This issue of Avengers continues several plot threads from previous issues, especially the public protests against the team, which may have the influence of the mysterious Triune Understanding behind them, and the abduction of the Juggernaut by the powerful Exemplars at the end of the last issue, whom Captain America engages with strategy and cunning more than power or strength—before making a surprise announcement to the team at the end of the issue. Also, we see our hero with the Avengers in this month’s Iron Man and with Janet van Dyne and Hank Pym in the Ant-Man Christmas special. (Why that hasn’t become an annual tradition I really have no idea.)
When we first see Captain America in Avengers #25, he is receiving information on the Exemplars from Duane Freeman, the team’s government liaison and a proud member of the Triune Understanding, which makes Cap uncomfortable in ways he cannot yet articulate.
After reviewing the human beings who were granted great power to become the Exemplars—as the Juggernaut himself once was—Jarvis alerts them to some trouble with the protestors outside, as well as concerned citizens fearful of the Exemplar’s massive stone craft in the sky.
Cap is a bit short with his reply, consistent in his belief that the work counts more than who is doing it, but has enough self-awareness to advise Jarvis against repeating his impulsive words with anyone else, counseling “no comment” instead.
Moving on, Freeman wonders if they shouldn’t let the Exemplars take the Juggernaut, given the grave threat he represents himself, and Cap draws the analogy to the Allies appeasing Hitler during World War II, an action that encourages aggressors to make more demands, not fewer. He makes clear the Avengers aren’t going to allow the Exemplars to simply kill the Juggernaut, regardless of what he has done in the past—or how the U.S. government might feel about it (although it is only Freeman himself, as far as we know, who has suggested it).
(Note the subtle changes in both men’s expressions in the nine nearly identical panels above, thanks to George Pérez and Al Vey.)
Cap humbly apologizes for losing his cool—although I think he was much more restrained with Freeman than with Jarvis minutes before—and he silently reflects on why, which explains his discomfort with their government liaison (even before he suggested playing Neville Chamberlain with the Exemplars).
Soon, the Avengers assemble to confront said Exemplars, in which effort they are joined by old colleagues, including Hercules and Spider-Man, and Cap is grateful for both. (Nova shows up next to greet his old New Warriors colleagues, Firestar and Justice.)
The two teams throw down, and Cap notices the Exemplars are working against each other as much as against the Avengers, which surprises him given their credentialed backgrounds.
Cap shares his impressions with Tony…
…before exploiting their lack of cohesive strategy to help turn the tide against them.
Nonetheless, he is eventually trapped with Spider-Man under a pile of rubble…
…but manages to slip away while the rest of the Avengers were defeated and gathered by the Exemplars to be executed. (I would much prefer they went by “Executors,” because I like the term exemplar too much!)
Preparing to re-emerge, he considers their infighting and plans to exploit it again.
(How incredible is that shot of Cap’s face in the middle panel above?)
He confidently strides out to start a conversation, confusing the Exemplars…
…as well as Juggernaut and Hercules, though the Scarlet Witch has more faith in her old friend, who starts to play at hos foes’ egos and insecurities.
Cap reminds them of the impressive human beings they were before their transformations, and how they only serve someone else’s ends with all their newfound power.
(What a mind to retain all that information after a single review, and while he was distracted, no less!)
Even after Thor and Iron Man manage to free themselves, they let Cap continue to argue that the Exemplars should reclaim their autonomy…
…and he remains firm even when they challenge what he says.
He waits, hoping that his “honeyed words” will get through to even one…
…and in the end it is Bedlam, the thoughtful one in the middle panel above, who reaches out psychically to the rest, breaking them free of their mind control before they all flee in their confusion.
Afterwards, the Juggernaut prepares to return to custody, and tells the Avengers that even though he could take ’em all, he won’t, out of gratitude for their support against the Exemplars (which Cap, in turn, graciously acknowledges).
And just when they thought the battle was over… the reporters arrive, questioning their efforts against the Exemplars as well as their meager response to the protestors. Cap seems about to respond, but the Odinson beats him to it, and rather less diplomatically.
When Coach van Dyne reviews the game tape with the team later, Cap expresses his frustrations and admits to his inability to deal effectively with the manipulation of public opinion they are currently facing (despite his own history dealing with it, going back to his early experiences with the Secret Empire).
And so, Captain America resigns from the Avengers, honorably taking responsibility for what has gone wrong and leaving the next leader to face the current struggles going forward.
Cap will appear only sporadically in Avengers for a while, but as of the same month’s Iron Man #25 he is still with the team, helping clean up Slorenia after the recent Ultron incident, and none too happy to hear about “another killer robot.”
Nonetheless, he pledges the team’s assistance, although Tony fears they will arrive too late.
Finally in Ant-Man’s Big Christmas #1, Janet tells Hank they’re visiting her family over the holidays, after which they begin arguing about whose family is the nuttiest. Just as things get confusing, Cap tries to calm them down…
…but Janet accuses him of snooping (when, to his mind, he was just existing). Anyway, he passes them a letter from a kid that offers Hank a way out of a van Dyne Christmas—with just one little catch.
That’s one of Cap’s under-recognized virtues: discretion!
ISSUE DETAILS
Avengers (vol. 3) #25, February 2000: Kurt Busiek (writer), George Pérez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Richard Starkings, Wes Abbott, and Comicraft (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Avengers Assemble Volume 3.
Iron Man (vol. 3) #25, February 2000: Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern (writers), Sean Chen, Tom Lyle, Bob Layton, Yancey Labat, and Bernard Chang (pencils), Bob Layton, Rob Hunter, Mark Pennington, and Don Hillsman (inks), Steve Oliff (colors), Richard Starkings, Wes Abbott, and Troy Peteri (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Iron Man by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen Omnibus.
Ant-Man’s Big Christmas #1, February 2000: Bob Gale (writer), Phil Winslade (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti (inks), Richard Isanove (colors), Richard Starkings and Saida Temofonte (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Not yet collected.
PREVIOUS ISSUES: Avengers #23-24 (December 1999-January 2000)
ALSO THESE MONTHS: Captain America #26 and Hulk #11, Fantastic Four #26, and Domination Factor: Fantastic Four #3.7 and Domination Factor: Avengers #4.8 (February 2000)
NEXT ISSUE: Avengers #27 (April 2000)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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