In the MCU, superheroes of all kinds crossed paths and made friendships to form the mighty Avengers team, and Captain America, or Steve Rogers, was the first superhero to face the forces of evil. During the height of World War II, Steve Rogers gained a powerful body to match his heart of gold and his nerves of steel, and he's fighting once again in the 21st century with new allies.
In many ways, Captain America has proven why he was chosen to gain the Super Soldier serum and represent the free world with his star-spangled outfit and indestructible shield, but still, he is only human after all. Once in a while, he might fall short, but he'll always redeem himself again before too long.
10 Best Avenger: Rescuing The POWs Alone
In the year 1943, the Allies were slowly pushing their way through fascist Italy, and it was a grueling campaign. Captain America was on the scene, and he heard that a platoon of American troops had been taken prisoner by the forces of HYDRA. And no one was coming to their rescue.
So, Steve grabbed his costume and shield, and flew to the HYDRA base and stormed it alone. Single-handedly, he freed the POWs and led them in an armed revolt, and he led them all back to friendly lines with st0len enemy vehicles and weapons.
9 Worst Avenger: Struggling To Blend In
Steve Rogers is brave and daring, and he's a good leader. But he's not a master spy, like James Bond. Instead, the Avengers rely on Natasha Romanoff, or Black Widow, to take care of the subtler missions. And there was a time when Natasha and Steve needed to hide from HYDRA in plain sight, or else.
Steve would have been caught if it weren't for Natasha helping him hide, and he nearly blew their cover a few times. In all fairness, Steve wasn't trained for this, but Natasha was still a bit frustrated at Steve's lack of preparedness.
8 Best Avenger: Lifting Thor's Hammer
Fortunately for Captain America, his best scenes definitely outshine his worst moments. For example, in The Avengers: Endgame, the surviving Avengers went back in time to face the mad Thanos once again, and the mighty Thor was struggling to defeat him.
That was when Captain America shocked everyone by wielding the great hammer Mjolnir and proving himself worthy. With the hammer and his shield, Steve Rogers, the skinny kid from Brooklyn, challenged the universe's greatest villain on equal terms.
7 Worst Avenger: Leaving Tony Behind
During the events of Captain America: Civil War, both Steve Rogers and Tony Stark said and did some things that they definitely should not have. A horrible truth came to light: that Steve's friend, Bucky Barnes, and killed Tony's parents.
Iron Man and Captain America came to blows, but most important was the deep wound in Tony's heart (and not because of shrapnel). When Captain America won the duel, he just left, while he should have at least tried to find a way to support his hurting friend. Instead, he left a grieving Tony all on his own.
6 Best Avenger: Led NYC Defenses
During the climax of The Avenger, the villainous Loki had summoned an army of Chitauri aliens, and they were rampaging across New York City. The Avengers soon assembled, but they (and the city's own first responders) need a leader to organize the defense.
Captain America was that leader, and he pulled it off magnificently. He helped coordinate his fellow superheroes, and he helped move the firefighters, EMT crews, and police officers around the city so they could rescue and evacuate the civilians there.
5 Worst Avenger: Still Not Talking To Tony
The rift between Captain America and Iron Man proved to be a deep one, and when Captain America coldly walked away from Tony, he stayed away. By the time Thanos was launching his own invasion of the Earth, these two Avengers were still in "I'm not talking to you" mode.
As Bruce Banner correctly pointed out, this was not the time for mutual grudges, and as a charismatic leader, Steve could and should have tried to reconcile himself with Iron Man, at least for the sake of Earth's defenses. But he didn't.
4 Best Avenger: Didn't Give Up On Bucky
At least Steve Rogers doesn't give up on all of his friends. His good friend Bucky Barnes was captured by HYDRA in World War II and ended up in the hands of the Soviet Union, and he was transformed into the Winter Soldier, an enemy of the United States and the Avengers.
But when Steve faced his old friend, he refused to just kill Bucky, even with the world at stake. Steve believed in him, and he risked his (and everyone else's) life to bring Bucky back and free him from HYDRA's control. And it worked. Bucky deserves better than to be a puppet.
3 Worst Avenger: Being Defiant To Tony
Clearly, Iron Man and Captain America brought out the worst in each other when their civil war feud began after the Sokovia Accords were drafted. Tony and Steve began to snipe at each other and spite each other to their faces, and it reached a head when they met once again at an airport in Germany.
It's one thing for Tony to be abrasive and self-centered; that's just his personality. But the charismatic and kind Captain America could have set a better example and tried harder to get Tony to see his way and understand his position. Instead, he threw everything Tony said back in his face.
2 Best Avenger: Returning For Peggy
Steve Rogers left more than a few things behind when he got frozen in the 1940s. He had a lover in Peggy Carter, an elite agent, and by the time they met again in the 2010s, Peggy was very advanced in age, and soon passed away. She and Steve had missed out on a lifetime together.
But not so fast. When Thanos was defeated for good, Steve Rogers borrowed the time machine again and went back to his original era, and he and Peggy were reunited properly. He didn't do it just for his sake; it was also for hers, and Steve gave Peggy the lifetime of happiness that she always wanted.
1 Worst Avenger: Lapping Sam While Running
This is really just a nitpick, but one wonders if Steve could have been a little more gracious in this scene. He and Sam Wilson/Falcon were running laps in Washington D.C. to stay in shape, and Steve was easily lapping Sam with his extraordinary strength, speed, and stamina.
What Steve could have done (instead of frustrating Sam) was keep pace with Sam and get to know him while jogging, and save his super-speed running for some other time. He doesn't have to show off at every opportunity.