Why Is Captain America Called The First Avenger?

When He Wasn't? 

@spiderbat87: what do you mean, the question is spectacularly vague. why do you say he isn't the first avenger?

Why is Namor called the first mutant, when he wasn't? :P

@spiderbat87: what do you mean, the question is spectacularly vague. why do you say he isn't the first avenger?

Why does anyone do anything?

Why does anyone do anything?

@spiderbat87 said:

@Strider92 said:

Why does anyone do anything?

usually logic and reason

Normal people yes but then there are people like this....:

Where's your logic and reason now!!!?

Captain American doesn't care what you have to say, son.

It's just a title, big whoop.

Captain American doesn't care what you have to say, son.

@spiderbat87 said:

@Illuminatus said:

Captain American doesn't care what you have to say, son.

I don't suppose frictional characters usually do.... dad

@Illuminatus said:

@spiderbat87 said:

@Illuminatus said:

Captain American doesn't care what you have to say, son.

I don't suppose frictional characters usually do.... dad

It's just a title, big whoop.

I think the more proper term would be first superhero. But I'm guessing they refer him as first avenger due to being the first superhero that became an avenger. But logic and reason have no place in comics. I've given up on that happening. lol

I think the more proper term would be first superhero. But I'm guessing they refer him as first avenger due to being the first superhero that became an avenger. But logic and reason have no place in comics. I've given up on that happening. lol

this is why I like JLA lol no hate though.

If I had to hazard a guess, strictly speaking from the film's perspective, the idea of a super-hero working alongside/for the military may have been the template for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers Initiative. Ergo Captain America gets saddled with the title "First Avenger" as a nod to the his being the root core of the concept.

From a marketing perspective, they stuck the title on there to get the word "Avenger" out there in the non-comics buying public consciousness, to prep the masses on the forthcoming Avengers film.

From a comic book perspective... it's completely wrong. That said, out of respect for Captain America and what he meant to the team, the actual first Avengers did give Captain America founder status within the team.

Funny, I think they only started to call him that after the movie. I never remember them doing it before that...

Who was the first Avenger?

@spiderbat87 said:

@cjbostick81 said:

I think the more proper term would be first superhero. But I'm guessing they refer him as first avenger due to being the first superhero that became an avenger. But logic and reason have no place in comics. I've given up on that happening. lol

He was far from the first hero. Herc, Thor, Union Jack, Wolverine, a Black Panther, Blade and half the members of The Twelve are all older and I'm pretty sure theres more

Sure age wise there probably are. But in reference to comic book hero, wasn't he one of the first in the Marvel U? This is coming books we are talking about, logic and reason have no place here lol.

@chalkshark said:

If I had to hazard a guess, strictly speaking from the film's perspective, the idea of a super-hero working alongside/for the military may have been the template for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers Initiative. Ergo Captain America gets saddled with the title "First Avenger" as a nod to the his being the root core of the concept.

From a marketing perspective, they stuck the title on there to get the word "Avenger" out there in the non-comics buying public consciousness, to prep the masses on the forthcoming Avengers film.

From a comic book perspective... it's completely wrong. That said, out of respect for Captain America and what he meant to the team, the actual first Avengers did give Captain America founder status within the team.

^This. The "First Avenger" title was sparked from the Marvel movie universe and at the time tied the CA movie into the upcoming Avengers movie.You got to pull it out of context with the regular comic Marvel U. Only downside is you might run into a few newbies who have only watched the movies who are gonna call him the "First Avenger" out of complete ignorance.

@Strider92 said:

@spiderbat87 said:

@Strider92 said:

Why does anyone do anything?

usually logic and reason

Normal people yes but then there are people like this....:

Where's your logic and reason now!!!?

Mad TV?

It does not make any sense
 
Even if they were going by the fact that he was around fighting before any of the other Avengers...there is still Thor, who was avenging crap way before any of them
 
Thor is the first Avenger, or Hercules

Who was the first Avenger?

@spiderbat87 said:

@cjbostick81 said:

I think the more proper term would be first superhero. But I'm guessing they refer him as first avenger due to being the first superhero that became an avenger. But logic and reason have no place in comics. I've given up on that happening. lol

He was far from the first hero. Herc, Thor, Union Jack, Wolverine, a Black Panther, Blade and half the members of The Twelve are all older and I'm pretty sure theres more

Sure age wise there probably are. But in reference to comic book hero, wasn't he one of the first in the Marvel U? This is coming books we are talking about, logic and reason have no place here lol.

But neither of those guys joined the Avengers during the first run. Captain America joined and began leading the team after issue #4.

But neither of those guys joined the Avengers during the first run. Captain America joined and began leading the team after issue #4.

@spiderbat87: Yeah, it's dumb.

Captain America was not the first person to join the Avengers and he was not the earliest existing superhero to join the Avengers and his film wasn't even the first Avenger solo film to be released. There's actually no logic to it.

Calling Cap the "First Avenger" is pure marketing hyperbole and has nothing to do with reality.

Agreed. I was grasping a straws trying to make something make sense, but I failed....sigh

@PowerHerc said:

Calling Cap the "First Avenger" is pure marketing hyperbole and has nothing to do with reality.

Ding ding ding!

@spiderbat87 said:

@Kiltro95 said:

It's just a title, big whoop.

Yea one that makes no sense. It's like Wolverines title being The Tallest One There Is

Look at it this way Marvel gives those characters titles like that not only to increase the influence but also the appeal, you have to look at it from an advertisement view, as for Wolverine it doesn't make sense. All in all if Marvel wants to call a character that for commercial use what's the big deal?

Because that's how they wanted to connect the Captain America movie to The Avengers... obviously you didn't see the failed tack lines for the other Marvel movies... Iron Man The Richest Avenger, Thor The Godly Avenger, Incredible Hulk The Angriest Avenger (my personal favorite).

Well while he wasn't the first person to become an avenger he was the first marvel character created so maybe he should have been called The Original Avenger

I find it ironic that, for the so called First Avengers, Captain America's movie actually came last.

@JPWolf5 said:

Well while he wasn't the first person to become an avenger he was the first marvel character created so maybe he should have been called The Original Avenger

But he wasn't Namor and Human Torch came before he did. Even in The Marvels (or was it the Marvel Project... the one written from a reporter's view point of the MU) Namor and Human Torch came before Cap, just like they did publication wise.

@nickzambuto said:

I find it ironic that, for the so called First Avengers, Captain America's movie actually came last.

Actually its not that off of an idea, if you think about it, Cap's movie tied all the other movies together. You had Howard Stark making the Iron Man connection, you had Prof. Erksian and the Super Soldier Serum making the Banner/Hulk connection, and then you had the cosmic cube make the Thor connection. All in all it really brought everything together and was an excellent lead into the Avengers.

@Nova`Prime`: True but out of those three characters he was the first one to become an avengers

As far as I know that title was only for the movie, which is because in the movieverse Captain America was actually the first costumed superhero thus making him the "First Avenger".
 
But as far as I know, he doesn't  hold that title in the mainstream universe because he obviously wasn't the first Avenger, he was like the sixth actually.
 
Also, I would like to mention that in other counrties outside of the U.S., Captain America: The First Avenger was simply titled "The First Avenger" due to other countries not receiving a movie based solely on a character called Captain America, due to the "America" part. So it's possible they added that title so that people would still know this has something to do with Iron Man, Thor, and the Avengers due to him being called "First Avengers".

In the Cinematic Universe, Howard Stark and Nick Fury started the Avenger Initiative after Captain America was lost. Cap was the "prototype avenger" thus "The First"

Remember guys and gals, it takes inspiration from many different marvel universes, not just the 616 mainstream, and in it's own right, is a universe with it's own origins.

I think it had something to do with the fact he was one of the earlier characters in the MU who could actually be called a superhero. Plus the First Avenger thing was added onto the Cap film so that it wouldn't completely offend North Korea or Japan who have awkward diplomatic relations with America at best

My guess is he defined it.

@Lvenger said:

I think it had something to do with the fact he was one of the earlier characters in the MU who could actually be called a superhero. Plus the First Avenger thing was added onto the Cap film so that it wouldn't completely offend North Korea or Japan who have awkward diplomatic relations with America at best

It was South Korea, but you are correct. I never saw Captain America, but I enjoyed the hell out of The First Avenger!

No mention of Captain America anywhere on that poster.

@Nudeviking: Damn. I was a pole off the correct answer. But I gathered that was why there was no mention of Captain America anywhere in the title.

I think they gave him this title - even if it's not true -because he's supposed to be the epitome of the "American way".Since he represents America, they needed a fancy title for him, something to appeal the mass in a patriotic sense.

He is called the first avenger since he was in WW2 and their was nobody else with him in that year so thats your answer.

Yes, but he was the first hero out of the original Avengers, comic or movie version

correct the title even says it

@SuperShafe:Because he wasn't part of the Avengers until after he was thawed out of ice, which was after the team was formed, named, and set up base at Stark Tower.

@capt: The original Avengers were Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Hulk

@chalkshark: Yeah, Cap was literally "the inspirational cornerstone of the Avengers." That's why I think he's referred to as "The First Avenger." They also wouldn't have gotten their A-1 security status without him because they were initially denied it due to Hulk's presence on the team and the general public's fear of him. After Hulk left, Cap was thawed out and basically took his place. The team was then seen in a much more positive light and Captain America basically became their "front-man" for the team's public image.

@Jonny_Anonymous Don't forget that it was Hank Pym who suggested that everyone stay together as a team after their initial meet up to fight Loki.

I don't think it necessarily means he was the FIRST to join the avengers. I think it's more on the lines of he was the first one to be a superhero that ends up as an Avenger.

cuz hes gay http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcgojdxVEi1rfpcrto1_500.jpg

@BiteMe-Fanboy: He wasn't the first superhero though, there was was during WW1 and even before that.