Superhero Comprasion: Captain America and Iron Man

To a large extent,Captain America and Iron Man differ from each other and therefore is a sign that there is an evolution of the superhero. To a lesser extent,the two films have paralleling similarities. The first obvious difference between Captain America and Iron Man is that the two films are set in different eras and deal with a different zeitgeist. Captain America was set in the 1940’s and deals with the conflict of World War II,whereas Iron Man was set in the 21st century and deals with the conflict between Afghanistan and America. Steve Rogers is an ordinary,middle-class citizen whereas Tony Stark is an upper-class billionaire as he inherited the defense contractor Stark Industries from his father.

From the onset,Rogers is self-sacrificing,brave and filled with humility prior to receiving his extraordinary abilities as he is persistent about enlisting in the army in order to show patriotism to his country by fighting for the greater good of others despite being skinny and lacking strength. This is also evident in the film when he throws himself onto a supposed grenade in order to protect his fellow soldiers during military training. In contrast,Stark was a man who only cared about fame and wealth and had no sense of humility nor responsibility but rather selfishness,overconfidence and irresponsibility. Only after being captured by terrorists and realizing that the distribution of his weaponry had been used by the enemy rather than the intent for America,does Stark acquire the characteristics of being self-sacrificing and brave with a sense of humility. This is due to him wanting to redeem himself from the injustices caused by his business. This should not be misunderstood as a similarity as Rogers’ qualities are one of an innate nature whereas Stark obtained these qualities through guilt of his weaponry being used inappropriately and therefore is a difference between the two superheroes.

Captain America and Iron Man’s motifs and costumes differ too. Captain America has a 12 pound shield made out of the world’s strongest steel – vibranium alloy – which can resistance any form of force or weaponry. It is virtually indestructible. As for his costume,it is made out of fire-retardant material. He wears a bulletproof duralumin vest beneath his costume for extra protection. He wears a mask and has a star symbol on his chest and shield. On the other hand,Iron Man has a red and gold suit. It is made of nickel-titanium alloy called nitinol. His suit gives him superhuman strength and durability and allows him to fly. It also allows for various communication arrays and sensors (such as radar and radio). There are repulsors on the palms which is a type of arsenal that uses particle beam technology to repel the opponent away as well as leaving burns,mortal wounds,and even gaping holes. Captain America serves within a team that he leads,yet Iron Man serves individually.

However,Captain America and Iron Man do indeed have similarities. Both superheroes do not have natural superpowers of their own. Captain America was injected with “Super-Soldier Serum” through a “Vita-Ray” treatment. This gives him extraordinary abilities where strength,endurance,agility,speed,reflexes,durability and healing are transformed to the zenith of natural human potential. Iron Man created his own suit which gives him extraordinary abilities due to his immense intelligence. Additionally,both superheroes have a strong moral code whereby they have a strong reluctance to killing innocent citizens.