The point of the incursions in the New Avengers run was to set up a situation in which, ultimately, heroic solutions were impossble. The only stances that could be taken were:
1. Adamant determination not to employ any extreme measures which kill innocent people, on a "if you believe in fairies, clap your hands and something will turn up" approach (Steve Rogers).
2. Desire to keep all options open, until finally deciding that you were morally incapable of mass extinction, even if it is to avert an inconceivably greater mass extinction (The Illuminati, sans Namor and, people often forget, Strange).
3. Decision to embrace mass extinction as an attempt to avert greater death, despite the realisation that morally, it was impossible to come back from this (Namor and, people often forget, Strange).
Behind it all, of course, is the realisation that actually they were all doomed anyway no matter what they did (
spoilers:
or not, as it transpired that the Incursions were merely a symptom of an attempt to avert total destruction |
end of spoilers)
I don't think any of the approaches were right or wrong - it was
supposed to be an impossible choice.
I do think Steve was treated with a significant amount of mockery throughout, though. He's attacked for his sanctimony and self righteousness in behaving as this was not a difficult decision for the rest of them (with a large degree of truth) at the beginning of the story, and he's hilariously ridiculed by Beast and Hulk in Time Runs Out, not to mention he is treated as bitter and obsessive, pointless fighting a morally inverted Tony as destruction took place around them.
If anyone's character suffered in New Avengers, IMO it's Captain America.
Which is fine - his global "top superhero cop keeping the others inline" characterisation during and since AvX up until Secret Wars was a horrendously misjudged take on the character. Hell, Hydra Cap may have been more
evil but he was a lot less irritating.
But Namor? He gets a fantastic speech to the Cabal, and is superbly written throughout, so it's a good story for him.