As the leader of the Avengers, Captain America has fought alongside countless Marvel heroes, but he only considers three of them his equals in combat – and his picks of Black Panther, Nick Fury, and the Punisher will surprise many readers. Especially notable is the omission of Wolverine, but according to Captain America, only these three heroes are on his level.
1996's Captain America: The Legend – written by Mark Gruenwald, with art by Jason Franzone – cataloged the greatest moments from the hero's history, covering everything fans would want to know about Captain America's adventures across the decades.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this book was Captain America naming the villains he considers to be a Thanos-level threat. The other interesting bit was Captain America naming the three heroes that he considers to be on the same level as himself – and it's astounding who Captain America picked, as iconic names like Wolverine didn't make the cut.
Captain America Names The Three Marvel Heroes In His "Weight Class": Nick Fury, Punisher, & Black Panther
Captain America: The Legend – Written By Mark Gruenwald; Art By Jason Franzone, Comicraft & Paul Becton
In Captain America: The Legend, Cap separates his enemies and allies into different categories: augmented strength and moderately skilled, augmented strength, limited skills, and peak human strength and highly skilled. Captain America claims that he belongs to the latter, and so do the three surprising picks of Black Panther, Nick Fury, and Punisher. Captain America claims that these three are exactly equal to him. While characters like Nick Fury and Black Panther make sense, including the Punisher is especially surprising.
Related
This MCU Hero Just Unlocked the Maximum Power of Captain America's Shield
The incredible Monica Rambeau, the heroic Photon, just used Captain America's shield in a truly innovate way, unlocking it's maximum power.
It is no surprise, at least, that Captain America would include Black Panther. T'Challa is one of the greatest fighters on Earth, and thanks to the Heart-Shaped Herb of Wakanda, his body has been pushed to the absolute limit. T'Challa's strength, speed, and durability is at the highest possible level it could be without becoming truly superhuman. This puts him on the exact same level as Captain America thanks to Steve's Super Soldier Serum. While T'Challa seems obvious, the other two are just a bit more surprising.
Captain America's Designation Of Nick Fury & Punisher As Being His Equals Surprised Many Readers
Kicking Off Decades Of Debate
Nick Fury is a bit of a surprising pick, as he rarely tends to get directly involved in fights, Yet this doesn't change the fact that when he needs to jump into the frey, there's almost no one who can stand against his skills. Captain America is known as one of the finest unarmed fighters in the Marvel Universe, and Nick Fury has managed to hone his skills over decades and can keep up with Steve. While Fury doesn't put his skills to use often, there's no denying just how dangerous he is.
There's no denying that Frank Castle is an incredible hand-to-hand combatant, and it's hard to believe that Steve wouldn't hold some level of respect for Frank, considering that they're both war heroes.
The most surprising inclusion, though, is that of Frank Castle. It's no secret that Captain America doesn't respect the Punisher. During the events of Civil War, when Steve recruited just about anyone to defeat Iron Man, he still refused to work with Frank, even threatening to take Frank down himself. Still, there's no denying that Frank Castle is an incredible hand-to-hand combatant, and it's hard to believe that Steve wouldn't hold some level of respect for Frank, considering that they're both war heroes. While Steve can disagree with Frank's methods, there's no denying that he's good at what he does.
If Anyone Is An Authority On Marvel's Best Hand-To-Hand Fighters, It Is Captain America
His Opinion Carries Weight
If anyone in the Marvel Universe can be considered an authoritative perspective on best fighters – heroic and villainous – in the world, it is Captain America. More than just a trained Supersoldier and experienced fighter, he is also a consummate leader, meaning he has an astute capability to judge the best qualities of other individuals. By naming Nick Fury, Black Panther, and even the Punisher as his equals, Captain America officially elevates them to his level, even if in the case of Frank Castle it is begrudging.
While Captain America may not agree with everything these characters stand for, he can't deny that they're on the exact same skill level as he is.
Captain America is a fantastic hand-to-hand fighter and there simply aren't that many people on his level. There are tons of fighters in the Marvel Universe, and some of the greatest got their training directly from Captain America. But these three characters are different. Black Panther, Nick Fury, and the Punisher have all reached the peak of physical human condition and have the fighting skills to really put that strength to use. While Captain America may not agree with everything these characters stand for, he can't deny that they're on the exact same skill level as he is.
Captain America: The Legend is available now from Marvel Comics!
Captain America
Initially debuting in 1940, Captain America is the patriotically themed superhero who has shared the title with only a few individuals. Beginning with Steve Rogers, Captain America's birth resulted from a frail man taking part in an experimental U.S. Army super-soldier trial, which imbued him with super-human abilities. The character is often depicted wielding a nigh unbreakable and aerodynamic shield made of vibranium that they use to defend and attack their foes.
English (US) ·