It seems to me (since I was one of them) that most people who don't really know much about Captain America assume that he's a pretty one-note stereotypical hero - just the embodiment of the most irritating kind of good-old American patriotism, smashing bad guys and obsessed with the greatness of 'Merika. I mean, his superhero name is Captain America. It's hokey as shit.

How wrong I was. Steve Rogers isn't the kind of hypocritical idealized gun-toting man's man that we all roll our eyes at. He's the kind of very human person that everyone should aspire to be.

Even before he underwent the experiment that gave him the strength and power to do so much good in the world, Steve was already a kind, generous and determined person, who was willing to put himself in danger, risk death or torture, to defend those who couldn't defend themselves. A 98 lb asthmatic weakling, he stood up to bullies and got himself beaten down over and over, and just kept standing right back up.

When he became a superhero, that core personality, that kindness and caring for others, didn't change. He just gained the ability to actually do something about the injustices that he sees in the world. He always comes from a position of wanting to do right, and to protect others, rather than being motivated by seeking vengeance or wanting to kill bad people.

Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s, one might expect Steve to be quite prejudiced and sexist, but Steve is pretty special, in that he judges each person on their own merits, and reacts to them based on their own unique attributes and behaviour. Sure, he has old-fashioned ideals and values. He's chivalrous towards women and respectful of others, particularly elders and those in positions of authority. But he doesn't look down on people for being of a different race, or for being a woman. After an initial curiosity at Peggy Carter, for example, he fully accepted that she was a military woman and outranked him, and that was the end of that. He also accepted Bruce Banner at their first meeting and showed him respect without any outward wariness, putting aside what he was told and giving Bruce the benefit of the doubt no matter what he'd been told about the Hulk.

Steve is a natural leader, and without any real posturing, ego or arrogance, he is capable of taking charge in most situations and making good decisions. This is partly a function of his considerable military experience fighting in WWII, but it's also a natural ability of his. Within a short time of being in his presence, people tend to gravitate towards him and he commands respect without trying. He naturally grasps the personalities of those around him, and their strengths and weaknesses, and puts them in the places where they can do the most good. It's this personality trait that resulted in him slipping in a natural, unspoken manner, into the role of leader of the Avengers, even given the complex dynamics there. If you think about it, it's amazing that in a group that includes Tony Stark, who is basically a creature of pure ego, and Thor, who is a god and future king, STEVE wound up the leader, and by the end of the first Avengers movie everyone just naturally does what he tells them without questioning it.

Despite all of his accomplishments and abilities, there's still a part of Steve that has low confidence and still thinks of himself as just some normal kid from Brooklyn. On the one hand, this keeps him humble, and ensures that he doesn't start to become the kind of person that he hates. But more than that, it makes him hesitate at times. He hates to make a mistake, especially if people get hurt because of him. He has a tendency to brood on his mistakes, and to want to be busy and take action to prevent himself from dwelling too much on the things he's lost. He feels uncomfortable in the future, and gravitates towards solitude and familiar things, baffled by this strange, fast-paced and technological new world.

Yet, he's selling himself short. With his versatility and intelligence, there's no doubt that he could come to understand things like the internet and new pop culture, but he is self-conscious of his lack of scientific education and his unfamiliarity with things that come naturally to others. For example, when Tony is trying to get him to help restart one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier's engines, he tries to play off his confusion as a joke: "It appears to use some form of electricity", because he feels helpless and uncomfortable with what Tony is asking him to do. Though one thing that's significant about Steve as that unlike many people, he doesn't get angry when he's placed in uncomfortable situations. Instead, though he might make light of the situation, he'll always just put his head down, cope and do his best with whatever resources he has available. No matter the odds or the obstacles, the one thing Captain America never does, is give up.