Spider-Man and Captain America epitomize two distinct generations. Born in 2001, Spider-Man, Peter Parker, represented the young superhero coming into his own in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Captain America, Steve Rogers, was born in 1918, and by the time the 21st century rolled around, he was well-versed in his abilities despite having been frozen for nearly 70 years.
Given Cap’s and Spider-Man’s discrepancies, you may wonder if this would be a memorable duel if they fought one-on-one.
Spider-Man is younger and could have some fresh tricks up his sleeve. However, if we’re talking MCU, it’s the older, more experienced Captain America who may possess a fresher trick. And that will decide things in this one-on-one battle.
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Who is Spider-Man?
Spider-Man (Peter Parker) was one of our youngest Avengers in the Infinity Saga. When a radioactive spider bit Parker, he acquired superpowers and thus became Spider-Man.
While Parker always used his powers for good, he always feared someone would discover his secret identity.
He was only fourteen when Tony Stark (Iron Man) recruited him to take part in the Avengers’ Civil War (Captain America: Civil War). Stark knew about Parker’s identity the entire time, and he gave Parker an advanced suit called the Iron Spider
Following Civil War, Parker faced his own nemesis, the Vulture, in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After defeating Vulture, we saw Parker in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, where he again allied with Tony Stark.
Most recently, Parker battled Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home, before he and two other Peter Parkers took on multiple villains in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Who is Captain America?
Captain America (Steve Rogers) was an undersized boy with multiple health issues. This prevented him from joining the United States Military at the onset of World War II.
Despite his poor health, Dr. Abraham Erskine cleared Rogers for the military. Rogers then joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve, which we later learned was Erskine’s super-soldier experiment.
This allowed Rogers to acquire his superhuman abilities, which he used to subdue an undercover Hydra agent who assassinated Erskine shortly after.
He became a national icon to promote US support of the war, then wound up in Italy to rescue Bucky Barnes and his unit from a Hydra base.
Rogers later obtained his trademark vibranium shield from Howard Stark, father of Tony Stark (Iron Man). With it, Rogers, Bucky, and a small band of soldiers went on a mission to capture and interrogate Dr. Arnim Zola.
Following the confrontation and a short battle with Zola’s ally, Johann Schmidt, Rogers was forced to take control of the aircraft and he crashed into the Arctic before waking up in the 21st century.
Rogers later became the central character in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. He was also a leader in the Avengers and appeared in all four Avengers movies before he ultimately returned to the 1940s to start a life with his love interest, Peggy Carter.
Spider-Man’s Abilities
Spider-Man’s physical abilities far exceeded a normal fourteen-year-old’s. He was stronger, faster, and more agile than even some of the strongest superheroes in the MCU.
His reflexes were also spot-on, allowing him to dodge incoming objects from in front, from the corner of his eye, and even from behind him. As he grew older, Parker managed to further augment these reflexes.
Besides an uptick in physical abilities, Parker also had increased endurance. This allowed him to fight longer and even take a few hard hits. Even if a villain seemingly got the best of Parker, odds were, they didn’t win the battle.
Parker also had spider senses. These senses caused a slight tingling sensation, letting him know danger was imminent.
Like a spider, Parker could also wall-crawl and hang from perpendicular objects to gain a better vantage point against an opponent.
Webbing is one of Parker’s trademark abilities and probably the first one you think of if someone mentions Spider-Man.
This ability allowed Parker to swing from building to building, and he even used it as an attack mechanism to bind opponents or an opponent’s weapon. We saw Parker use this ability in Captain America: Civil War.
In the MCU, his web shooters were gadget-like thanks to Tony Stark designing Parker’s suit. His arsenal included gadgets like stun webs, web grenades, and ricochet webs.
Thanks to E.D.I.T.H., also known as “Even Dead, I’m The Hero,” Parker could also access copious amounts of data and even combat drones.
Finally, Parker’s enhanced metabolism gave him superhuman healing powers. In the MCU, his metabolism helped him survive an airplane crash and, in Far From Home, getting hit by a train.
Captain America’s Abilities
Captain America’s vibranium shield gave him numerous abilities. While not shaped like one, the shield acted like a boomerang for Rogers. With enough practice, he learned how to weaponize the shield and how to make it come back to him. The shield could also slice through solid objects.
Thanks to the super-soldier serum, Cap also obtained numerous superhuman abilities. He was far stronger than the average human, had remarkable endurance and durability, and was skilled in many martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.
Also courtesy of the serum, Cap had super speed, superhuman healing capabilities, and he could resist hypnosis. Along with increased intelligence and eyesight, Cap’s superhuman abilities completed him as one of the most well-rounded Avengers.
His suit also gave him huge advantages, as it was resistant to fire and bullets. In the MCU, his bulletproof suit didn’t appear to be a thing early, but thanks to Tony Stark, Cap acquired some enhanced armor.
One unique ability for Cap is that he was one of very few characters in Marvel capable of wielding Thor’s Mjolnir. This ability also allowed him to summon lightning, much like Thor.
Spider-Man’s Weaknesses
Despite his numerous strengths, Peter Parker had a few weaknesses opponents could exploit. The first was his age. At fourteen, Parker was young and not as experienced as most superheroes in the MCU.
Captain America said, “Look, kid, there’s a lot going on here that you don’t understand,” during their battle in Berlin. Cap spoke the truth, as he ultimately defeated Parker in their skirmish.
In that same fight, Parker said, “He (Tony Stark) also said to go for your legs.” This showed us another one of Parker’s weaknesses. In a battle against a stronger, more experienced opponent, revealing your game plan as Parker did is not a good idea.
Parker was also reckless, something we saw often in Homecoming. Such recklessness came with his youth. This caused Parker to suffer through several mishaps which would have been disastrous had Stark not shown up to bail Parker out of trouble.
While he would go out of his way to be a hero, Parker was also prone to complacency. This was yet another knock on his inexperience–as just because he had superhuman powers, it didn’t mean he would win every battle.
Captain America’s Weaknesses
Since he was born in 1918, modern technology stumped Cap. While Cap would adapt to technology, there was always the chance he could come across a gadget he’d never seen before, and that would spell trouble against an opponent.
Cap had few weaknesses; though one perceived strength–courage–could turn into a weakness. He looked out for others so much that he could lose concentration during a fight.
The best example of this weakness came in Civil War, when he and Bucky Barnes teamed up in a fight against Iron Man. Cap looked out for Bucky so much that it nearly cost him the fight. Bucky’s interference was the only reason Cap overpowered Stark.
Side-By-Side Comparison
| Superhero | Captain America | Spider-Man |
| Real Name | Steve Rogers | Peter Parker |
| Weapon of Choice | Vibranium Shield | Webs |
| Biggest Strength in This Battle | Wielding Mjolnir | Webbing and Web Swinging |
| Biggest Weakness in This Battle | Technology | Inexperience |
Spider-Man vs. Captain America – Who Wins?
This battle comes down to how much Spider-Man learned from his past mistakes. If we are talking Homecoming’s version of Spider-Man, then Captain America wins this one.
We saw what Cap did in The First Avenger when he initially obtained his powers and it was a night and day difference from Parker’s misadventures.
Civil War backs up this point, as the two went head-to-head and Captain America won that fight, despite Parker giving Cap all he could handle.
But what about the more well-versed No Way Home version of Spider-Man? With his abilities honed, Spider-Man would give Captain America a more grueling fight.
But, in Endgame, Cap also uncovered a few new tricks of his own.
I’m talking about his ability to wield Mjolnir. Spider-Man could use his spidey-senses and ultra-fast reflexes to avoid Cap’s vibranium shield all he wants. But a Mjolnir with god-like powers to summon lightning at will?
Cap would use his shield to his advantage, constantly throwing it at Parker until the kid believes the shield is the ticket to defeating him. He may even let Spider-Man use his webs to bind the shield.
And remember, Spider-Man can get complacent, and that is what would happen here. Once Spider-Man makes the mistake of thinking the battle is over, Cap will summon, wield, and use Mjolnir to his advantage, striking Spider-Man with a few jolts of lightning.
While Spider-Man will grow even stronger as he ages, Captain America’s wit and experience will ultimately win him this battle.
Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.