Do most casual fans think Captain America has powers?

[Blade X]

I'm going to use John Byrne's explanation for Cap's powers. Standing still, Cap is peek guman, but once he goes into action adrenaline kicks in and he goes into superhuman mode.

[Blade X]

And it's official that he heals faster than normal, he's immune to muscle fatigue, and most toxins and poisons (drug and alcohol level) have little to no effect on him. Add to that Cap can jump about two stories, pretty sick.

He's basically low level superhuman, peak human doesn't fit Steve anymore.

Very true. People tend to forget about those powers since they are not as visually apparent or outstanding.

[Aaric Rivad]

I thought he was just a peak human though?

He is peak human. This being comics, though, they constantly have to move the goalposts concerning what that means. Just like Superman went from "more powerful than a locomotive" to being able to shove planets around, and Wolverine went from "enhanced healing factor" to completely regenerating any injury almost immediately, so Cap has become just another superhuman. It takes away pretty much everything that made him unique; he was the regular guy who could go toe-to-toe with gods and monsters.

It's just bad writing, but hey... it's comics.

[Alan Smithee]

I think the point was that when you add all of the "peak" skills together he is effectively superhuman.

Strength:

He is not just stronger than the strongest human, he is much stronger. He has been shown bench pressing 1,100 lbs (30 or so more than the current world record) while carrying on a conversation (and presumably doing it for reps rather than a one lift max). And have you seen what power lifters look like. Not gymnasts.

Speed

The world record for the mile is 3:43. Cap can do it in just over a minute in boots, wearing chain mail, and on uneven ground. He is faster in a sprint than Bolt and faster over a mile than anyone who will ever live. And he doesn't get tired, so he can keep that up for a long time.

Agility:

He puts olympic gymnasts to shame and can balance on the wing of a fighter jet.

Hand-eye coordination:

His shield throws are routinely more accurate than Brady or Brees could even dream of.

Eye sight

Better than Ted Williams. He can literally see bullets.

Resistance to injury

Doesn't get drunk, routinely shown to take deadly force and come through, in canon heals faster than normal people.

Enhanced mind

Not dealt with often, but has been referenced and probably explains how an artist became the world's best tactician.

Add them all up and he is, as others have said, effectively a meta. Because no miler can bench 4 times his body weight for reps and no power lifter can out sprint Usain Bolt, and Usain Bolt could not win a gold medal on the balance beams, and a gymnast could not out pass Tom Brady, and Tom Brady can get drunk (so I here, I have never seen it).

Great, great post. Ted Williams (and, during an SI comparo, Rod Carew) could read an old 78 rpm record's song titles. As for brain function, I just think the SS serum made him (as portrayed somewhere) "see faster" and break down situations on the fly. Kind of like being a wire service reporter compared to a newspaper reporter.

[The_Ronin]

He is peak human. This being comics, though, they constantly have to move the goalposts concerning what that means. Just like Superman went from "more powerful than a locomotive" to being able to shove planets around, and Wolverine went from "enhanced healing factor" to completely regenerating any injury almost immediately, so Cap has become just another superhuman. It takes away pretty much everything that made him unique; he was the regular guy who could go toe-to-toe with gods and monsters.

It's just bad writing, but hey... it's comics.

Wolverine went from "Heals quickly" to "Majin Buu"

[The_Ronin]

I think the point was that when you add all of the "peak" skills together he is effectively superhuman.

Strength:

He is not just stronger than the strongest human, he is much stronger. He has been shown bench pressing 1,100 lbs (30 or so more than the current world record) while carrying on a conversation (and presumably doing it for reps rather than a one lift max). And have you seen what power lifters look like. Not gymnasts.

Speed

The world record for the mile is 3:43. Cap can do it in just over a minute in boots, wearing chain mail, and on uneven ground. He is faster in a sprint than Bolt and faster over a mile than anyone who will ever live. And he doesn't get tired, so he can keep that up for a long time.

Agility:

He puts olympic gymnasts to shame and can balance on the wing of a fighter jet.

Hand-eye coordination:

His shield throws are routinely more accurate than Brady or Brees could even dream of.

Eye sight

Better than Ted Williams. He can literally see bullets.

Resistance to injury

Doesn't get drunk, routinely shown to take deadly force and come through, in canon heals faster than normal people.

Enhanced mind

Not dealt with often, but has been referenced and probably explains how an artist became the world's best tactician.

Add them all up and he is, as others have said, effectively a meta. Because no miler can bench 4 times his body weight for reps and no power lifter can out sprint Usain Bolt, and Usain Bolt could not win a gold medal on the balance beams, and a gymnast could not out pass Tom Brady, and Tom Brady can get drunk (so I here, I have never seen it).

Wonderful post, and indeed exactly what I meant.

[The_Ronin]

Who told you that? Because, last I checked Banner was part of an experiment that was developing a Gamma Bomb and the only reason he became Hulk is because he ran in to the "ground zero" testing zone to save Rick Jones who was unaware of his own impending death.

Depends on the medium and continuity my friend!

[Zengen]

Peak human due to a scientific experiment. You could say he's more like Banner, or…Banner is more like Cap. Banner was trying to recreate the experiment that turned Cap into cap, but became the Hulk. Hulk might be stronger, but Cap's peak strength, mixed with brains, makes him better.

Captain better than Hulk?

Only if you're talking about being better in getting beat up.

[satchmo the dragon]

Could the same person do the both since the muscle and physical structure requirements are so different? The Chatertistic that make a person cab;lle of lifting great wights for example make real agility and flexibility impossible. How may sprinter have you seem that can bench even twice their body weight?

none but that's because they didn't take a super soldier serum.

[Rosebunse]

OK, doesn't he technically have super-powers?

Granted, this thread may have some validity to it. When me and my mom went to see "The Avengers" movie-girls night out-she thought the Hulk could fly LOL

[mikekerrIII]

none but that's because they didn't take a super soldier serum.

The point was that after the serum he is a super-human not a peak human, Since He is far beyoonf Peak human capablities

And as sf AvX he has skin like Luke Cage since he can take a skin contact explsion and not show any damage. that is not human of any sort.

[satchmo the dragon]

The point was that after the serum he is a super-human not a peak human, Since He is far beyoonf Peak human capablities

And as sf AvX he has skin like Luke Cage since he can take a skin contact explsion and not show any damage. that is not human of any sort.

No he's still peak human. Nothing has discounted that yet.

[JaggedFel]

IMO, He is beyond Peak Human. If you want to say he is then he is Peak in every possible category which is impossible since as others have said being the best gymnast means you are not going to be a champion weight lifter.

[mikekerrIII]

No he's still peak human. Nothing has discounted that yet.

The last is pure super-human since no human ability even comes close to being blast and fire proof. The toughest human being alive would take more damage from a fire cracker that Cap did from a far more serous blast. Leather would take more damge.

[mikekerrIII]

IMO, He is beyond Peak Human. If you want to say he is then he is Peak in every possible category which is impossible since as others have said being the best gymnast means you are not going to be a champion weight lifter.

Being peak in some ways does preclude being peak in other ways, at least if you are human. the muscle mass to lift more than anyone else means that agility and speed are going to suffer massively. Acrobatics at his weight mean that anything close to human bone is going to snap. there is a reason Gymnasts are not large and sprinters don't complete in ultra-heavyweight Olympic lifting