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TEAM -UP!
Team-Up File

Captain America

The First Avenger
Steve Rogers · Avengers · New York City
CAPTAIN AMERICA×SPIDER-MAN
Two heroes, one city

The Team-Up

It started as hero worship. To a kid from Queens, Captain America was the poster on the wall come to life — the living legend Peter Parker grew up idolizing. But swing alongside someone long enough and awe turns into something sturdier, and what began wide-eyed matured into genuine, hard-won mutual respect.
🗨️ On patrol together
Spider-ManSir — Cap — Mr. America, sir—
Captain AmericaJust 'Cap' is fine, son. Breathe.
Spider-ManRight. Following your lead.
Captain AmericaThat heart of yours? That's the real power.
CLANG!
The seasoned icon and the earnest kid — each one quietly grounding the other, the legend and the everyman covering the whole spectrum of what a hero can be.

Cap prizes what Peter carries: heart, and a grounded, everyman kind of courage. Spider-Man is the "little guy" Cap has always fought for — the neighborhood hero who saves people because it's simply the right thing to do. They've stood side by side in the Avengers, and once even faced off across a super-hero civil conflict before reconciling. The respect outlasted the disagreement.

The relationship

How They Met & Where It Stands

How they met

Spider-Man and Captain America first shared the page in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3 (1966), when the Avengers — Cap among them — considered Spidey for membership and set him the test of capturing the Hulk (he ultimately walked away, deciding he wasn't team material). An early direct encounter came in Captain America #137-138 (1971), where Spider-Man guest-starred and Cap and the Falcon initially took him for a menace. Their first one-on-one team-up was Marvel Team-Up #13 (1973). Over the following decades this grew into a long mentor-and-protege dynamic.

Where it stands today

Steve Rogers is once again the primary Captain America, and he and Spider-Man remain steadfast allies with deep mutual respect — Cap functions as a mentor and father-figure whom Peter Parker holds in higher regard than almost anyone. Having served together across the New Avengers era and Marvel's major events, they continue to cross paths in Avengers and event storylines. The Civil War rift is long healed; their modern relationship is defined by trust, with Cap one of the few heroes Spider-Man will unhesitatingly follow into a fight.

The origin

Who Is Captain America?

Steven "Steve" Rogers was a frail young man with more courage than muscle when the WWII Super-Soldier Serum transformed him into a peak-human super-soldier. He became a symbol as much as a fighter — until an accident left him frozen in ice for decades, to be revived into the modern age a man out of his own time.

He carries peak human strength, speed, agility and endurance, but his real edge is his mind: a master tactician and hand-to-hand combatant who leads from the front. In his grip, a near-indestructible vibranium shield becomes offense, defense, and rallying point all at once.

🛡️ Vibranium shield💪 Peak human strength🏃 Enhanced speed🤸 Peak agility🥊 Master combatant🧠 Master tactician⭐ Born leader
1941
Comics debut
20
Team-ups in print
7
Signature powers
8
Reading-order picks
Abilities & Enemies

Powers & Rogues

Peak-human strength
Serum pushes his body to the natural human maximum
Enhanced agility and reflexes
Moves and reacts faster than any ordinary athlete
Enhanced stamina and endurance
Tires far more slowly than a normal person
Accelerated healing
Recovers from injury quickly and resists fatigue toxins
Master martial artist
Among the finest hand-to-hand combatants on Earth
Vibranium shield mastery
Throws and blocks with his near-indestructible shield with pinpoint accuracy
Master tactician
Brilliant battlefield strategist and field commander
Natural leadership
Trusted leader of the Avengers and a moral anchor for other heroes
Red SkullCap's WWII arch-nemesis; a Nazi mastermind Spider-Man has faced during Avengers-level crises
Grey GargoyleTurns anything he touches to stone; the villain Spider-Man and Cap jointly defeated in Marvel Team-Up #13
Baron Helmut ZemoFounder of the Thunderbolts, a team of disguised villains Spider-Man has also clashed with
CrossbonesThe Red Skull's brutal enforcer, and the sniper in the assassination of Steve Rogers
HydraThe terrorist organization both Captain America and Spider-Man have repeatedly battled
When it clicks

Best Moments Together

1The fanboy meets the legend.Their earliest encounters ran on pure hero worship — Spidey star-struck to be fighting beside the icon he grew up idolizing.
2Avengers, side by side.When Spider-Man stood among Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Cap's trust in the kid grew into the real thing — synergy forged in the field.
3Divided, then reconciled.A super-hero civil conflict once put them on opposite sides, but the respect between them proved stronger than the argument that split them.
How the duo scores

Team-Up Chemistry

Banter6.5
Fight synergy8.5
Trust9.0
Inspiration9.5
Team-Up Verdict
8.4
out of 10
Through the years

Team-Up History

1971Captain America #138
Spider-Man guest-stars in Cap's own title as the heroes cross paths in New York
1973Marvel Team-Up #13
Spider-Man and Captain America team up to stop the Grey Gargoyle in 'The Granite Sky!'
1981Marvel Team-Up #106
Spider-Man and Captain America join forces again, battling the Scorpion
1983Marvel Team-Up #128
Spider-Man and Captain America pair up against Vermin in 'Sweet Temptation'
2006Civil War #5
Spider-Man defects from Iron Man's side to join Captain America's anti-registration underground
2010Siege #3
Spider-Man fights among the assembled heroes led by Captain America in the battle for Asgard
2012Avengers vs. X-Men #1-12
Spider-Man and Captain America serve on the Avengers side during the crossover war with the X-Men
On the shelf

First Appearances & Key Issues

1941
Captain America Comics #1
His debut, with the famous cover of Cap punching Hitler; a landmark of the Golden Age
1964
Avengers #4
The Avengers find Rogers frozen in ice and revive him, bringing Cap into the modern Marvel age
1969
Captain America #117
First appearance of Sam Wilson, the Falcon, Cap's longtime partner
2005
Captain America (2005) #1
Ed Brubaker's acclaimed run begins, launching the Winter Soldier story that returns Bucky Barnes
2007
Captain America #25
The 'death' of Steve Rogers in the aftermath of Civil War, a major event
Where to start readingCaptain America: Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker (collecting the 2005 series) is the modern classic starting point.
The full pull-list

Every Team-Up in Print

1966Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3First time they appear together: the Avengers (Cap among them) test Spider-Man for membership by asking him to bring in the Hulk.
1971Captain America #137-138Spider-Man guest-stars; Cap and the Falcon cross paths with him and initially mistake him for a threat.
1973Marvel Team-Up #13Their first one-on-one team-up (Spider-Man and Captain America).
1976Marvel Team-Up #52Bronze Age Spider-Man/Captain America team-up.
1982Contest of Champions #1-3Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions: both are among the Earth heroes abducted by the Grandmaster for a cosmic tournament.
1983Marvel Team-Up #128Spidey and Cap hunt the tragic villain Vermin, a J.M. DeMatteis creation.
1983The Avengers #236-237Spider-Man tries out for the Avengers; Cap and the team put him through his paces.
1984-1985Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12Both are taken to Battleworld by the Beyonder and fight side by side against the assembled villains.
1989-1990Acts of Vengeance crossoverLine-wide crossover in which villains swap targets; Spider-Man and Cap both feature among the defending heroes.
1991The Infinity Gauntlet #1-6Earth's heroes, Cap and Spider-Man included, make a doomed stand against Thanos.
1996Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1Spider-Man is on the front line as Cap and other heroes sacrifice themselves to stop Onslaught.
2005New Avengers #1Spider-Man becomes a full-time Avenger, serving directly alongside Captain America for the first time.
2006Amazing Spider-Man #529-531Tony Stark builds Spidey the Iron Spider suit as tensions over registration build toward Civil War.
2006-2007Civil War #1-7The defining rift: Cap leads the anti-registration resistance and Spider-Man, after unmasking, defects to Cap's side.
2007Amazing Spider-Man #537Civil War tie-in containing Cap's famous 'plant yourself like a tree... and say No, YOU move' speech, delivered to a wavering Spider-Man.
2007Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #4 (Spider-Man)The Spider-Man/Depression chapter, devoted to Spidey's grief over Steve Rogers' assassination.
2008Secret Invasion #1-8Spider-Man fights in the Skrull war alongside the assembled Avengers factions.
2010Siege #1-4Steve Rogers (back from the dead) and Spider-Man help retake Asgard from Norman Osborn, ending the Dark Reign.
2011Fear Itself #1-7Cap-led heroes, Spider-Man among them, battle the Serpent's forces.
2012Avengers vs. X-Men #1-12Spider-Man serves on Cap's Avengers during the war over the Phoenix Force, with a pivotal stand against Phoenix-powered foes on the moon.
20 notable Captain America × Spider-Man appearances, chronological — a curated selection of the significant ones, not every cameo.
Start here

Reading Order

  1. Marvel Team-Up #13 (1973)
    Where the partnership starts — their first one-on-one team-up.
  2. Marvel Team-Up #52 (1976)
    A tight, self-contained Bronze Age Spider-Man/Cap adventure that captures their easy banter.
  3. Marvel Team-Up #128 (1983)
    The Vermin story, a darker, more mature team-up that shows Cap treating Spidey as a peer.
  4. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12 (1984-1985)
    See them on the big stage in Marvel's first mega-event before turning to the modern era.
  5. New Avengers #1 (2005)
    Spider-Man finally joins Cap's team full-time — the mentor/teammate relationship made official.
  6. Civil War #1-7 (2006-2007)
    The crucible: Spidey unmasks, then crosses to Cap's resistance. Essential to the relationship.
  7. Amazing Spider-Man #537 (2007)
    Cap's 'No, you move' speech to Spider-Man — the single most quoted moment between them.
  8. Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #4 (2007)
    The emotional payoff: Spider-Man mourns Steve Rogers, showing how much Cap meant to him.
The dossier

The File

Vital statistics
Real nameSteven "Steve" Rogers
First appearanceCaptain America Comics #1 (1941)
Created byJoe Simon & Jack Kirby
BaseNew York City
AffiliationThe Avengers (frequent leader)
Also known asThe First Avenger
Signature gearVibranium shield
Key allySpider-Man
For the family

Trivia & Family Guide

Deep cuts
  • He debuted in 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II, with a cover of Cap punching Hitler.
  • Captain America Comics #1 sold close to a million copies at a time when that was extraordinary.
  • His shield is a unique, near-indestructible alloy of vibranium and steel.
  • After being frozen at the end of WWII, he was revived by the Avengers decades later, missing the years in between.
  • Both his sidekick Bucky Barnes and his partner Sam Wilson (the Falcon) have taken up the shield as Captain America.
Family guide · editorial
Action intensity
Scary moments
Rough language
Kid-friendly fun
Suggested 8+
Mostly gentle for a war hero (about a 2-3 of 5): classic wartime and superhero action, with a few darker modern arcs like his assassination. Fine for roughly ages 8 and up.
A 1–5 parenting scale — editorial judgement, not an official rating.