of the final drones being dispatched by Tony Stark, Rogers was then thrown his shield by Clint Barton and destroyed the final drone with it. With the Avengers coming out victorious, Ultron then continued to rant about his desire to destroy the Avengers to bring peace to the entire planet, before his first robotic form was then completely destroyed by Mjølnir. However, Ultron's mind had still managed to escape by accessing through the internet.
==== Avengers Argument ====
: "That up there? That's... that's the endgame. How were you guys planning on beating that?""Together.""We'll lose.""Then we'll do that together, too."
: ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
As the team regrouped following the Attack on Avengers Tower, they discussed what had occurred, as Bruce Banner explained that Ultron had cleared out their computer files before escaping through the internet. When James Rhodes discussed the fear of Ultron getting into America's nuclear codes, it was mentioned that Ultron had claimed to have killed somebody, although they still did not know who.
However, Tony Stark revealed that J.A.R.V.I.S. was the one that Ultron killed, as Rogers noted that J.A.R.V.I.S. was Ultron first threat to be destroyed. Stark admitted his own involvement in Ultron's creation; although he still strongly defended the idea as he had believed it was a beneficial plan to save the entire world. Thor, furious at all Stark's recklessness which caused Loki's Scepter to be lost, stepped in and grabbed Stark by the throat until Rogers had calmed him down.
Thor had confirmed that he had lost track of the Drone and Scepter's location before Helen Cho questioned by Ultron was trying to kill him as Rogers watch Stark trying to defend his actions, with Rogers then comparing Stark's actions with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s. Stark explained there was a war coming, and not just the one against Ultron but another one coming that they were not ready for, but Rogers had insisted that they would fight and die together as a team regardless.
As the hunt for Ultron continued, Rogers spoke to Maria Hill shortly afterward and was told that Ultron's attempts to launch the country's nuclear missiles had been stopped by a mysterious ally. Rogers was also informed about the survivors of Ultron's attacks were suffering from visions from their past and had claimed to have also encountered something faster than they could see, realizing that Ultron had allied himself with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff to build up his strength.
The team had later learned that Ultron had sent a message directly to them by brutally murdering Baron Strucker, the former leader of HYDRA while he was still locked inside of his prison cell, leaving the word "PEACE" written with Strucker's blood on the walls. Rogers collected Clint Barton to hear the new update while Barton had claimed to have been talking to his girlfriend on the phone before coming to join the rest of the Avengers in their discussion.
The Avengers soon learned that Ultron had wiped out their computer files on Baron Strucker to ensure that they had no leads on where to track him next. Together, they then went through all of their former paperwork from S.H.I.E.L.D. and had eventually discovered that Ultron would likely be going after the vibranium which he would get from Ulysses Klaue, who was in Johannesburg, who Stark previously had met, as the Avengers then departed to find Ultron.
==== Battle at the Salvage Yard ====
: "I know you've suffered.""Captain America. God's righteous man, pretending you could live without war. I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but..."
: ―Captain America and Ultron[src]
The Avengers traveled to Ulysses Klaue's location where they had soon found Ultron along with Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, the two powered twins who had attacked the team earlier. The Avengers learned that Ultron had already purchased all of the now injured Klaue's vibranium. Rogers attempted to gain the Maximoff's trust, but they seemed to have no interest in siding with the Avengers and Ultron had mocked Rogers by calling him God's righteous man.
When Thor's peace negotiations quickly failed, the team engaged in a fierce fight with Ultron, the Maximoff twins, and Klaue's soldiers. While Iron Man and Ultron fought over the skyline, Captain America and Thor teamed up to destroy many of the Ultron Sentries while they were assisted by Black Widow and Hawkeye who then fought against Klaue's soldiers. The Maximoffs proved fierce opponents as they were both able to knock Rogers to the ground separately.
Despite the numbers being against them, Captain America was able to gain the advantage over their foes, while Thor had used Mjølnir to trick Quicksilver into attempting to grab ahold of it, causing him to be thrown across the Salvage Yard as he was unworthy to lift it. Captain America and Thor had then teamed up to destroy the last few Ultron Sentries, with Captain America trapping one during the fight before Thor smashed off its head with a powerful strike from Mjølnir.
Eventually, while Iron Man still continued fighting Ultron in the skies above Johannesburg, Captain America used his shield to known out several more of the remaining Klaue soldiers before he was then able to knock Pietro Maximoff to the ground with another strong hit from his shield, ordering him to stay down. While the Avengers were still fighting against their enemies, however, the vibranium was still stolen by another of Ultron's Sentries who managed to escape.
==== Seeing Visions ====
: "Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Pulled us apart like cotton candy.""Seems like you walked away all right.""Is that a problem?""I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned."
: ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
However, just as their Battle at the Salvage Yard was coming to its end, Captain America took a hit by Pietro Maximoff who charged straight into Rogers at full speed which then knocked him back. While Rogers recovered from the strike, Wanda Maximoff had taken advantage of him before injured and then proceeded to use her powers to affect Rogers' mind and make him see strange visions.
No longer seeing himself in the Salvage Yard fighting alongside his allies, Rogers then saw strange images of the life he almost could have had with both his former comrades celebrating their own final victory, and Agent Peggy Carter following the final ending of World War II, if he had not been frozen within ice for almost seventy years following his final battle against Red Skull, resulting in him becoming trapped in this new world he had never fully adjusted to.
Rogers saw himself in a ballroom in the 1940s when Agent Carter approached him and told him he could finally stop fighting. When he turned around, however, everyone had vanished, and Rogers stood alone. The tactic was used in an attempt to break Rogers' heart when confronted by his tragic situation. Meanwhile, Thor and Black Widow were also given similar visions until Hawkeye had subdued Wanda and forced her and Quicksilver to escape.
With most of the Avengers suffered from these strange and painful visions, and Iron Man fought the deranged Hulk in Johannesburg, the team decided to escape. While still on board the Quinjet, they were updated by Maria Hill on the public's perception of the Avengers in the wake of Hulk's destructive rampage. As Rogers, Romanoff and Thor tried to cope with what they had seen, Barton made the call for them to hide out at his homestead where they could rest up.
==== Escape to the Retreat ====
: "Every time someone tries to end a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time."
: ―Steve Rogers to Tony Stark[src]
When the team had arrived at Clint Barton's Homestead where they intended to recover from their ordeals, they discovered, much to their great surprise that Clint Barton was in fact married with two children and one more on the way. While Rogers apologized to coming to their home unexpectedly, Barton had explained that the reason the team had been unaware of his family was due to Director Nick Fury helping him to have this second peaceful life outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. where his family could be safe from any of Barton's enemies.
Once introductions had been made, Thor informed the team that he intended to try and learn more about the vision he had been given which had showed him the possible Destruction of Asgard as well as images of the Infinity Stones. While Rogers had stepped out with him, Thor then immediately left the farm to look for the answers he needed, while Rogers stood outside of the doorway, haunted by the idea of a peaceful life with a family which he could never have.
Attempting to relax, Rogers and Tony Stark went outside together and chopped wood. They discussed how Wanda Maximoff had been able to use her powers to pull their team apart with ease, although Stark questioned why Rogers had seemed less affected. When the conversation moved onto how Stark and Bruce Banner inadvertently creating Ultron, they began to argue and debate whether or not Stark should have experimented on the Scepter, causing the disaster.
Stark argued that he and Banner were doing research into Ultron with the intention of ending the need for the Avengers, still insisting that the Ultron Program was originally designed to protect the Earth. As the argument became more intense, Rogers ripped a log in half with his bare hands before Rogers then told Stark that trying to end wars before they start results in the deaths of innocent people. They were then interrupted by Laura Barton who asked for Stark's help.
==== Nick Fury's Return ====
: "An android created by a robot.""You know, I really miss the days when the weirdest thing that science created was me."
: ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
The team was later joined by Nick Fury who had come there in order to motivate the Avengers them restart their fight. Fury then explained that Ultron had pulled the team apart in order to buy himself time, noting that the amount of vibranium he had taken from Ulysses Klaue was unlikely to be used for one thing. As Rogers questioned where Ultron was, Fury noted that Ultron's attempts to get America's nuclear launch codes were being stopped by an unknown enemy of Ultron.
Motivating the team, Fury noted that without S.H.I.E.L.D. to support them, they now only had their wit and their will to save the world but must stand and fight, and when Fury insulted Ultron, calling him a Platinum Bastard, Natasha Romanoff teased Rogers by joking about his dislike for bad language. Bruce Banner worked out that Ultron's plan would be to create another body made of synthetic tissue using the Regeneration Cradle, and would likely do this with Helen Cho's assistance.
Rogers spoke to Tony Stark, who was planning on going straight to the NEXUS to investigate who was assisting their fight against Ultron. They discussed the being Ultron was now planning on building, with Rogers joking that he missed the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was himself with Project Rebirth. Fury then left the Homestead and also requested the help of Maria Hill from Stark, promising that he would be back to do something dramatic.
==== Battle of Seoul ====
: "Well, he's definitely unhappy! I'm gonna try and keep him that way.""You're not a match for him, Cap.""...Thanks, Barton."
: ―Captain America and Hawkeye[src]
The team tracked down Ultron at Helen Cho's own Facility within the city of Seoul, where Ultron was still attempting to complete his plans to build himself a new body using the vibranium which he had previously taken from Ulysses Klaue. Having been dropped off from the Quinjet, Rogers ordered his teammates to stay close while he personally investigated.
When Rogers entered the lab, he soon found Cho lying injured on the floor after being shot by Ultron. Cho then explained to him that the being inside the Regeneration Cradle had a powerful gem on its head, which could not be destroyed without then creating a massive explosion which could destroy all of Seoul. Cho then recommended that they recover the body and bring it to Tony Stark, so Captain America then went to find and capture the being before Ultron could then escape.
Having warned all of the Avengers of this potential danger, Captain America was informed by Hawkeye of Ultron's current location with the Cradle beside him. As Ultron attempted to escape in the truck, Captain America engaged him and they began an intense battle in with Ultron fired his concussion beams at Rogers and had demanded that he leave him alone, although Rogers still managed to remain on top of the truck despite all of Ultron's best efforts.
Ultron then flew up and personally confronted Captain America while insisting that the being in the Cradle could create real change which was the Avengers' nightmare. Noting that Ultron's concept was not exactly a comfort for him, Captain America then engaged him and repeatedly threw his shield at Ultron, even managing to embed it in Ultron's chest, but the robot was able to knock it away and shot at Rogers once again, almost knocking him off the truck.
As Ultron gained the upper hand in their fight due to the robot's own immense strength and durability, he soon began to strangle Captain America until Natasha Romanoff caught up with them while on her Motorbike and threw Rogers his shield back which he used to knock Ultron's hand back before continuing to battle the robot. To assist him in the battle, the Quinjet being flown by Hawkeye had fired down a hail of bullets upon Ultron in order to briefly distract him.
As they continued their clash on top of the moving truck, Ultron sent several of his Sentries after Hawkeye while trying to destroy Captain America. Eventually, both Rogers and Ultron were thrown onto a train and continued their fight, with Black Widow asking Rogers to keep Ultron distracted. However, Rogers was helped by Pietro and Wanda Maximoff who had betrayed Ultron after learning Ultron's schemes to eradicate all human life and could no longer be a part it.
Seeing that he was outnumbered by both Captain America and the Maximoffs, who knocked Ultron off Rogers and trapped him with steel beams, Ultron responded by destroying the controls of the train and escaped before they could stop him. Upon seeing this, Captain America ordered the Maximoffs to assist him in finding a way to stop the train; he then sent Quicksilver to move all of the people out of the way while Wanda Maximoff used her powers to stop the train.
Standing in the front of the train, Rogers had watched as Quicksilver saved several lives while Maximoff used her powers to trap the train's wheels. Although he had to use his shield to deflect some debris, eventually, the train was stopped. By the end of the battle and have saved hundreds of lives from the train crash, the Avengers took control of the Regeneration Cradle with the being still inside it, but Romanoff was taken prisoner by Ultron during the chaos of the battle.
Although he was still somewhat wary of the pair considering their history with HYDRA's leader Baron Strucker before joining Ultron, Rogers still recruited the Maximoffs as new temporary members of the Avengers, seeing their willingness to stop Ultron's plans. First, however, Rogers had confronted the Maximoff twins about their own recent actions while working alongside Ultron and nearly killing the Avengers on several different occasions.
Before they left, Rogers spoke to Maximoff, who expressed her fears of Tony Stark getting possession of Ultron's new body, as she began making the comparisons between the warmongering A.I. and Stark as they both intended to save the world but could not see that they were destroying it. Despite not believing that Stark was a man capable of any of the same kind of actions that Maximoff was suggesting, her words did still make him consider the risks.
==== Birth of Vision ====
: "I think I've had my fill of new.""You think I'm a child of Ultron?""You're not?"
: ―Captain America and Vision[src]
Once they had returned inside the Avengers Tower, the team began searching for Natasha Romanoff and discovered that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were currently attempting to transfer J.A.R.V.I.S.' consciousness into the being Ultron had created inside the Regeneration Cradle. When Rogers saw this, he and the Maximoff twins confronted them, mortified that Stark would risk creating yet another Ultron.
Although Rogers remanded that they shut down the machine, Stark refused, and Banner questioned if Wanda Maximoff was now controlling Rogers' actions. Although Pietro Maximoff attempted to unplug all the machinery, he was soon subdued by Clint Barton. As tensions had continued to rise, they engaged in a short fight. However, their fight was quickly interrupted when Thor arrived and used his lightning to activate the Regeneration Cradle and give new life to the being inside.
The being launched out of the Cradle as the Avengers watched with confusion before it briefly attacked the team, causing Thor to throw it across the room. The being stopped mid-flight when it started out of the window at New York City and seemingly calmed down, with Thor recommending that Captain America not engage with it. The being, dubbed Vision, apologized for its mistake and gave itself a uniform and cape, which was based on Thor's uniform.
Rogers questioned Thor's motives as he explained that he had seen a vision which had shown him that the Mind Stone on Vision's forehead was one of the six Infinity Stones, which they would need to defeat Ultron. Vision promised to assist the Avengers in their war with Ultron and, in an attempt to show its worthiness to the Avengers, as Rogers and the others had continued to question it, Vision calmly lifted Mjølnir and handed it to Thor, proving his worthiness. This sight left Rogers greatly surprised as he watches Thor congratulate Stark.
The Avengers then teamed up with the Maximoff twins and regained their weapons ready to go to war with Ultron. They discovered that Ultron was heading back to Sokovia with a plan to destroy the world and was holding Black Widow there as well. Rogers gathered with Stark and Banner to discuss their plan of attack, Stark noted that it was unlikely that they would all survive the battle, but Rogers did not let this stop him, jokingly noting that he had no other plans.
As they flew to Sokovia in the Quinjet, Rogers gave a speech where he informed the Avengers that the priority was to get the people of Sokovia away from the harm before engaging Ultron. Rogers detailed the plan to evacuate the city, rescue Romanoff, discover what Ultron was building with the vibranium taken from Ulysses Klaue and then engage Ultron himself. Rogers concluded that this was their chance to prove they were not monsters as Ultron believed they were.
=== Battle of Sokovia ===
==== Evacuating the Citizens ====
: "Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely. The rest of us have one job: tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed... Walk it off."
: ―Captain America[src]
As the Avengers arrived in Sokovia, Rogers attached his shield and grabbed his helmet. He walked down to see some graffiti of him with the word 'Fascist' written on it. In disgust, Rogers threw his helmet back on the Quinjet. Rogers was then informed by Wanda Maximoff that the bridge was the main way out and Pietro Maximoff said that they would cover the others so Rogers told them to get everybody out while they still could. As Rogers prepared to go and evacuate the civilians, Clint Barton walked by and noticed the graffiti, while jokingly saying it was not bad.
When he was confronted by Iron Man, Ultron had then responded by unleashing his army of Ultron Sentries across Sokovia, ordering them to slaughter all the innocent people in order to ensure he was not bothered while he continued with his schemes. Captain America led the Avengers in their battle against the armies of Sentries, as Maximoff offered protective shield while Rogers continued to fight them back, managing to rip the arm off one of the Ultron Sentries.
Eventually, Ultron made his move towards complete destruction and used a device which was powered by Ulysses Klaue's vibranium, to levitate Novi Grad as Ultron had then prepared to drop the entire city down onto the Earth to destroy the entire planet. Captain America watched this unfolding from the bridge, seeing buildings falling apart as the citizens ran in terror, all while Ultron watched from the air and vowed that before long only he would remain on the planet.
While they continued trying to get as many people out of harm's way as they could, Iron Man warned Captain America of an incoming. However, he informed him just a moment too late as another Sentry crashed into Rogers and sent him flying backward. Getting back to his feet, Captain America ordered Tony Stark to focus on bringing the city back down safely, while ordering the team to tear the Sentries apart, telling them to walk off any injury, even their own death.
As the army of machines continued to attack the civilians of the city, Rogers spotted two cars which were dangling from the edge of the broken bridge. Captain America attempted to save at least one but was seconds too late as both of the cars fell from a bridge, tumbling hundreds of feet. Thor came to their aid and flew down, pulling the woman out of her car and throwing her to Rogers, who was able to pull her back to safety. Another Sentry then attempted to kill them, but Rogers was able to use his shield to rip it in half before he had thrown its mangled body off the bridge, mocking it as it fell while Thor successfully brought the second car back onto the bridge.
While Hawkeye joined forces with Maximoff and Quicksilver while they battled the Ultron Sentries in the city center, Captain America and Thor fought the incoming army inside the outer limits of the city, protecting the citizens from danger, with Captain America allowing Thor to use Mjølnir to strike his shield with considerably more power. While Ultron personally confronted Thor, Hawkeye claimed that they were all clear, which Rogers disputed as he destroyed Sentries.
When Black Widow had arrived on the battlefield, she found herself surrounded by Ultron's forces until Captain America came to her aid. Together, Romanoff and Rogers fought side by side, assisting each other in their fight as Rogers then threw her his own shield which she used along with her Batons to fight back against the Sentries which surrounded her. Rogers joined the fight until the first wave of Sentries were all destroyed, giving the Avengers a moment of peace.
==== Reinforcements ====
: "Fury, you son of a bitch.""Oh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
: ―Captain America and Nick Fury[src]
During this time, Iron Man flew outside of Novi Grad to try and work out a solution in order to stop Ultron's plans for global annihilation, when he suggested that they destroy the city while it was still in the air, Rogers insisted that they would not leave the city and risk the lives of the thousands of citizens. Standing on the edge of the city, Black Widow had argued that the percentages of these sacrifices did not match up.
While they continued debating the matter, they were then interrupted when eventually, Nick Fury and Maria Hill had unexpectedly arrived on board a Helicarrier. While Rogers looked on with amazement, Fury explained that he gained the old and supposedly Helicarrier with the help of some old friends. Rogers, surprised yet delighted over Fury's surprise arrival, jokingly called him a son of a bitch, to which Fury teased if Rogers spoke to his own mother the same way.
With the assistance of Cameron Klein who was also on board, Fury then used the Helicarrier to enact Rogers' plan and evacuate all the civilians while War Machine joined the battle to keep the Helicarrier from harm. Fury sent out a squad of rescue boats to evacuate the citizens while Rogers and all the Avengers ensured no one was left behind, ensuring that every civilian got to the safety of the Helicarrier before the entire city could then be dropped out of the sky.
==== Protecting the Key ====
: "Is that the best you can do?!""You had to ask..."
: ―Thor and Captain America[src]
Seeing the Avengers were winning the battle, Ultron had attempted to activate the key, dropping Novi Grad out of the sky and destroying the entire planet as a result. Captain America and the rest of the team arrived inside the church and surrounded the key in order to protect it. Once everybody had finally reassembled around the key, Iron Man explained to Black Widow that if Ultron was able to get near the key, the day would be lost. Just as this was said, Captain America noticed Ultron was currently assembling his armies just outside.
When Thor had mocked Ultron by questioning if all this was the best he could do, the robot responded by showing off his army of hundreds of Ultron Sentries. Captain America then turned to Thor and commented on how he had to provoke Ultron resulting in such a difficult challenge for them. As Ultron continued to monologue about how he intended to destroy them, Iron Man said they would defeat him the way Captain America had once suggested; together.
With the challenge accepted, Ultron immediately unleashed his entire army of the Ultron Sentries upon them, who completely surrounded the church within seconds. Captain America and all the Avengers put all their force into destroying the seemingly endless horde of Ultron Sentries: However, even Captain America soon found himself being overwhelmed as one of the Sentries grabbed ahold of his throat until he was able to free himself and ripped off the Sentries head.
As the onslaught of Sentries continued to attack them, the Avengers fought as a perfect unit, with Captain America crushing the Sentries under his shield while Vision used his incredible abilities to give them a clear advantage against Ultron's forces, until finally, they were pushed back. When Ultron attempted to join the fight in his strongest form, Vision alongside Iron Man and Thor nearly destroyed him as well as his vibranium armor with their own combined powers.
With the battle almost won, Captain America then ordered the team to get to a Rescue Boat and leave the city before Iron Man and Thor stayed behind and destroyed the city, despite knowing that there was a strong chance of their deaths. When Hawkeye questioned how the key would be protected, Wanda Maximoff had agreed to stay behind to protect it, despite her brother being unsure of the idea. With little time to spare, Rogers and the others made their way to safety.
==== Destruction of Sokovia ====
: "We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you."
: ―Captain America[src]
With only limited time remaining to get the final few civilians off Novi Grad and onto the Helicarrier, Captain America regrouped with Thor to ensure that everybody was safe, including most of the Avengers who were no longer needed in the mission. While they were speaking, Iron Man requested that Thor return to the church so, together, they could destroy the entire city by overloading and then striking the vibranium core once everybody was clear from danger.
However, before they left, Ultron had managed to successfully take control of their Quinjet and used it to fire a hail of bullets upon the Avengers. While Captain America was able to block the bullets using his shield, Ultron was, however, successful in killing Quicksilver in the process, who was attempting to protect Hawkeye by sacrificing his life. Rogers quietly carried Pietro's body onto the rescue boat while Hawkeye saved a young boy and reunited him with his sister.
While Ultron was ripped from their Quinjet by Hulk to ensure he could not do any more damage, he was thrown back down into the streets of Novi Grad, with his robotic body disabled. There, Ultron was later confronted by Wanda Maximoff, who attempted to avenge her brother by destroying Ultron's primary body. Meanwhile, Rogers remained on the surface of the city and watched the final few people get on the Lifeboats ready to get away from the danger.
Without warning, Ultron took advantage of Maximoff leaving her post and managed to activate the key and Rogers was barely able to escape onto the Lifeboats as Novi Grad fell towards the Earth at a terrifying speed. Thor and Iron Man were able to destroy the device, saving the Earth from Ultron's devastating plan. With the battle won, Vision was able to destroy the final Ultron body, effectively killing him and ending the threat of global destruction for the world.
=== New Avengers ===
==== Leading the Team ====
: "Well, we're not the '27 Yankees.""We've got some hitters.""They're good; they're not a team."
: ―Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff[src]
The Avengers were soon disbanded in the aftermath of the Battle of Sokovia, with Tony Stark and Clint Barton retiring and Bruce Banner still missing in action. Rogers, Stark and Thor met at the Avengers Compound where they discussed Vision keeping the Mind Stone in his head, Thor insisted that he could as he had proven himself worthy by lifting Mjølnir, although Rogers questioned if this counted as Vision was a machine, comparing him to putting Mjølnir into a lift which would still go up.
Thor then returned to Asgard to learn more about the Infinity Stones, as he had been given a vision of their true power while within the Water of Sight, claiming that someone was planning on using their power for something terrible soon. Stark then departed the facility, telling Rogers that he believed it was time for him to return to Stark Industries and Pepper Potts away from the Avengers, with Rogers telling Stark that he would miss him once he was gone.
Rogers then explored the Avengers Compound, which had been formed by Nick Fury, with the help of Maria Hill, Erik Selvig, Helen Cho and other former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to train a new Avengers team. Before long, Rogers found Natasha Romanoff in one of the hallways having just spoken with Fury and considering where Banner might have gone. Rogers teased Romanoff before calling her into action and asking her about their new team of Avengers.
Captain America then greeted the new Avengers roster, consisting of Vision, Wanda Maximoff, War Machine and Falcon. They trained the new recruits, drilling them hard to prepare them for coming threats.
==== Attack of Ultimo ====
HYDRA collected many of the parts of the destroyed Ultron Sentries and took them to an undisclosed location in Eastern Europe, where they used the parts to create a giant robot called Ultimo. HYDRA then used the Ultimo to attack a small village. Rogers led the Avengers to an attack on the giant robot and managed to destroy Ultimo.
==== Attack on the IFID Headquarters ====
: "He knew we knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky.""What did you say?""He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in the blender."
: ―Crossbones and Captain America[src]
Rogers led his fellow Avengers on a mission in Lagos, Nigeria to stop Brock Rumlow - now a freelance mercenary who had since separated from HYDRA. Rogers observed the streets from a building when he saw a suspicious garbage truck. Rogers had Falcon follow the truck using Redwing. Discovering the truck was at maximum capacity with an armed driver, Black Widow realized that the vehicle was being used as a battering ram.
The truck then drove into the IFID entrance, allowing all Crossbones' mercenaries to break in. The Avengers attacked the mercenaries as Falcon dropped Rogers from the sky where he proceeded to take out some of Crossbones' mercenaries. Falcon soon located which floor Crossbones was, so Rogers was thrown into it by Wanda Maximoff who emptied the building of gas. Rogers fought through all Crossbones' mercenaries to discover that he had taken a biological weapon.
Rogers reached the balcony when Crossbones attacked him from an armed vehicle after having already subdued Black Widow. Despite Rogers attempting to get away, Crossbones still continued to fire at him, destroying much of the building before knocking him out of a window when Rogers was hit by a fireball. While Rogers recovered from the fall, Crossbones and his mercenaries managed to escape to the market and the Avengers quickly chased after them all.
Before long all of Crossbones' mercenaries had been found and defeated, with Black Widow recovering the biological weapon and sending it away within Redwing; however, Crossbones himself still remained at large. Once Captain America had arrived on the scene, Crossbones managed to attach a bomb to his shield. To save himself and the citizens around him, Rogers threw his shield away before it exploded, only to be attacked from behind by Crossbones.
Captain America and Crossbones then battled one another, with Crossbones desperate for revenge for what had happened to him during the Battle at the Triskelion in which Rogers had crashed a Helicarrier into the Triskelion and nearly killed him. Crossbones used the upgrades on his Battle Suit to try and kill Rogers, including using retractable blades, but Captain America's superior fighting skills and enhanced strength gave him the edge in the fight.
As their fight went on, Captain America managed to rip off both of Crossbones' gauntlets and then eventually beat him into submission. Having finally defeated Rumlow and removed his enemy's mask, Rogers interrogated him about his plans, demanding to know who he was planning on selling the biological weapon to. Unintimidated by the threats, Rumlow proceeded to taunt Rogers about how HYDRA had tortured and brainwashed Bucky Barnes under the orders of Alexander Pierce, which managed to distract Rogers from the threats around him. With Rogers thrown off by thoughts of Barnes, Rumlow then triggered his suicide vest to kill both himself and Rogers to finally gain his revenge.
Before Rogers could be consumed in the fireball, he was saved just in time as Maximoff used her powers to protect Rogers and all the immediate civilians by containing the explosion and throwing Rumlow into the air, where he exploded. As a result, however, dozens of the innocent people inside a nearby building were killed by the blast, as Rogers and Maximoff looked on in horror. Upon seeing the carnage, Rogers instructed Wilson to call fire and rescue onto the scene.
=== Avengers Civil War ===
==== Sokovia Accords ====
: "If we sign these, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if it's somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."
: ―Steve Rogers to the Avengers[src]
A month after the event, Wanda Maximoff still felt guilty over the death of the civilians. Rogers tried to comfort her by admitting he was also at fault for freezing up when Brock Rumlow mentioned Bucky Barnes. He reminded Maximoff that sometimes, they could not save everyone despite their best efforts, but more innocents might die if the Avengers aren't there. Vision then entered the room and informed Rogers that Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross had arrived at the Avengers Compound. The new Avengers members and Tony Stark were present, as Ross explained to them that as a result of many catastrophic events in which the Avengers had been involved in over the years, the United States planned to sign the Sokovia Accords alongside countless other nations, regulating superheroes and subjecting the Avengers' actions to the approval of a United Nations panel.
The Avengers were divided on the issue, with each member beginning to take sides. Stark fully supported the bill, feeling the regulation was necessary to do good and protect people, making an example of a young man who had died in Sokovia while he was helping the poor. Stark tried to convince Rogers, but the latter was hesitant. Rogers felt that the Avengers were successful because they did not have a government to which they answered; deliberation of when to deploy the team would render the Avengers too slow to act in emergencies and prevent them from determining when and where to act when people need help the most.
While Stark felt guilty over creating Ultron, Rogers felt that the intervention of another party could have similar results to the S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltration by HYDRA. Ross informed the team that refused to sign the Accords was tantamount to resignation. During the meeting, Rogers received a text telling him that Peggy Carter had passed away peacefully in her sleep, much to his heartbreak.
==== Death of Peggy Carter ====
: "When I came out of the ice, I thought... I wanted to ignore she was gone. When I found out that she was alive... I was just lucky to have her."
: ―Steve Rogers to Natasha Romanoff[src]
At the funeral in London, Rogers' beliefs on the Sokovia Accords were affirmed by a eulogy given by Sharon Carter, who revealed her relation to the former Carter; she was Peggy's niece. Rogers stayed in the church after the funeral, alone, acknowledging that another friend was deceased. Natasha Romanoff arrived and consoled with Rogers. They discussed the Accords, and what it would mean for Rogers in the team. Romanoff felt it was necessary to sign, but Rogers was unmoved.
Rogers and Carter were in Vienna where the Sokovia Accords were underway to be signed. Rogers talked to Carter about her work when she was spying on him and later spoke about any of this to Peggy to which she denied. Rogers spoke about Carter's work at the CIA being stationed in London, but she said that she will be in Berlin for joining the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. Upon arriving in an elevator with Carter, Rogers was suddenly informed by Sam Wilson that a bomb was detonated outside the Vienna International Centre. They watched the news reporting that the prime suspect was Bucky Barnes.
==== Hunt for Winter Soldier ====
: "I should be the one to bring him in.""Why?""Because I'm the one least likely to die trying."
: ―Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff[src]
Rogers called Natasha Romanoff, who urged him not to go after Barnes. He refused, saying that he was the most capable to confront him and he hung up. Rogers and Sam Wilson met in a nearby bar with Sharon Carter. She gives them Barnes' location in Romania and a warning to Rogers that the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre had a kill order Barnes.
Against the warnings of Romanoff, Rogers and Wilson went to Romania. Rogers entered Barnes' apartment and reunited with Barnes. Wilson updated him that GSG 9 soldiers are approaching to his location. Rogers asked Barnes if he remembered him. Barnes said he did since he had read about him at the Smithsonian Institution. Rogers warned him about the task force coming for him, as they thought Barnes had caused the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre, but Barnes assured him that he had not done it. Rogers asked Barnes why he saved him during the Battle at the Triskelion, but Barnes said he did not know why, although Rogers thought otherwise.
Once the GSG 9 operatives broke into the apartment, Rogers and Barnes fought against them together. The two escaped, but Barnes was attacked by Black Panther. As the two fought each other, a GSG 9 helicopter shot towards them, and Rogers asked Wilson to deflect it. Barnes escaped through an underground highway tunnel, with Black Panther and GSG 9 operatives pursuing him, and Rogers went after Barnes to defend him.
The pursuit continued, Rogers running after Black Panther. Because he was so fast, Rogers entered one of the GSG 9 cars. Black Panther held onto the car and Rogers could not get rid of him, asking Wilson to help him. Barnes threw a bomb to the tunnel's entrance and Black Panther managed to catch him. Rogers got out from the spinning car, only to be arrested by the GSG 9 operatives and War Machine. Black Panther revealed himself to be T'Challa, the prince of Wakanda.
==== Fugitive of the Law ====
: "If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. Sometimes, I wish I could.""No, you don't.""No, I don't."
: ―Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]
The four were brought to the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building in Berlin. During the transition, Rogers asked T'Challa if his Panther Habit was made of vibranium as it had proven to be bulletproof. He replied that he took the title of the Black Panther after his father had died in the Bombing of the Vienna International Centre. Barnes was held in a containment cell and Rogers, Sam Wilson, and T'Challa met with Everett Ross, the deputy task force commander. He told them their equipment, meaning the EXO-7 Falcon and Captain America's shield, had been confiscated for the foreseeable future.
They were offered exoneration on the condition they sign the Sokovia Accords, but Rogers and Wilson refused to sign. Tony Stark arrived, extending an olive branch by offering Rogers a set of antique fountain pens, and asking his friend once more to sign. Rogers almost agreed, but he felt he must stand by his principles. They argued, including the house arrest Stark had ordered Vision to do for Wanda Maximoff in the Avengers Compound. Rogers still refused to sign the Accords.
==== Winter Soldier's Escape Attempt ====
: "Who are you? What do you want?""To see an empire fall."
: ―Steve Rogers and Helmut Zemo[src]
Rogers and Wilson, with Sharon Carter, watched the interview of a contained Barnes by the psychoanalyst, Theo Broussard. Rogers suspected the motive behind releasing Barnes' picture to the public. Carter realized that he thought someone had framed Barnes only to get him; Rogers suspected the psychoanalyst. Suddenly, the power across the headquarters went out. Rogers and Wilson hurried to the interrogation room, finding the psychoanalyst on the ground without Barnes. Rogers asked him who was he and what he wanted, so he replied he wanted to see "an empire fall."
Barnes suddenly attacked Rogers and Wilson, easily subduing Wilson and engaging in a brief scuffle with Rogers, using his Prosthetic Arm to throw him down an elevator shaft. Rogers went after him, finding him on a helicopter. With his strength, Rogers managed to hold the helicopter to the landing platform and prevent the escape. Barnes fell to the river and Rogers pulled him out.
==== Learning of Winter Soldiers ====
: "If we call Tony...""No, he won't believe us.""Even if he did...""Who knows if the Accords would let him help."
: ―Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson[src]
The duo had then taken Bucky Barnes to an abandoned building and subdued him by placing his Prosthetic Arm into a vice. They questioned him if he was still under brainwashing of the psychoanalyst, who was really Helmut Zemo and deliberated their course of action; telling Tony Stark or the others would get them back where they started, but doing otherwise could make them wanted men. Barnes elaborates the potential motives of Zemo. He believed that Zemo was traveling to the HYDRA Siberian Facility that had kept him when he was in HYDRA. He suspected he would use the Winter Soldiers, highly trained HYDRA assassins, for his goals. Rogers said to Sam Wilson that they were alone in the fight, but Wilson said that he knew a guy who could assist them.
==== New Team ====
: "They tell you what we're up against?""Something about some... psycho-assassins?""We're outside the law on this one. So, if you come with us, you're a wanted man."
: ―Steve Rogers and Scott Lang[src]
Knowing the threat an army of Winter Soldiers posed to the world, Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes weighed their options. They decided they must put a team together to stop Helmut Zemo and to resist Tony Stark and his team. He connected with Clint Barton, asked him to free Wanda Maximoff from the Avengers Compound and then to recruit Scott Lang.
Rogers met with Sharon Carter in a parking lot, with her returning his shield and Falcon's wings that she had stolen. The pair then shared a kiss as Barnes and Wilson smiled in approval, much to Rogers' great embarrassment. After she left, Barton arrived with Maximoff and Lang, who was eager to meet Captain America and the other heroes and agreed with their plight, even though Rogers informed him that he would once again be a criminal. They planned to take a Quinjet at the Leipzig-Halle Airport and use it to get to Zemo, although they knew Stark and his team would wait for them. Rogers told his team to suit up.
==== Clash of the Avengers ====
: "What do we do, Cap?""We fight."
: ―Falcon and Captain America[src]
Captain America and his companions arrived at the Leipzig-Halle Airport to take a Quinjet and find Helmut Zemo. Rogers went to the field alone, where he was intercepted by Iron Man and his Avengers, who offered Rogers and his team one last chance to surrender. Rogers tried to convince Stark that Zemo was behind their fight, but he did not listen. Suddenly, Spider-Man showed up, using his Web-Shooters to take Rogers' shield and to tie his hands. Falcon found the Quinjet, so Hawkeye freed Rogers and Ant-Man brought his shield back. The two teams then fought each other.
Rogers fought against War Machine and Black Panther. As T'Challa ran to Bucky Barnes, Rogers stopped him. Ant-Man came to him, telling him to throw the shrunken truck at the Pym Particle Discs. Once he did that, the truck grew and exploded. Captain America's team reunited and ran to the Quinjet, but Vision arrived and blocked their way with his energy blast. As both teams were facing each other, Falcon asked Rogers what they should do next, so he replied they would fight.
Captain America and his team ran to Iron Man's team and the two fought each other. Captain America managed to bring Spider-Man to the ground, and he told him that he did not understand what was happening. They fought each other and Captain America dropped a platform on him, forcing him to hold it. Rogers asked him from where he came, so Spider-Man replied that he was from Queens. Rogers smiled and said he was from Brooklyn. Rogers and Barnes reunited and ran to the Quinjet. Ant-Man had a plan to distract the other team, so he grew in size. As they ran to the hangar, Vision used his energy blast to collapse it, but Wanda Maximoff used her power and prevented it.
The two entered the hangar; however, they were intercepted thereby Black Widow. Rogers did not want to fight against her. To Rogers and Barnes' surprise, she let them leave, repeatedly shocking Black Panther, who was about to stop them, to keep him in place, giving the two the chance to reach the Quinjet. As they departed, Iron Man and War Machine followed them through the air as they attempted to fly away. In turn, Falcon followed the two armored Avengers to try to stop them. But only after the two changed directions, Rogers and Barnes had an opportunity to leave.
==== Battle at the HYDRA Siberian Facility ====
: "Stay down. Final warning.""I can do this all day."
: ―Iron Man and Captain America[src]
This section needs a rewrite
On their way to the HYDRA Siberian Facility, Bucky Barnes said to Rogers that he felt he was not worthy enough so Rogers would lose his friends. Rogers said to him that what Barnes had done over the years was not his fault. The two entered the facility, a few hours after Helmut Zemo.
As they searched for Zemo, Tony Stark arrived at the facility and declared a truce to stop Zemo. The trio found the Winter Soldiers, all deceased. Zemo revealed himself behind a bunker and explained that he successfully managed to bring him and Stark to the base, after a year of planning. Rogers realized that he was from Sokovia and wanted revenge because of the battle there.
Blaming the Avengers for the loss of his family during the battle, he had orchestrated a plot to tear them apart from the inside. He then started a video of a car on a dark road which Stark instantly recognized. The three watched it, as it revealed Barnes, under HYDRA's control, killing Howard and Maria. Stark then moved to attack Barnes before Rogers held him back. Stark then demanded Rogers to tell him if he had known that Barnes had killed his parents.
Rogers revealed that he had known Stark's parents were killed by HYDRA, but did not know it was Barnes. However, Stark saw right through the lie and demanded the truth, forcing Rogers to admit that he had known about Barnes killing his parents for a few years. Already enraged by Rogers' decisions over the past few days, Stark snapped and attacked Barnes with the intent to kill him. He forced Rogers into clamps before the super soldier broke free with his shield as Stark and Barnes had destroyed the base's main floor. As the Mark XLVI was pinned under debris, Rogers told Barnes to flee, and he attempted to reason with Stark that Barnes had no control over his actions. When Stark refused to listen, Rogers was forced to damage one of the suit's boot jets before Stark trapped him with the laser.
Rogers caught up in the fight, managing to reflect a lethal repulsor blast back at Stark before being separated from his shield and trapped on a lower level. When Stark tried to crush Barnes under the Mark XLVI's weight, Rogers tackled the Avenger taking the two down to the main level. Rogers again attempted to reason with Stark which falls on deaf ears again, overpowering the super soldier before Barnes intervened with the shield, turning the fight into a two on one brawl. Stark responded to the uneven odds by simply blasting Rogers point blank, disabling him for nearly two minutes.
Barnes managed to force Stark against the wall and tried to rip out the main Arc Reactor. Stark responded with the Unibeam, disintegrating Barnes' metal arm before knocking him aside with a standard blast. Recovering, Rogers stormed towards Stark, deflecting the repulsor blasts with his shield before forcing Stark back against the wall and pummeling him relentlessly.
Knowing he stood no chance up close, Stark changed his tactics, anticipating Rogers' moves and caught the shield before blasting it away and brutally beating down the captain. Utterly defeated, outclassed by the Mark XLVI, and having lost everything, Rogers tried to appeal to Stark to make him understand why he did what he did before Stark bitterly commented that they were enemies now and threw him aside, giving him a final warning to stand down.
Bloodied and exhausted, Rogers still refused to stand down, even as Stark charged a repulsor blast. Barnes, who was still alive, managed to grab Stark's boot before Stark kicked Barnes in the face. This provided a distraction for Rogers, who grabbed Stark from behind and violently slammed him into the ground. Rogers pinned him to the floor and pummeled him with every bit of remaining strength he had, smashing his helmet to pieces and shattering his Arc Reactor with his shield.
As Rogers carried the injured Barnes away, Stark claimed that Rogers did not deserve the shield, as Howard Stark had made it. Acknowledging that he had proved himself unworthy of the weapon, the title as Captain America and out of sympathy for his former friend, he reluctantly surrendered it back to the Stark family and left the scene with Barnes. Once outside the facility, Rogers and Barnes were confronted by the Black Panther, who revealed that he had overheard everything and had already apprehended Zemo. Before leaving to take Zemo to the authorities, Black Panther told Barnes that he had resources in Wakanda that could help him in removing his Winter Soldier programming.
=== Nomad ===
==== Escape from the Raft ====
: "I wished we agreed on the Accords. I really do. I know you're doing what you believe in. And that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should. So, no matter what, I promise you, if you need us, if you need me, I'll be there."
: ―Steve Rogers[src]
Rogers finished his plan on how to infiltrate the Raft, but needed to distract the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre, so he called Natasha Romanoff, who was now on the run for helping Rogers during the Clash of the Avengers. Rogers and Barnes took a Quinjet to the underwater prison and Rogers liberated his teammates, who had been confined there following the airport battle. Rogers then went on the run with Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff, while Clint Barton and Scott Lang returned to their homes.
At the same time, seeking to make amends, Rogers sent Tony Stark a package containing a letter and a burner flip phone. In the letter, Rogers apologized for the events that had transpired, specifically withholding the knowledge of Stark's parents' murder and the fact that they couldn't agree on the Sokovia Accords. He assured Stark that if the latter would ever need him, he would be a phone call away. Maximoff would later ask to be dropped off in Scotland.
==== Visiting Wakanda ====
: "You know if they find out he's here, they'll come for him.""Let them try."
: ―Steve Rogers and T'Challa[src]
Some weeks after the Escape from the Raft, Rogers and Bucky Barnes were offered a hideout in Wakanda by T'Challa who promised to remove the HYDRA programming from Barnes' mind. Rogers was against Barnes returning into cryo-sleep but let the choice go to Barnes, who decided to give it a chance. After Shuri explained how she intended to remove the HYDRA programming, Rogers stayed by his friend's side as he went into the ice once again.
Rogers thanked T'Challa for his actions in protecting Barnes, with T'Challa noting that both Barnes and T'Chaka were victims and he wanted to help one find some kind of peace. Rogers warned him that if the authorities would discover that Wakanda was harboring the Winter Soldier, they will come as Thaddeus Ross was still furious that he had gotten away, to which T'Challa boldly stated that they may try.
==== Fighting the Needle ====
: "Nobody around as far as the eye can see. That's either a really good sign or a really terrible sign.""Let's assume it's a really terrible sign. That way, if it isn't, we'll be pleasantly surprised."
: ―Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers[src]
Rogers flew to Parkhar with Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff and the three caught up. Romanoff shared her suspicion that Everett Ross had been tipped off about the Escape from the Raft, and Rogers guessed that she was suspicious of T'Challa, but assured her that it was not him. As they approached Parkhar, Romanoff reviewed their intel on the Needle, a weapons-dealing organization with varying background who were selling Chitauri weapons, hoping to profit off destabilizing the Middle East. Romanoff explained that they knew very literal about the technology the Needle had, leading Wilson to say that it was the best mission ever.
As the Quinjet landed, Romanoff commented on how noisy it was, but Rogers said that he did not think anyone heard. Wilson did reconnaissance and did not find anything, leading Rogers and Romanoff to realize that they needed to look underground. Rogers carried a fuel cylinder into the desert and got out of the way so that Romanoff could shoot it, causing an explosion that drew out the Needle's forces. Rogers and Wilson fought the Needle while Romanoff infiltrated the base. When Romanoff called for support, Rogers and Wilson entered the underground base and discovered the Needle's large bomb outfitted with Chitauri technology. Rogers commented that he had never seen such technology and asked Romanoff to deactivate the bomb. She went and retrieved a weapon from a dead Needle soldier and froze the bomb. Rogers then punched it, causing it to shatter. The three then left Parkhar, having ended the Needle's plan.
On the flight back, Rogers heard Romanoff and Wilson talk about how they will eventually have to reach out to Tony Stark. Rogers interrupted them and explained that Stark knew they would be there when he needed them. Romanoff asked if Rogers believed that Stark would be ready to forgive Rogers, who simply said that he could not ask for forgiveness either. Wilson insisted that the next threat would erase their disagreement while Romanoff and Rogers expressed hope that he was right.
==== Infiltrating Terrorists ====
After Shuri successfully freed Bucky Barnes from HYDRA programming, and he was allowed to settle on a Wakandan farm, Rogers occasionally visited his friend to check his recovery. After months of remaining under the radar thanks to their ties with S.H.I.E.L.D., Romanoff used her old KGB contacts to track down a terrorist group supplied with Chitauri fueled weapons in Syria. Infiltrating the terrorists, Rogers, Wilson and Romanoff disabled the weapons and then left for Lebanon. While retaking Chitauri technology from terrorists, Rogers, Romanoff and Wilson met with by Nick Fury, who tried to get Rogers to contact Tony Stark to work through their falling out.
=== Infinity War ===
==== Saving Vision ====
: "Where to, Cap?""Home."
: ―Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers[src]
Contacted by Bruce Banner, Rogers located Vision's area, alongside Black Widow and Falcon. Rogers stepped into the light as Vision and Wanda Maximoff looked hopeful and relieved. While all parties are distracted, Falcon swooped in and kicked Proxima Midnight across the platform and through the closed café's security gate and furniture.
In a coordinated attack, the three rogue Avengers engaged the Black Order, attacking together and even using their own weapons against them. With Wilson knocking Midnight away, Romanoff managed to use Midnight's spear to severely injure Corvus Glaive, while Rogers retrieved Glaive's weapon. Rogers began attacking Midnight, while she summoned her spear from Romanoff and attempted to kill the Avenger, only to be blocked by Rogers.
Once in place, Rogers and Romanoff managed to overpower and disarm Midnight, briefly engaging in a melee duel, before Wilson flew in and knocked her down, scuttling over to Glaive. While Wilson holds both Midnight and Glaive at gunpoint, Romanoff threatened to kill them. Infuriated, Midnight countered, claiming they would never get the chance before the two retreated to their waiting Q-Ship to nurse their wounds. As the two individuals were beamed up, Rogers was carrying Glaive's weapon until it was snatched from his hand.
Running over to the other side, Rogers went to Maximoff's help along with the rest of the Avengers who notice that Vision had been wounded in the abdomen and is in need of help. Vision thanks Rogers for his need of help as he was grieving in pain, Rogers was glad and told him to get on the Quinjet. As the Avengers fly away from Scotland, Falcon suggested where to go, to which Rogers replied with going home.
==== Rendezvous at the Avengers Facility ====
: "Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him.""But it should. We don't trade lives, Vision.""Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?"
: ―Vision and Steve Rogers[src]
Upon arrival in the Avengers Compound, Rogers was approached by Thaddeus Ross, who mocked him that he is wrong to believe that he is allowed to be a hero again. However, Rogers told Ross that he was done asking for permission or forgiveness reminding him that Iron Man was no longer here to defend the Earth, and went as far as to threaten war with him and the Governments of the World if they try to get in the way. When Ross ordered Rhodes to arrest them, Rhodes chose to cut off the communication and join Rogers.
Reassembled in a room, the Avengers discussed their course of action and Banner warned them that Thanos was coming for Vision's Infinity Stone. Both Maximoff and Rogers protested when Vision offered to sacrifice himself to destroy the Stone. When Vision proposed his life on the line, Rogers was still unwilling to let him sacrifice, but Vision reminded Rogers of his own act of sacrifice, asking how his own choice was any different. Once Banner proposes a solution of removing the Infinity Stone, Rogers decided to know where to find it in Wakanda.
==== Arrival at Wakanda ====
: "Seems like I'm always thanking you for something."
: ―Steve Rogers to T'Challa[src]
Arriving at Wakanda with his team, Rogers greeted T'Challa, now the king of the African country, and reunited with Bucky Barnes. Inside the citadel, Rogers watched Banner and Shuri's discussion on how to safely remove Vision's Mind Stone. Once Okoye gained a signal of a massive Outrider Dropships crashing onto Wakanda's dome, T'Challa ordered the city to be evacuate the entire city and engage all of its defenses. Rogers was given dual Wakandan Shields at the king's request as well.
==== Battle of Wakanda ====
: "I am Groot!""I am Steve Rogers."
: ―Groot and Steve Rogers[src]
As the Avengers and the Wakandan army prepared to face Thanos' army of Outriders, Rogers and Black Widow accompanied Black Panther to face Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian. Finding their opponent non-negotiable, Rogers rejoined the rest of the army as they prepared for the alien invaders. Countless Outriders began pouring out from the ship and charging into Wakanda's barrier force field. Despite killing numerous amounts of them, more and more began to force themselves through the barrier, they were quickly dispatched by the allied army.
Unfortunately, they were forced to open the barrier in order to prevent the city from being encircled and to force the enemy to focus their attention on them. Once Black Panther ordered a gap to be open on their section of the barrier, Rogers joined Black Panther and they were the first to engage with the army. Fighting off numerous outriders, the situation grew grim as the allied army began finding themselves overwhelmed by the innumerable enemy army.
Eventually, Wanda Maximoff was forced to enter the battle in order to give them an edge. The arrival of Thor, Groot and Rocket Raccoon turned the tide of the battle. The old friends caught up and Rogers noted on Thor's haircut while the latter noted on how Rogers grew a beard like him. Rogers also introduced himself to Groot.
Unfortunately, Maximoff's participation left Vision open to get attacked by Glaive who have infiltrated the city, which ruined the process to remove the stone, so Rogers raced to save Vision.
==== Duel with Corvus Glaive ====
: "I thought I told you to go.""We don't trade lives, Captain."
: ―Steve Rogers and Vision[src]
Corvus Glaive continued to torment Vision, stabbing and further crippling the android. However, Vision was saved by the sudden arrival of Steve Rogers, who beckoned Vision to run while he held off Glaive. Engaging in a duel, Rogers battled with Glaive, blocking his glaive using his shields. Rogers managed to disarm Glaive, but was thrown over a tree and pinned. Before Glaive could kill the Avenger, however, he was suddenly impaled from behind and killed by Vision, having taken and used Glaive's own weapon against him. As Rogers recovers from the duel, he tells Vision that he thought he ordered him to run. Vision retorted by telling Rogers that he doesn't trade lives; echoing a statement made by Rogers earlier on.
==== Thanos' Victory ====
: "What is this? What the hell is happening?""...Oh, God."
: ―James Rhodes and Steve Rogers[src]
As victory was almost at their grasp, Rogers was told by Banner that Thanos had arrived in a space portal. Having acquired almost all of the Infinity Stones, Rogers, with only a final reminder to stay sharp, rallied the Avengers to hold Thanos off for as long as they could. Desperately, Rogers faced Thanos with the dire situation of his allies being subdued. As Maximoff tearfully destroys Vision's Mind Stone, Rogers and his allies find themselves hopelessly outmatched by Thanos and his dominion over the fabrics of existence granted by the nearly complete Infinity Gauntlet. Rogers was the second one to be taken out by Thanos, who used the Power Stone to send in a concussive strike to blow him away.
With the only being left standing to fight, Rogers desperately fought back to buy time, as he held Thanos off by grabbing his hand, a feat that managed to momentarily surprise the Mad Titan. Rogers was eventually swiftly defeated by Thanos by being incapacitated with a single punch, leaving him powerless to prevent Thanos from getting the Mind Stone and completing the Infinity Gauntlet. Despite Thor's final attempt to stop him, Thanos achieved his goal of killing off half the universe.
As Thanos retreated from the battlefield, Rogers was able to get back up on his feet and asked Thor on what happened, but his comrade remained silent as he lamented his failure. As Rogers further asked Thor on where Thanos went, he soon realized that Thanos had won as Barnes called out to him before he disintegrated in front of him, leaving him in absolute shock and horror as he stared at Thor, who was also left shell-shocked. In the aftermath of the battle, Rogers knelt next to Vision's demolished body, unable to do anything knowing that half of all life, including some of his closest friends, were now gone.
=== Aftermath ===
==== Meeting Captain Marvel ====
: "I thought we bypassed the battery.""We did. It's still plugged in, it just... it just stopped.""Reboot and send the signal again."
: ―Steve Rogers and James Rhodes[src]
Following the Battle of Wakanda, Steve Rogers, along with James Rhodes, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner, returned to the Avengers Compound. Having discovered the Transmitter Pager Nick Fury had activated prior to his death, the Avengers bypassed the pager's battery in order for it to continue to send out its signal.
As Rogers and Romanoff were witnessing reports on the aftermath of the Snap, Rhodes, who was monitoring the pager, informed the pair and Banner that the pager had stopped transmitting the signal. Rogers requested that they reboot the pager and resend the signal, only for Banner to respond that they had no idea what the signal was for. As Romanoff explained that Fury knew whom the signal was for and that she wanted to know who it was as well, she came face to face with Captain Marvel herself, who demanded to know where Fury was.
==== Rescue of Tony Stark ====
: "I said, 'We'd lose.' You said, 'We'll do that together, too.' And guess what, Cap? We lost, and you weren't there."
: ―Tony Stark to Steve Rogers[src]
Not long after meeting Captain Marvel, Rogers and the Avengers managed to locate the whereabouts of Tony Stark. Sending Danvers to retrieve him, Rogers stayed at the Avengers Compound to shave his beard off with a razor. Once Rogers was finished, he noticed his mirror shaking, knowing it was coming from outside of the facility.
Captain Marvel flew with the Benatar on top of her and landed at the field of the Avengers Compound. Once Rogers and the rest of the Avengers were outside, including Pepper Potts, he was then reunited with Stark who was with his new ally, Nebula. Stark noted to Rogers that he was unable to stop Thanos, to which he responded that he couldn't as well. Stark then looked at Rogers and told him that he lost Peter Parker in the process before he was greeted by Pepper Potts in arms.
Regrouping inside the Avengers Compound, they began discussing about Thanos' whereabouts since the remaining days of him arriving to Earth. Stark asked the team about where Thanos was, to which Rogers responded that they had no leads on his location. Rogers noted to Stark that they tried to find Thanos and still couldn't find him. Knowing Stark had fought Thanos, Rogers asked him if anything that had to do with finding Thanos' location.
As Rogers tried to tell him that he needed to focus, Stark angrily told Rogers that he needed him in past tense, but it was too late to do that. However, Stark was still furious about the events of the Avengers Civil War, as he still blamed Rogers for splitting the Avengers apart and going against his idea of creating a suit of armor around the world for the protection of Earth. Stark then declared Rogers to be a liar and stated that he would no longer trust him before he collapsed due to weeks of starvation and exhaustion.
==== Ambush on Thanos ====
: "Let's go get this son of a bitch."
: ―Steve Rogers[src]
While Tony Stark began to rest after being injected with Bruce Banner's sedative, Rogers noticed Carol Danvers walking out of the room to prepare to kill Thanos. Rogers told Danvers that this fight against Thanos was also the Avengers as well. Nebula then noted to the team to not bother wasting their time looking for him, as she noted where Thanos was currently at. Rogers and the rest of his allies began to listen to Nebula about Thanos' plan to rest at the 'Garden.'
Eventually, they witnessed Rocket Raccoon's projector and observed the energy signals of Thanos using the Infinity Stones on Earth until two days ago, another energy surge had appeared on Planet-0259-S, referred to Nebula as the "Garden." Once Nebula noted that Thanos was at this deserted planet, Rogers precisely determined the team, consisting of Banner in his Mark XLVIII Armor, Black Widow, War Machine, Rocket Raccoon, Thor, Nebula, and Captain Marvel, to head over to Thanos' locality.
Rogers joined them inside the Benatar, having been asked by Rocket if one of them had ever been to space, before traveling to space through a jump point. Once they arrived, Captain Marvel flew over to the planet to check for recons, while Rogers began to look over to his compass with a picture of Peggy Carter. Once he was finished, Rogers was told by Romanoff that his plan would work, as he further noted that he knew it would just by not knowing what to do if it did not.
Once they were informed that Thanos had no defenses to protect himself, they began to arrive at the spot in which he was inhabiting. Upon arriving on the Garden, Rogers and his team ambushed the Mad Titan. Sending his allies in, they managed to easily subdue Thanos, and Thor cut off the Titan's arm with the Infinity Gauntlet to keep him from using the Infinity Stones. Rogers and Romanoff walked over to confront Thanos and looked over to the Stones, realizing they were gone.
Rogers asked Thanos where the Infinity Stones were, being noted that the Stones served no purpose, except for anyone's temptation. Once they further interrogated him, Thanos told them he destroyed the Infinity Stones. Despite initially not believing him, Nebula reluctantly backed her father's claim as being serious. Rogers then watched Thor killing Thanos' head. Knowing they couldn't restore anyone back to life, Rogers and his allies return to Earth in defeat.
==== Return of Scott Lang ====
: "To try and become whole again, try and find purpose. I went in the ice in '45 right after I met the love of my life. Woke up 70 years later. You gotta move on. Gotta move on. The world is in our hands. It's left to us, guys, and we got to do something with it. Otherwise... Thanos should have killed all of us."
: ―Steve Rogers to the Brooklyn Support Group[src]
Five years after the Snap, Rogers remained with the Avengers, while also working at the Brooklyn Support Group for those who had lost their loved ones following the disaster. Despite the destruction caused by Thanos, the world was slowly recovering, and Rogers urged his support group to talk about their lives.
While someone at the support group was talking about their date and how they were affected by the Snap, Rogers accepted on letting his sadness sympathize with others. Rogers noted to the rest of the group that they must take baby steps in trying to find purpose, leading an example of having himself being stuck under ice in 1945 and then pulled back seventy years later. Rogers concluded that they must move on, as the world was on their hands.
Returning to the Avengers Compound after his meeting, Rogers met up with Natasha Romanoff, who handled the reports from their allies on Earth and Space. Rogers offered to cook dinner for Romanoff but chose not to due to her misery. As he sat down for a talk, Rogers admitted to Romanoff one thing; while he had been telling everyone to move on, he could not move on from the past himself. After Romanoff had told Rogers that she had nothing before joining the Avengers and was better because of it, Rogers said that they would need to get a better life.
While they conversed, they were alerted to a new arrival; Scott Lang, who was assumed dead from the Snap. Letting Lang in, they learned that he had been trapped in the Quantum Realm during the five years; however, from his perspective, it had only been five hours. Lang reasoned that by using quantum physics to their advantage, they might be able to take place before Thanos. Knowing they could talk about this, Rogers and Romanoff headed off to find Tony Stark.
==== Asking For Assistance ====
: "We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everyone back.""Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?""I don't believe we would."
: ―Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers[src]
During those five years, Stark married Pepper Potts and had a daughter, Morgan Stark, living at a secluded location. While Stark and his daughter were about to enter back into the cabin, Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Scott Lang approached him with the possibility of bringing everyone back through Time Travel.
After telling Stark about the act of time traveling, they listened to his argument against the idea of time travel, fearing that they would never be coming back. Once Lang told Stark that he came back from the present, he told Lang that his case was a billion in one chances of a cosmic fluke, thus it could not happen. Despite of the group taking a stand to fix what had happened to everyone, Stark reluctantly refused to join the Time Heist before his daughter came outside to "save" him.
While Stark was happy to see them and invited them for lunch if they wanted to stay, Rogers told Stark that he was very glad on what he had built for himself, but the Time Heist was their second chance, but Stark told him that he already had a second chance and could not risk going back. Despite their best attempts, they could not convince Stark to help them, and left the cabin before wanting to do something right, heading to Bruce Banner the next day for some help.
Meeting Banner over at a diner, the group learned that, during the five years, Banner had gained newfound control over Hulk. Now with the combination of both personalities, Banner was permanently in Hulk form, but maintained his scientific mind and identity. After Hulk was taking photos with children, Rogers told him to focus about what they were talking about going back in time. With his knowledge of quantum physics, Hulk doubted that it could be done, but agreed to test with them.
==== Planning a Heist ====
: "Six stones, three teams. One shot. Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family... We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back."
: ―Captain America to Avengers[src]
The Avengers used the Quantum Tunnel experiment with the time scale of bringing Scott Lang back to the present after he visited the past. Rogers observed away from the situation and told Lang that they would see him afterwards. Unfortunately, their attempts were disastrous and while they could manipulate time, they were aging or de-aging Lang in the process.
After witnessing Lang being aged and de-aged with each time they pulled him to the present, Rogers told Banner to turn the machine off, leading Banner to kill the power switch. Once Natasha Romanoff turned the machine off, Lang reverted into himself in the present. While Banner boasted about his discovery of Time Travel, Rogers turned to becoming aimless and began to move out from the Avengers Compound for a break. However, Tony Stark arrived at the facility, much to the surprise of Rogers.
Once Stark had parked his car in front of Rogers, he rightly guessed that the Avengers' first attempt to time travel was a failure. When Rogers asked Stark why he arrived in the Compound, Stark gets out of his car and tells him that the EPR paradox had affected Lang by letting time go pass through him. Rogers guessed that Stark had solved time travel, to which he admitted on inventing a Time-Space GPS. After having a change of heart, Stark informed Rogers that while he wants to bring everyone back, he also doesn't want to lose what he currently has, namely his family.
The two finally reconciled with each other, with Stark admitting that resentment was corrosive, leading Rogers to agree with him as well. Knowing he had a special gift for him, Stark took out Rogers' old shield from the trunk of his car and gave it back to him, signifying that their old alliance and friendship had been reforged (while also saying that he had to get it out of the garage before his daughter, Morgan Stark would find it). With Stark back on the team, Rogers began rallying the rest of his allies, with Banner and Rocket Raccoon retrieving Thor, and Romanoff searching for Clint Barton.
Once the remaining team members arrived at the Avengers Compound, the Avengers tested the process with Hawkeye going back and returning. With this successful test, they regrouped in a room and gathered information on the history and previous whereabouts of the Infinity Stones, including their former owners and their past interactions with each of the Avengers. As Rogers asked Thor about the Aether, he gave a vague story of its history, revealing to them that his grandfather, Bor, defeated the Dark Elves during a war, and proceeded to note how Jane Foster had been possessed by the Aether.
As they continued to brainstorm their next move, Rogers and the Avengers continued to discuss the Infinity Stones, eventually learning that the Power Stone was stolen by Star-Lord on Morag during dinner with Rocket, who explained the process of it. They then learned that the Soul Stone was on Vormir, and that the Time Stone, Mind Stone, and Space Stone were present in New York during the Chitauri Invasion.
With each brainstorming session coming to a close, the team's decisions had been concluded through their hologram display, setting at different locations on where to find the Stones; being New York City in 2012, Asgard in 2013, and Vormir and Morag in 2014. Rogers rallied up the team and told them that they would only have three teams to go over these timelines and only one shot to make it count.
=== Time Heist ===
==== Infiltration into Stark Tower ====
: "Trust me. Hail HYDRA."
: ―Captain America to Jasper Sitwell[src]
With their plans ready, the Avengers proceeded on with the Time Heist, donning themselves with the Advanced Tech Suits, and went into the time machine and headed to their positions. As the team had gathered around, Rogers gave a speech about how they lost friends, family, a part of themselves but now they should have a chance to get them back for whatever it would take.
Arriving in New York City in 2012, during the Battle of New York, the group had traveled through time inside the loop of the appropriate place, taking off their Advanced Suits. Rogers informed the group that they would all have to know their positions on where the Infinity Stones were and to keep an eye on each other so they could get out as quickly as possible. After Hulk from 2012 had smashed a Chitauri soldier through some wreckage, Rogers ordered Banner to smash a few things before finding the Time Stone.
While Rogers focused primarily on getting the Scepter, Iron Man and Ant-Man went to Stark Tower to retrieve the Tesseract. While Stark and Lang learned where to find the Tesseract, Stark told Rogers to get inside Stark Tower, noting that the 2012 Avengers were almost wrapped up on capturing Loki. Rogers infiltrated Stark Tower and managed to know the location of the Scepter after knowing where each Stone was taken around the location and who would possesse them.
Finding it under the possession of Jasper Sitwell and Brock Rumlow, Rogers met them at the elevator. Knowing them to be HYDRA operatives, Rogers looked around them and felt the tension being so high once the agents questioned Rogers' intent. Rogers asked Sitwell to hand over the Scepter so that he could protect it, only for Sitwell to warn him from Nick Fury. Rogers told Sitwell not to call Fury and whispered, "Hail HYDRA," before escalating the situation. Much to their shock, Rogers was handed the Scepter, and he began to make his exit.
==== Fighting Himself ====
: "I can do this all day.""Yeah, I know. I know."
: ―Captain America and Captain America[src]
While attempting to head out of Stark Tower, Rogers grew suspicious and asked the group if they retrieved the Tesseract. As he looked up after questioning his team, Rogers found himself confronting his 2012 self, much to his absolute shock. Rogers' past self believed that Rogers was Loki, but Rogers tried to tell him that he was not and would also not want to hurt him.
The two Captain Americas then fought a fierce battle in the tower, clashing each other's shields. Rogers fought his past self, only to be kicked away and being told that he could do this all day, leading to himself to be gradually annoyed. Rogers threw his shield at his past self, leading to both of them being thrown away and exchanging blows until they grappled each other in order for them to stop attacking. They would suddenly kick away the case with the Scepter inside, falling on the ground.
Rogers tried to grab onto his past self, only for them to slip up from the edge, leading them to fall off the platform and land on a flight of stairs, and then on multiple ledges. Once they had landed on the ground in pain, Rogers' past self looked at his future self's compass with Peggy Carter on it, getting up from the ground and asking his future self about where he got it. Rogers attempted to grab the Scepter on the ground, only to be grappled by his past self.
While being pinned down on the ground in a chokehold, Rogers rolled around gasping for air and began to think of something to remove himself from the fight. Rogers distracted his past self by revealing Bucky Barnes' survival. Using the distraction, Rogers got out of his counterpart's grip and punched him in the face, using the Scepter to knock him unconscious, all while confirming a comment Stark and Lang said to him about his buttocks. Managing to escape Stark Tower, Rogers regrouped with Iron Man and Ant-Man in an alley.
Rogers noticed Stark and Lang once they admitted on their failure of retrieving the Tesseract. Having less Pym Particles, Lang lectured the group that they would not be coming home. Rogers told the team that if they could not try, then nobody would go home. Once Stark had an idea of taking the Tesseract, Rogers listened to him about going into a military installation. Rogers asked for a date, but Stark admitted that he did not know the exact date but knew where to go.
Knowing that they would have to improvise, Rogers gave Lang the Scepter and told him to get it back into the Avengers Compound. They began to set up a date as April 7, 1970 before Lang told them if they failed their mission, then they would not be coming back home. Once they settled their trust, Rogers and Stark equipped their Advanced Tech Suits and traveled back in time again, leaving Lang behind to return to the present with the Scepter.
==== Infiltration into Camp Lehigh ====
: "Good luck on your mission, Captain.""Good luck on your project... Doctor.""You new here?""Not exactly."
: ―Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Phyllis Jenkins[src]
Arriving at Camp Lehigh, New Jersey on April 7th in an alternate 1970, Rogers and Stark proceeded to look for the Tesseract and extra Pym Particles. Using his knowledge from his 2014 visit to the base, Rogers informed Stark that the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility's secret entrance was disguised as an ammunition bunker.
Rogers and Stark then entered the bunker and took an elevator down while Phyllis Jenkins, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., looked over to them suspiciously. Once Stark told Rogers good luck after he arrived on the floor that he tracked down, he talked to Jenkins once he was asked if he was new there, responding to her that he wasn't exactly new. While Stark headed off to find the Tesseract, Rogers went over to find Pym Particles from Hank Pym.
Calling Pym on the phone, Rogers managed to lure him out of his lab, by fooling him into believing that staff members have opened a package meant for him. With Pym out of his lab, Rogers looked around the lab and managed to find a few Pym Particles to steal and began looking for Stark. As Rogers made his way out, he noticed that Jenkins had informed military personnel on the base to find him and Stark, as she had found them suspicious. After Rogers hid inside an office, he discovered a picture of himself.
Looking behind the door after his suspicions grew stronger, Rogers found out that he walked into Peggy Carter's office by mistake and had suddenly heard the noise coming through the walls of the office. Spotting his old love through her office window, Rogers mournfully watched her as Carter continued her day, unaware of his presence. Leaving Carter's office, Rogers managed to find his way out of the facility and waited for Stark's arrival.
Rogers spotted Stark, who managed to get the Tesseract, but also encountered his past father, Howard. As Stark finished his conversation with his father, Rogers signaled that if he had retrieved the Tesseract, having his suspicions being quickly confirmed. Once Stark reconciled with his father, they were ready to leave the camp with the tools they need and gathered up quickly to return to the present inside the Avengers Compound.
==== Death of Black Widow ====
: "Do we know if she had family?""Yeah. Us."
: ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
Returning to 2023, the entire team of Avengers have now escape from the past and had retrieve each individual Infinity Stones. Once Rogers had arrived back from 1970, Hulk made a brief statement on making sure if anybody had all of the stones. Upon arriving in the present, however, Rogers and Banner learned that Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself on Vormir so that Hawkeye could obtain the Soul Stone.
As the Avengers mourned Romanoff's death, Rogers told Tony Stark that they were her family and silently cried over the death of his friend. Despite of the team's assurance, Thor was in denial that Romanoff was truly gone. Rogers witnessed Thor ranting about getting her back by using the Infinity Stones; however, Barton argued against him considering that the sacrifice cannot be undone. Once Hulk claimed that they must not let Romanoff's sacrifice be in vain, Rogers became determined to let the sacrifice be worth it.
==== Blip ====
: "None of you could survive.""How do we know you will?""We don't."
: ―Hulk and Captain America[src]
With all the Infinity Stones collected, Iron Man, Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon proceed to build the Nano Gauntlet in the lab. Once the Gauntlet had been finished, the Avengers must figure out who will be able wear it and resurrect the lives claimed by Thanos' Snap. When Thor volunteered to do it, Rogers and the team hold him back until they discuss who should be able to snap their fingers with the Nano Gauntlet.
Despite Thor's justification to use the Nano Gauntlet, they proceeded to not let him do it for his survivability's sake. After Thor pleaded to use the Gauntlet, Banner volunteered to use it, telling the team that he was the only one strong enough to withstand the resulting burst of cosmic energy and the Gamma Radiation that might power it. Once the team had settled on the decision, Rogers prepared for the burst of energy that Banner would suffer from the Infinity Stones.
As Hulk finally equipped the Nano Guantlet and channeled the energy of the Infinity Stones, Rogers witnessed him in pain from the energy flowing through his body, leading Rogers to ask him if he was well condition. Once Hulk told the team that he was good enough to get through it, Hulk snapped his fingers and resurrected all the other half of life in the universe; however, they were unaware that the 2014 Thanos and his warship had arrived in the present through the time travel machine by 2014 Nebula.
==== Attack on the Avengers Facility ====
: "I will shred this universe down to its last atom and then, with the Stones you've collected for me, create a new one teeming with life that knows not what it has lost, but only what it has been given. A grateful universe.""Born out of blood."
: ―Thanos and Captain America[src]
Just as the Avengers realized that the Nano Gauntlet had worked, Thanos' warship unleashed a hailstorm of missiles from the sky, reducing the Avengers Compound to a smoldering crater. While War Machine, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man were trapped below the facility, Rogers was left unconscious underneath the rubble on top of the rubble. Once Iron Man got up to find Captain America on the ground, he was quickly woken up and given back his shield.
After the Snap was undone, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor discovered Thanos from the year 2014, who was fully aware of his plan's success and his fate, has arrived on Earth. Captain America asked Iron Man where the Infinity Stones are, as he noted that they were underneath the rubble. Knowing Thanos has been doing nothing outside, Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man eventually emerge from the rubble. After acknowledging that it was a trap and they do not care, the trio resolve to keep the stones away from him.
After Thor summoned his armor and wielded both Stormbreaker and Mjølnir, the group confronted Thanos. The Titan began to lecture them about how they could not live with their failure and realized that there are those that remember what was, who are unable to accept what can be. Thanos now believed that the universe would be ungrateful for him "correcting" it, and decided on a new plan to decimate the entire universe and create a new one.
Captain America noted to Thanos that his new universe will be born out of blood before Thanos threatened to kill him and the team. The trio swiftly attacked Thanos, and were overwhelmed by Thanos' imposing speed and power, and his immense skill with his large Double-Edged Sword. Thanos eventually knocked out Iron Man from the battle after Thor tried to attack Mjølnir with it. Captain America then kicked Thanos in the face until he was knocked away from the field.
Before Thanos pinned down Thor on the ground and attempted to can kill him with Stormbreaker, Captain America picked up Mjølnir and threw it at him, as he was taken a hard hit, knocking him off his feet. The hammer flew back into Captain America's hand, realizing he had no other choice but to reveal he had been deemed worthy by the mystical hammer years earlier. Using his new weapon in combination with his shield, Captain America attacked Thanos by overwhelming him with blow to the face.
Captain America fought Thanos by using Mjølnir and his shield. Captain America then summoned lightning, dragging it all over the Mad Titan so he could be pinned to the ground. Captain America then summoned lighting again and blasted Thanos on the ground before attempting to hit him again, only for him to grappled and slammed onto the ground. Feeling exhausted from the fight, Captain America dodged Thanos' attacks only to be injured, as his arm and leg were swiftly harmed from with the Double-Edged Sword.
Upon losing Mjølnir, Rogers raised his shield to protect himself, but the sword sliced right through it. While Thanos violently swings the sword down repeatedly, breaking more and more pieces off of the shield, Captain America was then pinned down to the ground and knocked away from the field. While lying on the ground, Captain America listened to Thanos about how it was never personal but noted the pleasure he would take unleashing his wrath on Earth.
As Thanos summoned his immense army from the Sanctuary II, an outnumbered, bloody, and battered Rogers rose up from the ground, re-tightens the strap on his broken shield to his wounded forearm, and stood ready to face Thanos and his entire army alone, when he suddenly receives a radio communication from Falcon, who told him to look on his left. Immediately afterwards, a Portal opened from behind Rogers, from which Black Panther, Okoye and Shuri emerged, following by Falcon.
==== Battle of Earth ====
: "Avengers! Assemble."
: ―Captain America[src]
After seeing his now resurrected allies, Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and various other heroes who were disintegrated in the Snap emerge from numerous portals opened up by Doctor Strange and Wong, along with the combined armies of Wakanda, the Ravagers, the Asgardians, and the Masters of the Mystic Arts. After everyone forms up to face Thanos and his forces, Captain America, reunited with his previously deceased allies, assembled his team to charge against Thanos' forces.
The entire team and other forces began to charge with fury attentions, running towards Thanos' forces as he sent his Black Order, Chitauri army, Sakaaran army, and the Outriders to kill them all. Captain America ran across the battlefield with his allies and, during the initial clash, cast Mjølnir at Cull Obsidian. Captain America then teamed up with Thor, who was using Mjølnir to kill surrounding Sakaarans, and accidentally summoned Stormbreaker to his hand, resulting in them exchange weapons afterwards.
Captain America was then informed by Hawkeye about the Nano Gauntlet, and told him to get it away from the battlefield as far as possible, only for Hulk tell him that they need to get the Infinity Stones back where they came from. Despite Thanos destroying the Quantum Tunnel, Ant-Man turned on Luis' van as another time machine, leading Captain America to ask where the van is. Being told where is parked by Valkyrie, Captain America ordered Ant-Man to get it started.
Shortly after the Sanctuary II rained fire on the battlefield, Captain America heard Spider-Man calling for aid. Captain America threw Mjølnir in his direction, which Spider-Man caught before he was overwhelmed by Thanos' forces. Relief soon came in the form of Captain Marvel, who destroyed the Sanctuary II, much to Captain America's surprise from afar. Captain America then ordered Danvers to assist them in getting the Stones away from Thanos and his army. When Thanos shoved his Double-Edged Sword into the Quantum Tunnel and came close to wielding the Nano Gauntlet, Captain America threw himself at Thanos to prevent him from using it, as Thor wrestled with Thanos into impaling him with Stormbreaker.
After Captain America managed to briefly tip the balance by pulling the blade towards Thanos' throat, he was once again able to break free from their grasp; flipping Captain America over his shoulder and punching him hard in the face, leaving him unable to stop the Mad Titan from seizing the Gauntlet. Iron Man then stole the Infinity Stones back from Thanos, forming another Nano Gauntlet within his armor, and then snapped his fingers; causing Thanos and his army to disintegrate.
Captain America witnessed Thanos' army disintegrating in front of his eyes, along with Thanos' shock in horror from all the death surrounding him. Captain America took a long look at Thanos' failure before he crumbled into ash. Along with War Machine, Spider-Man, Pepper Potts and Thor, Captain America tearfully stood by Stark as he died from his injuries caused by the resulting energy surge.
As Rogers had been wounded during the battle, he spilled his blood on the battlefield, which was collected by Nick Fury's secret Skrull unit and placed into a vial known as the Harvest alongside other enhanced DNA samples. The Harvest vial was later administered by Super-Skrulls Gravik and G'iah, granting them access to Rogers' super soldier physiology and abilities.
=== Last Mission ===
==== Returning the Stones ====
: "You know, if you want, I could come with you.""You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me though."
: ―Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers[src]
Rogers attended the funeral for his friend and fellow Avenger, Tony Stark, along with all of their allies. Rogers, along with Stark's family, Happy Hogan, James Rhodes and the remaining original Avengers, gathered inside Stark's home, where they watched a recorded message Stark left before the Time Heist. They all then stood outside as Stark's Arc Reactor was sent adrift in the lake. Rogers confided in Bucky Barnes that he was planning to live out the rest of his life in the past after completing his final mission and that he would return to the present at an old age to give a new version of his shield to Sam Wilson.
The Avengers prepared to return the Infinity Stones and Mjølnir to whence they were taken to prevent devastating branches in those timelines. Rogers volunteered for this mission and met up with Hulk, Barnes, and Wilson in the forest outside the destroyed Avengers Compound, where Banner had constructed a new time machine. Banner then told Rogers that when he resurrected the victims of the Snap, he tried to bring Black Widow back, but couldn't, and that he misses her, leading Rogers to share his grief.
As he walked to the time machine, Wilson offered to go with him as backup, but Rogers reassured him that he can do it alone. He then says goodbye to Barnes, puts on his Advanced Tech Suit, and travels back in time along with the Infinity Stones and Mjølnir. Rogers then proceeded to return the Stones to their proper places in the timeline, including returning the Soul Stone to Vormir, where he encountered Red Skull for the first time since World War II.
==== A Normal Life ====
: "So did something go wrong, or did something go right?""Well, after I put the stones back, I thought, maybe I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get."
: ―Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers[src]
Once his job was completed, Rogers chose to travel to 1949, thus creating an alternate timeline, in order to live out the rest of his life with an alternate Peggy Carter instead of returning to 2023. Reunited with Carter, he gave her the dance he promised her, and the two eventually got married. After his marriage, Rogers retired from his "Captain America" moniker, but would continue to help out when he was needed in his new timeline.
==== Passing on the Shield ====
: "How does it feel?""Like it's someone else's.""It isn't.""Thank you. I'll do my best."
: ―Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson[src]
Enjoying his long retirement, Rogers stayed with Peggy Carter until her death. Afterward, he traveled back to his original timeline in 2023, arriving just as his past self left to return the Infinity Stones, and waited on a nearby bench until Bucky Barnes noticed him and alerted Sam Wilson to his presence.
When Wilson questioned a now elderly Rogers, he told him that after he returned the stones to their timelines, he decided to live the normal life that Tony Stark suggested. When Wilson asked how it worked out, Rogers said that it was beautiful, and Wilson said that he was truly happy for him, although upset that he would have to live in a world without Captain America. Rogers then opened a circular case that rested next to him and took out his shield, giving it to Wilson, who then put it on. Rogers asked Wilson how it felt, and when Wilson responded that it felt like it was someone else's, Rogers assured him it wasn't, officially passing the title of Captain America to him.
Wilson then promised Rogers that he would do his best to protect the world, and Rogers noted that that's why he chose him. Noticing a ring on Rogers' finger while they shook hands, Wilson asked if he wanted to tell him about his wife, but Rogers politely declined, smiling at a memory that he recalled from a dance he had with Carter that he promised to her all those years ago, and proceeded to kiss her.
=== Retired Life ===
==== Remembering Natasha Romanoff ====
For a memorial chapter on Natasha Romanoff in the memoir, Look Out for the Little Guy!, Rogers spoke about his experiences with Romanoff to its writer, Scott Lang. Rogers told Lang about her heroics in the Battle of Washington, D.C. and the Attack on Vision as well as the time they went undercover to avoid detection from a compromised S.H.I.E.L.D..
==== Respected Hero ====
Rogers was greatly respected and honored across the world. In 2024, people began speculating where he had gone and theorized he lived on the Moon. That same year, Rogers: The Musical was put on in New York City, celebrating Rogers and re-enacting the Battle of New York. Posters and billboards advertising the musical were out throughout the city, such as in Times Square and lasted throughout the year. In 2025, a statue of Rogers had been made and placed in the newly rebuilt Camp Lehigh. At the first ever AvengerCon, Rogers had his own exhibit where fans could pretend to take vials of Super Soldier Serum.
== Personality ==
: "I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight. And if you wanna stand in our way... we'll fight you, too."
: ―Steve Rogers to Thaddeus Ross[src]
Considered by many as the world's first and greatest superhero, Steve Rogers has been defined by his courage, patriotism, and righteousness. Rogers has always had a noble and honest spirit, intolerant towards injustice and abuses of power. Since he grew up weak and small, he learned on his own that true strength is having the courage to fight against abuse, no matter one's power, and having compassion for the innocent. Despite being transformed into a perfect human by the Super Soldier Serum, he maintained his original values and character. Since his reawakening, Rogers was saddened by losing so much of his time, but still retains the same values he had since the 1940s. He also had a hard time adapting to the 21st century, causing a certain nostalgia for various elements of the modern world, as normally happens with older people. Due to his famed past exploits and his continued works to save the world, Rogers is generally respected by many; even if he never sought acknowledgment for his deeds. He was also very empathetic; being able to understand and relate to both Wanda and Pietro Maximoff before meeting them and understanding Tony Stark's motivation during the Avengers Civil War, despite Iron Man being on the opposing side. He also conceded that Stark had very good reasons not to join the Time Heist and openly said he was happy that his friend had finally found the peace that he'd so desperately wanted.
What separates Steve Rogers from the other Avengers is two things: his humanity and morality. Steve Rogers is an extremely dedicated person. Despite originally being physically weak and small, and rejected many times due to his frail health, he still tried to enlist in the Army during World War II. Steve tried to be of service to his country in whatever way he was allowed; even when his talents were wasted when he was ordered to inspire the American soldiers and support the war effort by starring in propaganda. When he heard that the 107th battalion, including Barnes, was captured in a nearby HYDRA facility, Rogers disobeyed his superior's orders and went behind enemy lines in an apparent suicide mission and rescued them. Rogers finds the courage to defend the weak and innocent, and does not hesitate to stand up to corrupt politicians, hypocritical authority figures, powerful beings like Loki, or even the nearly omnipotent Thanos. His determination also aids him, giving him a boost in physical power to allow him to hold off beings of much greater strength, with this even allowing him to survive against Thanos. A true hero, Rogers is more than willing to sacrifice himself to protect others and does not care if he is considered the villain in his heroic job, as his desire to protect the innocent remained as strong as ever, even after he was deemed a criminal. Though he refused to give up in the immediate aftermath of the Snap, following the disastrous Ambush on Thanos, even Rogers conceded defeat. When Scott Lang returned however, Rogers quickly got his fighting spirit back, being the first to support Scott's plan. The true extent of his determination and selfless heroism was fully exemplified when he finally proved himself worthy to wield Mjølnir. Amusingly however, when facing off with his past self, Rogers actually seemed annoyed by his own sheer determination.
Rogers is not afraid to do what's right for the greater good and make the tough choices, even if it might be costly to him personally. As both a soldier and an Avenger, Rogers knows full well that war has its casualties and some of his dearest friends, or even himself, may need to make the ultimate sacrifice. He was willing to justify violence and killing to defend others and to preserve peace and freedom, even when Nick Fury called him out on various war crimes he and the American army committed during World War II. Rogers once had to tell Natasha Romanoff to close the Chitauri portal, despite Stark not being out yet. Rogers was also willing to fight his best friend Bucky Barnes when the latter was preventing Steve from saving millions of lives. Nevertheless, Captain America will always prioritize the safety of innocents. For example, Rogers would not abandon Novi Grad until all of its citizens were evacuated; even when Ultron was planning on smashing the city to the ground to destroy the Earth. His heroism and determination to what he believes is morally right, no matter the personal cost, even allowed him to move Mjølnir slightly when he attempted to lift it following the retrieval of the Scepter, much to the surprise and discomfort of Thor. He also does not approve of sacrificing others to achieve victory should other options remain available; he refused to let Vision sacrifice himself, instead looking for a way to separate him from the Mind Stone.
Captain America's uncompromising sense of morality and selflessness often puts him at odds with Tony Stark, who is more comfortable with a grey morality to protect people. This has led to several moments of bickering, arguments, and almost physical fights over the direction of the Avengers in how to protect people. This difference in attitude, reached a head in the Avengers Civil War, where Tony sought to compromise with governments who were increasingly intolerant with collateral damage, while Rogers refused to do so, believing it would inhibit the Avengers' response time, eventually causing him to become a fugitive. Rogers nevertheless still cared for Tony and did not desire for them to fight, as he pleaded with Tony to stop attacking Bucky, as the latter did it without having control and did not kill him after beating him, even going as far as to send him a letter to apologize and a phone so Stark can contact him. He was visibly ashamed when Tony demanded him to tell the truth of his parents' death, and felt enough sympathy and remorse for keeping the truth hidden that he relinquished his shield and returned it to the Stark family. Two years later, after much of the anger between the two factions of Avengers had died down, Rogers outright referred to Iron Man as Earth's "best defender," even joking that he himself was a poor substitute emphasizing the respect he maintained for Tony.
While Captain America's sense of duty exceeds his personal feelings, his sense of loyalty is difficult to surpass. After realizing the Winter Soldier was his long thought to be a dead best friend, he only fought him to disable HYDRA's Helicarriers. However, once the Helicarriers were destroyed, he immediately stopped fighting the Winter Soldier in an attempt to reason with him and help him remember their friendship. This reached its apex in the Avengers Civil War, where Steve steadfastly refused to give up on Bucky, which caused the Avengers to fracture along with more than half their number to become fugitives.
Since being defrosted by S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve was lost in a world he no longer knew. America had changed; though technology had greatly advanced, humane morals were constantly being compromised in favor of political expediency. To make matters worse, most of the people he loved from his past were gone, or greatly aged. Even while working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, Steve still had no real life outside of being a soldier. Steve did not know how to belong and strives to uphold his code of honor in this new complicated world. Although he eventually reunited with both Peggy and Bucky, Steve was still a "man out of time." However, after the battle against Ultron, Steve finally realized that he was no longer the man he was before he was frozen. Hence, Steve decided to focus his life on just helping people, taking a permanent role as the leader of the second incarnation of the Avengers.
He is very protective of his friends from his past, especially Bucky Barnes, and is willing to go to great lengths to save them, being susceptible to emotional and violent acts to fulfill his goal. He seems to have developed a trust and attraction towards Sharon Carter. During his time with the new team of Avengers, he developed a trust and bond with Black Widow. He also embraces links to his own time, often seeing much of Howard Stark in Tony. He is also very selfless and is willing to risk his life for his teammates, such as when he jumped in to save Black Widow from Proxima Midnight, without knowing he would be strong enough to hold back her spear.
He does have a darker side, however, with Ultron noting that Rogers had been a soldier for so long, he subconsciously craved conflict and battles to avoid a civilian life and being forced to confront all he lost. Indeed, his worst nightmare, caused by Maximoff. Maximoff, was shown to be the end of the war, with people not needing him anymore, leaving him with one hollow realization: everyone whom he had ever loved was gone, and he was alone. Overall, Rogers is a selfless person but one with a notable blind spot: his childhood friend Bucky Barnes. The last living link to his time, Rogers was willing to do everything to protect him, going so far as to abandon his role as leader of the Avengers and a team player. When Tony called Rogers out on failing the role of Captain America, at the end of their fight during the Avengers Civil War, Rogers abandoned his shield and with it, the identity of "Captain America," heeding Tony's point. Even years later, he had made no efforts to reclaim the moniker allowing his uniform to darken and removing the American stars that had once adorned it.
Rogers has a strong dislike for agencies or groups that express control over the individual, due to having fought vigorously for his nations' freedom and losing the world he knew for that very reason. This dislike extends to groups of any ideology be they HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D., or even America's own government. Rogers himself admits that the Howling Commandos committed less than moral actions during World War II, but it was for the basis that people could be free, whereas Project Insight was using fear to dissuade a national security risk before it happens, eliminating the need for a soldier like himself and taking away the American people's freedom. The desire for free will heavily influenced Rogers' opinion on the Sokovia Accords, since he knew discriminatory policies of his time towards certain hate groups, such as the case of disabled people like him before his injection of Super Soldier Serum, believing that the case of the enhanced individuals and organized superheroes would not be so different in modern times. He strongly believed that the extravagant politics involved would restrict (or at least hinder) the Avengers' efforts to protect innocent people, putting him at odds with the very pragmatic Tony Stark on the issue. His opinion on such groups lessened, when the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre locked up Barnes in a cage. In the end, such was his dislike that he cut all ties with them and became a fugitive after the Avengers Civil War. While he still retains his desire to protect the innocent, he has no desire to be re-acknowledged as a superhero and does not care about the opinions of government bodies, as he coldly told Thaddeus Ross that he did not care if the latter disapproves of him and even went as far as to say he would not hesitate to fight him if he got in his way.
The Snap had a profound effect on Rogers' optimism, with their failure to stop Thanos causing him to take on a darker, yet somewhat grim persona, even non-verbally conceding that Tony's intentions behind Ultron's creation had been noble and would aid in Infinity War, if the AI had not gone rogue. When Thanos was revealed to had destroyed the Infinity Stones, Rogers stopped his fight for the next five years, instead choosing to become a grief counselor, before Scott Lang returned with a plan. After Tony had sacrificed himself to win the Battle of Earth, Rogers honored his friend by finally retiring and enjoying the life he'd never thought he'd have.
== Powers and Abilities ==
=== Powers ===
: "Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier."
: ―Smithsonian Narrator[src]
Artificially Enhanced Physiology: The Super Soldier Serum enhanced all of Rogers' bodily functions, such as his strength, durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, senses, healing, and lifespan to enhanced levels. He is very muscular, athletic and physically capable. The Super Soldier Serum also healed all of his ailments, physical and genetic imperfections instantly, giving him a perfect body better than that of a man in his physical prime. It also prevents him from getting intoxicated by alcohol, meaning he cannot get drunk. The Super Soldier Serum permanently transformed him from a frail young man into the "perfect" specimen of human development and conditioning.
* Enhanced Strength: Rogers' physical strength is enhanced beyond the peak of human potential. His strength allows him to physically overpower elite-trained humans, extraterrestrial troops, and robot sentries. Rogers had initially required visible effort in bending metal bars when he just used the serum, but later he effortlessly slammed through solid walls and reinforced glass, pry open steel doors, and even briefly hold back an accelerating helicopter. Rogers also able to effortlessly crush a walkie-talkie from one of the German police officers in one hand and tear off a taxi door with ease. Rogers' immense strength allows for him to send enemies flying several meters in the air from mere punches and kicks during his fight. He can even generate enough force to have his shield pierce the metal frame of a Quinjet. During his USO tours, Rogers was able to lift a motorcycle frame with three showgirls sitting on top without any strain. With one hand, Rogers can lift a grown man over his head and throw him like a rag doll. He was also able to pull himself away from the immense magnetic force applied on his hand by a magnetic handcuff, which humans are impossible to achieve. Rogers was able to lift a large metal support beam to save a trapped Winter Soldier, while he was critically injured. He also supported falling debris from a small collapsing building to save Black Widow and himself with help from his shield. While chopping wood, Rogers easily ripped apart a block of a wood trunk in half with his bare hands. He was also able to throw a moving motorcycle at a jeep with no required effort, and support the weight of an entire car during Ultron's initial attack on Sokovia. Rogers even stopped a helicopter, piloted by Winter Soldier from lifting off by pulling on its landing gear with extreme effort. In Lagos, Rogers kicked a 1.48-ton pickup truck with enough force to dent it and send an enemy soldier flying away upon impact. While Rogers' strength is rivalled by enhanced beings like Red Skull, Black Panther, Winter Soldier (with his natural arm), and Iron Man (in his early armors). He was surpassed by the likes of Winter Soldier via bionic arm, Corvus Glaive and Spider-Man, and was outclassed by Loki, Ultron, Iron Man (in his latest armors), Hulk, Thor and Thanos. Rogers' strength combined with his astonishingly effective muscle control, can greatly enhance his profound fighting skills, making him an incredibly formidable opponent. Rogers can overpower extraterrestrial troops with ease, being able to easily overpower several Chitauri soldiers, simultaneously lifting, throwing, and knocking them away with ease, even chopping their arms out with his shield. With his vibranium gauntlets, he was able to tear through the durable skin of Outriders and kill many of them, as well as robots. He was able to easily overpower many Ultron Sentries and rip them apart with his bare hands. Moreover, Rogers' experience of unarmed and armed combatants allows him to subdue those of equal strength, such as when Rogers successfully overpowered Winter Soldier by restraining him while firmly breaking his arm and leaving him unconscious after an extended period of choke-holding him, and successfully forcing him to drop the key. Later on, during Escape from the JCTC, Rogers was able to hold off Winter Soldier's cybernetic arm combined with his natural arm for a while, and using both of his hands to briefly hold himself against Winter Soldier's cybernetic arm before being overpowered and got punched through an elevator shaft. He can be strong enough to push back both Black Panther in his Panther Habit and War Machine with little difficulty, knocking Black Panther far away with a kick and grounding Rhodes in his armor while breaking his electro-staff, and later breaking out of Spider-Man's web and using it to pull Spider-Man to him and knocking him down repeatedly while holding back. With aid from Winter Soldier, Rogers was able to eventually overpower Iron Man in his Mark XLVI Armor by pummeling him and forcing him to be pinned down even when he had activated his repulsors mid-fight. He dismantled pieces of the armor and destroyed its arc reactor with a single blow from his shield with great effort. During this fight, Iron Man's suit recorded his punching power at 1,346.206 newtons (302.6 pounds of force). Rogers was able to hold himself against Loki long enough for Stark to help catch him. Rogers was able to hold himself against Ultron's second robotic body and even tossed him through a solid pillar, hold back Midnight's attempt to stab Black Widow, and contend against Glaive to enough degree to effectively block his blows, even tackling him by ramming against him and knocking him down with a strong punch from his vibranium gauntlets. Even most impressively, with all his strength fueling his determination, Rogers was able to hold his own against Thanos even though it only lasted for moments. Nevertheless, Rogers was able to slightly stagger Thanos with a few blows from his collapsible Wakandan Shields and exerted all of his maximum potential strength with both his arms to briefly halt Thanos from closing his Infinity Gauntlet hand with five Infinity Stones already inserted, though he was not nearly using his full strength, but this incredible feat of strength that eventually surprised Thanos, despite the fact he was completely unmatched for the Mad Titan. Later on, Rogers was able to make the Thanos slightly stumble with a kick to the head despite his helmet, and momentarily restrain Thanos hard enough to make him grunt in discomfort while he and Thor gradually pushed Stormbreaker to Thanos' head. They nearly succeeded in killing him and ultimately forced Thanos to use both hands to swiftly overpower him and Thor. After Michael Peterson moved a bulldozer in a far distance, he asked a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainer, who records the time, to see if he beat Rogers' time. The S.H.I.E.L.D. trainer replied, saying that Peterson was "not even close". In other words, Rogers was able to move a bulldozer much faster than Peterson himself.
* Enhanced Durability: The serum made Rogers incredibly durable. Though he is not bulletproof, he can survive extreme blunt force trauma, such as being hit with solid objects like his own shield, or contact with superhuman opponents like Loki, the Winter Soldier, and the Red Skull. With his Vibranium Shield, he is capable of surviving falls from immense heights that would definitely kill a normal human. Rogers has been tasered, shot, stabbed, caught in several explosions, and taken several beatings including being blasted off of a causeway into a city bus by a launched grenade. He even fell from the 30th floor of the Triskelion while using his shield with little discomfort, and survived a beating from the titanium arm of the Winter Soldier in the face multiple times. With his enhanced physiology, Rogers is able to recover in efficient time and continue fighting after taking powerful blows. Another example of his durability is when Rumlow tried to tase him with the Taser Rod, which he resisted for more than five seconds with endurable discomfort whereas ordinary humans would become unconscious almost immediately on contact. Rogers also dropped down to one of Project S.H.I.E.L.D. Insight's helicarrier from a considerable height without injury. Rogers was able to dive out of a Quinjet without a parachute into open water then swim all the way to the ship's anchor. He was able to survive both of Ultron's blasts and Iron Man's repulsors straight in the chest, as well as Wanda Maximoff's telekinetic bolts and a super-accelerated punch from Quicksilver, all without any noticeable damage whatsoever. Rogers was even able to withstand being telekinetically knocked away by Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet and quickly recover to stand against the Mad Titan for a while on his own. Even after being briefly incapacitated by a powerful punch from Thanos, who did not use his full strength. Nevertheless, Rogers was once again able to eventually get back up on his feet. He was later able to withstand powerful blows from 2014 Thanos, even without Mjølnir, with only some bleeding scars and critical bruises.
: "Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes.""I guess I got a late start."
: ―Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers[src]
* Enhanced Speed: Rogers can run and move at great speeds and even outrun speeding vehicles or cover a small area such as city blocks in seconds as well. Sam Wilson stated that Rogers ran thirteen miles in thirty minutes after their warm-up jogging. Even while completely unmatched, Rogers was quick enough to surprise Quicksilver before he got back up and briefly stun him with his shield. Similarly, while overwhelmed by Thanos, Rogers was able to surprise him enough to land three hits on him. At peak capacity, Rogers proves to be as fast as T'Challa, as during the Battle of Wakanda, when he ran at almost equal speeds with him when rushing towards the Outriders.
* Enhanced Agility: Rogers can coordinate his body with perfect balance, equilibrium, flexibility, and dexterity. While escaping the destruction of the HYDRA base that Bucky Barnes and the Howling Commandos were held captive in, Rogers was able to leap from one end of the complex to the other in order to escape. During his chase of the Winter Soldier, he was able to leap from the inside of his apartment into the building across the street. Rogers can leap over cars with simple running moves. Rogers can use his enhanced agility to perform amazing parkour and gymnastic moves that would be impossible for a normal human to accomplish.
: "I can do this all day."
: ―Captain America to Red Skull[src]
* Enhanced Stamina: Rogers' body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-inducing lactic acid in his muscles and his musculature produces fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human, granting him exceptional endurance and lung capacity, greater than that of normal humans. Rogers can exert himself at peak capacity for several hours without showing any sign of fatigue, allowing him to fight for long periods of time. Additionally, Rogers can hold his breath underwater for several minutes and will not lose breath or get exhausted due to his stamina extending to his lung capacity. Rogers was able to run for 13 miles without any noticeable sign of fatigue. Rogers was also able to hold his breath underwater to intercept Heinz Kruger in his miniature submarine for brief periods of time. Moreover, Rogers has a higher level of endurance than a normal human. It allows him to remain calm in stressful situations and able to endure high levels of pain.
* Enhanced Reflexes: Rogers' reflexes allow him to dodge rapid gunfire at close range and was once able to evade gunfire from a Quinjet's Gatling gun with ease as he was accelerating towards the airship on his motorcycle. Rogers' auto-reflexes allow him to easily dodge gunfire, and respond quickly to fast-paced combat soldiers which they subdued by him before they can even aim their weapons on him. He also quickly dodged the accelerated helicopter blades that were coming towards him after pulling down the helicopter that the brainwashed Winter Soldier was flying in. His immense reflexes can also be used to attack and counter instead of just defensive purposes, allowing him to punish attacks with devastating counters when fighting extraordinary quick opponents. Rogers was also able to easily catch Proxima Midnight's spear when it was hurled at him, and even had enough reflexes to stop Thanos' left hand, which was adorned by the Infinity Gauntlet, before it could hit him, and was able to react to the 2014 Thanos' attacks and block them with his shield.
* Enhanced Intelligence: Rogers' mental performance has been greatly enhanced to operate in the most efficient and rapid manner possible. Some manifestations of this are his exceptionally perfect charisma, eloquence, leadership skills, deductive skills, analytical skills, and tactical genius. Rogers has demonstrated the ability to quickly process multiple information streams and rapidly respond to any changing tactical situations by creating perfect winning strategies. Rogers possesses perfect memory as demonstrated when he was able to perfectly replicate the locations of all HYDRA bases on a map, despite "only getting a glance," as well as retain obscure details of his youth with Bucky Barnes even the latter could not. He also remembered what Barnes said to him after his mother's funeral 78 years earlier and repeated it to overcome the latter's brainwashing. It took him less than a minute to realize that his "recovery room" was a lie because he remembered the baseball game being broadcasted on the radio. Rogers is able to learn anything, such as memorize, understand, and recall all kinds of information and skills within short period of time much faster than normal humans. He was able to quickly master WWII-era armed force disciplines including intelligence gathering, espionage, escape arts, demolitions, survival, swimming, mountaineering, march, or drill skills, cartography, map reading, communications, and army vehicle skills. Moreover, even though he was unconscious, Rogers was able to recall the conversation S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had while they were defrosting him. Further evidence of his mental capacity enhancement is that he is able to anticipate the angle of deflection when his shield is thrown, when it deflects off of his target which can change from hard metal surfaces to yielding human bodies and still ensure that the shield returns to his hand. Even with his limited knowledge of modern technology, Rogers was still able to help Tony Stark repair a Helicarrier to prevent it from crashing, and help Hulk to set up their time travel apparatus, or when he quickly gave the Avengers and the first responders an efficient plan to minimize and contain damage to New York City from the Chitauri invasion. Rogers also quickly assimilated to modern culture through extensive reading and the internet. Since the Super Soldier Serum amplifies personality aspects as well, Rogers' brain chemistry is also altered. Though Rogers was brave, determined, and compassionate before, the serum has also amplified those character traits. Rogers can learn much faster than an ordinary human. For instance, he became highly proficient in using weapons such as Proxima Midnight's spear, Corvus Glaive's glaive, Loki's Scepter, Mjølnir, and Stormbreaker by quickly learning to use them within short period of time. Indeed, Rogers was the only Avenger who was able and worthy to lift Mjølnir, despite Thor's claims to the Guardians of the Galaxy that any attempts to lift a weapon of a similar type by one who is not worthy would result in their bodies crumbling and their minds simultaneously collapsing into madness.
: "Doctor Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells, create a protective system of regeneration and healing, which means, um... I can't get drunk. Did you know that?""Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person."
: ―Steve Rogers to Peggy Carter[src]
* Regenerative Healing Factor: The Super Soldier Serum granted Rogers' physiology an accelerated rate of healing and regeneration. Rogers is immune to earthly infections, diseases, and disorders as well as the inability to become intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, or impurities. Rogers' metabolic rate is able to withstand the consumption of Asgardian ale which was aged for a millennium in the barrels built from the wreck of Grunhel's fleet and deemed by Thor to not be intended for mortal men to drink. Thanks to his enhanced metabolism and immune system, Rogers was able to survive in sub-zero temperature over the course of seven decades. Rogers is capable of healing large cuts and bruises within hours and fatal gunshot wounds and fractures within several days. Rogers was able to regenerate from being shot in the stomach by a Chitauri gun directly in the abdomen in a matter of minutes. His injuries can heal and regenerate rapidly and perfectly without leaving a trace. Rogers is able to regain consciousness in a short amount of time after nearly dying. He is also immune to poisonous gas as during the Attack on the IFID Headquarters, when Rogers went into the building, he was completely unharmed from the poison effects whereas a terrorist soldier, whose gas mask was taken off by Rogers, was instantly suffering from the gas.
* Longevity: As a result of the Super Soldier Serum, Rogers ages much slower than the normal human, a trait he shares with fellow super soldiers like Bucky Barnes and Isaiah Bradley. This kept him alive and halted his aging while being frozen in ice and placed in a cryogenic state for nearly seventy years. After being in the modern day for twelve years, Rogers time traveled from 2023 back to the 1949 and lived for approximately seventy years, and upon his return to 2023 he appeared to be in his late 60s or early 70s, despite being biologically almost two hundred years old.
=== Former Powers ===
: "I knew it!"
: ―Thor[src]
* Mjølnir Capabilities: Rogers is worthy to hold Mjølnir. He nearly lifted the hammer at an Avengers afterparty, but stopped before he could in order to spare Thor's feelings, and finally lifted the hammer to stand up to Thanos during the Battle of Earth. Due to the enchantments placed on the mystic hammer, Rogers was given the ability to focus on Thor's abilities and take advantage of them to considerably increase his abilities. The hammer also allowed him to easily take advantage of the weather elements.
** Electricity Generation: While using Mjølnir, Rogers gained the ability to summon bolts of lightning from the surrounding horizon. In addition to being able to channel electricity on its own, Mjølnir can draw environmental electricity from the surrounding atmosphere and redirect it towards a specific goal, as Rogers was able to summon several bolts from the sky and briefly subdue Thanos with them. He also used the bolts during the battle against Thanos' army.
** Storm Manipulation: Like Thor, when Rogers wields Mjølnir, the clouds around him get darker and produce thunder as well as lightning which he used to strike Thanos and briefly gain the upper hand.
** Physical Augmentation: After becoming worthy of Mjølnir, all of Rogers' physical attributes such as his strength, speed, and durability were increased to incredible superhuman levels, as he was able to overtake and topple Thanos, outpacing his sword blow and knocking him down, and proceeded to land blows on Thanos that were strong enough to knock him over and hurt him, even damaging his helmet with the hammer and swiftly getting back up on his feet with no injuries upon being roughly slammed to the ground by Thanos, before being ultimately overpowered and disarmed of the hammer by the Mad Titan.
** Weapon Calling: Mjølnir obeyed Rogers' summons as though it was driven by a form of intelligence. Rogers didn't seem to have total control of this ability, as on at least one occasion, he accidentally summoned Stormbreaker instead.
=== Abilities ===
: "You can't beat him hand-to-hand."
: ―F.R.I.D.A.Y. to Iron Man[src]
* Master Martial Artist: Rogers is an extremely skilled and formidable hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, having extensive levels of knowledge of melee combat as well as being considerably experienced in combat operations, making him one of the most powerful and best fighters on the planet. He has mastered numerous martial arts such as muay Thai, boxing, Krav Maga, Taekwondo, savate, wushu, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, aikido, karate, and wing chun. Even in World War II, when he was still inexperienced, Captain America has already proven to be a skilled fighter, having used his knowledge of combat, his enhanced attributes, and shield to defeat hundreds of Nazi soldiers with ease and even Red Skull himself. After being defrosted in the 21st century, Rogers was quickly put into action again and remained as skilled as ever; he was able to stand against Loki in combat, holding him long enough for Iron Man to aid in arresting him, hold his own against an enraged Thor during their first encounter to standstill with aid of his shield, and also managed to defeat hordes of Chitauri aliens at the Battle of New York. When a police officer questioned why Rogers should take orders from him, the latter easily defeated several attacking Chitauri soldiers, inducing the impressed officer to follow his orders without question. When he joined S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogers received more extensive training and became even more skilled in hand-to-hand combats and martial artists, proving more than capable of defeating several armed pirates, soldiers of HYDRA, a dozen STRIKE agents while limited by the confined space of an elevator, as well as having Georges Batroc knocked out in a one-on-one fight with ease. Captain America had enough skill to evenly matched against opponents like Black Panther and Winter Soldier. He was able to fight on par against both Black Panther and War Machine at the same time, sometimes even gain the upper hand in their first fight, though it should be noted that Black Panther's vengeance and full intentions wasn't targeting on Rogers but instead Winter Soldier, and War Machine didn't use any lethal weapons but only used a non-lethal hammer to attack him. He was also able to equally fight against the notorious Winter Soldier in combat, being able to go toe-to-toe with him in their first fight and ultimately defeating the latter by putting him in a chokehold in their second fight, while their last fight ended in Barnes' victory due to Rogers being caught off guard. He was able to block most of Barnes' blows during all of their battles. He was also able to match and eventually defeat an armored Crossbones. Rogers can use his combat skills to hold his own against or even defeat considerably stronger opponents, with him swiftly beating the inexperienced Spider-Man while holding back. He held his own against and landed some hits on Loki, gave Ultron's second body a prolonged fight, and easily overwhelming Iron Man in hand-to-hand combat and forcing him to use F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s advanced combat analysis. Tony even needed to use his repulsors to overwhelm him briefly, and yet eventually still won against him with aid from Winter Soldier, who distracted Iron Man by grabbing onto his leg before getting hit. Rogers easily disarmed and competed against Corvus Glaive shortly before Glaive could gain the upper hand, and even ultimately managing to briefly hold his own alone against Thanos himself. Landing three punches on the Mad Titan in quick succession and just barely managing to stop a blow from Thanos, although he was quickly beaten, as well as later on holding off the 2014 Thanos long enough for Iron Man and Thor to prepare a coordinated attack. Rogers also managed to defeat hordes of Ultron Sentries during the Battle of Sokovia, best and kill many Outriders during the Battle of Wakanda, and numerous Chitauri, Sakaarans, and Outriders during the Battle of Earth. Furthermore, he ultimately defeated his 2012 counterpart by outwitting him in combat and using Loki's Scepter to subdue him.
: "That thing does not obey the laws of physics at all!"
: ―Spider-Man to Captain America[src]
* Shield Mastery: Rogers is extremely skilled at using his unique shield in combat, with years of training and experience in wielding it, as well as completely mastered its physical properties, allowing him to accomplish amazing feats with the item. Rogers is able to throw it with perfect aim, managing to slice Spider-Man's webbing with it mid-air. Rogers can hit multiple targets with the same throw by means of ricochet, and could even achieve a boomerang-like return effect, allowing him to strike enemies from behind or retrieve the shield without objects to ricochet from. Additionally, Rogers can perform combination techniques with his allies, such as allowing Thor to strike his shield to create a directed shockwave at HYDRA soldiers, jumping and catching his shield thrown by Hawkeye and throwing it at an Iron Legion Droid before landing on the ground, and allowing Thor to strike his shield's edge with his hammer to send it through multiple Ultron Sentries. He is also extremely skilled in using it in close combat to bash aside foes and block incoming attacks, even from extremely skilled weapon masters such as Thor with his hammer and even Thanos using his sword. Beside his own vibranium shield, Rogers' skill also applies to other different shields, as he was able to wield the Wakandan shields given to him for the Battle of Wakanda very expertly as blunt weapons, killing many Outriders and managing to combat and even disarm Corvus Glaive as well as even land a few hits on Thanos. Rogers can use his signature shield in conjunction with other weapons like Thor's hammer and Stormbreaker with equal, if not even greater effect. Rogers was even able to wield his shield effectively after it was broken by Thanos.
* Hammer Mastery: Rogers is highly skilled at using a hammer in combat. During the Battle of Earth, he has displayed outstanding skill with the mighty Asgardian war hammer Mjølnir, after he had been found worthy of wielding it, being able to briefly overtake Thanos, landing several vicious blows, and easily take down many Outriders with it. He was also able to throw it with extreme precision, accurately hit his shield after having previously thrown it to the air to generate a shockwave to stun Thanos.
: "Hey, Cap, heads-up! Throw it at this. Now!"
: ―Ant-Man to Captain America[src]
* Expert Marksman: Rogers is a skilled marksman, being able to throw projectile weaponry with extreme accuracy and is well-versed in the use of firearms like the military-issued Colt 1911 or the Thompson submachine gun during World War II and eventually modern firearms, picking up a Noveske N4 Diplomat and using it with ease. While he knew how to use the modern assault rifle, he was not used to it and missed his targets each time he fired. He even slipped from the platform he stood on when he caught in a hail of gunfire from the men that he was fighting on the Helicarrier, but managed to grab a wire to stay on the ship. Moreover, Rogers is extremely skilled in shield throwing, being able to throw his Vibranium shield with unerring accuracy. Rogers also shows expertise in knife throwing, as seen during the Battle in the Valkyrie, the Attack on the Helicarrier, and the Hijacking and Retaking of the Lemurian Star, being able to accurately hit his targets. During the Clash of the Avengers, Rogers accurately threw a miniaturized truck at one of Lang's Pym Particle Discs.
: "Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow."
: ―Iron Man to Captain America[src]
* Master Acrobat: Rogers' years of training and experience have made him an extremely skilled acrobat, gymnast, and aerialist, being able to fluidly dodge attacks from multiple directions using coordinated flips, twists, and sharp turns without losing balance. He often utilizes these talents in combat for both evasive and offensive purposes. Combined with his enhanced agility, Rogers has expertise in utilizing parkour and tricking flips in his attacks and takedowns.
: "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?""The last one is at Fort Meade. Behind three guarded gates and a 12-inch steel wall.""Shouldn't be a problem."
: ―Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson[src]
* Expert Spy: Aside from being a veteran soldier as well as one of the world's greatest combatants and martial artists, Rogers is highly skilled in espionage, intelligence gathering, stealth, infiltration, and sabotage. During World War II, Rogers and the Howling Commandos successfully raided several HYDRA bases, rescued allied POWs, and captured top HYDRA scientist, Dr. Arnim Zola. After being revived in the 21st century, despite his lack of knowledge of the current technologies, he managed to sneak around in the Helicarrier without getting caught and discovered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Tesseract-based weaponry. When Rogers received additional training from S.H.I.E.L.D., he became a highly accomplished spy in his own right. He participated in several black-ops missions with STRIKE and helped thwart the HYDRA Uprising. Rogers, Romanoff and Wilson easily infiltrated Fort Meade to retrieve the EXO-7 Falcon, despite it being protected by three guarded gates and a foot-long steel wall. He and Stark also successfully infiltrated Camp Lehigh. Rogers went in as "Captain Stevens," wearing standard army attire to blend in. They came out with the Tesseract and Pym Particles. He successfully evaded capture from authorities when he became a fugitive twice (during the HYDRA Uprising and Avengers Civil War). However, arguably Rogers' most impressive feat was breaking into an underwater highly secured prison, the Raft, and freeing his fellow Avengers with exceptional difficulty.
: "Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."
: ―Nick Fury to Captain America[src]
* Master Tactician: Rogers is an excellent strategist and tactical genius. He can formulate battle strategies and his brilliant tactical sense allows him to alter near any strategy to fit the changing needs of the situation. A prime example is when he formulated the plan to go in first by himself in "the front door" of Red Skull's hidden base. After taking out the Red Skull's defenses and feigning a surrender, the assault team and then the full force of the army came in and raided the base following Rogers' initial assault. His tactical brilliance also came into play during the Chitauri assault on New York, first in organizing first responders to protect the civilian population, and then re-deploying other members of the Avengers to best defend the city with their limited resources. While not as intelligent as Tony Stark or Bruce Banner nor possessing Clint Barton's keen awareness, Rogers frequently proved himself a quick study in battlefield situations being able to quickly ascertain details from minor actions. His bravery and determination further supplement this as he is willing to take even the riskiest of choices to stand a chance to win, a trait best exemplified when he was quickly able to deduce the HYDRA personnel in an elevator where they attacked him. He again demonstrated this skill when Thanos arrived in Wakanda, quickly realizing that the Infinity Gauntlet had to be clenched for access to its powers and bravely charging the Titan to hold his hand open. As seen during World War II and the Chitauri Invasion, Rogers has demonstrated impressive charisma and leadership skills. He was able to command respect from his fellow Avengers and the undying loyalty of his Howling Commandos. Rogers' extraordinary ability to not only inspire the nobility in others but also assess combat situations and come up with effective strategies made his fellow Avengers recognize him as the leader of their team. During the Chitauri attack on New York, Rogers focused on directing civilian authorities to keep the citizens safe and off the streets while the rest of the Avengers focused their efforts on taking out the Chitauri's military assets. Even when outnumbered by the forces of HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve was able to get Sam Wilson, Maria Hill, Natasha Romanoff, and even Nick Fury, along with the loyal agents within S.H.I.E.L.D. to fight back against HYDRA and stop Project Insight from being achieved. As a result, Rogers dealt HYDRA their first devastating blow in decades, since he fought against them in World War II.
* Artist: Before fighting in the War, Rogers took art classes at Auburndale Art School from 1937 to 1938. During the war and his tour, Rogers kept a notebook of his drawings that showed his discontent as a mascot. Peggy Carter even kept his drawing of himself as a monkey in her retirement home. After being defrosted, Rogers retained his artistic skills, as he vividly sketched Stark Tower on a napkin outside a restaurant.
* Pilot: Rogers has at least basic knowledge of aircraft piloting. In the 1940s, he crash-landed Red Skull's plane on the Arctic. After returning, he has the capability to fly a Quinjet.
: "Je croyais que tu étais plus qu'un bouclier.""On va voir."
: ―Georges Batroc and Captain America[src]
* Multilingualism: Rogers is fluent in his native English, as well as French, which he used to communicate with Georges Batroc. He can also understand Arabic.
== Equipment ==
=== Weapons ===
As a weapon of choice, Rogers uses a round shaped vibranium shield, which can be used as a throwing weapon and is able to absorb any kind of impact. Rogers has also been known to utilize various firearms.
: "I hear you're kinda attached?""It's handier than you might think."
: ―Howard Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
* USO Shield: The prop shield Rogers used during his campaign across United States of America, where he promoted the purchase of war bonds as "Captain America".
* Vibranium Shield: Rogers' primary weapon is his concave disk shield. The shield is about 2.5 feet in diameter, weighing 12 pounds painted in its familiar red-white-and-blue pattern with a five-pointed star design in its center, constructed by Howard Stark and made from Vibranium only. The vibranium composition allows the shield to absorb and reflect kinetic energy from impacts, therefore, making it nigh-indestructible. Nearly every kind of human weaponry cannot even dent it, as bullets normally bounce off it. The shield is also strong enough to combat magic and mystical weapons, such as Thor's hammer Mjølnir. It also withstood Iron Man's repulsors, deflecting them in a coordinated team attack. The shield's shape makes it a superb throwing weapon. It can cut through the air with minimal wind resistance. It is also able to bounce off solid objects, such as walls and floors, when struck on its edge and can be ricocheted off of multiple surfaces. It also makes a formidable and devastating hand-held weapon. Combined with Rogers' strength and combat skills, it enables him to plow through virtually any opponent. The vibranium in the shield also enables Rogers to withstand great falls and devastating blows that he couldn't otherwise. At the end of the Avengers Civil War, Rogers surrendered the shield to Tony Stark acknowledging that Howard Stark had made it and he had proven unworthy of it. However, its durability was finally put to the limit when fighting Thanos; after repeated strikes from the titan's double-blade, combined with Thanos' immense strength, eventually broke it in half.
* Colt M1911A1: Rogers was issued an M1911A1 as his sidearm during World War II. He took one of them in an unauthorized mission to liberate Bucky Barnes in a HYDRA facility in Austria, and continued to use it during the rest of the war, especially in his attacks against HYDRA all over Europe and the capture of Arnim Zola. The pistol is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
* M1 Garand: Rogers has issued an M1 Garand rifle for his training maneuvers in Camp Lehigh. However, he never used it for actual combat during World War II. The rifle is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
* M1921 Thompson: Before joining World War II, Rogers played a colorful character named Captain America in a series of live shows and films. In those films, he used an M1928A1 Thompson to attack Nazis and protect America, inspiring soldiers to join the United States Armed Forces and citizens to buy war bonds.
* Noveske N4 Diplomat: Captain America took one of these rifles from one of the mercenaries that attacked the Helicarrier, and used it to defend his position while helping Tony Stark to restart the aircraft's propellers.
* M67 Grenade: Rogers obtained a grenade from one of the HYDRA operatives patrolling one of the Project Insight Helicarriers, using it to attack a group of operatives while infiltrating the aircraft.
* Proxima Midnight's Spear: Rogers briefly used Proxima Midnight's weapon when rescuing Vision, catching it after Midnight threw it to him and quickly passing it to Black Widow so she could impale Corvus Glaive.
* Corvus Glaive's Glaive: Rogers temporarily used Corvus Glaive's weapon in combat with Proxima Midnight. Together with Black Widow, Rogers managed to disarm and defeat Midnight before they escaped. The glaive then was aspired back and also returned to the owner.
* Wakandan Shields: Rogers was given two-handed shields in Wakanda, capable of collapsing to be smaller and used as gauntlets for punching. The shield's points are incredibly sharp, creating an offensive weapon, being able to pierce the skin of Outriders. He used them to go against Thanos himself, even managing to strike him three times in quick succession.
* Scepter: During the Time Heist, Captain America stole the Scepter from the STRIKE team carrying it and convinced Jasper Sitwell that he had orders to take the Scepter after whispering "Hail HYDRA" to his ear. After stealing the Scepter, Captain America accidentally ran into his past self and engaged him in combat after the latter mistook him for Loki in disguise. Captain America defeated his past self by distracting him by informing him Bucky Barnes was alive and then knocked him out using the Scepter. Captain America then gave the Scepter to Ant-Man to return it to the present while he and Iron Man stayed in the past to steal the Space Stone.
* Mjølnir: During a party held to celebrate the capture of Baron Strucker, the Avengers took turns trying to lift Thor's hammer, during which Rogers was able to slightly budge it. Much later, during the final battle with Thanos, Rogers revealed that he was able to lift Mjølnir and wield it to great effect against Thanos. Thor was delighted, having been suspicious that Rogers had been worthy all along. He then used Mjølnir to incapacitate Thanos with hits and lightning until Rogers was overpowered and knocked back.
* Stormbreaker: Much like Mjølnir, Rogers was able to wield Stormbreaker in the final conflict with Thanos. However, his time with Stormbreaker was brief as Rogers summoned it by accident, giving it back to Thor at his request.
=== Other Equipment ===
: "If you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform."
: ―Steve Rogers[src]
* Uniform: Rogers and Howard Stark both designed the original suit he wore during the war. It was made of carbon polymer and it offers a medium level of resistance to gunfire. The helmet also served as a mask. It also allowed for a sidearm. The shield could be attached to the back. However, upon his reawakening and him joining the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., along with input from Phil Coulson, designed his new upgraded suit. It has more flexibility and mobility than his previous suit. The new suit carries a wireless communicator. The uniform was composed of a Nomex and Kevlar fiber. While it did not allow for him carrying a sidearm, nonetheless, it was bulletproof and fireproof. It could also withstand blunt force trauma and energy blasts from alien weaponry.
* Compass: A device that allows him to navigate easily, due to the fact that it indicates direction. On the inside, it contains a photo of Peggy Carter, specifically on the lid.
* Utility Belt: Captain America wears a utility belt containing tactical devices and equipment for battle.
* Grapple Device: A line cable firing device that automatically entangles a limb of a flying or fleeing culprit, thus preventing their escape. It is kept in Captain America's utility belt. Captain America used it on Iron Man when he was chasing Winter Soldier.
* Transmitter Pager: A communication device used by Nick Fury, an ordinary Earth pager modified by Carol Danvers using Kree technology for use as an instrument of last resort in extreme emergencies. Fury was eventually forced to use it in response to the Snap. It was found by the Avengers.
* Advanced Tech Suit: This suit was designed in order to time travel through the Quantum Realm safely. It is a white, red and black suit that materialize around the wearer's regular clothes, managing to be summoned when Time Travel is required again, and disappear when no longer in use. It has size-shifting adaptability down to subatomic levels and a wrist gadget that allows for displacement through time and space.
=== Vehicles ===
* Motorcycle: Rogers owned and used a Harley-Davidson WLA "Liberator" during his service in World War II. The motorcycle had several weapons and gadgets added to it for use in combat situations by Howard Stark and the SSR. After being frozen and revived in the modern age, Rogers continued using a modern model of a Harley-Davidson for both personal use and during active missions as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and as a member of the Avengers.
* Schnellzug EB912: On a mission in the Alps, Rogers and his team boarded the train to capture Arnim Zola. Rogers and Bucky Barnes were quickly cornered by a HYDRA goon. However, they were able to stop him. A second one caught Rogers off guard, leaving Barnes to fend for himself. Barnes was then shot out of the train. Rogers reached over to grab his hand, but the railing broke off, leaving Barnes to fall.
* Johann Schmidt's Coupe: Rogers used the Red Skull's car along Chester Phillips and Peggy Carter for chase the Valkyrie and board it.
* Valkyrie: Rogers made it on board the ship to stop Red Skull. He found bombs going to different cities. He made his way to the cockpit and fought Red Skull until the enemy picked up the Tesseract, leaving him to be teleported. Rogers got to the controls and decided he needed to crash it. He called Peggy Carter and had one final chat with her until he forced it down into the ice where he stayed frozen for almost 70 years.
** HYDRA Parasit: Rogers found these Parasits on the Valkyrie and noticed they were carrying bombs to various cities. Rogers climbed on top of one before it lifted off. Rogers was able to send a HYDRA soldier through the propellers and then ejected the other one out of its seat. He then steered the parasit back into the Valkyrie where he crashlanded it.
* Quinjet: Rogers flew in the quinjet on many occasions. He was first escorted to the Helicarrier by Phil Coulson, then he flew with Natasha Romanoff to Stuttgart to stop Loki. When the quinjet was intercepted by Loki's brother Thor, Rogers jumped out after them along with Iron Man. Rogers used the quinjet to fly to the Battle of New York. He also used a Quinjet during his time on the run, using one to reach Parkhar to fight the Needle.
* Helicarrier: Coulson first brought Rogers to the Helicarrier to meet the rest of the Avengers. Romanoff then showed Rogers and Bruce Banner around.
* Lemurian Star: Rogers tagged along with Black Widow on a STRIKE team mission to retake the Lemurian Star. His objective was to rescue the hostages and help regain control of the ship. While he was successful, Rogers later found it was all just a cover so Romanoff could retrieve the algorithm for Project Insight.
* Benatar: On a mission to get the Infinity Stones back from Thanos, the Avengers left Earth in the Benatar.
== Facilities ==
* Rogers Residence: Rogers lived in this house during his childhood. His mother eventually passed away, leaving him by himself. While walking back from the funeral with Bucky Barnes, Rogers misplaced the key, but it was found by his best friend.
* George Washington High School: Rogers attended this high school for 4 years.
* Auburndale Art School: Rogers and Bucky Barnes went to art school. One day, a man came in announcing that Pearl Harbor was attacked. The two young adults decided to enlist in the army.
* Camp Lehigh: Rogers stayed at the camp during Project Rebirth. He trained a lot for the project and once it worked, he was able to leave. In 2014, Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were led to the camp via flash drive. There, they found Arnim Zola who transferred his consciousness to a computer. Zola distracted them until a missile bombed the camp. However, Rogers and Romanoff escaped before the HYDRA team arrived.
* Strategic Scientific Reserve Brooklyn Facility: Rogers took the Super Soldier Serum in this facility. The serum turned into a super soldier and he gained many abilities. HYDRA spy, Heinz Kruger then blew up the room and shot Abraham Erskine. Rogers chased him out of the building.
* Austrian HYDRA Weapons Facility: As Captain America, Rogers liberated many allies of war by infiltrating the facility.
* Strategic Scientific Reserve Headquarters: During the war, Rogers resided in the headquarters to discuss plans to take down HYDRA. He found his shield in the headquarters as well.
* HYDRA Headquarters: To try to stop Red Skull, Captain America and his army infiltrated the headquarters. Rogers decided to purposefully get caught to get in. He then met with Red Skull who punched him. The Howling Commandos then broke through the windows and freed Rogers. Captain America then chased Red Skull down the runway and jumped onto the Valkyrie.
: "What is this place?""It's a safe house for people with powers. Rogers even spent a few weeks here after he defrosted."
: ―Skye and Phil Coulson[src]
* Retreat: After Rogers was awakened from his sixty-six-year cryosleep, he spent a few weeks at the Retreat to readjust to his new environment.
* Triskelion: Rogers was primarily at the Triskelion during his S.H.I.E.L.D. days. He had an argument with Nick Fury in his office as well as a talk with Alexander Pierce. He was attacked by STRIKE in an elevator and took down HYDRA at the Triskelion, destroying it in the process.
* Steve Rogers' Apartment: In 2014, Rogers lived in an apartment in Washington, D.C.. One of his neighbors was an agent sent by S.H.I.E.L.D. to watch over him, and may have saved Nick Fury's life after he was shot in Rogers' apartment as part of a series of attempted assassinations on his life.
* Sam Wilson's Apartment: Seeking shelter from the people trying to kill them, Rogers and Romanoff went to Sam Wilson's apartment and asked for aid. The two got to wash themselves, eat, and plan their next steps. After talking with Wilson at the apartment, Rogers let him tag along on their mission.
* S.H.I.E.L.D. Dam Facility: After faking his death, Nick Fury met with Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Sam Wilson where they discussed a plan to take down HYDRA.
* HYDRA Research Base: The Avengers obtained the Scepter and took down this HYDRA base. However, Wanda Maximoff made Tony Stark see a vision that led him to want to create Ultron.
* Avengers Tower: Following the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark decided to fund the Avengers, redesigning Stark Tower as a new headquarters for the team. After retrieving Loki's Scepter, the Avengers held a party at the tower, which fell under attack by a newly-created Ultron. The Avengers then proceeded to search for Ultron in the tower, going through their files until they came across Ulysses Klaue. After the Battle of Seoul Steve returned to the Avengers Tower with Maximoff's twins, to warn the Avengers about Ultron's plan. After witnessing the birth of Vision, Steve made a battle plan for Battle of Sokovia.
* Clint Barton's Homestead: When Hulk rampaged through a small town, the Avengers went off the grid at Clint Barton's home that was off of S.H.I.E.L.D. databases.
* Avengers Compound: After the Ultron Offensive, the Avengers relocated their base of operations to a facility upstate. After most of the team left, Steve and Romanoff invited War Machine, Falcon, Wanda Maximoff and Vision as new members of the team.
* HYDRA Siberian Facility: Rogers and Bucky Barnes went to the facility to stop the Winter Soldiers despite the ongoing Avengers Civil War. Iron Man arrived to help, but soon found out the Barnes killed his parents. Iron Man then fought Rogers and Barnes until the duo defeated him and left.
* Raft: Rogers broke into the Raft in order to free his team.
* Wakanda Medical Center: Rogers brought Bucky Barnes to Wakanda so that Shuri could treat his mind control and get rid of the Winter Soldier.
* Thanos' Farm: Rogers and the Avengers arrived on Thanos' farm to get the Infinity Stones and bring everyone back. However, Thanos destroyed the stones, prompting Thor to kill Thanos.
== Relationships ==
=== Family ===
* Joseph Rogers † - Father
* Sarah Rogers † - Mother
* Peggy Carter † - Wife
=== Allies ===
* Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier - Best Friend, Former Attempted Killer (while under HYDRA control) and Savior
* Dolores
* Bonnie - Former Date
* Connie
* United States Army
** Chester Phillips † - Former Superior
** Michael Duffy
** Dwight D. Eisenhower † - Former Superior
** James Donovan
** Buck
** 107th Infantry Regiment
*** Gilmore Hodge
** Peggy Carter's Husband
** Seventh United States Army
* Peggy Carter † - Former Love Interest
* SSR
** Abraham Erskine †
** Howard Stark † - Friend
** Norris Roux
** Lorraine
* Brandt
* USO
* Howling Commandos - Former Teammates
** Dum Dum Dugan
** Gabe Jones
** Jacques Dernier †
** James Montgomery Falsworth †
** Jim Morita †
* Beth
* Watcher Informant
* S.H.I.E.L.D. (First Incarnation) - Former Colleagues
** Phil Coulson †
** Agent Code 13
** Galaga Guy
** Tyler
** Lillian
** Kristen
** Moore
* German Old Man
* Avengers - Former Teammates and Friends
** Tony Stark/Iron Man † - Close Friend and Temporary Enemy
** Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow † - Close Friend and Former Colleague
** Bruce Banner/Hulk
** Thor
** Clint Barton/Hawkeye
** Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch † - Former Enthraller and Trainee
** Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver † - Former Enemy
** Vision † - Temporary Enemy
** James Rhodes/War Machine - Temporary Enemy
** Sam Wilson/Falcon - Close Friend and Successor
** Scott Lang/Ant-Man - Fan
** Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Fan and Temporary Enemy
** Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
* New York City Police Department
** Silva
** Saunders †
* Erik Selvig
* Sana Amanat
* Aaron
* J.A.R.V.I.S.
* Helen Cho
* Laura Barton
* Cooper Barton
* Lila Barton
* Sokovian Police Department
* Nick Fury's Crew
** Nick Fury - Former Superior
** Maria Hill † - Former Superior
** Cameron Klein
* Zrinka
* Costel
* CIA
** Sharon Carter - Former Love Interest
** Everett Ross
* Golden Tribe
** T'Challa/Black Panther † - Temporary Enemy and Friend
** Shuri
* Dora Milaje
** Okoye
** Ayo
** Nomble
** Yama
* Wakandan Royal Guard
* Jabari Tribe
** M'Baku
* Border Tribe
* Guardians of the Galaxy
** Peter Quill/Star-Lord
** Rocket Raccoon - Former Teammate
** Groot
** Nebula - Former Teammate
** Drax the Destroyer
** Mantis
* Stark Industries
** Pepper Potts/Rescue
** Happy Hogan
* Brooklyn Support Group
** Jimmy
** Bobby
* Morgan Stark
* Masters of the Mystic Arts
** Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange
** Wong
* Brunnhilde/Valkyrie
* Warsong
* Korg
* Miek
* Einherjar
* Ravagers
** Kraglin Obfonteri
* Howard the Duck
* Hope van Dyne/Wasp
* Gamora
* Thaddeus Ross - Former Enemy
* Masters of the Mystic Arts
** Ancient One
* Johann Schmidt/Red Skull	
=== Enemies ===
* Loud Jerk
* Wehrmacht
** Adolf Hitler †
* Schutzstaffel
* HYDRA
** Johann Schmidt/Red Skull
** Alexander Pierce † - Former Superior
** Wolfgang von Strucker/Baron Strucker †
** Arnim Zola †
** Heinz Kruger †
** Jasper Sitwell †
** Jack Rollins
** Russo †
** Wonsik †
** Bobbitt †
** Jensen
** List †
** Ultimo †
* Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian - Rival
* Loki † - Attempted Killer and Impersonator
* Chitauri
** Leviathans
** Chitauri Gorillas
* Baker
* Wilson
* Cadre
* Georges Batroc †
* Gerald Durand
* Ferdinand Lopez
* Brock Rumlow/Crossbones † - Former Colleague and Attempted Killer
* Ultron †
** Ultron Sentries †
* Ulysses Klaue †
* Klaue's Mercenary
* GSG 9 - Situational Enemies
* Joint Counter Terrorist Centre - Situational Enemies
* Helmut Zemo/Baron Zemo
* Needle
* ISIS
* Black Order
** Corvus Glaive †
** Proxima Midnight †
** Cull Obsidian †
* Outriders
* Thanos †
* HYDRA
** Jasper Sitwell
** Brock Rumlow
** Jack Rollins
* Avengers - Situational Enemies
** Steve Rogers/Captain America - Alternate Self
** Bruce Banner/Hulk
* S.H.I.E.L.D. - Situational Enemies
** Hank Pym
** Phyllis Jenkins
* United States Army - Situational Enemies
** Chesler
* Nebula †
* Thanos † - Attempted Killer
* Black Order
** Ebony Maw †
** Cull Obsidian †
** Proxima Midnight †
** Corvus Glaive †
* Sakaarans
== Trivia ==
* Rogers is 6'2" and weighs 240 lbs.
* According to Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America/Steve Rogers is primarily based on the 616 mainstream comics version of the character. However, unlike the 616 comics Steve Rogers, whose Super Soldier Serum enhanced him to peak human levels, the MCU's Steve Rogers gained superhuman abilities from the serum, much like the Ultimate comics version of the character. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Captain America's date of birth is listed as July 4, 1918, the mainstream comics version's date of birth is July 4, 1922.
* According to Anthony and Joe Russo, Rogers' travel to the 1940s at the end of Avengers: Endgame created an alternate timeline, where he lived out a life with Peggy Carter, eventually traveling back to the prime timeline in his old age. However, screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely gave a contradictory explanation, stating that Rogers did not create an alternate timeline, but rather traveled to the past of the same timeline, meaning that his life with Peggy Carter meant he had always been her husband in the original timeline, as well as the father of her two children.
* In the comics, Rogers originally drinks the Super Soldier formula, while in the movie Rogers is transformed into Captain America through injections and radiation, designed by Abraham Erskine and Howard Stark.
* Rogers' phone number is 678-136-7092.
* Although it is not shown, during the events of Avengers: Endgame, Rogers traveled to Asgard in order to return the Reality Stone and Mjølnir. That makes him the third known human after Jane Foster and Bruce Banner to visit Asgard.
* Trevor Slattery has a tattoo of Captain America's shield on his neck, but instead of a star in the middle of the circles, is the symbol for anarchy.
* Method Man mentioned Captain America in his song "Bulletproof Love" in the Luke Cage episode Soliloquy of Chaos.
* The helmet he wears on his first mission is a homage to the Ultimate Universe WWII Captain America's helmet.
* His triangular shield is based on the character's original shield, as well as the Ultimate version.
* In the comics, Rogers has been shown to be worthy of wielding Mjølnir on four separate occasions, such as Thor #390, Fear Itself #7, Secret Empire #10, and Avengers Volume 8 #28. Rogers' Earth-93074 counterpart is also worthy, as well as his daughter from Earth-9811.
* In Avengers: Endgame, when Rogers attempts to get the Scepter from Jasper Sitwell, he says, "hail HYDRA," similar to what Steve Rogers said in the Secret Empire series in the comics, when it is revealed that Captain America was a sleeper agent for HYDRA after Red Skull rewrote reality.
== Behind the Scenes ==
* According to Anthony and Joe Russo, they had considered making Steve Rogers the living incarnation of the Soul Stone.
* Though Chris Evans nearly turned down the role of Captain America, his close friend Robert Downey, Jr. convinced Evans to play the character.
* Before Evans was cast as Captain America, Sam Worthington and Will Smith were in early talks for the role of Captain America. Later on Garrett Hedlund, Channing Tatum, Scott Porter, Mike Vogel, Sebastian Stan, Wilson Bethel, John Krasinski, Michael Cassidy, Chace Crawford, Wyatt Russell, and Jensen Ackles were on the final shortlist for the role.
* In an alternate opening to The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner is attempting to commit suicide on top of a glacier, instead transforming into Hulk before he can do it, smashing the glacier. A freeze frame shot of the crumbling glacier shows Captain America in the ice, although this contradicts the canon, as Captain America was frozen within the Valkyrie.
* Captain America has the most screen-time in Avengers: Age of Ultron with over fifty minutes.
* Starting with his introduction in 2011, Captain America (and his actor Chris Evans) appeared in at least one film per year during the The Infinity Saga: Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011, The Avengers in 2012, Thor: The Dark World in 2013, Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man in 2015, Captain America: Civil War in 2016, Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, and Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
** It should be noted in Thor: The Dark World, it was not actually Captain America, but Loki taking on the form of Captain America.
* Chris Evans was uncredited for his appearances in Ant-Man and Captain Marvel.
* Patrick Gorman was a double for Chris Evans when Steve Rogers appears as an old man in his final scene in Avengers: Endgame.
* Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the fourth live-action incarnation of the character, following incarnations portrayed by Dick Purcell, Reb Brown, and Matt Salinger.
** Ironically, the sequences in Captain America: The First Avenger where Rogers shoots one of the Captain America films and watches one of them is a nod to the 1944 serial with Dick Purcell in the role.
*** Among many differences, however, the most notable is that Purcell's portrayal of the character is a district attorney named Grant Gardner.
* Daniel Awde, Michael Byrch, Paul Hanks, Adam Hart, Mike Lambert, Jan Petrina, Ben Wright, Sam Hargrave, Levi Meeuwenberg, Chris Brewster, Daniel Hargrave, Bobby Holland Hanton, Andy Lister, Jack Gill, Adrian Hein, Greg Rementer, Jackson Spidell, and Jason Charles Hill were stunt doubles for Chris Evans in the role of Captain America.
* Jason Horwood, Bill McAdams Jr., Brent McGee and Travis Ruhland were stand-ins for Chris Evans in the role of Captain America.
== References ==
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Steve Rogers.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Steve Rogers.
# ↑ Jump up to:1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 Captain America: The First Avenger
# ↑ Collider on Instagram - April 9, 2018
# ↑ Jump up to:3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 The Avengers
# ↑ The Art of Captain America: The First Avenger
# ↑ Jump up to:5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
# ↑ Jump up to:6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Avengers: Endgame
# ↑ Steve Rogers' Denied Enlistment Form
# ↑ Jump up to:8.0 8.1 Steve Rogers' S.H.I.E.L.D. file
# ↑ The SSR's medical records for Steve Rogers from Captain America: The First Avenger
# ↑ Steve Rogers' dog tags
# ↑ Jump up to:11.0 11.1 11.2 Captain America: First Vengeance
# ↑ Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - Captain America: The First Avenger
# ↑ Jump up to:13.0 13.1 13.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. Files
# ↑ Jump up to:14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 Captain America: Civil War
# ↑ Jump up to:15.0 15.1 Agent Carter: 1.04: The Blitzkrieg Button
# ↑ Jump up to:16.0 16.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1.10: The Bridge
# ↑ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: 1.01: A Normal Amount of Rage
# ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger - Deleted Scene
# ↑ The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative
# ↑ Agent Carter: 1.02: Bridge and Tunnel
# ↑ Agent Carter: 1.08: Valediction
# ↑ The Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week
# ↑ Jump up to:23.0 23.1 The Wakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond
# ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.14: Love in the Time of HYDRA
# ↑ The Avengers - Extended Scene
# ↑ Iron Man 3 Prelude
# ↑ Spider-Man: Homecoming
# ↑ Captain America: Homecoming
# ↑ Captain America: The Winter Soldier Prelude
# ↑ Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Extended Scene
# ↑ Jump up to:31.0 31.1 Avengers: Operation HYDRA
# ↑ Jump up to:32.00 32.01 32.02 32.03 32.04 32.05 32.06 32.07 32.08 32.09 32.10 32.11 32.12 32.13 32.14 32.15 32.16 32.17 Avengers: Age of Ultron
# ↑ Jump up to:33.0 33.1 Kevin Feige's Reddit AMA
# ↑ Avengers: Age of Ultron - Deleted Scene
# ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.20: Scars
# ↑ Jump up to:36.0 36.1 36.2 Avengers: Infinity War: The Heroes' Journey
# ↑ Captain America: Road to War
# ↑ Captain America: Civil War - Deleted Scene
# ↑ Ant-Man Post-credits Scene
# ↑ Jump up to:40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 40.5 Avengers: Infinity War Prelude
# ↑ Jump up to:41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 Avengers: Infinity War
# ↑ Black Panther
# ↑ Infinity War Directors Answer The Fans' 18 Biggest Questions
# ↑ Jump up to:44.0 44.1 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.01: New World Order
# ↑ Captain Marvel Prelude
# ↑ Captain Marvel
# ↑ Secret Invasion: 1.05: Harvest
# ↑ Secret Invasion: 1.06: Home
# ↑ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.05: Truth
# ↑ Jump up to:50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 Joe Russo's Q&A about the plot of Avengers: Endgame in China
# ↑ Look Out for the Little Guy!
# ↑ Spider-Man: No Way Home
# ↑ Hawkeye: 1.01: Never Meet Your Heroes
# ↑ Ms. Marvel: 1.01: Generation Why
# ↑ Internet Movie Cars Database - Captain America: Civil War
# ↑ Marvel Studios: Character Encyclopedia
# ↑ Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary
# ↑ 'Avengers: Endgame' Writers Take on Biggest Fan Theories
# ↑ Russo Brothers on Twitter - Apr 27, 2020
== External Links ==
* Steve Rogers on Marvel Database
* Steve Rogers on Wikipedia
* Steve Rogers on Wikipedia
* Steve Rogers on Marvel Website