Captain Carter's appearance in Doctor Strange 2 named Captain Carter as The First Avenger, but how could she have earned that title?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe blew the door of continuity off its hinges when the concept of the Multiverse was introduced to the larger canon. This has led to the widespread issues of those that have gained a glimpse into the Multiverse and desire more power. Some already noteworthy examples have included Kang the Conqueror and Infinity Ultron, but thankfully, there have also been heroes to combat these threats like Captain Carter.

Captain Carter first appeared in What If...? and was also a member of the Guardians of the Multiverse. Not much was known about her time in the present or the impact she had at that time. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness posited another conundrum. When she was introduced as a member of The Illuminati, Mordo also dubbed her "The First Avenger," but how could she have gained the title?

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Much like Steve Rogers, Peggy was given the Super Soldier Serum and used her skills to combat Hydra alongside the Howling Commandos. However, history diverged greatly when, rather than crashing a plane, Peggy ventured into a portal created by the Red Skull and came out the other side in the present day. Since then, it was believed she worked with SHIELD and Black Widow to stop modern threats and even worked with Uatu, The Watcher, to stop Infinity Ultron.

Assuming this iteration of Peggy was the same one from Multiverse of Madness, it could then be believed that she had joined The Illuminati. That has created some problems, as there had been no mention of any Avengers in Earth-838 to justify her being The First Avenger. Furthermore, The Illuminati is far more calculating and cold-blooded than any other team. In fact, they aren't above murder should it secure the safety of their universe. As a result, this could also be how she earned the famous moniker.

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Steve Rogers was The First Avenger because he felt compelled to avenge the apparent death of his best friend, Bucky Barnes. Steve's title would later be bolstered with the creation of The Avengers, who were specifically used to avenge any and all that they could not save in the past. In short, it's fairly apparent why Steve would be called "The First Avenger." That said, loss also fueled Peggy, but not in a way similar to Steve. While the What If..? iteration of Captain Carter has her own story to be told, Earth-838's Peggy may be a dark reflection of what could have happened.

To bring this theory to life, it would imply that Peggy also lost her Steve, but not like how Steve lost Bucky. Instead, Steve's return to the modern day could've been similar to what was introduced in What If...?, having him either as a fellow Avenger or a Winter Soldier. Nevertheless, his actions would've led to his death without Peggy being able to help.

Even more tragic is that he became someone so dangerous, The Illuminati had to handle him, leaving Peggy as the only one who could avenge his memory and stop those that put him on the wrong path. It may not be an optimistic theory, but it's one that would still grant Peggy the title of "The First Avenger."

Nicholas Brooks has been writing professionally for over a decade, covering many aspects of pop culture from film and video games to comics and anime. Writing has remained his passion in that time and loves to theorize and pick apart unique connections in franchises like Marvel, Jurassic Park and much more. In his spare time, he could be found working on his bookstagram, collecting figures, reading comics or watching movies with his girlfriend.

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