Why Captain America is a better mentor than GA Batman...

I may be a DC girl at heart, but there is one thing I have to say...

In the Golden Age, Captain America was a better mentor than Batman.



If this were Batman, he'd have made Robin wear the corset. But Steve? If anyone is going to dress up like a woman, it's going to be him.

It's his patriotic duty!

Man, that's one ugly woman.

(picture from Captain America Comics #2, and ganked from here.)

It's a "Steve" thing:

It occured to me randomly that one of the reasons Steve Trevor is not very popular among the modern day audience is because it's hard to remember what he's supposed to be like.

I mean Steve Trevor hasn't really been Steve Trevor since the Golden Age. The Silver Age was fun, but Steve really didn't get a chance to shine there. The closest he got was Lyle Waggoner's portrayal in the TV show.

And then post-crisis, he gets retconned into a much older brother figure. It's no wonder that no one seems to appreciate him.

It's been argued as "unfeminist" to pair Steve and Diana because it means that Diana is "settling". As though physical strength were the only strength that mattered. (Which strikes me as an unfeminist argument in and of itself. Most women do not match the physical strength of most men, does that mean then that they are somehow unequal? That the men are settling? But I digress.)

The thing is, when Steve is characterized right (like in the original Golden Age comics), the relationship is really easy to understand. Steve is really easy to respect and admire and like. His sexism is undeniable, but it's curable. He thinks it's surprising but hot that a woman could actually save him.

Actually, I think if anyone wants to really "get" Steve Trevor as he should be, they should watch, of all things, Ultimate Avengers and pay really close attention to Steve Rogers/Captain America.

Because...if you take away the superstrength and powers...that *is* Steve Trevor. That personality...that bravery, determination, charm and nobility...the stoicism and loyalty and patriotism...

That's Steve Trevor. That's Steve in a nutshell. (Even his slightly bemused but attracted reaction while being saved by the Black Widow...)

Steve is a man that would have undergone the super serum if it had been available in the DCU, but it wasn't. So Steve had to make do with just being a normal guy. But I don't think anyone would say that the only reason Captain America is awesome is because of his powers. But the funny thing is that if you read Steve Trevor, the true, Golden Age Steve Trevor, pretty much everything else is the same. (Trevor's probably a little smoother and smarmier.)

Though, now I'd really like to see a crossover in which Captain America and Wonder Woman date. Screw Superman, THAT is the superhero couple I could see actually working. :-)