Captain America is a hero that other heroes (and some villains) can look up to. But Cap’s idol is none other than New York’s own Spider-Man.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Captain America/Iron Man #5, now on sale.
The Marvel Universe is filled with heroes that are considered iconic both in and out of the canon. The best example of this is Captain America, who started in World War II as a beacon of freedom for the world as he fought the Nazis and the deadly villain known as the Red Skull. Because of his heroism, sacrifice and subsequent revival from his icy grave by the Avengers have all contributed to building his myth. But even someone as believed as Captain America has heroes he’s looked up to, and one of the best examples of this is none other than Spider-Man.
In Captain America/Iron Man #5 (by Derek Landy, Angel Unzueta, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Joe Caramagna), Cap and Iron Man take on Veronica Eden, an aspiring Hydra Supreme who wanted to enact a plan that would eventually lead to the eradication of heroes and villains in the world, theoretically leading to a better tomorrow. To do that, she manipulated a group of heroes known as the Paladins who wanted nothing more than to make it big. But rather than be heroes, they fell into villainy, willing to conduct a murder of one of their own for recognition. But during their final battle, Cap gave them a fight they wouldn’t soon forget.
During the battle with the Paladins, Cap cited the importance of having power and the responsibility that came with it. He stated, “Not everyone with a power has the necessary sense of responsibility.” He mentioned that between the jokes and swinging, there was a young man who could show them that if they chose to spend a day with him. However, that day wouldn’t come as they had already chosen their side. Over the years, Spider-Man grew from being a standoffish loner to more of a team player. While he didn’t always trust his fellow heroes and vice versa, his actions always spoke louder.
Since the beginning, Spidey has always been one of the first to run into the fire and was willing to die if it meant just one more life could be saved. These actions spoke to Captain America across the multiverse. A great example of his admiration towards Spidey could even be seen in the Ultimate Universe, where Peter took a bullet for Cap, and he later told Peter that he would likely be the best hero out of all of them one day. It may be one example, but it served as a foundation for just how much respect Cap has had for the young hero over the years, even though he’s never seen his face.
Another example of his admiration for the wall-crawler could even be seen in the New Avengers series by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch when Peter swung all the way to The Raft to help stop a breakout of supervillains. Although he nearly died in the process, his actions put him on Cap’s radar and earned him a place on the new Avengers roster. It’s not easy to see why Captain America had liked Spider-Man over the years, but when seeing the big picture of the Marvel Universe, it’s obvious.
Captain America was a hero of a bygone era that held the values the world would always need. However, since he wears a flag as a suit, it’s made him more enemies just on that basis alone. But he likely saw Spider-Man as the Cap of this era. A hero from the streets, like him, was given a gift and knew the weight that gift carried. He isn’t fighting for a belief the same way as Cap, but he has always fought for even the smallest voices to be heard. Cap has seen Spidey at his best and has always known that responsibility is something he values, and more than any hero, he probably sees more of himself in Spidey than he’d admit.
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