Sweet Advertising
June 20th, 2008 by Gavok | Tags: hulkling, Marvel comics, patriot, vision, young avengersI was flipping through a trade for Avengers: Disassembled earlier when I came across this ad for the then-upcoming Young Avengers.
Three years after the fact, I have to say that this is a brilliant page. That one little tagline about how it isn’t what we think ends up having three different definitions.
First, you may initially think that these guys are the young versions of the Avengers. Like the Muppet Babies with battle armor. Obviously, that’s not the case.
Second, there’s the fact that a series entitled Young Avengers sounds like it has to suck. It turned out to be really rad, but the very concept sounds like it has every reason to fail. I recall asking internet friend A.o.D. about how the series was after two issues. His response was something to the effect of, “It’s trying hard to convince you that this is a good idea. I have to say it’s doing a good job.”
Those two were more immediate definitions. The other one wouldn’t be realized for quite a while. All four of those guys aren’t what you think in terms of what they’re supposedly based on.
Patriot may seem like Young Captain America, but he was lying. He didn’t have any Super Soldier Serum in him for a while. Even when he did, it was from the lesser-known Captain America: his grandfather, Isaiah Bradley.
Asgardian may have had the name and magic to suggest that he had some kind of link to Thor, but that was debunked once he changed his name to Wiccan and discovered that he’s really the son of Scarlet Witch. Somehow. I forgot how that whole thing worked out.
Iron Lad looked like he could be related to Iron Man on the surface, but he turned out to be a young Kang the Conquerer wearing Vision as armor. Now he’s just Vision with young Kang’s personality, albeit with his face blown off. Stupid Skrulls.
Speaking of Skrulls, we then have Hulkling, who has nothing to do with the Hulk other than aping his form. Instead, it turns out he’s the extremely powerful offspring of Captain Marvel and the Skrull Princess Anelle. No gamma radiation for him.
The Black Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision and Captain Marvel. The original four Young Avengers may live in the footsteps of heroes, but not in the way you think they would.
Similar Posts:
- Ultimate Edit Week 4: Day One
- Ultimate Edit Week 2: Day Four
- Young Avengers, and Why I Can’t Relate
- Review: Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?
- The Hood and the Secret Invasion
Hey I remember saying (something like) that. On the one hand, it’s a shame they let the idea lie fallow, on the other hand, it’s a good thing that they didn’t try to force a series on us after they’d played out their best ideas.
They do need to go back and explore the young Kang idea a bit more, though. That was never resolved to my satisfaction.
As for how Wiccan and whatsis face are the Scarlet Witch’s kids… I don’t want to go into that explaination. Let’s just say that it looks like it was brought about by the same event that resulted in the massive mutant depopulation (I think?)
Lost ends in 2010 right? only 2 more years before we get some more stand-alone Young Avengers stories
I sort of like the way they are right now. They don’t have their own real adventures or their own villains. They’re just junior heroes who show up for the big events.
When Kang finally reappears and shows his cards, then they’ll get closer to being established as a real deal superhero team on Marvel Earth. But for now, they’re trainees, as they should be.
In all seriousness to me the Young Avengers are a joke in terms of being known with the mainstream Marvel audience and the general comic buying public. They hardly have the sales to justify a monthly title or play huge roles in big events like Civil War and Secret Invasion. I can understand Hulking, given his character’s connection to the Skrulls for Secret Invasion but the others not as much. Its almost as if Marvel editorial has some sort of agenda to push these characters into the mainstream popularity by forcing their writers to use them. Like Brian Michael Bendis has been forced to use Sentry as the 616 version of Superman no doubt. And after so many issues of appearances since joining the New Avengers look at what a useless character he’s become, nothing more than a cliched plot device.
Bendis wasn’t forced to use the Sentry. He brought him back on his own volition, as he has with a handful of other characters who would have faded into obscurity if it wasn’t for him. That’s his deal. Sentry, Echo, Hood, Ares, Marvel Boy, etc.
And I rather like the way Sentry’s been used since his return.
When did Bendis use the Kree Marvel Boy?
Illuminati and Secret Invasion #1.
Was he in Secret Invasion #1? I thought he was only in some of the side-line books. And now that you mention it, I vaguely recall hearing that he was in the first issue of Illuminati. Of course I only read the 2nd and 3rd issues of that, and hated them with the power of a billion exploding suns. Or whatever it is Sentry says…
He was in the Secret Invasion scene with the Cube. He’s the one who says it’s “Time to go” and hasn’t been heard form since.
In Illuminati, he was in #4. The guys didn’t like how he was threatening Earth, so Namor beat the shit out of him and the others reasoned with him, ultimately ending with Marvel Boy thinking over the possibility that he could be the new Captain Marvel.