"Escanor Reborn: The Might of the Sun in the Marvel Universe"

(AUTHOR'S NOTE I don't remember the old name so gave him this one)

The alley was dark and narrow, suffocating like a tomb. Alex Peterson could feel the pulse of adrenaline hammering in his chest as he stepped between the hooded man and the terrified woman. Her trembling hands clutched her purse, her eyes darting frantically for an escape. Alex's voice cracked as he shouted, "Leave her alone!" His bravery felt fragile, a thread threatening to snap under the robber's sneer.

The knife glinted under the dim light of a flickering streetlamp. Alex barely registered the pain as it plunged into his side. The world blurred, spinning as he crumpled to the cold, unforgiving concrete. His thoughts weren't on the growing pool of crimson beneath him but on the woman's hurried footsteps fading into the night. Relief. At least she was safe.

Darkness pressed in, thick and suffocating. Yet, amidst the black void, a warmth unlike anything Alex had ever known surged through him. He felt as if the sun itself had taken root in his chest, flooding his veins with light. Shapes began to form in the distance, glowing figures that radiated power and authority.

"You have courage," a voice boomed, deep and resonant, echoing like a storm across the vast expanse. "But courage alone is not enough. You shall be reborn, a beacon for this world." Alex couldn't respond, his voice caught somewhere between awe and fear. The warmth grew brighter, overwhelming him, and then... nothing.

The first sensation was cold air against his skin. Then came the cries—sharp, piercing, and disorienting. His limbs felt small, weak. Panic clawed at him as he realized he wasn't in his body anymore. Alex tried to move, to scream, but all he managed was a feeble wail. Above him, faces loomed: a man in a soldier's uniform with tired but kind eyes and a woman whose touch was gentle as she cradled him.

"Alex and Steve," the man murmured, his voice brimming with pride. "Our boys." The words hit Alex like a freight train. He wasn't just reborn—he was reborn as Steve Rogers' brother.

Childhood in Brooklyn was a harsh teacher. The streets were unforgiving, and every day was a fight to survive. Steve's frailty made him an easy target, but Alex was always there, a quiet force of protection. He wasn't sure when it started, but he began to notice things—lifting heavy crates with ease, healing faster than the other kids, and feeling an inexplicable surge of energy whenever the sun touched his skin.

One hot summer afternoon, as Alex shielded Steve from a group of bullies, he accidentally punched a hole clean through a brick wall. Dust and rubble rained down, silencing the taunts. The boys scattered, but Steve's wide-eyed stare lingered.

"How did you…?" Steve's voice trembled, a mix of fear and admiration. Alex shrugged, though his mind raced. How indeed? His dreams were filled with flashes of battles fought in golden armor and skies filled with blinding light. A name often whispered in those dreams: Mael.

On the cusp of adulthood, the dreams turned to visions. Alex saw a celestial being, wings radiant and vast like the heavens themselves. "You carry my power," the figure said, its voice both comforting and commanding. "You are the reincarnation of Escanor, the Lion's Sin of Pride, and the inheritor of a sun god's legacy. But you are also more. The strength of another—a being who bends suns to his will—flows within you."

Alex woke from the vision drenched in sweat, his body humming with energy. That day, when he stepped into the sunlight, it wasn't warmth he felt—it was power. His skin glowed faintly, his muscles tensed, and the world around him seemed smaller, fragile.

When Steve decided to enlist, Alex felt a knot tighten in his chest. He admired Steve's determination but couldn't shake the fear gnawing at him. "You're not strong enough for this war," Alex had argued, the words sharper than he intended.

Steve's response was a punch that barely grazed Alex's jaw. "I have to try," Steve said, his voice cracking with emotion. Alex saw the fire in his brother's eyes, the unyielding resolve, and for once, he didn't argue.

The day Steve stepped into the Super Soldier Program, Alex stood in the shadows, his fists clenched. He didn't need a serum to know he was different, but unlike Steve, he hadn't earned his strength. It haunted him.

That night, unable to sleep, Alex wandered into an open field bathed in moonlight. He let the sun's power swell within him, his body transforming into something more. Golden light radiated from his skin, and for the first time, he felt whole.

He punched the ground, and the earth splintered like glass. He soared into the sky, the wind roaring in his ears. Each movement felt natural, instinctive. As dawn broke, Alex hovered above the world, basking in the first rays of sunlight. He felt invincible.

But war didn't wait for personal revelations. Alex joined the fight alongside Steve, though he stayed in the shadows, hiding the full extent of his abilities. Steve became Captain America, a symbol of hope, while Alex remained the quiet protector.

On the battlefield, Alex was a force of nature. Hydra soldiers crumbled under his blows, their weapons useless against his golden skin. Yet he always retreated before anyone could see too much, leaving behind whispers of a glowing warrior.

One mission changed everything. Steve was captured, and Alex's restraint snapped. He stormed the Hydra base alone, his light burning so brightly it turned night into day. Bullets melted before they touched him, and enemies fled in terror.

Steve stared at him in disbelief as Alex tore apart the cell door. "What are you?" Steve asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Your brother," Alex said simply, his golden glow fading as he helped Steve to his feet.

The bond between them deepened, but so did the tension. Steve couldn't ignore Alex's abilities, and Alex couldn't ignore the weight of the secret he carried.

One night, as they sat by a campfire, Steve finally confronted him. "You have power, Alex. More than I could ever dream of. Why hide it?"

Alex stared into the flames, the light reflecting in his golden eyes. "Because it doesn't feel like mine," he admitted. "I didn't earn this, Steve. It was given to me."

Steve placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "It doesn't matter where it came from. What matters is how you use it."

Those words stuck with Alex as the war raged on. He fought harder, embracing his abilities not for himself but for the people who needed him.

As the Hydra threat grew, Alex's power became a beacon. Enemies feared him, allies revered him, and Steve... Steve believed in him.

The final battle against Red Skull was chaos incarnate. Alex's golden light clashed with the unnatural red glow of the Tesseract, the air crackling with energy. Every blow Alex landed felt like justice, a righteous fury born of both his human and celestial sides.

In the aftermath, as the battlefield lay quiet, Alex stood beside Steve, their uniforms torn and bloodied. The sun rose behind them, casting long shadows. Alex turned to his brother, a faint smile on his lips. "We did it."

Steve nodded, his eyes filled with pride. "Yeah, we did." But as they walked away, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of his true purpose.