Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers Assemble: Alpha #1

Marvel's Captain America is widely considered to be the moral center of the Marvel Universe, but Ghost Rider recently revealed that Steve Rogers is far from a morally-upstanding man - he's actually entirely without any sin. Ghost Rider's unique abilities make him the perfect candidate to learn the guilt within every person based on their misdeeds (and then punish them by forcing his victims to confront their sins). But Avengers Assemble: Alpha #1 reveals Captain America is far more of a paragon than any reader ever believed.

Three major teams of Avengers were chronicled in Jason Aaron's year-long Avengers storyline: the 616 Avengers, the Multiversal Avengers, and the Prehistoric Avengers, superheroes from Earth's distant past. The three are destined to unite to stop an infinite number of Mephistos from taking over every corner of the Multiverse. Unfortunately, when these groups get together, their tempers get the better of them, and they partake in what appears to be a modern Marvel tradition of sorts: fighting each other for an extended period of time before finally joining forces and fighting the villain.

Related: Sam Wilson's Captain America Can't Escape Steve Rogers' Shadow

In Avengers Assemble: Alpha #1, written by Jason Aaron, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie & Alex Sinclair, the Prehistoric Avengers attack the 616 Avengers after a misunderstanding leads to a class between teams. Captain America, desperately seeking to stop the violence, turns to the prehistoric Ghost Rider. "You say you're a Ghost Rider...do that staring thing you all do...to me. And you'll see that we're not a threat." Ghost Rider refuses, since he's already seen the damage the group has wrought - and besides, he's already using the Penance Stare on Namor. But he still doesn't perform the tactic on Captain America.

Ghost Rider Proves Captain America Truly Is Without Sin

Captain America and Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider is all too willing to defeat his enemies, specifically the 616 Avengers, but he's perfectly capable of inducing the Penance Stare with Captain America as well...unless, of course, the tactic simply wouldn't work on him. While it is true that everyone has committed wrongdoing, Captain America tries his best to help everyone...and apparently this is enough to negate the effects of the Penance Stare. Note that the individual's "regret" has nothing to do with the Penance Stare (despite a well-known moment in the Punisher comics), and Captain America, while possessing regret, may be entirely without any sin to burn.

This effectively means Captain America may be the single most pure hero in the Marvel Universe. Even Spider-Man has his share of negative actions, but Steve Rogers has none, or at least none for the Stare to work. Perhaps Ghost Rider knows this, and is reluctant to demonstrate to Captain America that he is entirely without sin.

Next: Daredevil Points Out Captain America's Obvious Weakness