In an alternate timeline with Marvel Comics' What If...? saga, a new Captain America is named and it is someone who Steve Rogers absolutely hates.
In an alternate timeline introduced to fans in Marvel Comics’ What If…? saga, fans had the chance to meet Marvel’s best Captain America, a character who would have disgusted Steve Rogers to his core. Captain America is a symbol of hope and unity for not just the United States but for the entire world. In that regard, the Captain America who debuted in one particular What If…? comic issue did a much better job at inspiring the world than his predecessor ever did, much to the original’s assured dismay.
In What If? Age of Ultron #4 by Joe Keatinge, Piotr Kowalski, and Neil Edwards, Steve Rogers was killed back in the ‘40s when he went into the ice, and the modern day Avengers sadly unfroze nothing more than his corpse. Needing a hero to replace Rogers and give the nation hope once more, the Illuminati decide to choose Steve’s replacement. Like Steve Rogers, their choice was a war veteran who proved himself to be a skilled fighter and a sworn enemy of crime and evil doers. While his methods are way more brutal than anyone who should pick up Captain America’s shield, Iron Man and the other Illuminati members believe he is the best choice regardless. The heroes’ decision for Steve Rogers’ replacement is none other than Frank Castle aka the Punisher.
When the Punisher was injected with an updated version of the original super soldier serum created by Reed Richards, he became even stronger than Steve Rogers’ Captain America. Right when Castle suits up for the first time, the Avengers orchestrate a fake Doom-bot attack to debut the new Captain America in action. As he immediately showed in battle, Castle’s Captain America is a skilled and ferocious fighter with superior strength and tactics compared to Steve Rogers. As time passes with Castle as Captain America, hope is restored to a hopeless country as the comic shows Frank beating every major villain the original Captain America ever went up against and coming out on top. With the success of the Avengers’ new Captain America, people across the country sign up for a new initiative created by Tony Stark to have a super soldier hero for every state in America. Frank Castle unites the country like Steve Rogers never could, proving that he is the best version of Captain America.
The idea that Frank Castle of all people is a better Captain America than Steve Rogers would greatly disturb Steve as he is disgusted by the Punisher’s method of crime fighting. Rogers makes his position against the Punisher clear in Civil War #6 when Captain America beats the Punisher senseless after Frank abruptly kills a group of villains who just wanted to be allies.
The fact that the Punisher just kills criminals and doesn’t give them the chance for justice repulses Steve, so the idea of the Punisher being the superior Captain America would be a hurtful mental blow to say the least. From being physically stronger and arguably equally as skilled in wartime combat to uniting the country like never before, the Punisher proved himself to be Marvel Comics’ best Captain America, a fact that would disgust Steve Rogers to his core.
