While Avengers, he's undoubtedly left an indelible mark on Avengers history. In fact, as some stories show, without him there likely wouldn't even be an Avengers team.
Readers have known the story for decades - in the last days of World War II, the Sentinel of Liberty and his teen sidekick Bucky perished fighting. Or so the world thought, as Captain America was found frozen in the arctic ice decades later by the Avengers, and quickly ed the team. Soon after, the original Avengers parted ways in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Avengers #16, and Cap would lead Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Quicksilver into battle - affectionately known as "Cap's Kooky Quartet." But what if the Avengers never found Captain America in the ice? How would the team change?
First off, there most likely wouldn't be an Avengers team. In his first adventure with the Avengers, Captain America saved them from Namor - without him, the Sub-Mariner could have prevailed. If he hadn't, it's likely the team wouldn't stick together for much longer anyway. Hulk had left already, and Avengers (2010) #2 contains an oral history of the team written by Brian Michael Bendis that reveals Hank Pym was on his way out as well before Captain America's return convinced him to stay for a while longer. Still, assuming the team didn't disband within weeks of that adventure, readers know they did so after their battle with the Masters of Evil in Avengers #16. Thor had to leave for Asgard, and Wasp, Iron Man, and Giant-Man debated disbanding the Avengers. Without Captain America around to pick up the torch of leadership, it's unlikely the team would stay together. This is especially true since the new were all former villains, who were largely accepted by the public thanks to Cap's impeccable reputation.
Captain America Is The Most Important Avenger
The famous comic series What If? showed readers a couple of similar scenarios - and they are grim. In What If? #44 by Peter Gillis and Sal Buscema, Captain America is awoken in the present day (at the time, the early 1980s). Without Steve Rogers, the Avengers disband at the end of the battle with Namor. A replacement Captain America, the unstable William Burnside, ends up being co-opted by the Secret Empire, which takes over America and turns it into a decaying fascist nightmare. What If? #67 by Chuck Dixon and Daario Carrasco Jr. presents a similar premise, with Captain America only waking up after the Red Skull has defeated the world's heroes, conquered America, and committed a nuclear holocaust against the Soviet Union. It seems that discovering Captain America's frozen body is perhaps the most crucial point in the Avengers' history after its founding.
What if Captain America was never unfrozen? In this scenario, Hank Pym is not an Avenger, which means no more Ultron, Vision, or Jocasta. from Operation Galactic Storm to Siege. If there is an Avengers team at this point, its hip would likely be unrecognizable to readers. It's clear that without Captain America, Avengers history would have taken a different, and likely darker path.
