Technically not a super power, nevertheless the shield of the star-spangled avenger is considered by many fans to be an extension of the character's abilities and earns a place on this list. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers - mild-mannered weakling from the two-fisted days of WWII - volunteers for a secret military experiment and becomes the pinnacle of human physical perfection. Howard Stark then gives Steve a new shield made out of a fictional rare alloy called vibranium, an element that not only makes the shield virtually impossible to destroy but also absorbs all vibrations (kinetic energy) it comes in contact with. This is immediately demonstrated when someone shoot four bullets directly at it. Instead of ricocheting into a room of hapless scientists, the bullets fall harmlessly to the ground because the kinetic energy of their propulsion was absorbed into the shield. Steve now has a fantastic defense against Hydra's weapons. It also works as an offensive weapon as Cap uses his great strength and aim to hurl it against any object, flawlessly bouncing it off his opponents. But bouncing the shield off anything is actually impossible. If the shield absorbs kinetic energy, it would also absorb the energy needed to bounce the shield off any object it hits. It is the kinetic energy of the shield in motion that forces it to bounce off a solid surface in the same speed, therefore if that energy is absorbed, the shield would simply clatter to the ground as if it hit a wall of jello. In addition, it seems Joss Whedon flat-out changed the rules for his movie. Remember that scene when Thor tried to squash Cap with his mystical hammer? When it struck the shield, the incredible power of the blow wasn't absorbed but propelled outward with such force it laid waste to a forest. "All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield," indeed.
Daniel is a writer/artist/filmmaker currently overseeing post-production on his film Avenging Disco Vampires. He is also the co-creator of the all-ages comic book series The Adventures of Nightclaw & Prowler published by Old World Comics.
