By Steve Morris
Via that very best of methods: the Dustin Weaver giganti-cover. The covers for issues 1-3 of Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers relaunch have been revealed by Marvel today, establishing that more X-Men have moved over to Cap’s Crew. While there are no surprises about which members of the Avengers movie cast made it into the series (all of them), the cover does still hold a few surprises. So! Who’re The Avengers?
Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Hulk and Thor are all members of the Avengers – unsurprisingly – and they’re joined be fellow non-surprises Spider-Man and Wolverine. But also in amongst the shiny heroes are Sunspot and Cannonball from the New Mutants, as well as Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman and Falcon. This represents perhaps the first time that two minority characters males have been on the main Avengers at the same time, I believe, although that still feels a bit of a low ratio for what’s meant to be a world-spanning team. No sign of Redwing yet either, which is a worry.
There’s also some whizzy technology in the background, suggesting that Hickman will be basing the team in Nick Fury’s helicarrier. The most intriguing part, however, looks to be the mystery character on the far left, silhouetted by the explosion Steve Rogers is manfully walking away from. For my money, this looks like it’s meant to be Shang Chi, but.. well, it could be anybody really. Anybody else got a better guess in mind?
Hickman, artist Jerome Opena and colourist Dean White will start the series off in December. There are still several more characters yet to be revealed as team-members, so don’t lose hope yet, Jarvis fans!
Sixteen heroes and heroines is as far away from the classic, two-tiered, AVENGERS setup as one could envision.
SRS
hey, cool cannonball is in the Avengers, he’s one of my favorites. Maybe now he won’t be portrayed as absolutely incompetent.
Pretty sure you’re incorrect about minorities on The Avengers previously. During Johns run The Falcon and Black Panther were both members. Triathlon and Firebird, Firebird and Living Lightning, etc. at various times.
One of Hickman’s earliest Marvel works was a pretty cool Sunspot/Cannonball buddy story so their inclusion should be entertaining.
Really a shame though that we’re being denied the art skills of one of the industry’s most innovative modern artists due to the demands of being a Marvel architect.
>> This represents perhaps the first time that two minority characters have been on the main Avengers at the same time, I believe >>
Oh, sure. Make a claim like this a week after I packed away my AVENGERS reference volumes.
But I think the first time two minority characters were active on the Avengers roster was in the 1970s, when the Black Panther and Mantis were both on the team, though Mantis’s membership may not have been formalized until she left.
By my run, at least, there was a period that Triathlon, Photon, Silverclaw, Living Lightning and Firebird were all active at once.
Steve, you are definitely wrong about the minority thing. Ben Grimm (Jewish) and Luke Cage (black) were on the same Avengers team for years. And that’s just off the top of my head. You’re posting this stuff for the whole internets to see, why not do a bit of checking before making a false statement like that?
Also, Moon Knight (Jewish) and War Machine (Black) were on Brubaker/Ellis Secret Avengers at the same time.
if we’re counting Young Avengers:
Wiccan (Jewish and gay)
Patriot (Black)
Hulkling (gay)
Sorry guys, Jews see themselves as WHITE first, religion second…
Can we count Scarlet Witch as Roma?
As for this lineup … yawn. Same ol’ same ol’ at this point.
Whoa whoa, I said I thought it was the first time, not definitively that it was! And I meant to say minority males, not minority characters – sorry!
Snikt Snikt – really? Glad to know you have the ability to speak for all Jews. Super helpful skill to have.
When they mentioned several New Mutants would be headed to this book, I thought for sure that would include Cypher–his modern power set seems right up Hickman’s alley. (Of course, he could still pop up.)
I like Sam and Roberto, especially with a proper amount of bromance, but as New Mutants go, they’re not ones that will get me to pick up an Avengers book.
>> Sorry guys, Jews see themselves as WHITE first, religion second…>>
Aside from the fact that you’re mistaken on that score, the claim wasn’t “non-white,” but “minority.”
Where is the Vision? Get him in the game, Hickman!!