It is perhaps of little surprise that the Avengers perennial leader, Captain America, tops off this list. With 577 appearances, virtually all of Caps life since his return to the comics in 1964 has been tightly linked with the Avengers. Created during WW2, Caps popularity (along with the rest of the superheroes) declined in the post-war years, until Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to resurrect him in the Avengers. Bringing Cap into the modern-day and making him the team leader finally cemented the Avengers. So integral is Cap to the Avengers that, despite not being one of the founding members, he has been granted founder status in the teams charter. But Cap has not always been an Avenger. There have been times when he left the teamand the identity of Captain America as well. During other periods, he even stepped down and has allowed his fellow teammates a chance at leadership. Although he isnt as powerful as Iron Man or Thor, Caps strategic mind, commanding presence, and inspirational leadership have caused gods to bow their heads to him in respect, and it was Cap who stood alone against an Infinity Gauntlet-wielding Thanos, even though he had no hope of winning. Recently, the Super Soldier Serum in Caps body was neutralized and his body has rapidly advanced to his true age. Although he has appointed the Falcon to take over as the new Captain America, we all know its only a matter of time before Steve Rogers is restored to his youth and picks up the shield again. Chris Evans so far has done a remarkable job of bringing Cap to life on the big screen, and hell be appearing again in both Age of Ultron and a third Captain America film. Where we go from there is uncertain, but where the Avengers are, Captain America is never far behind.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
