Last week I gave you the run-down on DC’s favorite sidekicks, so this week we’re shifting focus to Marvel. Since its inception in the early '60s, Marvel tends to focus less on kid sidekicks and more on solo teen heroes. Spider-Man, the Human Torch and most of the original X-Men were all fighting crime as high schoolers. More recently, however, Marvel unveiled a whole team of crime fighting teens who, as a whole, were inspired by the adult heroes of the Avengers. These Young Avengers are not sidekicks; they do not fight alongside anyone, but they do kick a lot of ass.
Origins of the Young Avengers
In 2004, the Avengers team split up for a period of time, leaving New York City without a team of heroes. At the same time a teen named Nathaniel Richards arrived from the future after discovering that he would one day become the time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror. He wanted the Avengers’ help in not turning into their nemesis Kang, but for a time-traveler he had bad timing. With no Avengers around, Nathaniel (now calling himself Iron Lad) broke into Avengers Mansion and discovered a computer program that would find a new team of Avengers that he would train to fight Kang. This program led him to a group of teens with either known or unknown connections to previous avengers: Eli Bradley, Teddy Altman, Billy Kaplan and Cassie Lang. After a few adventures they added socialite Kate Bishop and android Vision to their ranks, as well as Billly’s long-lost brother Tommy Shepherd. Even though Nathaniel had to return to his own time and become Kang in order to protect history, the team continued to fight the good fight.
Character Spotlights
Back in the early days of World War II before Steve Rogers became Captain America, the government tested early versions of the Super Soldier Serum on black soldiers, including Eli’s grandfather Isaiah Bradley. The only one to survive, Isaiah had lingering health problems throughout his life, causing Eli to grow up angry and resentful of the government and society. After an accident and a blood transfusion, Eli was left with enhanced powers like his grandfather, including strength and agility. Despite his problems with authority, Eli is the leader of the Young Avengers.
Daughter of the second Ant-Man Scott Lang, Cassie stole her father’s Pym particles over the years until she had reached the point that she could alter her size at will, shrinking down or growing to giant heights. Rebellious and high-spirited, Cassie wanted to prove herself as a hero after her father’s death, and to honor his legacy she joined the Young Avengers. She’s had her ups and downs on the team, including a short romance with Iron Lad, and she even left the team for a time to join a government-funded program for teen heroes called The Initiative. Nevertheless, she always came back to her friends in the Young Avengers.
Years ago the Avengers had an android member called Vision, but he was destroyed during a battle. When Iron Lad broke into the Avengers’ Mansion and found the old Vision program files, he re-created a teen version of Vision by combining the files with his Iron Lad armor before he left the team. This second incarnation of the Vision became a valuable asset to the team, acting as a mentor and a friend with hints of Iron Lad’s personality, including lingering feelings for Cassie. However, Vision is his own person, which he emphasizes by giving himself the name Jonas.
A New York socialite who ran into the newly-formed Young Avengers when a villain crashed her sister’s high society wedding, Kate has no powers but excels at archery and sword-fighting. After saving the Young Avengers, she invited herself to join the team and has been a vital member ever since. Naming herself after the then-deceased former Avenger Hawkeye, Kate was given permission to keep the name after his return as well as his blessing. Kate’s also the team’s resident badass, and while she and Eli often butt heads, it is more from sexual tension than actual tension.
An average New York teen just trying to fit in at his high school, Teddy was also in the dark as to the origins of his powers. He could shape-shift and had enhanced strength and healing. After he joined the team he discovered the truth: Teddy was not human but rather the son of two alien parents of different planets. His mother was a Skrull princess, the source of his shape-shifting, and his fatherwas a Kree soldier and former Avenger, the source of his strength. Though this revelation was startling and was quickly followed by the death of his adopted mother, Teddy made it through the tough times with the support of his teammate, best friend, and boyfriend Billy.
Billy and Tommy (Wiccan and Speed)
Billy Kaplan, a self-professed nerd and Avengers fanboy, originally seemed to have the power to generate lightning. However he soon admitted that his powers were much greater than that and were magical in origin. He has the power to do almost anything he wants as long as he focuses, including flying, teleporting, casting spells and locating people. For a long time he had no idea where his powers came from. The revelation came after he discovered his long-lost twin Tommy Shepherd, a high-spirited and well-meaning juvenile delinquent with super-speed powers. The two were actually the sons of disgraced former Avenger Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch.
Billy and Teddy
Billy and Teddy have been through a lot since joining the Avengers, but they have always been there for each other. They are, without a doubt, the heart and soul of the team. Fans speculated about their relationship, but it did not take long before they knew the truth: in Young Avengers #3 they referred to each other as boyfriends, and in the finale of the mini-series Young Avengers: Children’s Crusade #9 the two shared their first on-panel kiss and became engaged. Young Avengers has been praised for its portrayal of LGBT teens and for the obvious love and support between Billy and Teddy.
Children’s Crusade
Though the team does not have their own series anymore, they did have a nine issue miniseries this past year in which Billy and Tommy searched for the disgraced Scarlet Witch against the wishes of the Avengers and the X-Men. The team suffered some heavy casualties in a battle against the villain Dr. Doom over Wanda’s fate, including the loss of both Cassie and Vision. Though they broke up for a time after the deaths of their friends, it seems that the team will be reuniting as they are now seen as full-fledged Avengers in the eyes of their mentors. Though they no longer have their own title, as they are now considered part of the larger Avengers team, at last weekend’s Emerald City Comic Con, it was announced that they will be appearing in this summer’s Marvel event Avengers Vs X-Men.
Be sure to read all of the Young Avengers exploits, now in trade paperback, and look out for their further adventures alongside the Avengers.