2. Captain America
Steve Rogers was a skinny, sickly young man who was desperate to serve his country in the second world war. Despite his persistence in enrolling for the U.S. armed forces, he was constantly turned away due to his poor medical records. However, Dr. Abraham Erskine - the creator of the super soldier serum - sees something special in Rogers and allows him to enlist. Having shown himself to be brave and determined in military training, Rogers is used as the first recipient of the complete version of the aforementioned serum and is subsequently enhanced to become the pinnacle of human fitness, strength, speed and endurance. As a result, he defeats the Red Skull - an evil Nazi super soldier - but sacrifices himself in the process. He is found in ice 70 years later, defrosted and drafted in to the Avengers, whom he helps to defeat the Chitauri, using his skill, strength and indestructible shield to fight off their vast and formidable ground forces. Captain America was also played by Matt Salinger in a lower-budget 1990 effort, but the less said about that, the better.