"The second Captain America? Now that's an interesting topic."
Thor immediately showed great interest. "After returning the Stones, Captain America really did grow old. He definitely can't be Captain America anymore."
At that point in time, Captain America had truly become a white-haired old man—so frail that people even wondered whether a gust of wind might knock him over.
Continuing as Captain America was obviously impossible.
When this question first appeared, everyone had discussed it: from then on, they might be living in a world without Captain America—and without Iron Man as well.
But now this question made one thing clear. Although Captain America had "retired," he hadn't simply walked away from everything.
He had properly handled the "handover."
He had chosen a successor.
Someone to inherit the title of Captain America.
"Rogers really does see things through to the end," Tony Stark shrugged. "So let's analyze it—who exactly did Rogers choose as the second Captain America?"
As he spoke, Tony looked at Captain America. "This question is about your choice, Rogers. Why don't you do the analysis yourself?"
Captain America didn't hesitate and went straight into it.
"Right now, I'm not a white-haired old man, nor have I spent decades living with Peggy Carter. My mindset at that time might be very different, so I can't be certain how I would choose then."
"But if we're talking about now, I think there are two extremely important conditions—both of which must be met."
"First, the person I choose as my successor must have impeccable character. This is the most important point. He must be someone willing to sacrifice himself for others."
"Second, that person must possess sufficient ability. The duty of Captain America is to fight crime and make America better—this is equally essential."
"Of course, there are other considerations, but these two are the most fundamental. Let's start by looking at them."
"If those are the only two conditions, Rogers, that's not enough," Thor said, glancing at the options on the big screen. "Aside from the last one, whom I don't recognize, the first three all meet those criteria."
"Bucky Barnes—former member of the Howling Commandos. Yes, he spent time as the Winter Soldier, but that was due to mind control."
"Later, Bucky returned to Rogers' side and fought alongside everyone in the final battle against Thanos. I'd say the original Howling Commandos' Bucky Barnes is back."
"That Bucky fully satisfies the two conditions Rogers mentioned."
"As for Sam Wilson and Clint Barton, there's no need for me to elaborate—they're absolutely qualified as well."
Thor quickly summarized the first three options.
As he said, all three were willing to sacrifice themselves for others and possessed solid professional competence.
"The last option—John Walker. Does anyone here know who that is?" Thor asked, looking around.
Everyone wore the same confused expression. No one had heard of the name.
That alone told them enough.
Unless the other three were clearly ruled out, there was no reason to waste time on this option. They knew nothing about him—there was nothing to analyze.
"Let's put John Walker aside for now, but I don't think it would be Bucky Barnes."
Tony Stark spoke again, offering his conclusion after some thought. "Yes, Bucky may eventually return to being the man he once was—the morally impeccable Howling Commandos' Bucky."
"But—"
Here came the key point.
"But we need to consider what the name Captain America actually represents. This is the captain of America—a national symbol, a spiritual icon."
"So when Rogers chooses a successor, he must also consider public acceptance."
"If the successor isn't accepted by society at large, what's the point of choosing him at all?"
Tony's reasoning was solid.
Captain America wasn't like Nick Fury, a low-profile agent whose competence alone was enough. Captain America was a figure recognized worldwide.
"And it's not just public acceptance," T'Challa added. "Captain America is also an officially recognized symbol of honor in the United States."
"So…the successor would need approval not only from the people, but also from those at the top."
"In other words, political considerations would inevitably be involved."
And once politics entered the picture, things got complicated.
"Exactly. That's why I think Bucky Barnes is unlikely," Tony continued. "Whether willingly or not, he undeniably carried out countless dirty jobs for HYDRA."
"If that history were exposed, public opposition would be overwhelming."
"And even before the public reacted, the higher-ups would veto Rogers' nomination outright."
"That makes sense. Then Bucky Barnes can be ruled out," Scott Lang nodded in agreement.
No one present was naïve. They understood how the world worked.
Bucky's years of service to HYDRA alone doomed his chances of ever becoming Captain America.
"Then what about Sam Wilson?" Peter Parker turned to option B and asked.
Sam Wilson had appeared quite early—back when Tony Stark first participated in the quiz.
After Coulson returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. and submitted his report, Sam's background was quickly dug up.
Everyone present knew him fairly well.
And based on all the information they had, Sam Wilson seemed flawless.
No obvious reason to exclude him.
"Let's keep Sam Wilson as a tentative option," Captain America said.
"Then option C—Clint Barton?" Thor asked.
"Do you remember the question about who proposed the idea of time travel?" Scott Lang said. "That footage suggested Clint went on a killing spree after Thanos snapped, slaughtering criminals to vent his rage."
"Could that be considered a 'black mark'?"
"I don't think so," T'Challa shook his head. "No matter how many people Barton killed, they were all criminals. Even if exposed, I don't think it would seriously affect him."
After all, they were criminals.
That wouldn't constitute a political liability.
"Exactly," Tony picked up the thread. "From both public and official acceptance perspectives, Barton might even be more suitable than Sam Wilson."
"Don't forget—he and Natasha obtained the Soul Stone. That was a monumental contribution to defeating Thanos and saving the world."
"That alone is something Sam Wilson can't match."
"So from this angle, Sam is merely qualified, but Barton is not only qualified—he has standout merits."
Tony spoke at length.
"No. I wouldn't choose Barton."
After some thought, Captain America gave his verdict. "Barton is different from Bucky and Sam. He has a family."
"He's not suited to be Captain America. I wouldn't choose him as my successor."
When Barton joined S.H.I.E.L.D., he deliberately concealed the existence of his family. It took years—until the Ultron incident—for everyone to find out.
That alone showed how much Barton valued his family.
Captain America wasn't just another agent—he was globally famous.
If Barton became Captain America, his family would be exposed to the world, creating enormous security risks.
That was something Captain America would never allow.
And even if Rogers were willing to pass on the title, Barton himself likely wouldn't accept it.
"So…Clint Barton is eliminated as well?"
Peter Parker grew excited. "No one knows John Walker, and Sam Wilson is still under consideration. Doesn't that mean the answer is Sam Wilson?"
"Sam looks solid from every angle," Peter continued, "and compared to Barton, he's also Rogers' close friend."
"So yes—after comparing all the options, I think the answer is B."
Tony Stark agreed with Peter's conclusion.
Peter grew even more excited.
His idol thought exactly the same way he did.
No one else raised any objections. The group quickly reached consensus.
The only remaining question was: who would answer?
By their usual principle, whoever the question concerned should answer—and this was clearly Captain America's question.
But the reward was technical data.
And not just any data—'Hextech Gate' technology.
No one knew exactly what a Hextech Gate was, but whether it was Tony Stark or anyone else present, everyone was deeply interested.
Especially considering that the reward was practically useless to Captain America, but immensely valuable to Tony Stark—having Rogers answer would essentially be handing Stark a wedding gift.
Even so, after brief discussion, Captain America still chose to answer himself.
His character was, as always, beyond reproach.
"I choose B—Sam Wilson."
Captain America gave his answer to the screen.
[Correct Answer!]
Just as expected.
[Congratulations to responder Steve Rogers for obtaining: Hextech Gate Technical Data!]
As the system spoke, a USB drive appeared in Captain America's hand—the Hextech Gate data.
At the same time, information about what the Hextech Gate actually was flooded into his mind.
Even someone as composed as Captain America couldn't help but show shock and excitement.
"Stark," he said, eyes shining, "haven't you always said Earth hasn't reached an interstellar level yet? I think that situation can now be effectively changed."
That single sentence instantly whetted everyone's appetite.
"What do you mean, Captain? Can this 'Gate' really take us into the interstellar era? Why? What exactly is it?" Peter Parker blurted out.
"This 'Gate'," Captain America said heavily, "is a spatial teleportation portal."
A spatial teleportation portal!
Everyone was stunned—then immediately exhilarated.
For Earth, this was nothing short of revolutionary.
"Rogers, are you saying this portal can enable interstellar travel?" Tony Stark's eyes lit up brilliantly.
If that were true, Earth would no longer be isolated in the cosmos. Even without starships, it could connect to the universe through this Gate.
The strategic significance for Earth was enormous.
"Sounds similar to the Bifrost," Thor nodded approvingly. "Excellent. You can come visit Asgard anytime."
"A space gate? That's insane—and insanely cool!" Peter Parker shouted excitedly.
"But Stark, there's one problem," Captain America suddenly changed tone, his expression growing serious.
"This Gate…"
"…is a magical construct."
....
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(End of Chapter)