Welcome to Gaia! ::

Steve Rogers

Rejected by the army during World War II but still intent on serving his country, Steve Rogers volunteered for a Super Soldier project that would give him increased physical capabilities greater than those of all but the mightiest human athletes. It worked, and once given a uniform and shield, he became a patriotic symbol in his fight against the Axis powers before disappearing mysteriously. Flash forward many decades, and a new generation of superheroes found him frozen in suspended animation. Once thawed he became a member, and later leader, of the Avengers.

10-Minute Retirement:

Cap famously abandoned his identity in the 1970s after finding out the identity of the Secret Empire's leadernote and continued to operate as the Nomad.
He also gave up the identity in the 80s when the U.S. Government tried to force Cap to work as a government-sanctioned operative. He was able to continue superheroics by donning a black costume and changing his name to "The Captain," since it turned out that the government owned the rights to his original name and shield.
After he came Back from the Dead before Siege, he refused to take up the shield full-time, instead letting Bucky Barnes continue as Captain America until his Faking the Dead during Fear Itself
When his Super Soldier Serum is deactivated, he gives the identity and shield to The Falcon as he's been rendered an old man. When Kobik restores Steve to full, he tells Sam to keep using the name and the shield, though he'll be back in the saddle as well, missing the adventure of it all.
100% Adoration Rating: Cap is THE superhero, as far as the Marvel U is concerned. The only other hero that comes close in being so admired and respected is Ben Grimm.
A Father to His Men: Any team he gets put in charge he treats like his family, possibly because of his late Sidekick Bucky.
All-American Face
All-Loving Hero: He's the Marvel counterpart of Superman, after all. At one point Magneto tried to erase his mind of all prejudice towards Mutants. Problem for Magneto: Captain America has no prejudice towards anybody.
All Your Powers Combined: A Badass Normal version of this. Anyone who knows about athletes can tell you that not every physique is suited to every type of athletic performance. Marathon runners are not sprinters, sprinters are not weightlifters, weightlifters are not pole vaulters, and so on. However, Cap can do it all thanks to his Super Soldier Serum that gives him the peak of human ability in all of these things at once.
The Artifact: Steve's secret identity rarely ever served much purpose, as he had no consistent civilian supporting cast; he had one pretty much because it was assumed all superheroes should have one. Done away with in 2002, and it hasn't really impacted the comics much at all.
Authority Equals Asskicking: Not for nothing is Cap considered the leader of the Marvel Superhero community. When he speaks, Gods listen.
During the first Secret War, when the Beyonder had sent a large group of heroes and villains to Battleworld so that they could fight each other, the heroes were all gathered together and Cap was focusing the discussion on who should be in charge. He worked his way through almost all the other team leaders present (Reed Richards, the Wasp, Professor X, even the Hulk, who at the time had Banner's personality in control), trying to get one of them to step up, but all of them had some reason why they could not lead such a large team (in fairness to the Hulk, he just shrugged and said to let Cap give the orders). The way the scene is set up, it's perfectly obvious to almost everyone that Cap should be in charge. Professor X even cuts the knot and suggests it. Wolverine, who at the time was still in his jerkass personality, immediately objected and said Cap was the least of them and he wouldn't follow him (remember, at this time, Wolverine had almost no dealings with Cap and lacked the enormous respect he has for Cap now). Cue Thor, who up to this point had stayed in the background and out of the discussion, to immediately step up and make it very clear that not only was he perfectly willing to follow orders from Cap, but to also get the message across that there wasn't anyone else there that he was going to let take command over Captain America. That ended the entire discussion. Even Wolverine shut up and went along after that.
Awesome Mccoolname: A bit understated, but Steve Rogers. Does that sound like a character John Wayne would play, or does that sound like a character John Wayne would play?
Badass Normal: Borderline example — there's a reason his Super Serum was so sought after. According to Word of god, it DOES push all of his physical abilities and skills to a "superhuman" level, not to mention that few if any humans have every single athletic ability at peak potential all at once (speed plus stamina plus strength, etc). Thus, he is quite capable of holding his own with people who have more impressive superpowers. In real life, athletes have to make tradeoffs between strength, endurance, agility etc. and also different body types are better suited to different athletic disciplines - the very best sprinters are large and muscular whereas the best long distance runners are short and skinny. Demonstrated by decathletes who have to train for ten different events - they are not as good at them as those athletes who specialise in them. Cap doesn't have these limitations; he can sprint 100m in 9.75 seconds, run a marathon in two hours, bench press 500kg, and perform Olympic-level feats of gymnastic ability. Plus, it allows him to live longer than normal humans would (also said by word of god). This means that Captain America IS superhuman, but just barely, to the point that he almost looks like a "normal" guy when he fights, not unlike Black Widow.
Battle Couple: With Sharon or Rachel/Diamondback
Berserk Button: The Nazis are still a sore point for him decades after World War II. Justified in that, unlike the real world, Nazism in the present-day Marvel Universe isn't just underground political movements and street gangs.
Becoming the Mask: Meta level. In part because he has no real secret identity, Cap and Steve are pretty much synonymous (and everyone knows it). Any other Captain in Marvel tends to get called by something else.
Beware the Nice Ones: Cap is one of the friendliest, most easygoing guys you'll ever meet. Granted, once you piss him off...
Big Bad: of Secret Empire, being the acting commander of HYDRA because the Cosmic Cube altered his memories to think he was a sleeper agent.
Big Good: Mainly for The Avengers, but also the Marvel Universe as a whole. Any superhero worthy of the title in the Marvel U will defer to Cap, no exceptions. He's SO MUCH a Big Good that he's actually been able to lift Thor's hammer. Even when he's Hydra.
Boy Next Door: Sweet, sincere, honest and well mannered.
Brainwashed and Crazy:
Happened to him on one unfortunate instance, courtesy of Dr. Faustus and the Grand Director. He even wielded a swastika-adorned version of his shield.note
In a second instance, when restoring Steve to physical and mental perfection, Kobik* rewrote his past so that he believes himself to be a deep-cover Hydra agent, as a result of her own brainwashing by the Red Skull.
Blue Is Heroic: Despite being supposed to represent the American flag, blue is by far the most prominent color in his costume, invoking this trope.
Brooklyn Rage: Subverted on the "rage" part as he's the nicest, most polite guy from Brooklyn you'll ever meet. Except if he finds out you're trying to kill people or bully the innocent, at which point he's gonna use all his strength and skills to stop you. And he'll still try to talk you out of it with a polite lecture even as he's beating the crap out of you.
Brought to You by the Letter "S": The letter "A" is emblazoned on his mask and is an iconic part of Cap's outfit.
The Cape: He is probably Marvel's best capeless Cape. Cap makes it clear on numerous occasions that he doesn't stand for America as a nation specifically, but for "the Dream", to the point where he's willing to fight and die for his beliefs against his own government.
Captain Geographic: of America.
Captain Patriotic: Though he's a man of the American Dream, rather than the American government.
Captain Superhero: He might not be the first, but he's one of the most famous. However, he is one of the few who have actually earned the title of Captain.
Cool People Rebel Against Authority: This is the essential modernization of Cap in the 1970s. Rogers became so disillusioned by the American establishment and the abuse of the US Government that he eventually gave up being Cap for a while in favor of Nomad, the man without a country. Eventually, he realized that he could champion America's ideals as Cap, giving him the liberty to butt heads with the US Government when necessary.
Crazy-Prepared: Captain America has spent a lot of time analyzing the data files the Avengers have compiled on all the major supervillains. No matter who he faces, chances are Cap already has a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses.
Create Your Own Hero: His entire origin story is based around this trope. His powers came from the super soldier serum, wich in turn came from Project Rebirth, AKA Weapon I. No, you did not misread that. Captain America is Weapon I, Just like how Wolverine is Weapon X. Project: rebirth is, just like Project: Wolverine (Weapon X's other name), a subdivision of a secret mutant-eradicating governmental program known as Weapon Plus. The Weapon I branch of the Weapon Plus organisation's goal was to create an army of super soldiers to not only eradicate the nazis, but also help them destroy all mutants as well. However, Weapon I, unlike Weapon X, fell apart and failed in it's objective for two reasons: One, the guy who invented the super soldier serum was assassinated by a Nazi spy before he could share the serum's "recipe" with anyone else, thus leaving the program with only a few remaining super soldiers. Two, The few super soldiers they created have obviously no desire to destroy all mutants, wich makes them useless in Weapon Plus's mutant-eradicating grand plan.
Dating Catwoman: Diamondback, who reformed in part because of his influence.
Depending on the Artist: The trend in recent years of depicting Cap (Steve Rogers' suit, anyway) with scale armor (see the current page pic), a look that debuted in the 1990s Sentinel of Liberty miniseries that retold his origin. Historically, Cap's shirt was said to have been made of "synthetic chainmail", which wouldn't have such an obviously scaly look (and was usually drawn as though he was wearing normal superhero tights).
Depending on the Writer: Exactly how strong and tough Steve is compared to regular guys depends on the writing. He's never depicted as being strong enough to throw cars around or anything like that (even agility-based Spider-Man is stronger than him), but if the writer is generous, with great effort he can bend weak steel, heal from injuries in days that would have most guys laid up for months (and heal in months what would take most guys years, or never) and run at the speed of a sprinter for the duration of a marathon runner...but again, the extent of this depends on the writer. Many claim "it's not superpowers, really", but isn't having the body of an omni-athlete without needing to train excessively a power of its own?
Determinator: If anything Cap has can be likened to an actual super power, it's his absolute refusal to give up. Even friggin' Thanos has seen this firsthand◊.
Expansion Pack Past: He's probably had more adventures in World War II than there were days in the war; there's a tendency for stories involving him to feature a one or two-page flashback to some World War II event to contrast with whatever's happening in the present. Famous World War II events (D-Day, for example), have been retold frequently with conflicting information about what he was doing then.
Cap's new Marvel NOW! ongoing series appears to do this for his past prior to becoming the Super-Soldier, showing the hardships Steve and his family had to go through in 1930s America.
Face–Heel Turn:
Captain America was accused of doing one during Operation Rebirth (teaming up with the Red Skull, though the two were teaming up to stop Hitler), leading to him being briefly exiled from the US.
Currently going through another one after Kobik rewrote his memories to make him think he has been a secret undercover agent of Hydra this whole time.
False Memories: In Captain America: Steve Rogers #2, it's revealed Red Skull used Kobik, a girl created from a cosmic cube, to rewrite Steve's memories to make him believe he's been an agent of HYDRA all along.
The Fettered:
Cap is completely loyal to the cause of good, his morals and his ideals. This is a great thing for everyone, cause he is indisputably the moral center of the Marvel Universe. Any hero who wants to do the right thing just needs to follow Cap's example.
Parodied in "The Ballad of Captain America's Disapproving Face" by the Murder Ballads.
If you can't tell the Captain what you're damn well up to, then don't damn well get up to it at all!
Fights Like a Normal: He's basically a Badass Normal cranked Up to Eleven via Super Serum.
Fish out of Temporal Water: The basis for Cap's re-introduction into the modern era.
This got worse in the Dimension Z arc. Although Steve was missing from his home dimension for only 30 minutes, he lived there for 12 years — Word of God states that he spent longer in Dimension Z than he has spent in the present day since thawing out.
Folk Hero
Genius Bruiser: Part of what makes Cap so formidable: he backs up his physique and fighting ability with a sharp tactical mind and leadership skills. There's a reason he's been the Avengers' leader since the day he joined.
Gentle Giant: Steve is this trope even with his costume on.
The Good Captain: Was actually a Captain in the US Army before getting frozen and being listed as MIA.
Good Counterpart: Rogers was given the whole Captain America persona specifically in part to counter the terrifying propaganda value of Germany's Red Skull.
Good Is Not Dumb: So very much.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Along with Innocent Blue Eyes, befitting of one of the purest people in the Marvel Universe.
The Hero: He's The Leader of The Avengers and the Big Good of the Marvel Universe.
Ideal Hero: Let's face it, Cap is the embodiment of Good in the Marvel U.
Heroic B.S.O.D.: A rare sight, but at the end of the first issue of the Age of Ultron storyline, we see Cap slumped against the wall, looking utterly hopeless and emotionally defeated for the first time, since ever.
He's Back: The appropriately-titled Captain America: Reborn, dealing with Steve's return to the land of the living.
Holier Than Thou: Captain America's Black and White Morality can come across as this to other characters and readers in a morally grey situations. The "Incursions" storyline has the entire multiverse at risk and the only way to save two colliding universes is to destroy the Earth of one and if not done everyone in both universes dies. Despite all other possible options explored and failed Captain America insist this is not acceptable and waste resources pursuing the characters who were more willing to pursue this option to buy Earth time instead of trying to find a better solution.
Honor Before Reason: Even as the world becomes more hateful, dark, and cynical, Steve Rogers refuses to lower himself to the standards of "normality."
Human Popsicle: Fortunately, Rogers' enhancements from Project Rebirth are a great rationale to make that still seem believable.
Humble Hero: Part of the point of him. He wasn't anything too special before he got the Super Soldier Serum, and he's pointed out he wasn't supposed to be unique, just the first of many. His humility is one of the reasons he's the embodiment of the American Dream: he's a nobody who became a somebody, and he's eternally thankful for it. Perhaps best summed up by the following exchange from Captain America: The First Avenger:
Red Skull: What makes you so special?
Cap: Nothin'. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn.
I Call It "Vera": Some stories indicate that, in Cap's head, the shield is actually named "Shield".
Improbable Aiming Skills: Cap can do anything with his shield besides make it stand up and bark.
Improbable Weapon User: Cap's shield, which he uses as not only a shield against weapons fire, but as a throwing weapon itself.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: There is a reason why Steve's the moral center of the Marvel Universe. He's so noble, he's one of the few beings ever to be able to lift Thor's hammer with no effort.
Inspector Javert: Steve turns into this in X-23: Target X. He feels personally responsible for all the killings X-23 has carried out because she slipped his grasp after her field test by masquerading as a wounded survivor. He reveals he's been tracking her down ever since (approximately six years) and is obsessed with bringing her to justice. He's driven to the point where he completely ignores Matt Murdock's attempts to warn him that S.H.I.E.L.D. won't care really about justice, but instead will use her as a weapon the same way she was used by the Facility. Before he can actually turn her over, however, he recognizes the truth of this and that Laura was as much a victim as the people she killed, and lets her go.
The Irish Diaspora: Steve is Irish-American.
Just One Man: No single other hero has caused so many enemy commanders to scream out "kill him you fools, he's only one man!"
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Cap's shield is unbreakable and invincible. It also serves for both offense and defense, since Cap can throw it to attack his enemies from long range or beat them with it in close combat. Its unique alloy even makes it able to damage enemies that might otherwise be immune to physical harm-the iron in it is harmful to demons, the vibranium causes pain to energy-based creatures, etc.
Made of Indestructium: His shield is made of vibranium, proto-adamantium and an unknown third component. Not even regular adamantium can cut it.
After its destruction upon hitting the God of Fear, Iron Man has repaired it using mystical Asgardian metal Uru, making it even more durable.
Magnetic Hero: Captain America is so well-respected by the superhero community that they usually follow his lead whether he's their official leader or not. This is because he's both incredibly competent despite not having superpowers and because they trust him to always be true to the right ideals. It comes to a point that when he fails them, the whole community gets demoralized (ex. in Civil War.)
Master of Disguise: Not that this is his usual style, but he is nonetheless almost as good at it as his insidious enemy, Red Skull. With proper preparation, he can make himself quite unrecognizable.
Military Superhero: Emphasis on both words. Cap started out as a Super Soldier (and actually ranked officer, the Captain is both his moniker and actual army rank) for the United States Army. He actually did the jump in D-Day with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and fought the frontlines against the Nazis. Yet back then, he was already a paragon of virtue and heroism. Being unfrozen in the present only confirmed that honest and selfless asskicking is NEVER out of style.
Multiple-Choice Past: Roger Stern gave this to Captain America, in order to handwave various conflicting backstories for Captain America, past and future, in terms of having Cap's memory damaged due to him being frozen alive.
My Greatest Failure: Losing the Civil War X-Over, as hell on earth broke out afterwards.
Well before that, there was his failure to save Bucky from dying in WWII. Well, until it was revealed that Bucky didn't exactly bite the bullet that time...
In the Ultimate Universe, his guilt over being partially responsible for Peter Parker's senseless death during the Death of Spider-Man storyline led Cap to quit from being a hero. However, the Nimrod Sentinels' attack on the U.S. and subsequent dividing of the nation has led to Cap returning to the Ultimates to defend the fragmented America from collapsing even further.
He spent as much as eight years personally hunting X-23 down after her first assassination, because he mistakenly let her go when she disguised herself as a survivor of her own rampage. He subsequently blamed himself for all of her subsequent killings (of which there were lots). It pushes him into full-blown Inspector Javert territory.
Nazi Hunter: Cap hunted them during the war and has had to sniff them out after being unfrozen, since many of his enemies are Nazis. This includes the Red Skull.
The 1950's version of Captain America also hunted former Nazis. He also sought out Dirty Communists, and anyone who didn't fit his moral or political perspective, which was largely why he was so dangerous.
Nice Guy: Under the uniform, he is still a kind and polite gentleman and the picture of the wholesome 1930's boy next door.
Old Hero, New Pals: After being defrosted and having new adventures apart of the Avengers, this trope was reinforced by the fact that he had already lost his supporting cast in the meantime.
One-Man Army: OK, sometimes Cap brings along a partner or a friend. But it's not like he needs to....
One Steve Limit: Averted, William Burnside legally changed his name to Steve Rogers. So there are two Steve Rogers.
Paper-Thin Disguise: For a while, Cap disguised himself as a hero known as The Captain. The costume looked identical to his normal Captain America costume except for darker colors and a slightly different chest-insignia. He even threw a shield around that also had a slight color-change. Here is a cover depicting both costumes.◊ This costume somehow fooled everyone, including his allies on The Avengers. The costume would later be worn by the USAgent.
The Paragon: It's pretty much a given that in all of comic books, regardless of companies, the only characters who are bigger paragons than Captain America are Superman and DC's Captain Marvel. See the page quotes. They're his promise to himself that he'll use his abilities only in pursuit of a future better than the present.
Platonic Life Partners: He's pretty much this with most of the female Avengers he works with, with special mention to Wasp (with exception to the Ultimate universe counterparts who dated briefly) and Carol Danvers. He's also decent enough friends with Black Widow, but they're much closer friends in the films.
Precision Guided Shield: Needs no explanation.
Primary-Color Champion: Well, his costume is based on the American flag.
Protagonist-Centered Morality: The most extreme example in Marvel Comics period. Fans and even Writers often lampshade this by saying If Cap agrees with it, it's ok. It even goes as far as condemning torture or mass murder. See also You Remind Me of X below.
Sealed Good in a Can: Frozen in 1945, woken up... about twelve years before now.
Sixth Ranger: Cap famously joined The Avengers in the fourth issue of the team's eponymous comic.
The Spymaster: Served as one in the Nick Fury mold after coming back from his death following Civil War, as "head of National Security". He operated without the shield and his iconic costume, and under his real name, as Bucky was already serving as Cap. It didn't stick.
The Stateless: In the aftermath of the Secret Empire (a conspiracy to take control of the United States led by a thinly-veiled version of then-president Richard Nixon), Steve lost faith in his country and abandoned his identity as Captain America, adopting the persona "Nomad".
The Strategist: There's a reason why any hero worth their weight will defer authority to Cap when the world's about to break.
To Be Lawful or Good: There are several times in Steve's superhero career where he faced this dilemma (an example of this is Civil War), but most of the time (Depending on the Writer), he puts "good" above law, as he defends American ideals rather than American laws.
Strawman Political: As might be expected of a character intended to embody what is best about a nation. Writers either tend to use him as a mouthpiece for what they personally think America should be (616 Captain America is usually used for this), or as a voodoo doll for everything they see wrong with America (Ultimate universe Captain America is usually used for this). Needless to say that character consistency usually isn't a priority for these writers.
Super Reflexes: Captain America doesn't dodge bullets, he blocks them with his mighty shield. Yet somehow, even when surrounded on all sides by gun-wielding Mooks, the shield always seems to be in the right place. This even applies when he is mindcontrolled chemically, an early story set in World War II had him under the influence of such a chemical by the Red Skull, but when he is taken before Adolf Hitler and the Fuehrer takes a swing at him, Cap reflexively blocks it with his shield, a body function that the Red Skull can't suppress.
Super Soldier: He began as the first of what was to be an army of super-soldiers, but after he was altered the creator was killed and the process was never successfully duplicated. This was eventually retconned to be part of the Weapon Plus program. Has a good claim on being the Trope Namer.
Technical Pacifist:
Some writers have gone out of their way to say that Captain America has never taken a life, even during World War II. This would ultimately be debunked by Mark Gruenwald, who had Captain America kill an agent of ULTIMATIUM in order to stop the goon from killing innocent hostages. It has also been stated that he had killed during WW2. That said, Steve prefers not to and would like to avoid it if possible.
Handled beautifully in the movie: when asked by Dr. Erskine if he wants to enlist to kill Nazis, Steve Rogers answers that he doesn't want to kill anybody... but that he dislikes bullies of all stripes and wants to stand up for the little guy. He's subsequently shown to go in guns blazing in many missions, but hey, he's doing it to save the world, a valid reason if there ever was one.
Throwing Your Shield Always Works: The Cap's Signature Move and also one of the most iconic examples in fiction, making him the trope's patron saint.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Has died a couple times but always gets better.
Took a Level in Jerkass: He has his moments. Whether it's justified or completely out of character the fans will never agree on.
Underestimating Badassery: There are villains who dismiss Cap as a "glorified acrobat." One gang with that assumption tried invading the Avengers Mansion with just him inside on monitor duty. They soon learn what dealing with a One-Man Army really is like as they barely subdue him with a lucky grazing shot, then get their butts kicked thoroughly when he revives and breaks out of his bonds for Round two.
Undying Loyalty: Easily inspires this on all the superhero community, but it's also a defining trait of his. He'll never leave a man behind.
Weak, but Skilled: Steve's power level, which is set at "the peak of human physical potential" pales in comparison to those of many of the enemies he's defeated, yet he manages to beat them through his keen tactical ability and sheer force of will.
Weapon of Choice: His "mighty shield".
World's Best Warrior: Has the distinct honor of being considered The Best Warrior in the Omniverse! Captain America is the superhero that all other heroes respect in combat ability, tactics, and leadership.

Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki (JP), Travis Willingham (EN), Rolman Bastidas (Latin America)
Affiliation: Amestris Military
Rank: Colonel
Specialty: Flame Alchemy/Military Tactics/Alchemy Without an Array
A colonel in the military, stationed in East City at the start of the story. Known as the Flame Alchemist he seeks to become the Fuhrer so he can fix the country, and spread his ideals to the people.
The Ace: Zig-zagged. Easily the best State Alchemist in terms of power, a brilliant strategist (somewhat subverted), and well known and loved by many women (or so people think, they're actually informants) in addition to being a war hero and being the first character to kill a homunculus! By the end of the series, he has the highest homunculus body count.
The Atoner: His main motive for becoming Fuhrer is to ensure that nothing like Ishval ever happens again. According to Riza, his ultimate goal would most likely lead to him getting tried and quite possibly put in jail for what he did in Ishval - and he's just fine with that.
Authority Equals Asskicking: By far the most badass member of his unit, as well as the resistance he organized.
Back-to-Back Badasses: With Ed and Ling when Envy and Gluttony destroy their safehouse; briefly with Riza under the Fifth Laboratory.
Badass Boast: To Lust: You said it takes more than that to kill you, right? Then I'll just keep killing you until you die!
Badass Bookworm: In the same vein with Ed. Probably the most powerful of all the State Alchemists. Incinerated Lust and curbstomped Envy with no effort, and he actually had to be injured twice and blinded in the final battle against Father to preserve the drama.
Badass Fingersnap: He is a justified case; the friction he creates between his fingers when he snaps provides the ignition for his flame alchemy.
Badass in a Nice Suit: Less obviously than with Kimblee, but he always wears either a uniform with a dress shirt underneath or a suit. The only exception is when he's in the hospital.
Badass Longcoat: White or (mainly) black, depending on the task.
Battle Couple: With fellow soldier Riza, unofficially, due to the military's anti-fraternization rules
Beard of Sorrow: While grieving Hughes' death, he lets himself go.
Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Some fans took issue with Mustang only losing his sight after meeting Truth, rather than his actual eyes, accusing Arakawa of simply not wanting him to be ugly during the climax. However, he was truly forced to perform human transmutation (specifically, Pride used energy from his own Philosopher's Stone while using the Gold-Toothed Doctor's knowledge to more-or-less force Roy through the Gate). Him just losing his sight did teach him something valuable, but he didn't commit the hubris of transmutation to warrant losing his eyes; in a side story, there was an alchemist who lost his eyes trying to bring his friends' daughter back, reinforcing this notion.
Berserk Button:
He doesn't take kindly to being reminded that he's useless when wet.
Don't imply that you're attracted to Riza Hawkeye, or mess with her in any way, shape or form. In the manga, Barry the Chopper declares that he's in love with Riza (because she shot at him instead of screaming in terror). Then he makes the mistake of putting his hand on her waist, clearly against her wishes, in front of Roy.
Roy: *literally growling, eyes on fire* Stand aside, Lieutenant...there's going to be a fire tonight.
Big Damn Heroes: Pulls one on Ed and his team, while the latter are engaging a horde of immortal mooks and are slowly but surely losing. Mustang pops in, asks if they're in need of help, and proceeds to set every single one of the mooks ablaze, clearing the whole room in under two seconds.
Blood Knight: A unusual example. Roy freely admits after his battle with Lust that he actually enjoys fighting a homunculus because it makes him feel human again and that he enjoys that feeling.
Broken Ace: Ishval did a number on him, and he never forgave himself for it. Being lauded as a war hero likely made him feel worse.
Byronic Hero: Actually a subversion. Mustang is certainly saddled with a lot of angst and guilt from Ishval, and although he is set up to be an Anti-Hero when he stages Maria Ross' murder he remains one of the most idealistic characters in the entire series.
Chekhov's Gunman: While not quite obvious from the get-go, Father's been eyeing him as a "sacrifice" required to absorb God for some time. Almost failed, too. But alas, Father is Father.
The Chessmaster: Sometimes successfully (the Maria Ross incident), sometimes not so much ("Scar feeding cats, King Bradley is a homunculus...") Somewhat subverted on the whole, as most of his enemies and his allies figure out quickly that he's planing a coup, but consider his actions inconsequential to their plans, and they tend to ignore him because he's right where they want him to be. It should be noted that his coup would have failed spectacularly if not for major outside interference by others, and one of his allies swooped in at the last moment and took his prize from him anyway.
Chess Motif: Refers to his five closest subordinates using the names of chess pieces; he himself is the king.
Code Name: The Flame Alchemist.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Puts Envy through this near the end of the series. He even lets Envy regenerate themselves, stating outright that they'll die a thousand deaths before he's done with them.
Colonel Badass: He's even the page image for the trope. He BURNS HIS OWN WOUNDS SHUT and by the end of the series, he manages to personally take down two of the seven Homunculi, which is REALLY impressive in that universe. He also plays several of the defining bits of the trope incredibly straight - he's only thirty years old, rose through the ranks incredibly fast (partly due to being a State Alchemist, which automatically starts you off at the rank of Major), he's extremely high-minded and has tremendous ideals for the country, and he will throw himself into danger in a heartbeat rather than risk losing one of his comrades, particularly his five dearest and most loyal subordinates.
In the 2003 anime version, he even beats the Führer, another example of him taking down a Homunculus.
Combat Pragmatist:
Envy found out very painfully that talking ISN'T a free action, pretending to be allies doesn't work (although Envy should have picked someone who was alive), and Mustang goes for the EYES.
Subversion: the one thing he lets Envy get away with is Transformation Is a Free Action. Doubly subverted when he boils its eyes immediately afterwards, remarking how stupid it was to make his target bigger for him.
Another subversion: Mustang declares that he's going to let him regenerate each time before he resumes the torching, instead of getting it over with as fast as possible. He does this explicitly to make it suffer over and over again for Hughes' death.
Crazy Jealous Guy: Implied once in the manga. When he first sees Barry the Chopper put his hands on Riza (who clearly doesn't like it), Roy responds by pulling on his ignition gloves and telling her to stand aside because "there's going to be a fire tonight." It's noteworthy that the font of his speech bubbles changes for this scene, and he's shown to be literally growling.
Crippling Overspecialization: His Flame Alchemy. While he's a talented alchemist (Talented enough to become a state alchemist long before he got his flame alchemy), he is so focused on said flame alchemy he's rarely seen using any other type of alchemy - you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he does on the show - and he's treated by most of the characters as severely weakened or nigh useless if he's wet and therefore denied his flame alchemy - despite the fact that by all right all that should do is make him even to any other alchemist that doesn't possess flame alchemy.
Zig-zagged during his preparation for faking Maria Ross's death, where he sends Breda on a shopping trip for "the ingredients for one charred corpse". Unlike the formula used by the Elrics, Roy intends on making his cadaver mostly out of pork meat and bones, which are roughly analogous to that of humans. Roy justifies his corner-cutting by explaining to Breda that his dummy doesn't need to be functional and will be burnt through and through when he's done with it. Though this isn't quite the case as the doctor who examines it immediately knows it's fake, but he agrees to keep it a secret because he owes Roy a favor. The look on his face when this is brought up shows Roy knew he dodged a bullet.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Completely crushes Envy in what is unquestionably the single most one-sided battle against a homunculus in the entire series. It's so bad that Mustang's own allies have to jump in to stop him from crossing the Moral Event Horizon.
Cursed with Awesome: By the end of the series, he lost his eyesight as toll for the Gate. On the other hand, he gained the ability to perform circleless Alchemy, which also expands his repertoire beyond just Flame Alchemy.
"Hmm... This IS convenient."
Determinator: Stabbing him through the abdomen won't stop him. Being forced to cauterize his own wounds won't stop him. Destroying his gloves won't stop him. Not even losing his eyesight will stop him for long. He will fight, and he will win.
Discard and Draw: Loses his eyesight as a result of being forced through the Gate, which means he's not as in control of his Flame Alchemy and needs Riza's help to aim. However, like the Elric Brothers, he can now perform alchemy without the need of a circle, which comes in handy when erecting defensive barriers.
Everyone Can See It: When Edward "Oblivious to Love" Elric picks up on how much two people care about each other, it's pretty obvious.
Ed: And don't go worrying the Lieutenant.
Eye Scream: Inflicts this on Envy during his Roaring Rampage of Revenge, by flash-boiling the water in Envy's eyeballs. Twice.
A Father to His Men: Part of the reason Team Mustang is recognized in the fandom as True Companions is his leadership.
The Fettered: He refuses to back down even after his plan is temporarily foiled by Wrath, and his goal involves getting himself tried for the war crimes he committed in Ishval. He won't sacrifice a life if he can help it, including enemies' lives, and refuses to do Human Transmutation even when Hawkeye gets her throat slit.
Four-Star Badass: At the very end of the manga, he reaches the rank of general.
Genre Savvy: Tells Hughes not to talk about his loved ones in Ishval because "those characters always get shot in the next battle." He's referring to novels.
"Get out of Jail Free" Card: Subverted when it is revealed that he feels immensely guilty for his actions in Ishval; being considered a war hero for committing mass murder sickens him and he actually wishes he was in jail for it.
Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: If it wasn't apparent that Envy had just pressed Mustang's Berserk Button big time, then his eyes narrowing to a slit makes it terrifyingly so. He's stopped right before he really goes off the deep end, though, then returns to normal.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a scar on the back of his hand from when he had to cut a transmutation circle into it to kill Lust. Presumably he also gained one on his right side from the same battle, although it's never confirmed because we never see him with his shirt open again.
Guile Hero: As impressive as his flame alchemy is, his ability to outthink his opponents is even moreso. Successfully managing to stage a coup in the name of an enemy you just staged an assassination attempt on is awfully impressive, especially when you plan it right under his nose when he knows that is exactly what you are trying to do.
Handicapped Badass: Loses his eyesight as a toll for going through the Gate (or rather, being forced through it, hence why he only lost his sight rather than his eyes). He gets his sight back thanks to a Philosopher's Stone in Marcoh's possession.
Happily Adopted: Implied. He was raised by his father's sister, and they are obviously very fond of one another.
Having a Blast: His alchemy revolves around changing air densities to allow the air to combust and lead the flames to the target. He can even make the air so dense around the target that he essentially creates bombs out of pure oxygen that will explode spectacularly once the flames reach it. Overlaps with Playing with Fire.
Heal It with Fire: He's skilled enough to cauterize severe wounds with his alchemy, and puts it to good use saving himself and Havoc. Of course, he admits that he almost passed out from the pain of doing so.
Heroic B.S.O.D.: He has a brief one in the Brotherhood anime when Bradley plays the Love Is a Weakness card and announces that he's making Riza his own personal assistant, essentially holding her hostage for Roy's good behavior. The poor guy's face turns gray.
Hero Killer: Inverted. He's the only character whose mere presence is enough to constitute a deadly threat to the Homunculi, thus making him a Hero Killer Killer.
Hero with Bad Publicity: He becomes one after the Maria Ross incident because he made everyone think he brutally burned her when he actually saved her.
He Who Fights Monsters: He's aware of this possibility happening on his quest to reform the military, namely that he may become as bad as the current regime, so he makes Hawkeye promise to shoot him if he ever goes off the deep end. Good thing that he's thought of this. When he encounters Envy, who killed his best friend Hughes, he becomes so ruthless that he nearly loses himself, making all of his friends and comrades present fear for him. See If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him for more information.
Horrifying the Horror: His brutal beatdown on Envy near the end of the series. He actively tortures them to the point that by the end, they're begging for mercy.
How Dare You Die on Me!: He says something like this to Hughes's grave after his funeral, and then later says it almost word-for-word to Riza when her throat is cut. It's even closer to an exact quote in the Brotherhood anime.
Roy: Don't you dare die! Stay with me, Lieutenant!
Hurting Hero: Justified, considering the Ishval massacre that he regrets.
I Am a Monster: Invokes this trope to explain why he's eager to fight Homunculi: he only feels completely human when fighting true monsters.
I Can Still Fight!: He needs Hawkeye to help him aim after he loses his eyesight, but his flames are as hot as ever. Not to mention, he can summon defensive barriers from the ground without drawing alchemic circles.
If I Do Not Return: Played with in one scene, when he says this to Riza and she refuses to leave if he doesn't come back. To his amusement, he can only get her to agree as long as he promises to return.
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him: Subverted. While Ed, Hawkeye, and Scar all step in to stop him from killing Envy, they do so to prevent him from losing himself in his hatred, with all of them agreeing that Envy deserves to die either way.
Improbable Aiming Skills: With a snap of his fingers, he makes Envy's eyeballs explode, leaving the rest of the face relatively intact.
Intergenerational Friendship: With Grumman. They play chess on their time off.
Internal Reformist: Of the "working the system" variety.
Jerkass Façade: He gives the impression that he's a selfish, womanizing, ladder climber when he's actually The Atoner. He uses the womanizing as a cover story for when Riza goes undercover.
Karma Houdini Warranty: Invoking this is a big part of his motivation. As a soldier in the Ishval Civil War, he committed numerous atrocities, but as he was on the winning side, he was commended and treated as a war hero. His goal throughout the series is to become the Führer of Amestris, so he can make sure this is rectified. When Hawkeye points out that this means Mustang himself will most likely be tried as a war criminal and sent to prison, Mustang informs her that that's exactly what he wants. Word of God confirms that Mustang does indeed see his day in court for his crimes in the war, and is found guilty, but pardoned for his role in saving everyone.
Kick the Morality Pet: Near the end of the series, he's taking brutal revenge on Envy when Ed, Scar, and Riza step in to stop him. Roy asks Riza what she plans to do after she shoots him. The answer? Kill herself because it means she let him betray his own ideals. He backs down immediately.
Large Ham: When distracting some officers over the radio in episode 18, he really gets into it.
The Leader: He's charismatic enough to get everyone underneath his command (and several people who outrank him) to conspire on what is essentially a military coup.
Logical Weakness: The fact that he's useless when it's raining is a bit of a Running Gag. This is because, well, he uses fire, and rain is going to put a bit of a damper on his ability to get a flame going.
Manly Tears: Once. Almost twice, although the second time he covered it with a lot of shouting.
Maybe Ever After: Although he and Riza have an incredibly close relationship based on their shared history and future goals, and are strongly implied on many occasions to have more than platonic feelings for each other underneath their professional masks, we are given no indication of whether or not They Do after the series ends. The Chronicles book further confirms that they remain together for the rest of their lives, but are unable to marry because of military regulations.
Meaningful Name:
Roy is old French for "King", creating an interesting parallel to Bradley, whose first name actually is "King".
The P-51 Mustang was considered the best fighter plane in WWII. It's carried further back, as the Colonel, like the fighter plane, was most likely named for the "wild, untamed horse" who bucks the master's (in this case, Bradley's) commands.
"Mustang" is also a slang term in the US military for commissioned officers who began their careers as enlisted soldiers.
The Men First: Insists on Havoc being treated before him despite his own intense injuries.
Milky White Eyes: As a visual effect when he goes blind.
Mr. Fanservice: So very, very much. About the only way his Fanservice factor could be increased would be if he got as many shirtless scenes as Ed.
Mukokuseki: Inverted. Roy's appearance is noticeably Asian despite having a European name, leading to some speculation that his family has roots in Xing, but it's not something that's ever commented on.
Named After Somebody Famous: Keeping with Arakawa's tendency to name military characters after real-world war machinery, Roy was named after the P-51 Mustang, which gained fame in World War II for its ability to lead raids from the front, handle high altitudes, and stay flying for long periods thanks to its fuel capacity — all of which are referenced in Roy's character. It also was responsible for shooting down more Axis aircraft than any other Allied fighter, which is alluded to in how Roy ends up killing the homunculi more than any of the other heroes, both for good and in general terms of depleting their philosopher's stones.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast:
To the point that whenever his allies hear the Flame Alchemist is about to take the stage, they have a collective Oh, Crap! moment and promptly clear the field.
Mustang garners this reputation amongst the Homunculi as well after he kills Lust.
No Badass to His Valet: Yes, he's the powerful Flame Alchemist and even some of his allies are afraid of him, but his "precious subordinate" Riza has no qualms about sassing or even bullying him if the need arises. He wouldn't dream of retaliating; the only time he's ever seen acting even remotely annoyed with her, it's because she almost died.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Delivers this to Envy after admitting that he killed Maes Hughes. It involves burning him repeatedly, non-lethally, to inflict the maximum pain without allowing Envy to counteract.
Not So Above It All: Normally he's very strategic, professional, and pretty guarded, playing Straight Man to semi-comedic subordinates like Hughes. However, there are also a good few instances of him goofing around. He seems to enjoy acting like an obnoxious bro over the phone just a little too much. He even admits to this when he's screwing with the military radio to throw them off Scar's trail in Episode 21.
Mustang: Attention! This is Sector 3 Patrol! We're under attack from Scar! Request immediate backup. What? No! No! NOOOOO! AUUUGH! *disconnects the radio* Alright. On to Sector 17. Ohohoho! This is pretty fun!
Obfuscating Stupidity: Though more like obfuscating perversion; the truth is those "mistresses" are actually his spies.
One-Man Army: With his flame alchemy he can wipe out entire cities with a snap. Think what he can do to soldiers in formation.
Out-of-Character Alert: His completely out-of-place remark about the chicks in the East to Armstrong when he's pretending he charred Maria Ross. It's how Armstrong knew that Maria Ross was there.
Overranked Soldier: In the eyes of several of his contemporaries.
Until Edward Elric, Roy was the youngest State Alchemist in the country's history, which made him a Major in the military at the ripe old age of twenty. The result is that by the time he turned thirty, he had already become a Colonel Badass. Many of the other, older commanding officers resent and/or dislike Roy for a number of reasons, this being one of them.
He's then a full general before the age of 40.
Parental Abandonment: One of the guidebooks reveals that both of his parents died when he was young, leaving his father's sister to care for him.
Parental Substitute: To the Elric brothers. Since their mom is dead and the father is long gone, (at first) he generally fills in the mentor role of being a parent, if not exactly the 'nurturing' part. Though this is more evident with Ed because of their shared status as state alchemists (Roy having been the youngest in state history before Ed came along.) One scene even has Hughes pestering Roy about the two brothers and how they are too young to endure the hard reality of military life, and Roy just sighs and says he's their commanding officer, not their father. Riza, of all people, is better at the 'nurture' part, although she mainly confined to showing the more caring part of her personality to animals (in a firm but fair way) and children.
Pay Evil unto Evil: When he finds out that Envy killed Maes Hughes, he goes on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, repeatedly flash-frying them until Envy is literally begging for mercy. Despite the fact that Mustang was rapidly approaching He Who Fights Monsters territory, after all of the atrocities Envy has committed, not the least of which include being directly responsible for kick-starting the Ishval Civil War, they deserved every second of Mustang's wrath.
Person of Mass Destruction: Destroys city blocks by snapping his fingers.
Pietà Plagiarism: With the dying Riza.
Playing with Fire: His FLAME alchemy.
Post-Victory Collapse: After defeating Lust, he collapses due to the pain of his injuries and the Heal It with Fire method that caused more pain
Rank Up: In the epilogue. The stars on his epaulets indicate he's made General.
Red Baron:
The Flame Alchemist. Also doubles as Roy's Code Name.
The Strongest State Alchemist.
Pride also calls him "The Most Troublesome State Alchemist".
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After finding out Envy was the one who killed Hughes, he goes on one of these. Man, does he ever. It's pretty furious in the manga, but the anime takes it Up to Eleven: at one point, he loses it completely and just keeps on firing ceaselessly until Envy turns to dust. And even then, the only thing keeping him from crushing its true form under his foot is the thought of harming Riza.
Sand In My Eyes: "It's raining."
Smart People Play Chess: He plays often with General Grumman.
Son of a Whore: His foster mother and biological aunt is the 'madam' of a whore house, and he gets the bulk of his information from the girls that work for her.
Spam Attack: He kills Lust by repeatedly blowing her up until she dies.
Stuff Blowing Up: Again, part and parcel of being the Flame Alchemist.
Supporting Leader: He's not The Hero, but he is the heroes' direct superior and he's the one to lead the resistance against the Big Bad. This is why he can be seen as a Big Good.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Amusingly enough, Arakawa mentions in the third guidebook that she never intended him to be this way, despite the widespread fandom reaction. She states that he really isn't all that tall and although he's not bad looking, he isn't ravishingly handsome either. Most fandom estimates using Ed (the only canonical height ever given) as a baseline put him around or just under six feet.
Team Dad: To his subordinates, with Riza acting as the Team Mom.
There Is No Kill Like Overkill: After Envy confesses to be Hughes' killer, Mustang slips into this mindset, intent on sending Envy straight to hell with a death as painful as possible. He succeeds in completely obliterating the homunculus' vessel, preparing to go through with a merciless finish on his now helpless opponent. Riza and Scar stop him, noting that such a brutal finish would latch onto his leadership capacity as well.
Took a Level in Badass: Not that he needed to take one, but, while he temporarily loses his eyesight, he also gains the ability to transmute without a circle. It can be assumed that, although he's recovered his sight, he retained this skill.
Tricked-Out Gloves: The transmutation circles on his gloves help him with his alchemy.
Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Riza. Arakawa's comments verify that the only reason they aren't married by the end of the series is the anti-fraternization law. She has also confirmed that Roy eventually achieves his goal of becoming Fuhrer, which may allow for a change in their relationship.
Unstoppable Rage: After Envy proceeds to reveal that he was Hughes' murderer and gloat about it to Roy's face, Roy proceeds to burn his body all the way down to ash and is about to step on the little b*****d when they talk him out of it.
Urban Legend Love Life: As a part of his facade. The women he is seen with are part of his hidden information system. Still, one of the novels implies that he thoroughly enjoys the company of the fairer sex even outside his information system. It's not as if he can be blamed, either, with working long hours in an environment that's 10% female at best.
Vitriolic Best Buds: With Ed. They drive each other nuts, but it becomes pretty apparent that they also always have each other's backs. It's alluded to this being because they're so alike at heart, but very different outwardly.
Ed: The Colonel may be a b*****d, but he's trustworthy.
Weaksauce Weakness: Repeatedly said to be totally ineffective if under rain or if wet. It's not entirely accurate; he just can't use his alchemy if his gloves get wet, as they're made of a special ignition cloth to create the necessary spark. However, if he has another source of fire available (not even fire, all he needs for his alchemy is the appropriate circle and a spark - such as from a lighter), pray for deliverance. We're looking at you, Lust.
When All You Have Is a Hammer...: In contrast to his other behavior, his fighting style is simple: Kill It with Fire. If that doesn't work, kill it with more!
You Can Barely Stand: His final confrontation with Lust.
Roy: I almost passed out a few times.
You Killed My Father: What he asks of several people suspected of killing Hughes, his best friend, though when he finally finds the real person (Envy) he skips straight to the incinerating.
Zero-Approval Gambit: He enacted a plan to make it appear that he burned Maria Ross to death (it was actually a fake cadaver, and Ross was being sneaked out of the country). Ross was under arrest for the murder of Maes Hughes and was to be executed, so Mustang saved her life while making it appear to the higher-ups that his desire for vengeance was quenched. All the while, Ross's friends and family continue to think she's dead, making Mustang a bloodthirsty murderer in their eyes (at least until they learn the truth).