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 New Defenders became the latest Marvel super squad to take up the legacy of another this week when they re-christened themselves in FANTASTIC FORCE #1. While the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four have long handled the big, flashy threats to hit the Marvel Universe, all three groups have spun off, sometimes by choice and sometimes not, specialty teams uniquely suited to deal with certain problems.
Regardless of the circumstances that led to their creation, many of these satellite teams have become legendary in their own right. This week, the Secret Cabal names their 10 favorites.
For each team 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. X-FACTOR INVESTIGATIONS
First Appearance: X-FACTOR v2 #1 (2006)
How They Formed: Jamie
Madrox recruits former allies to aid him in his new venture as a private investigator specializing in cases involving mutants.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Jamie Madrox,
Strong Guy,
Siryn, Rictor, M,
Layla Miller
Why They Make the List: "If you're looking for the true outcasts of the Marvel Universe, look no further than Jamie Madrox and his not-always-so-merry band. Patrolling the outskirts of the world the X-Men and Avengers tend to neglect,
X-Factor Investigations helps the victims who fall through the cracks. Providing a pleasant mix of noir, action and dark comedy, this random assortment of mutants is actually a group we wouldn't mind sharing a few drinks with." – Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: X-FACTOR v2 #9—Madrox and the rest of
X-Factor must pick a side during
Civil War!
9. GENERATION X
First Appearance: UNCANNY X-MEN #318 (1994)
How They Formed: After rescuing the next generation of mutants from the
Phalanx's clutches, the X-Men re-open the Massachusetts Academy to train the youngsters under the guidance of
Banshee and
Emma Frost.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Jubilee,
Chamber, M,
Husk,
Skin,
Synch, Penance, Banshee, Emma Frost
Why They Make the List: "For years after the
New Mutants 'graduated' to become
X-Force, there was a void in the X-Men Universe. Since the early days of the original five, there had always been young mutants who were as concerned with learning to live in a society that shunned them as they were with fighting
Magneto.
Generation X was truly a teen team for—pardon the pun—a new generation. They were a little more bizarre than those who had come before—Chamber and Skin certainly made the likes of
Wolfsbane and
Magik look positively normal by comparison—with a harder edge to match, accentuated by former villain Emma Frost being their erstwhile mentor. But the 'kids' of Generation X definitely represented an era where young people were forced to grow up a lot faster and gave voice to that group of readers." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: GENERATION X #63—The students of Generation X must deal with sweeping change to their world!
8. THE GREAT LAKES AVENGERS/X-MEN/CHAMPIONS/INITIATIVE
First Appearance: WEST COAST AVENGERS #46 (1989)
How They Formed: A group of oddball outcasts with bizarre powers band together to protect the Great Lakes region in rare instances of danger.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Mr. Immortal,
Flatman,
Big Bertha,
Doorman,
Dinah Soar,
Squirrel Girl
Why They Make the List: "You probably won't find a more eclectic and unlikely team of heroes than the Great Lakes Initiative—or whatever they're calling themselves this week—but you'd also be hard-pressed to find one with more collective heart. In many ways, the GLI represent the average comic fan, as they are fairly ordinary folks who still have a pressing desire to make a difference like the heroes they look up to. They do a lot with a little and you've got to respect that. Plus, a gag like Mr. Immortal just never gets old." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: DEADPOOL/G.L.I. SUMMER FUN SPECTACULAR #1—The Great Lakes Initiative teams with the Merc With a Mouth in a series of offbeat adventures!
7. THE WEST COAST AVENGERS
First Appearance: WEST COAST AVENGERS #1 (1984)
How They Formed: In an attempt to expand the influence of the Avengers, the
Vision commissions Hawkeye to relocate to California and found a second branch.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Hawkeye,
Iron Man, Wonder Man,
Tigra,
Mockingbird, USAgent, Spider-Woman II, the
Scarlet Witch
Why They Make the List: "This motley mix of characters, aptly nicknamed the 'Whackos' forged a quick bond, becoming a family, opening their doors to new recruits and going toe-to-toe with some of the greatest threats any Avengers ever faced. The dramatic aspects of the team were highlighted as they examined emotional trauma, marital separation, and internal betrayals. But they always seemed to rise above it stronger, and lived to share another burger over the grill at their famous barbecues." – Secret Cabal member RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: AVENGERS #347—Both Avengers branches unite during Operation: Galactic
Storm!
6. X-FORCE v2
First Appearance: UNCANNY X-MEN #493 (2007)
How They Formed: In the midst of "Messiah CompleX,"
Cyclops secretly places
Wolverine in charge of a black ops group to operate outside the X-Men's moral boundaries.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Wolverine,
X-23,
Warpath, Wolfsbane,
Archangel,
Domino
Why They Make the List: "More than perhaps any other team in the Marvel Universe, the X-Men operate in a dark, hard world. They face oppression and hatred every day, not to mention some of the more viciious, bloodthirsty villains around. And yet there is a line that Cyclops and most of his ilk can't cross—and that's why we have the current X-Force. Wolverine has always been the X-Man his teammates turned to when they needed dirty work done, and now he has a whole team of badasses ready to do the same. In a perfect world, maybe the X-Men wouldn't need an X-Force, but we'd sure as heck miss reading about them." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: X-FORCE v2 #1—The new X-Force hunts down the
Purifiers!
5. THE NEW MUTANTS
First Appearance: MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #4 (1982)
How They Formed: Thinking his X-Men dead,
Professor X accepts a new class at his School For Gifted Youngsters.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Cannonball, Dani Moonstar,
Sunspot, Wolfsbane,
Karma,
Magma, Magik,
Warlock,
Cypher
Why They Make the List: "This team was forged in fire and forced to grow up quickly. They were among the most ethnically diverse teams ever seen in comics, and their stories were often based off their heritages. Always in the shadows of their predecessors, these kids were meant to be the X-Men of tomorrow, but found their own identity, and continue to prove that friendship and the experiences you share growing up together are tighter than any bond!" – RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: NEW MUTANTS v1 #21—Warlock crashes a New Mutants slumber party!
4. X-FORCE v1
First Appearance: NEW MUTANTS v1 #100 (1991)
How They Formed: Frustrated by the lack of progress made by the X-Men to make the world safe for mutants,
Cable transforms their protégés, the New Mutants, into a pro-active paramilitary team.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Cable, Cannonball, Domino,
Shatterstar, Boom Boom, Warpath, Siryn, Rictor
Why They Make the List: "The safe future of mutantkind will be secured through peace, love and understanding, right? That's Xavier's way, so that must be true. Wrong! Bad boy from the future, Cable, stepped in and turned the New Mutants from a rag-tag group of lackluster students into a lean, mean fighting machine. And when he had to skedaddle, did they fold? Heck no! X-Force persevered, carving their own niche into the landscape of mutant teams for over 10 years." – Secret Cabal member Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: X-FORCE #1 (2004)—Cable reunites X-Force to aid him against a menace from his past!
3. EXCALIBUR
First Appearance: EXCALIBUR: THE SWORD IS DRAWN (1987)
How They Formed: With the X-Men seemingly dead, former members
Nightcrawler and
Kitty Pryde relocate to England where they help to found a new squad of mutants fighting for good.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Captain Britain, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Phoenix II,
Meggan
Why They Makes the List: "Who says the United States is the only country that needs mutant protectors? While not fully staffed by Children of the Atom,
Excalibur did include its fair share of former X-Men over the years, often looping in and out of proper X-affairs. But it was the team's penchant for dealing with the weird stuff across the pond that really separated them from other teams. Plus, putting Captain Britain on the team makes them like the UK Avengers. And who doesn't love the Avengers?" – Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: EXCALIBUR v1 #1—The original Excalibur faces the mayhem of the Warwolves!
2. THE YOUNG AVENGERS
First Appearance: YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (2005)
How They Formed: With the Avengers disassembled, the time-travelling
Iron Lad uses data from the Vision to form a group of young heroes with ties to the original team.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Patriot II, Iron Lad,
Hulkling,
Wiccan,
Stature, Hawkeye II, Vision II,
Speed
Why They Make the List: "Can you believe that when this team was first announced, the general comic book public scoffed at the idea? Raise your hand if you were one of them. Go on. It's ok, how could you have known that this team, most of who had surprising ties to the old school Avengers, would turn out to be one of the greatest new creations in comics? With groundbreaking characters and compelling storylines, this team is full of possibilities and future stories. They're here to stay—and they've forgiven you for laughing at them." – RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: YOUNG AVENGERS SPECIAL #1—
Solo stories shedding light on the secret origins of the
Young Avengers!
1. X-FACTOR v2
First Appearance: X-FACTOR v1 #71 (1991)
How They Formed: The United States government recruits
Havok to lead a team of mutants under their guidance and endorsement to foster goodwill and enforce U.S. policy.
Learn More About Them…here
Notable Members: Havok,
Multiple Man, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane,
Polaris,
Forge
Why They Make the List: "The Havok-led incarnation of X-Factor popularized by writer Peter David and artists like Larry Stroman and Joe Quesada in the early 90's broke from many Marvel Universe traditions. For one thing, it was a government-sanctioned team that wasn't the Avengers and in fact presented fictional legislators with a very quirky alternative to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It was also the first real instance of mutants going 'mainstream' and being put in a position of authority within the Marvel U. And it was funny—there was action and pathos, but when you've got a dude codenamed 'Strong Guy' on your team, it's tough not to sometimes go for the chuckles. This version of X-Factor is much beloved and well-remembered by many because they were truly different than anything else out there, which has to be the biggest goal of any spin-off team." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: X-FACTOR v1 #87—It's group therapy time with
Doc Samson for X-Factor!
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