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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Top 20 Characters I Want to Become Avengers


This was inevitable.  I’ve been doing top 10 lists in this site for about three years now.  And I knew there would come a time I would encounter a topic that would require more than ten spots to be a more fun and effective list.  I think it’s time to set that precedence.  I’m in the mood to do the first Top 20 of this blog.     

The Avengers celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.  And since the Avengers is a significant nerd property that I’m greatly fond of, I want to kind of commemorate it by making this list of characters I would love to see become members of an Avengers roster in the near future.
       
The assembling of an Avengers’ team (with the roster usually made official by a press conference), especially the induction of first-time members, has always been thrilling.  Take for example the current Avengers main team (though it hasn’t made any press conference) which is made up of several first-timers (and with heroes like Hulk, Thor, Hyperion, and Captain Universe in it, it’s probably the most powerful Avengers team yet!), thus, it has the potential for significant surprises in character developments and, by extension, storylines.  For all we know, Cannonball can bloom into becoming the next Captain America (as leader). 

Moreover, half of the current number of active Avengers – those of the main Avengers team, the Avengers Unity Squad (“Uncanny Avengers” – the only current Avenger team that had a press conference), and the new “New Avengers” team (it seems those of the present “Secret Avengers” still doesn’t count?  And, of course, the “Dark Avengers” has never been really considered real Avengers.  Moreover, what of this upcoming “Avengers A.I” team? I doubt that the “Avengers” in that team name really gives the team members official Avengers membership, just as it is with “Young Avengers” and “Dark Avengers”.  The upcoming incarnation of the “Mighty Avengers” are likely to have a legitimate and official Avengers status though) – are mutants!  Considering this refreshing trend, about half of the spots on this list go to mutants.  I initially considered making a respective ten for non-mutants and mutants before deciding to make a full 20 instead.    

My picks here are those characters that have never been part of an Avengers team before, thus, if they obtain membership, it’s going to be their first time as Avengers.   

20.) ANOTHER MYTHOLOGICAL DEITY

First was Thor.  Then, Hercules.  And, in mid-2000’s, it was Ares.  Marvel Comics has made superheroes out of popular gods of mythology and turned them into Avengers (and aside from mythological gods, there was also Sersi, an Avenger based on the mythological character “Circi”).  I think it’s time for Marvel to introduce another superhero based on a mythological deity.  If they go with an Olympian, my choice is Artemis or Zeus.  However, the most interesting idea is for a god from Egyptian mythology this time to become an Avenger.  The Egyptian mythological gods – the Heliopolitans – have already been established in the Marvel Universe (see illustration above).  Marvel just has to pick one that has the potential to develop into awesomeness.  My personal pick?  Anubis or Sekhmet.

19.) HUMAN TORCH

The original Human Torch, the android Jim Hammond, has already been an Avenger.  But not the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch, Johnny Storm.   The rest of the Fantastic Four has become Avengers at some point, while Johnny has never been one (sure, he was part of the Anti-Registrations’ so-called “Secret Avengers” during the Civil War, but that doesn’t count as an official Avengers membership).  I think it’s only fair that he also gets an Avengers gig like his Fantastic Four teammates. 

18.) SASQUATCH

Aside from Wolverine, there has been no sometime Alpha Flight superhero that has become an Avenger.  Someone from Alpha Flight becoming an Avenger seems unlikely considering that Alpha Flight is supposed to be Canada’s version of the Avengers.  Still, if it’s going to happen, who I want it to be is Sasquatch; because he looks like a kickass mash-up of Chewbacca and the Hulk.

17.) A YOUNG AVENGER OR AN AVENGERS ACADEMY ALUMNUS


Isn’t that what they were meant for?  To graduate from the “minor leagues” and become official Avengers?  

If I remember it right, Stature is the only Young Avenger that has been able to become an Avenger.  The rest just got honorary memberships, which is not the same thing as becoming an official Avenger.  But Stature is already dead; while Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Speed, Wiccan, and Hulkling are the Young Avengers that deserve to be official Avengers already (those four are the only ones I believe to be deserving of promotion.  The other Young Avengers – original and new?  Not yet.).  
   
How about those that have graduated from Avengers Academy (who are currently fighting to the death a la Battle Royal/Hunger Games with other young heroes)?  The purpose of the Academy is to make these youths with aptitudes to become supervillains become heroes instead, and to eventually become Avengers someday.  So at least one of them should become an Avenger soon after these “Hunger Games” event among teenage heroes.   
    
Even if they are still teenagers (they have been teenager for years now, Marvel.  When will you make them grow up?), that should not stop them from being part of an Avengers roster.  In fact, having teenage superheroes interact with adult superheroes in one Avengers team is guaranteed for some interesting developments and generation gap clashes.

16.) SILVER SURFER

Too cosmic and powerful to fit with an Avengers team?  Maybe. But Quasar had been an Avenger, and Captain Universe, who could be the most cosmic of everything cosmic, is currently a member.  Would love for the Surfer to hang out for a while with the team.  And think about this, Surfer was a member of the Defenders before.  Does that sound okay with you?  The Silver Surfer had been a Defender but hasn’t been an Avenger yet?

15.) RED SHE-HULK

To be honest, Red She-Hulk hasn’t won me over yet (Marvel is getting crowded with Hulks.  At my last count, there are at least six Hulks out there).  But I’m intrigued that she has her own ongoing solo series right now.  Then, there must be something special about her.  I’m too lazy to check out her comicbook, and would rather evaluate her as an Avenger.  Three Hulks – Hulk, She-Hulk, and Red Hulk – have been Avengers already.  And a Hulk in the Avengers had always been fun.  So having her in the Avengers is the best situation to see what makes her stand out from the other Hulks.  Moreover, it would surely boost Red She-Hulk’s superhero value if she becomes an Avenger.  

14.) GHOST RIDER

Ghost Rider, though more fit at going solo than being on a team, has been part of teams as well, like the Champions.  However, the thought of him part of an Avengers roster is very intriguing.  At first thought, it seems that Ghost Rider would be so out of place with the Avengers – which what actually makes the thought of him becoming an Avenger intriguing.  Because he will be constantly creeping out his teammates.

11.) to 13.) CYCLOPS, MAGNETO, & EMMA FROST

In the aftermath of “AvX”, these three X-Men are no longer in good terms with the rest of the superhero community.  As far as other supeheroes are concerned – including the other X-Men (those that support Wolverine after the schism in the X-Men) – Cyclops, Magneto, and Emma Frost are not “superheroes” anymore but “criminals.” 

The thought here is simple; this is how I fantasize how their path to redemption would turn out – they will be compelled to become part of the Avengers Unity Squad, i.e. the Uncanny Avengers.

Would be a lot of fun to see Scott (Cyclops), who is used to giving out orders as a leader, now has to follow the orders of his brother, Alex (Havok).  But I picture that Scott would eventually take the leadership role in the long run. 

Also, Magneto and Emma Frost as Avengers!  How simultaneously awesome and ridiculous is that thought?!

10.) MR. IMMORTAL

Mr. Immortal is the leader of the so-called “Great Lakes Avengers”, a superhero team made up of oddball superheroes.  But how would Mr. Immortal fare as an actual Avenger?  In my opinion, he would add a lot of fun to the dynamics of the team and would become a fan favorite.  Really.  I am serious. He can be that. 

I am not saying he will become an important member.  What I mean is he will make reading an Avengers book more fun and entertaining.   What do I mean by that?  Well, can you remember the humorous element of whenever an Avengers roster that has Wolverine in it is ambushed?  The other Avengers would be able to block or dodge the attacks, but Wolverine would be caught by the ambush and get hit “lethally.”  Of course, nothing is really lethal with Logan since he has a trademark healing factor.  But those occurrences gave some minor laughs.       

Now picture that same thing happening with Mr. Immortal in the roster instead of Wolverine.  Whenever the Avengers get ambushed, they would be able to dodge or block the attacks with the exception of Mr. Immortal, who will get “killed.”   But since Mr. Immortal’s power is immortality, he would only come back to life fully regenerated whenever he gets killed in this ambush.  And then he gets killed again as soon as he rises up and joins the fray.  So with this, the whole thing would absolutely be hilarious instead of just funny (as with Wolverine).

9.) PHIL COULSON

Yes, Coulson is a member of the current Secret Avengers incarnation, but as I’ve mentioned in the intro, this current Secret Avengers seems to carry no official Avengers status at all (although there are Avengers members in it, they operate as a S.H.I.E.L.D. black ops arm rather than as the Avengers’ black ops team).  It would be really awesome for this fan-beloved badass character to be given an actual Avengers membership – to be a normal, non-superhero black-suited spook standing in the same page with costumed superheroes.

8.) MAN-THING

Here’s another character that seemingly won’t fit with the Avengers at all.  However, if you have read Man-Thing’s stint with the Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers in the comics, you might observe what I had observed about the character – he looks good in a team after all.  Besides, the Avengers would find Man-Thing’s teleporting ability (which can even allow him to open doors to other dimensions and realities) extremely beneficial to the team.

7.) MORPH

The original Morph character didn’t debut on comics.  He has only been exclusively featured in the X-Men animated TV series back in the 90’s.  Morph has yet to appear in Marvel’s main continuity, the Earth-616 Universe (though the concept for the character was originally used on a character named “Changeling”). 

However, the comicbooks does have a Morph, but the character originated from the Earth-1081 reality.  He became part of the Exiles, a superhero team composed of different heroes from different realites – usually X-Men or have some connections with the X-Men – that travels across the Marvel Multiverse to fix the errors in each continuity’s reality.  Morph, because of being a badass despite of usually clowning around, easily became the fan favorite of the team.  The original Morph, from the TV series, has the ability to perfectly mimic the appearance of other people, a la Mystique; while the comics’ Morph’s ability is to shapeshift his into various forms, only limited by his imagination, and his mimicries are not of perfect copy but of the same parodied kind of quality that Genie, of Walt Disney’s Aladdin, does.  In his own reality, Morph is both a member of the X-Men and the Avengers.        

Morph is a really cool and fun character; would really love him to become an expat in Marvel’s main continuity and earn an Avengers membership in it, just as he did in his home reality.

6.) HOWARD THE DUCK

Seriously.  This rude, cynical, ill-tempered, and gabby duck should be an Avenger.  He would be more than a mascot-member since he is actually capable in a fight.  I believe that he can do to the Avengers what Rocket Raccoon has done to the Guardians of the Galaxy.

5.) SCARLET SPIDER

Right now, he is a more likable character than the current Spider-Man (ugh).  These days, I enjoy reading a Scarlet Spider comicbook more than a Spider-Man book (because my animosity for the whole Superior Spider-Man concept – Doc Ock taking over Peter Parker’s body – prevents me from objectively judging with certainty the quality of a Superior Spider-Man issue).  The character development and premise (a darker, grittier Spider-Man; “All of the power, none of the responsibility” slogan) of the Scarlet Spider has been delightful so far.  He should be given an Avengers membership as a reward for being terrific.   

4.) MULTIPLE MAN

Jamie Madrox’s ability to create duplicates (or “dupes”) of himself has always been one of my most favorite superpowers.  Each dupe that Jamie creates has his own independent will and thought, can have his own experiences, and can even limitedly create his own dupes; but is nonetheless emphatically linked to the main Jamie.  Whenever Jamie absorbs back a dupe, he will also absorb the dupe’s memories, knowledge, and skills. Pretty cool, eh?  (Naruto has this power, too.  But I first encountered this ability is with Multiple Man). 

I believe that if the Multiple Man becomes an Avenger, the opportunity is more available for a storyline that would put the character and the utilization of his superpower into a whole new level of awesomeness.

3.) LOKI

Heel-face turns have always been dramatic.  And the Avengers organization has always been ready to welcome with open arms any reformed villains among their ranks; by making them Avengers, they help them in their path to redemption.  Now, what can be more dramatic than Loki becoming an Avenger?

Loki is arguably the Avengers’ most important antagonist, for it was because of clashing with him that the Avengers first banded together.  The Avenger’s most important antagonist becoming an Avenger is going to be a major game-changer, and I completely dig the idea.  

I’m not expecting him to have a total change of heart.  It is even more interesting if he remains narcissistic, power-loving and mischievous, but is totally sincere as an Avenger – his reasons and goals could be selfish, but not necessarily totally evil and harmful.  If ever he becomes an Avenger, his tenure should be lengthy.  Besides, since the current incarnation of Loki – Kid Loki – is already aligned with good anyway (he is a current member of the Young Avengers, but still remains mischievous), the fastest path for Loki to become an Avenger is for him to mature rapidly into adulthood (via magic) and then eventually earning an Avengers membership. 

2.) DEADPOOL

I think it has been long overdue.  It’s got to happen.  With his popularity, “The Merc with a Mouth” should become an Avenger.  ASAP.  

He successfully made breaking the fourth-wall a trademark of his (talking to the readers and having awareness that he is a comicbook character), which is somewhat unique for a comicbook character.  He is both a badass and hilarious anti-hero.  He is both fun-loving and fight-loving.  And he is completely batshit insane but has a heart of gold.  Thus, he has developed into one of Marvel’s most charismatic and deepest character.  And, arguably, he is probably even the most entertaining Marvel character at present.  

If Deadpool becomes an Avenger, the chemistry and the hilarity that would ensue from how Deadpool would interact with his teammates would certainly be epic.  And since there is at present a lack of a smartass clown in the Avengers anyway (because Peter Parker – the Amazing Spider-Man – is no longer in the team), Deadpool should fill that vacancy.

1.) GAMBIT

He is one of the coolest comicbook characters ever created (that he became a favorite of mine), and I mourn the fact that he is so underrated.  In my opinion, Gambit has the proper qualities that would make him into such kind of premium character as Wolverine.   And I believe that all it takes to propel him into such level is for him to have a successful and memorable Avengers gig.  

Let’s give him that chance, Marvel! 

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