It's controversial for a number of reason. Chief among these is the fact that I have omitted these guys:
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Hawkeye
Some might call me a hypocrite for picking a non-classic Avengers line-up, since I’ve said that you can’t have a JLA without Supes, Bats, WW, Flash, Martian Manhunter, and a GL.
Here's my current Avengers dream roster:
Vision
My love for the synthezoid Avenger is well-known. On this roster, Vision will be the team's co-leader.
Black Panther
My pick as the other co-leader of the team: Master strategist and someone who thrives when he has to pull his team out of the fire. Where Captain America is the inspirational leader (as "we'll follow this guy to hell and back.") and Iron Man is the Charismatic leader (as in "what shellhead said really appealed to me...let's do what he says..."), the pair of Black Panther and Vision are pragmatic leaders.
Black Knight
Dane Whitman is probably the most popular under-appreciated superhero in the Marvel U. Yes, he's been an Avenger before, but the writers haven't capitalized on his awesomeness. I mean he's a scientist whose origins are locked up in Arthurian lore. That, and Black Knight genetically engineered himself a flying horse - more than once!
Spider-woman (Jessica Drew)
She's a current fan fave and pretty useful in a tight spot. Spider-woman I is actually my second favourite person to assume the identity, which brings us to my next pick...
Spider-woman (Julia Carpenter)
I knew of her before I knew of Jessica Drew, even though Jeesica is the original Spider-woman. Okay, now you realise that I've got two spider-women on my roster. Look, the characters hit different notes for me. Hey, psionic webbing is much better than Spidey's real webbing, which looks gross while it dissolves and poses a slip hazard. Spidey is going to get sued one of these days. Back to Julia: Every team needs a government operative and Spider-woman II is one of the cooler ones around (think more and less Captain Atom).
Darkhawk
Darkhawk is another underappreciated hero who fought his way onto this roster. I've always liked the character and he's always looked so menacing. Here's an extremely summarized version of his life story.
Nova
Why isn't Nova running the Marvel U? Here's a hero career summary for your conveniance. Like GL, but not. And that's a good thing. In addition, check out some snazzy Nova covers brought to us by the biggest Nova fan in the entire comics Blogosphere. By the way, Marel has just made this dude a Secret Avenger. About time, I say.
Paladin
If your name is Lissbirds, you should propose to this guy. Now. What? You mostly go for non-powered guys? Well, Paladin has superstrength and superspeed, but only slightly more than Captain America. Oh, did I mention he's detective/mercenary (weird combo, but you like weird). Paladin will flirt with any woman who moves. Any woman who moves. All comic blogger gals are mad for that type, aren't you? It gets better. He wears purple. Nuff said. Another satisfied customer of the internet's premier superhero matchmaker. No thanks needed.
Argent (of Clan Destine)
This team needs a long-lived member, but not an arrogant one like Thor. Samantha Destine is a loner and every team needs one of those as well. Then every team needs a character with family baggage. Check. And then some. Argent's also a real artisit. I dig artistic women. I think GL Kyle Rayner would dig her too. Wow. That's two in one day. The matchmaker is on fire!!!!
Intra-team relationships:
Black Knight dislikes Paladin (ever so slightly), because while team mates Paladin has been a Master cock-blocker (what with getting in the way of Black Knight hooking up with Wasp and others).
I can’t wait to see Paladin and the ladies of the team interact. Some will of course find his charm endearing while others are likely react negatively to his attentions.
Darkhawk and Nova are former teammates from The New Warriors (which was a teen superhero team that was different to the Titans in that none of its members were sidekicks. These guys built their reps on solid heroing and didn't have sidekick passports
Darkhawk and Spider-woman (Julia Carpenter) are close friends and former founding teammates of the Secret Defenders. Darkhawk has also been a reserve member of the West Coast Avengers of which Spider-woman had full membership.
Argent is a bit of an outsider here, but every team needs an outsider or at least a detached observer. In addition, her longevity gives her a unique perspective. To those of you who are anti-superteam-member-hook-up, I don’t think Argent would join the Avengers with a hook-up in mind. However, there is a built-in “hook-up that will/can never be” that I have in mind between her and Black Knight, because Dane has been burned by the magical type before in the past. Maybe I’m being a little too Elektra in my thinking with Argent’s dad being a knight and Black Knight being…well…a knight.
I’m curious to see if Argent makes any friends – she’s artistic. Is there someone she’ll be drawn to as a friend or confidant? Which Spider-woman will she like best or tolerate? My money’s on Julia Carpenter, but I could be wrong.
I'd be interested to see how Panther and Vision deal with such an unpredictable line-up. Knowing them, they could make it work.
I know hardly anything about these characters, but I remember Vision being mentioned once on Idol-Head. Someday I'll get around to reading Marvel stuff. Maybe. But an Avengers team without the big guns and two Spider-Women? That idea might be too ahead of its time. I just wish DC would allow more than one Batgirl at a time so we could have badass Cassandra Cain and sweet and quirky Stephanie Brown both be Batgirls. I mean, they teamed up in the past anyway.
ReplyDelete"If your name is Lissbirds, you should propose to this guy. Now." Ha. But only on February 29th! (The only day of the year which strikes fear into Hal Jordan's heart.) I'm liking the detective aspect. "All comic blogger gals are mad for that type, aren't you?" Well, we just pretend to. Really we just love to hate guys like Hal Jordan and then somewhere along the way we get distracted by REALLY NICE HAIR and we forget we're not supposed to like those kinds of guys. Mercenary, though...that could mean a dark past, perhaps some sort of tragedy. That could be promising. Little bit of tragedy + nice hair + cockiness + hopeless flirt = Womanhood's Ideal Male Superhero. Really. Think about it.
"It gets better. He wears purple. Nuff said." Oh, well. That's a deal-clincher right there! Male purple-wearing superhero? Too good to be true. I'm guessing he's not always a good guy and he plays by his own rules. That's usually how purple-wearing heroes are characterized. (i.e. Huntress.)
But the real question remains: does Paladin like squirrels?
Signed,
--Another satisfied customer of OneTrueGL's Superhero Matchmaking Service (TM)
Someday I'll get around to reading Marvel stuff. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteYou know, a guy like Paladin might be the best place to start - not a billion appearances to track down. Then circle out to Avengers / Paladin appearances...
Little bit of tragedy + nice hair + cockiness + hopeless flirt = Womanhood's Ideal Male Superhero. I don't know what Paladin's hair is like (if any:)
I'm guessing he's not always a good guy and he plays by his own rules. That's usually how purple-wearing heroes are characterized. (i.e. Huntress.)
That's right on the money! It's the merc part mostly and recently he's come down on the "wrong" side of things (but so did half of the ENTIRE Marvel U quite recently).
But the real question remains: does Paladin like squirrels? Hmmm, I'm not sure, but he might have had one or even several appearances alongside Marvel's Squirrel Girl.
Another satisfied customer of OneTrueGL's Superhero Matchmaking Service, hey? That's great news since there are NO REFUNDS.
But an Avengers team without the big guns and two Spider-Women? That idea might be too ahead of its time.
ReplyDeleteNeed I remind MARVEL that there was once FOUR (yes, that's FOUR) Spider-women co-existing at the same time and I remember a team-up. SO, what's the biggie about having 2 on the Avengers?
I just wish DC would allow more than one Batgirl at a time so we could have badass Cassandra Cain and sweet and quirky Stephanie Brown both be Batgirls. I mean, they teamed up in the past anyway.
I'm partial to Cassandra myself.
I guess the whole roster post was born from the fact that there are multiple Avengers teams and they have many of the big league heroes that I have for a decade and a half (like SPIDER-MAN, WOLVERINE, and even my fave Fantastic Four member, THE THING) on their rosters. Some of them I have lobbied to get membership a decade and a half ago, but now they are there. Spider-man and Logan have been Avengers before, but both can come off like BATS (just too busy to there all the time or at least that's my impression).
I just want Beast and Wonder Man back, the way they used to be, when they were Avengers and best buddies. I STILL miss them. :-(
ReplyDelete