How Strong Is Captain America?

[jackolover]

I’m referring to Steve Rogers with the Super Soldier serum, here.

I think I’ve read somewhere in the Golden Age that Cap has the strength of 3 men. But maybe a more recent update has him as strong as 10 Men? I have also seen statements that Cap is peak performance human, but that is no rating. I am interested in a how many men he is as strong as.

[JKtheMac]

I’m referring to Steve Rogers with the Super Soldier serum, here.

I think I’ve read somewhere in the Golden Age that Cap has the strength of 3 men. But maybe a more recent update has him as strong as 10 Men? I have also seen statements that Cap is peak performance human, but that is no rating. I am interested in a how many men he is as strong as.

You want an exact number? Why exactly? What about 4.68 men?

[Triniking1234]

An athletic male can lift between 125 to 170 lbs. Marvel says Steve is above peak athleticism and can lift approx. 800 lbs. so yeah close to JK's number.

[JudicatorPrime]

An athletic male can lift between 125 to 170 lbs. Marvel says Steve is above peak athleticism and can lift approx. 800 lbs. so yeah close to JK's number.

I always thought that 800 lbs. figure was loosely based on what the strongest man could lift when they first introduced OHOTMU decades ago. If so, they might want to revisit both the measure and definition of "peak" human strength. There are real life athletes than can dead lift 1,100 lbs these days. (Proof that contrary to some religious precepts, mankind does, indeed, continue to evolve.) In theory, Cap's serum and regular intensive training should put him at that level as well. Add adrenalin, or other psychological factors and I could see him being even stronger under extreme conditions.

[kilderkin]

I always thought that 800 lbs. figure was loosely based on what the strongest man could lift when they first introduced OHOTMU decades ago. If so, they might want to revisit both the measure and definition of "peak" human strength. There are real life athletes than can dead lift 1,100 lbs these days. (Proof that contrary to some religious precepts, mankind does, indeed, continue to evolve.) In theory, Cap's serum and regular intensive training should put him at that level as well. Add adrenalin, or other psychological factors and I could see him being even stronger under extreme conditions.

Not to be too off topic but athletes breaking previous limits is not in and of itself proof of evolution

In fact there's actually a fair amount of research to show that as a species humans are generally physically weaker than we were, at a physiological level, than when we were more rudimentary

evolution isn't proven by the exception but by the rule, generally speaking, a species all getting stronger would support it, not a few individuals, even thousands of individuals would be insufficient when those individuals are already out of the ordinary for the other billions

it does prove we have developed better ways of reaching our potential, but that doesn't in and of itself link back to our genetic development, it could be a demonstration of adaptation which could lead to evolution, but it's not evident by any means

linking this to caps strength, you are quite correct that that 800 lbs limit is outdated now

I seem to recall some reference he could get to 2 tons but I can't recall where

a quick image search and I found him and d man benching he hit the 1100 lbs mark and didn't seem overly exerted

[LordAllMIghty]

I've always assumed he was a ton to 2 tons range now.

[Triniking1234]

I always thought that 800 lbs. figure was loosely based on what the strongest man could lift when they first introduced OHOTMU decades ago. If so, they might want to revisit both the measure and definition of "peak" human strength. There are real life athletes than can dead lift 1,100 lbs these days. (Proof that contrary to some religious precepts, mankind does, indeed, continue to evolve.) In theory, Cap's serum and regular intensive training should put him at that level as well. Add adrenalin, or other psychological factors and I could see him being even stronger under extreme conditions.

Yes, when they came up for a numerical value for Steve's strength they probably used real world records from those days as reference.

[DrNewGod]

I always thought that 800 lbs. figure was loosely based on what the strongest man could lift when they first introduced OHOTMU decades ago. If so, they might want to revisit both the measure and definition of "peak" human strength. There are real life athletes than can dead lift 1,100 lbs these days. (Proof that contrary to some religious precepts, mankind does, indeed, continue to evolve.) In theory, Cap's serum and regular intensive training should put him at that level as well. Add adrenalin, or other psychological factors and I could see him being even stronger under extreme conditions.

Yes, when they came up for a numerical value for Steve's strength they probably used real world records from those days as reference.

IIRC, that's also the weight a strength score of 20 (max for a normal human) allowed a character to lift (440kg or~ 880 lbs) under the old Hero System RPG. Not saying there's any relationship between Hero and OHOTMU, but they came out at about the same time.

[XPac]

Yes, when they came up for a numerical value for Steve's strength they probably used real world records from those days as reference.

I imagine as human beings are seemingly getting stronger, Steve's strength level will power creep up as well.

It theoretically should be above whatever the current real life bench press is.

I'm wondering if they maybe should just bump it up to just sort of 1 ton, and unofficially say 1 ton is the floor for meta human strength.

[vitruvian]

I’m referring to Steve Rogers with the Super Soldier serum, here.

I think I’ve read somewhere in the Golden Age that Cap has the strength of 3 men. But maybe a more recent update has him as strong as 10 Men? I have also seen statements that Cap is peak performance human, but that is no rating. I am interested in a how many men he is as strong as.

Which men are we using as a unit? Couch potatoes, Marines, Olympic weightlifters?

[theoneandonly]

he is strong enough to lift 40 Nazis and that's terrible... for them that is a more serious answer is that we shall never know as he won't be participating in men lifting competitions anytime soon.

[XPac]

I think the handbook back in the day stated he could bench press 800-900 pounds or something in that ball park.

But the thing is, marvel writers and artists often don't bother doing the match when they have them performing various feats of strength in comics. I don't doubt if we do some digging he's probably done things which imply greater strength than that.

[vitruvian]

I think the handbook back in the day stated he could bench press 800-900 pounds or something in that ball park.

But the thing is, marvel writers and artists often don't bother doing the match when they have them performing various feats of strength in comics. I don't doubt if we do some digging he's probably done things which imply greater strength than that.

Definitely. Functionally, he's in some nebulous area between what you could just about believe an Olympic power lifter or circus strongman managing to do (even though Cap doesn't have nearly their muscle mass), and out and out superstrong feats like lifting and throwing cars... and that's for lifting things, where some readers might have a decent idea of the weight of objects like, say, a motorcycle of a certain make and model. For how strong he is in terms of hitting and breaking things, especially when using his shield as a weapon, most people really can't base a sanity check on their own experience, so it's solely determined by plot.

And since MCU Cap is stronger still (kicking jeeps into people, keeping helicopters from taking off), comics Cap is subject to significant creep even on these limits as more writers and artists take their cue from his most popular depiction.

[DrNewGod]

There was a brief period in the 1970s where he had an unspecified, but superhuman level of strength thanks to comicbook bio-chemistry (supersolider serum+Viper poison). Other than that, what others here have said about the answer being nebulous is the most correct answer.

If you want an exact number, look up the bench, squat, military press, and curl world records. As CA is supposed to be as strong as it humanly possible, he can at least do that.

[JKtheMac]

I think the handbook back in the day stated he could bench press 800-900 pounds or something in that ball park.

But the thing is, marvel writers and artists often don't bother doing the match when they have them performing various feats of strength in comics. I don't doubt if we do some digging he's probably done things which imply greater strength than that.

Thank goodness they don’t do the maths. Storytelling isn’t some kind of mathematical puzzle. How strong is his willpower? Exactly how charismatic are his speeches? Where exactly is his political stance on the Nolan Scale? These are questions better explored by stories, and the same can be said for any measure.

Even numerical questions contain intangibles. How fast has Bolt ever run in training and why is competition more likely to bring out a faster speed? How much more could we bench press when we are prepared to put our bodies on the line for family and friends? Is that more or less than when you are angry about the political stance of a president just after you resign?