Who is the most respected hero in the Marvel Universe?

[Orbus]

Currently it's Captain America. It goes without question that he's the most respected hero of the Marvel Universe, even outside the US he EMAs to be trusted and well thought of and Hickman's Infinity showed him getting respect on an intergalactic scale.

Up until the 80s or 90s I'd say Reed Richards was the most respected hero. He was always the one the other heroes deferred to when there was a big team up.

I'd also echo Spider-Man. Other heroes may act like they don't due to his self effacing humour but most of them seem to respect him and vast and varied experience. His weak spot is public perception though.

[Frontier]

With Spider-Man, I think it's really inconsistent how both the public and the general Superhero population view him on a general basis.

[MyriVerse]

It depends on what you mean by respect. I think nearly everybody knows that Spidey has the purest heart possible, but they aren't necessarily going to agree with his ideas or take him seriously (as they would Cap).

[Kaitou D. Kid]

It's obviously Captain America, but I don't think everyone respects him for the right reasons. I'm sure there are lots of people in the MU who imagine him to be like Ultimate Cap. Others probably cherry-pick his beliefs like they did with MLK. I'm sure Steve gets quoted a lot by people he would fundamentally despise.

[Captain Nash]

Agree with the many posts, even with Secret Empire, it's definitely Captain America.

[DrNewGod]

Another thought on special niches in the general 616 population:

A couple of series back, Moon Knight's chopper pilot (forget whether it was Rick or Ray) wanted to pass a message to The Punisher about how much the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq admired him, painting his symbol on their tanks and choppers. I could see a large number of people looking on The Punisher as someone to admire. The most interesting part is, I could see him being a somebody soldiers admire, but I could also see him being someone admired by the worst elements of the modern militia movement.

[XPac]

Another thought on special niches in the general 616 population:

A couple of series back, Moon Knight's chopper pilot (forget whether it was Rick or Ray) wanted to pass a message to The Punisher about how much the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq admired him, painting his symbol on their tanks and choppers. I could see a large number of people looking on The Punisher as someone to admire. The most interesting part is, I could see him being a somebody soldiers admire, but I could also see him being someone admired by the worst elements of the modern militia movement.

I do seriously believe to the average citizen in the MU the PUnisher is admired a lot more than people might think.

Morality and legality aside, Frank gets it done. WHen the Avengers or Spider-man or whoever else beats the bad guy, they get out of jail 2 weeks later and do the exact same thing. Hero shows up to stop them again, rinse and repeat. After a certain point that endless cycle has to get a bit frustrating. With Punisher, they end up in a pine box... the end.

[charliehustle415]

It's obviously Captain America, but I don't think everyone respects him for the right reasons. I'm sure there are lots of people in the MU who imagine him to be like Ultimate Cap. Others probably cherry-pick his beliefs like they did with MLK. I'm sure Steve gets quoted a lot by people he would fundamentally despise.

That is an excellent point.

People remember the "You Move" quote from Cap but may not want to remember his jingoistic stuff from before

[Celgress]

Cap is my guess.

[DrNewGod]

It's obviously Captain America, but I don't think everyone respects him for the right reasons. I'm sure there are lots of people in the MU who imagine him to be like Ultimate Cap. Others probably cherry-pick his beliefs like they did with MLK. I'm sure Steve gets quoted a lot by people he would fundamentally despise.

That's a really interesting take.

[Rzerox21xx]

Sandman did that for Spidey for that Issue of Avengers, saying he's worth 3 of them? Freaking 99 Bryne Retcon.!!!!

[capandkirby]

It's obviously Captain America, but I don't think everyone respects him for the right reasons. I'm sure there are lots of people in the MU who imagine him to be like Ultimate Cap. Others probably cherry-pick his beliefs like they did with MLK. I'm sure Steve gets quoted a lot by people he would fundamentally despise.

This is also true of fan perception. It's interesting to me, as a Cap fan, how many fan views of the character, particularly those who don't read the Cap title, get the character completely wrong, themselves, confusing him for a nationalist (despite the fact that Steve, himself, has stated, on panel, over and over, in almost every Cap run that has existed since Englehart, that's he's not loyal to the government or the flag, he's loyal to the ideals of what America SHOULD be, not what it is). It's funny because Mark Gruenwald actually addressed this issue point-blank, he used to get hatemail claiming that Steve Rogers wasn't portrayed American ENOUGH, these fans who wrote in wanted Steve to be portrayed more like Rambo, Gruenwald's response was to create John Walker, to, and I quote, illustrate "the dark side of patriotism" but he refused to make Steve 'that guy', because it went against the fundamentals who who Steve was a character.

More on that here...

[Kaitou D. Kid]

This is also true of fan perception. It's interesting to me, as a Cap fan, how many fan views of the character, particularly those who don't read the Cap title, get the character completely wrong, themselves, confusing him for a nationalist (despite the fact that Steve, himself, has stated, on panel, over and over, in almost every Cap run that has existed since Englehart, that's he's not loyal to the government or the flag, he's loyal to the ideals of what America SHOULD be, not what it is). It's funny because Mark Gruenwald actually addressed this issue point-blank, he used to get hatemail claiming that Steve Rogers wasn't portrayed American ENOUGH, these fans who wrote in wanted Steve to be portrayed more like Rambo, Gruenwald's response was to create John Walker, to, and I quote, illustrate "the dark side of patriotism" but he refused to make Steve 'that guy', because it went against the fundamentals who who Steve was a character.

More on that here...

That is so interesting that he got hate mail.

One of my favorite moments from Brubaker's run is where Steve gets to live in his dream world of what America should be like. He says it's a world where we "saved ourselves from greed and short-sightedness." I always interpreted that as Brubaker implying that Steve isn't a capitalist. He just found a uncontroversial way to say it.

[Rzerox21xx]

I remember in a Matthew Rosenberg Punisher issue where Frank was disgusted by how cops are using him as a inspiration, putting his symbol in their cars and other police stuff, he told them them off saying if they want someone to admire and live by, look at Captain America, but if they start doing what he's doing, he will go after them as well.

[Alan2099]

As for respect, I think Ben Grimm is right up there near the top as well.

Even in JLA/Avengers Captain America referred to him as one of the finest men he knows.