Take 10: New Avengers
The Secret Cabal commemorates the end of an era in the history of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Posted Feb 25, 2010 11:46 am
Updated Mar 1, 2010 11:58 am
Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
For years, since the disassembling of the Avengers, a new team has carried the banner of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes through trying times including Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign and now Siege.
With the Heroic Age dawning, another era in Avengers lore will also end, and the Secret Cabal chooses to acknowledge this changing of the guard by selecting their picks for the 10 most fearless and fascinating men and women to grace the pages of NEW AVENGERS since 2004.
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. MS. MARVEL
First Appearance: MARVEL SUPER HEROES #13 (1967)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #48 (2009)
Learn More About Her…here
Why She Makes the List: When the Avengers first re-formed, Carol Danvers politely declined their offer of membership, citing a desire to re-establish herself as a solo hero. Not long after, she found herself drafted into the leadership of another Avengers team dedicated to hunting down her one-time allies. Now, Carol Danvers finds herself among the hunted and perhaps more comfortable fighting alongside old friends like Wolverine and Spider-Woman.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #29—Ms. Marvel leads the Mighty Avengers into battle against her fugitive friends!
9. SPIDER-WOMAN
First Appearance: MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #32 (1977)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #48 (2009)
Learn More About Her…here
Why She Makes the List: After spending years of her life in alien captivity, Jessica Drew returned to a world that saw hers as the face of ultimate evil thanks to the Skrull queen Veranke usurping her image as Spider-Woman to lead an ultimately unsuccessful invasion on Earth. The Avengers have accepted Jessica into their ranks, but with reluctance, as they can’t help but see in her face the eyes of their betrayer, even as she struggles to prove herself all over again.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #51—Spider-Woman joins the hunt for the new Sorcerer Supreme!
8. WOLVERINE
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK #180 (1974)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #6 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: It was an odd bit to be sure when perennial outcast and X-Man Wolverine joined the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but nobody can deny Logan’s commitment to the cause and willingness to put his neck on the line to help the Avengers keep the peace. Certainly at first Wolverine’s more lax code of ethics and reputation for solving problems permanently put veterans like Captain America and Iron Man ill at ease, but as time marched on, this Avenger’s attitude proved perhaps all too appropriate for ever-darkening times.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #34—Wolverine vs the Hood!
7. CAPTAIN AMERICA (Bucky Barnes)
First Appearance: CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 (1941)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #48 (2009)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: It took guts and heart for Bucky to step into the shoes of Steve Rogers and try his best to live up to his legacy as Captain America, but the effort didn’t feel quite complete until he joined up with the Avengers. While he has only been with the team a short time, the new Cap has already lived up to his advance billing on the battlefield and as a source of renewed inspiration. If he’s got nerves running with his mentor’s old buddies, Bucky doesn’t show it, keeping pace with the likes of Clint Barton and never being afraid to sling his shield to preserve the group Steve Rogers helped establish.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #48—The new Captain America joins the Avengers!
6. IRON MAN
First Appearance: TALES OF SUSPENSE #39 (1963)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #1 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: Tony Stark was there at the beginning, helping his best friend Captain America rebuild the Avengers from the ashes of the old team, welcoming new members like Spider-Man and Luke Cage into the incredible new tower he had constructed to house Earth’s Mightiest. The New Avengers likely could not have gotten off the ground without the resources and commitment of Iron Man, so unquestionably he stands out as one of the team’s most important members. This of course made it sting all the worse when the bulk of the group became fugitives following Civil War and Stark found himself responsible for bringing them in, but just as when he formed the Avengers, Iron Man knew the price of doing what he felt was right and paid it willingly.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #25—Tony Stark makes tough choices during Civil War!
5. SPIDER-MAN
First Appearance: AMAZING FANTASY #15 (1962)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #3 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: The ultimate loner finally gave in and became a joiner as Captain America’s invitation into the Avengers proved too much of an honor for even Spider-Man to turn down. Nobody could really have predicted how Peter Parker would take to team life, but he proved not only a spirited member and loyal ally to his new teammates—he provided much needed levity in times of darkness and distrust. During group squabbles, Spider-Man would often be the one to remind his group why they had assembled, proving himself a more-than-worthy Avenger.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #2—Spidey fights alongside Luke Cage and Captain America to take back the Raft!
4. “SPIDER-WOMAN”
First Appearance: NEW AVENGERS #1 (2005)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #3 (2005)
Why She Makes the List: She may have been far from a hero in our eyes, but there’s no question that the Skrull queen Veranke was one of the most intriguing Avengers of all-time, and to her own people, every bit the champion we’d consider Captain America or Iron Man. By impersonating Spider-Woman flawlessly, Veranke, worked her way into the lives and trust of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, disrupting them from within and making ready our unsuspecting planet for the Secret Invasion to come. We’re not ultimately too broken up about Veranke getting her just desserts when the invasion failed, but she certainly made the Marvel Universe—and the Avengers—a dangerous, interesting place to be during her reign.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #42—The story behind Veranke’s infiltration of the Avengers!
3. CAPTAIN AMERICA (Steve Rogers)
First Appearance: CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 (1941)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #1 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: The Avengers had been betrayed, ravaged by death, and torn apart, seemingly for the final time, but Steve Rogers refused to quit. As the team had been there for him since his resurrection, Captain America vowed to keep alive the memory and spirit of his allies no matter what it took. Captain America brought a new group of heroes with a fresh outlook together and forged a powerful fighting unit as he had so many times before. When he seemed to perish, the team Rogers formed did him proud, fighting on in his name this time, and when he returned, once again there were Avengers to welcome him back.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #21—Steve Rogers fights for his rights as Civil War begins!
2. RONIN (Clint Barton)
First Appearance: TALES OF SUSPENSE #57 (1964)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #27 (2007)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: With Captain America dead and Iron Man on the other side of the divisive registration issue, the New Avengers seemed like they were headed for implosion following Civil War—but then Clint Barton walked in the door. The veteran Avenger formerly known as Hawkeye had plenty of his own issues to deal with— what with his death and resurrection at the hands of longtime teammate and friend the Scarlet Witch—but Barton chose to man up, don the guise of Ronin, and kick his team back into shape the way Cap would have wanted it. His temper and haste still gets the best of him more often than not, but Ronin’s passion has been key in keeping the Avengers alive, and his leadership experience comes in plenty handy as well.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #26—Following his resurrection in the House of M, Clint Barton seeks out the Scarlet Witch!
1. LUKE CAGE
First Appearance: HERO FOR HIRE #1 (1972)
Joined the Team: NEW AVENGERS #2 (2005)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: Through thick and thin, Luke Cage has been the heart and soul of the New Avengers, holding the group together through trials that would drive most teams apart. When Captain America first invited the former Power Man to join his fledgling squad, it seemed like an odd fit, but Cage has risen to the challenge, proving more mature and committed in an effort to make his wife proud and ensure a better world for his daughter to grow up in. When Civil War split the Avengers, Cage assumed unofficial leadership, keeping hotheads like Wolverine under control and heavy hitters like Doctor Strange in the mix; during a time where nobody could trust anybody, they could at least count on Luke Cage to be the hero they needed.
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #22—Spotlight on Luke Cage as he chooses his side in the Civil War!
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Other than the Skrull queen, I hope no one else on the NA are skrulls. It just stinks when writers put together a poll of their "favorite" characters, then the character ends up being someone or something else.
It's funny to grill the Marvel Cabal about their choices for best New Avenger team player when there's not that many names to choose from. Not knocking anyone around on this board, because I agree with everyone here on their opinion about this list. New Avengers is mainly the only book I collect and read. I'm glad everyone here stood up for their belief.
You know you have a good point bds' and I myself overlooked that because others were more obvious poor choices in my opinion to be considered the most stellar of NAs. It is true that the real Drew has done little thus far, at least in a NA capacity.Quite frankly, I surmise that this is hardly much of a needed list anyway, 'cause it's not like there were that many NA members over the 5 years ...
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You know you have a good point bds' and I myself overlooked that because others were more obvious poor choices in my opinion to be considered the most stellar of NAs. It is true that the real Drew has done little thus far, at least in a NA capacity.Quite frankly, I surmise that this is hardly much of a needed list anyway, 'cause it's not like there were that many NA members over the 5 years where standing out from the others is that big a deal.
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I don't really like the real Jessica Drew/Spiderwoman on this list. Her character hasn't shown the flair that some of the other heroes like Iron Fist, Doc Strange, Echo and even the Sentry has shown. If Bendis would illustrate her as he is in her solo book out right now, I'd think more of her being a worthy Avenger.
I'm glad they made a list I can mostly agree with, for once. I agree 'Fist, though a great character and indeed someone who had a great showing 'owning a helicarrier', he was mostly a background character when an official part of the group. When he owned the carrier he was long off the team and only there to help his best bud Cage. I agree Ms. Marvel is a much better heroine now, but she's ...
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I'm glad they made a list I can mostly agree with, for once. I agree 'Fist, though a great character and indeed someone who had a great showing 'owning a helicarrier', he was mostly a background character when an official part of the group. When he owned the carrier he was long off the team and only there to help his best bud Cage. I agree Ms. Marvel is a much better heroine now, but she's not deserving of a top-New Avenger slot for the very reason they even put in her write up. She was too against them for too long, and was more-so backed into having to join them when her persecution began. Her solid showings as a character also had little to do with her time as a New Avenger, though there were a couple then, so I'd have left her out.I'm actually solidly in agreement with the Spider-Woman 'double placement' since Veranke did serve the team and counted for some impressive acts to save them from a couple tight spots. I can take the irony/contradiction in good enough stride as humor in light of the list. Besides some minor juggling with the order, which I cannot fault for subjectivity's sake, I agree with anyone who thinks Doc. Strange and Echo deserved to rank here, even for sheer attitude and dedication to the well-being of their comrades. Sorry, Iron Man, but once again your place here would be considered weak. Aside from bankrolling them, there was not an outstanding enough showing before outright opposing them to still deserve a consideration, so, his and Ms. Marvel's spots would better be filled with Strange and Echo's, to me.Luke's showings haven't necessarily outweighed a good few others in battle, but he has been enough of a center to this team that I think it right he got the number one spot.Now, for a list formed of polling [possibly random] Marvel staffers, I can excuse or expect that late comers not steeped in the lore of the book would forget/not know of Echo's contributions. Now not to be mistaken, fellow poster, Echo was not revealed as a Skrull; rather, she was instrumental in revealing Elektra as a Skrull, by stabbing her to death, but was also rather notably previously killed by her (Elektra) then resurrected and brainwashed by her Hand. Since passing over the Ronin identity to Clint, she faded out of the NA roster after the Secret Invasion.
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