Many Marvel Comics heroes have gained extraordinary powers through a variety of means, including radioactive genetic mutation, the heart-shaped plant, and the super-soldier serum. Even still, Black Panther and Captain America were two of the most dangerous individuals due to their legendary hand-to-hand combat and peak human condition.
So, who do you think would win in a fistfight to the death? Is Steve more dogged than T’Challa? Let’s go in and compare these two renowned heroes to see which one would fare better in an Avengers team.
captain america vs. black panther pic.twitter.com/H0DWiGWpmG
— 💭 (@comfortswilson) June 20, 2022
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Captain America’s Super-Soldier Serum Made Him The Perfect Human Specimen
While Steve Rodgers lacked the physical showmanship of modern super-soldiers, his desire and determination made up for it. His will to fight for justice was unwavering, and even if his human-enhancing serum was nothing more than a chemical mixture, it gave him a fighting chance against the evil guys.
Captain America is a shining example of the peak human condition, described by the serum’s inventor, Abraham Erskine, as the “next stage in human evolution while staying totally human.”
Black Panther’s Heart-Shaped Herb Enhanced His Physical Attributes & Heightened His Senses
By ingesting the heart-shaped herb, the seated monarch gains powers similar to those conferred by the aforementioned super-soldier serum, with the key difference being that the herb is entirely natural and not a synthetic product.
Wakanda’s ancestors mistook a mutant plant combined with an ancient Vibranium meteorite that fell nearby for a gift from the Panther God Bast. Yet the Black Panther’s senses are also enhanced to superhuman levels, allowing him to detect a heartbeat, follow any scent, and see in complete darkness. Whether or not that offers him an advantage over Cap is moot, seeing as how they’ve already beaten each other.
Brute Strength In The Comics: Captain America Can Bench-Press 1,100lbs As A Warmup, While Black Panther Can Bulldog A 3,000lb Rhino
Super-strength is a staple of the superhero genre, and it’s what makes characters like the Incredible Hulk so fantastic. It’s not uncommon for people with superpowers to have boosted strength, but it’s not always a given. While neither T’Challa nor Steve possesses superhuman strength, they are stronger than most heavyweight lifters and can easily lift 800 pounds. Moreover, Steve can bench press 1,100 pounds as a warmup, while T’Challa can bulldog a 3,000-pound rhinoceros and leap 10 feet off the ground with only his leg strength.
Brute Strength In The MCU: Both Are Nearly Matched In Combat
With their fight in Captain America: Civil War, the MCU successfully emphasized that Steve and T’Challa are nearly evenly matched in fighting. Even while Cap has thrown men with simple punches and kicks on multiple occasions, one of the most interesting was when he prevented Bucky Barnes’s helicopter escape by practically tugging it back towards the helipad.
Subsequently, a fight breaks out between Cap and T’Challa at the Leipzig-Halle International Airport, and after Steve initially resists T’Challa’s advances with his shield, T’Challa appears to have the upper hand by repeatedly driving Steve’s shield down until it is finally smashed. In addition, T’Challa, like his comic book counterpart, defeated a charging rhinoceros in the film’s climactic confrontation.
Steve’s Losses Were Quite Devastating
Given his status as one of the most admired heroes in the Marvel Comics universe, Captain America’s word carries significant weight and is sometimes treated as binding canon law. Steve Rogers is a rallying figure, fighting for the values of honor, sacrifice, and morality. But because of his bravery, he has also witnessed and endured terrible loss.
Among other things, Steve has been bested by Thanos and has had close allies kill him, and the time he spent encased in ice is time he can never get back. Nonetheless, after Ultron has conquered Earth in the Age of Ultron by Brian Michael Bendis, one of his most blatant images of loss is shown. While the other heroes waiting for Captain America to gather themselves and lead them to victory, he sat in despair, wallowing in his own self-pity for not saving more lives.
T’Challa’s Losses Are Defined By What’s Right Vs What’s Right For His Country
There are obviously benefits to holding the position of King in a modern, technologically advanced kingdom. However, there is a heavy responsibility that comes with such a designation. Fighting for what is right and doing what is right for your country isn’t always the same thing, so it can be tricky to tell where to draw the line.
While T’Challa enjoys widespread support among his people, he also draws criticism from individuals who see his interactions with the wider world as a failure to uphold the kingdom’s moral authority. T’Challa’s failure to prevent Killmonger’s attempt to usurp the Wakandan throne is one of his most egregious mistakes. However, his decision to render all Vibranium inert after Doom War sparked widespread public disapproval, as the country’s wealth and prosperity had been effectively rendered useless.
Steve’s Fight Against Thanos Was Fan Service
Though it appeared that Captain America temporarily restrained Thanos with his super-soldier serum in Avengers: Infinity War, many viewers were left wondering if and for how long. However, in Avengers: Endgame, the two would engage in a longer, more physically taxing battle that would result in one of the most epic skirmishes in the history of the MCU and action films more generally.
The battle between the MCU trinity (Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor) and the Mad Titan provided spectacular action sequences, but it was Cap’s fight against a battle-hardened Thanos that was pure fan service and left a lasting impression.
T’Challa Conquers Part Of Thanos’ Black Order
While Steve Rogers has had many memorable moments against the Mad Titan in both books and movies, T’Challa was viciously choke-slammed and eventually dusted off after trying to subdue Thanos in Infinity War. Even though T’Challa’s contribution in Jonathan Hickman’s Infinity exhibited a more grandiose feat in his conquest of half of the Black Order, his return in Endgame included the subsequent return of Wakandan forces that helped in keeping back Thanos. Similar to the movie Infinity War, Thanos sends the Black Order to Wakanda in search of an infinity stone. Wakanda takes on more than it can handle and narrowly survives the invasion, albeit at a high cost in lives.
Steve’s Character Arc Is Undoubtedly Interesting
