Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
The landmark issue #25 of AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL, in stores now, proves that in the Marvel Universe, heroism continues to be a family affair.
Some of Marvel's best and brightest heroes have emerged from families of like-minded champions, whereas other forces for good have persevered despite villainous parents and other relatives. This week, the Secret Cabal honors their 10 favorite next-generation good guys.
For each character you get the quick rundown as well as a special spotlight comic courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
As always, these picks reflect the personal choices of the Secret Cabal, not the official opinion of Marvel or Marvel.com, and can be considered subjective at best. Enjoy!
10. NATE GREY
First Appearance: X-MAN #1 (1995)
Family Tree: Cyclops (Scott Summers, alternate reality father),
Jean Grey (alternate reality mother)
Why He Makes The List: "While Nate Grey isn't
technically the offspring of any of our heroes, considering he was cloned from the Age of
Apocalypse's version of Cyclops and Jean Grey, he makes up for that fact with sheer power. He outdoes his alternate-reality brother
Cable in almost every way, even having managed to save the world single-handedly and sacrifice his own life, dissipating his essence across the entire Earth." – Secret Cabal member SparkleMotion515
Spotlight Comic: X-MAN #1—Nate Grey busts loose in the Age of Apocalypse!
9. WICCAN
First Appearance: YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Family Tree: The
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff, mother), the
Vision (father),
Speed (Thomas Shepherd, brother),
Magneto (grandfather),
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff, uncle)
Why He Makes The List: "A shy but courageous young adventurer, Billy Kaplan seemed plagued by an identity crisis and lack of assuredness over his sense of self. However, when he met the long-lost twin brother he never had and started to piece together that he was the son of the Scarlet Witch, he gained confidence and an admirable determination to find a way to save his mother from the instability that has plagued her. Will
Wiccan be up to the task? The journey is still unfolding…" – Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: YOUNG AVENGERS SPECIAL #1—Wiccan's unknowing reunion with the mother he never knew features in this collection of tales about the
Young Avengers!
8. PATRIOT
First Appearance: YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Family Tree: Isaiah Bradley (grandfather),
Josiah X (uncle)
Why He Makes The List: "'The grandson of the original Captain America' has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the history of the original Cap is one rife with struggle, racism, genetic experimentation and difficulty. So the legacy that
Patriot, Elijah Bradley, follows isn't exactly one that screams glory. Nonetheless, Patriot has shown time and again that he not only honors the legacy of his grandpa, but that of his country and the Captain America the world knows and loves." – Secret Cabal member Agent M
Spotlight Comic: YOUNG AVENGERS #8—Patriot confronts a crisis of conscience when the true source of his powers is revealed!
7. HULKLING
First Appearance: YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Family Tree: Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell, father), Anelle (mother),
Photon (Genis-Vell, half-brother), Quasar (
Phyla-Vell, half-sister)
Why He Makes The List: "
Hulkling's kind of like the progeny of an alien, super-powered Romeo & Juliet, the blood coursing through his veins a mix of royal Skrull and heroic
Kree. And sure, his continued existence nearly caused another flare up in the Kree/Skrull War, but when your mom was a bona-fide Skrull queen—making you the rightful heir to the Skrull empire—and your dad was the Kree champion—and, well, traitor—Mar-Vell, that kinda craziness is bound to happen. Luckily, Hulkling's a righteous warrior, devoted friend and member of the Young
Avengers: aces all around." – Agent M
Spotlight Comic: CIVIL WAR: YOUNG AVENGERS & RUNAWAYS #1—Hulkling comes face-to-face with his family heritage when he meets
Xavin of the
Runaways!
6. THE SCARLET WITCH
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #4 (1964)
Learn More About Her…here
Family Tree: Magneto (father), Magda (mother), Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff, brother),
Polaris (Lorna Dane, half-sister)
Why She Makes The List: "Wanda Maximoff has long been a character made fascinating in large part by the tragedy surrounding her, and so much of that comes from her family. With an unreliable—and often untrustworthy—father who would exploit her, an overprotective brother who would deny her free will and a husband who lost the ability to love, it's incredible the Scarlet Witch held it together as long as she did. But despite her beyond-dysfunctional home life, Wanda Maximoff has risen above her circumstances time and again. We wait patiently in hopes she will once again find redemption soon." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: HOUSE OF M #7—The Scarlet Witch's family rushes to her aid against those who would see her dead!
5. RACHEL SUMMERS
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #141 (1981)
Learn More About Her…here
Family Tree: Cyclops (Scott Summers, alternate reality father), Jean Grey (alternate reality mother), Cable (alternate reality half-brother)
Why She Makes The List: "X-Fans always wanted Cyclops and Jean Grey to have a kid, so what could go wrong once they (kinda) did? Plenty.
Rachel Summers was born in a dystopian future, trained as a "hound" to hunt down her own kind and never got the chance to really know her parents. Then she came back to our time to find her father re-married and her mother supposedly dead. Despite all this hardship, she became a founding member of
Excalibur, where she found redemption and a family. Years later and the hits keep coming—she's trapped in space at the moment fighting her evil uncle
Vulcan—but she continues to be a beacon of hope." – Secret Cabal member RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: UNCANNY X-MEN #466—Rachel Summers fights to save what's left of her family from the
Shi'ar!
4. FRANKLIN RICHARDS
First Appearance: FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #6 (1968)
Learn More About Him…here
Family Tree: Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards, father), the
Invisible Woman (Susan Richards, mother),
Valeria Richards (sister), the
Human Torch (Johnny
Storm, uncle)
Why He Makes The List: "Even without his now-dormant mutant abilities,
Franklin Richards' parents Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, not to mention his
fantastic upbringing have given him an edge in the world. Currently, this kid hangs out in the Negative Zone, beating up
Skrulls, but in the past he's held up
Deadpool with his own gun, gone to hell and back, been kidnapped and returned more than a few times and one time he created an entire alternate reality to save the
Fantastic Four, Avengers and others after they defeated
Onslaught. To be completely Frank, Franklin has it all: a killer pedigree, access to amazing technology and exposure to the very best and the very worst of humans, mutants and aliens." – Secret Cabal member LiterateNitz18
Spotlight Comic: FRANKLIN RICHARDS: MARCH MADNESS #1—Five action-packed adventures starring everybody's favorite son of a genius!
3. QUICKSILVER
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #4 (1964)
Learn More About Him…here
Family Tree: Magneto (father), Magda (mother), the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff, sister), Polaris (Lorna Dane, half-sister)
Why He Makes The List: "The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. Quicksilver has a superiority complex that puts his father's to shame, and while you occasionally feel the urge to punch him, most times you can't help but love the son of Magneto's snooty, arrogant, impetuous nature. But hey, living life as a speedster can't be easy and who wouldn't get a little irritable when everyone around you moves at the comparative speed of a sleepy sloth?" – SparkleMotion515
Spotlight Comic: MAGNETO REX #1—Quicksilver travels to Genosha in hopes of saving his father from himself!
2. SPIDER-GIRL
First Appearance: WHAT IF? v2 #105 (1998)
Learn More About Her…here
Family Tree: Spider-Man (Peter Parker, father),
Mary Jane Watson-Parker (mother)
Why She Makes The List: "She's got Peter Parker's brains and Mary Jane's good looks, not to mention enhanced Spider-like abilities—and if that's not enough to win May 'Mayday' Parker a spot on this list she's got a rap sheet that should totally clinch it. This fabulous female web-slinger has gone toe-to-toe with some of her father's greatest villains, including the Green Goblin,
Black Tarantula and
Hobgoblin, not to mention a few big bads of her own. But May's real strength comes though in her compassion and understanding for others, which has made her a beloved crime fighter to her legion of fans, both inside and outside the MC2 universe." – LiterateNitz18
Spotlight Comic: SPIDER-GIRL #10—
Spider-Girl travels back in time to team up with her dad: the amazing Spider-Man!
1. CABLE
First Appearance: UNCANNY X-MEN #201 (1986)
Learn More About Him…here
Family Tree: Cyclops (Scott Summers, father),
Madelyne Pryor (mother),
Corsair (Christopher Summers, grandfather),
Havok (Alex Summers, uncle), Vulcan (Gabriel Summers, uncle), Rachel Summers (alternate universe half-sister)
Why He Makes The List: "Cable's real name is kinda nutty, with random apostrophes floating around, but the key component sits right at the end: Summers. Cable comes from the Kennedy clan of Marvel's mutant troop, a brood that's chock full of more triumph, tragedy, history—past, present and future—and legacy issues than you can shake an Apocalypse at. Whether you're looking at his father Cyclops, arguably the greatest X-Man, his mother Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey, his uncles Havok and Vulcan, hero and villain respectively, or even his clone
Stryfe, terror from the future, know one thing: Cable's the coolest, most badass member of the Summers family." – Agent M
Spotlight Comic: CABLE & DEADPOOL #9—In order to launch his island sanctuary of Providence, Cable must battle the
X-Men, led by his father, Cyclops!
Marvel Twitter Survey results for last week's Take 10 tie-in survey:
Who is your favorite Ultimate Universe villain: 1) Green Goblin 2) Magneto 3) Dr. Doom
Follow Marvel on Twitter to vote in the Take 10 Marvel Twitter survey!
Check out the official Marvel Shop for the best mighty Marvel merchandise!
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
