7 Underrated Superteams Marvel Sidelined Too Quickly

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Marvel is famous for its incredible superhero teams. While they didn’t come up with the idea of a superteam, many believe Marvel mastered it, creating groups of powerful heroes who feel like a family – they argue and bicker, but ultimately care deeply for one another. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men are the most well-known examples, but Marvel has created countless other amazing teams over the years. These groups have provided fans with exciting stories beyond what the original three teams offer, though not every team has been a hit.

Many fantastic Marvel superteams haven’t received the recognition they deserve. While some briefly enjoyed popularity before being forgotten, others never truly succeeded despite multiple attempts to relaunch them. Here are seven of these underrated groups that deserve more attention.

7) Weapon X-Men

The first Weapon X-Men series debuted in 2024, featuring different versions of Wolverine from across the multiverse fighting a new take on the villain Onslaught. It gained some popularity but was short-lived. A second Weapon X-Men series followed in 2025, this time with Wolverine, Cable, Deadpool, Warpath, and Chamber as the team. Although it was a promising lineup, the series didn’t perform well and was cancelled. The Weapon X-Men are a compelling group of mutant soldiers, but unfortunately, they haven’t had much opportunity to develop. While characters like Wolverine, Cable, and Deadpool appear in other comics, Warpath and Chamber deserve more attention, and it’s a shame this team didn’t get a proper chance to shine.

6) Secret Avengers

The Secret Avengers debuted during Marvel’s “Heroic Age,” a period when the publisher was significantly expanding the Avengers line-up. This happened before the first Avengers movie came out, but it was clear Marvel hoped the growing popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would attract more comic book readers. The Secret Avengers were designed as a covert operations team. Initially led by Steve Rogers while he headed SHIELD, he eventually passed on the leadership role. The team included popular heroes like War Machine, Nova, Moon Knight, Beast, different versions of Ant-Man, Valkyrie, Captain Britain, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Agent Venom, and the Human Torch. The concept of a black ops Avengers team was fresh and exciting, but unfortunately, the Secret Avengers didn’t last for very long and were eventually discontinued.

5) Children of the Atom

The Krakoa era brought a lot of excitement for X-Men fans, seeing both classic and brand new teams emerge. One of those new teams was the Children of the Atom. This group was made up of human teenagers who were huge fans of mutants and the nation of Krakoa. They discovered a wrecked spaceship and used its technology to gain powers similar to those of Gambit, Cyclops, Archangel, Nightcrawler, and Marvel Girl. While the idea behind the team was unique, it didn’t really catch on with readers and they faded away. Given the current lack of teen heroes at Marvel, the Children of the Atom could easily fill that niche.

4) The Ultimates

After Marvel revealed plans for a new Ultimate Universe, fans anticipated a new iteration of the Ultimates team. Surprisingly, the most memorable version didn’t come from either of the Ultimate realities, but from the main Marvel universe (Earth-616). This team—featuring Blue Marvel, Spectrum, Black Panther, America Chavez, Captain Marvel, and even Galactus—handled massive cosmic challenges and offered a great balance of strength and expertise. Unfortunately, the team disbanded years ago and hasn’t reappeared. It’s a real loss, as this lineup was truly special and had incredible untapped potential.

3) X-Factor

The ‘From the Ashes’ storyline has been inconsistent, and many new X-Men teams launched alongside it haven’t lasted. The strongest of these was X-Factor. This iteration – featuring Havok, Archangel, Pyro, Frenzy, Granny Smith, and others – blended the concept of a government-sponsored mutant team from the 1990s X-Factor comics with the high-casualty, celebrity-mutant dynamic of the X-Statix version of X-Force. It was a promising idea, but Marvel unfortunately didn’t give it enough time to attract a readership.

2) West Coast Avengers

The West Coast Avengers first appeared in the early 1980s, but they never quite achieved mainstream popularity. They always functioned as a secondary team alongside the main Avengers, featuring heroes like Hawkeye, Iron Man, Wonder Man, and others. Marvel has attempted revivals of the team twice recently. The first new lineup included different versions of Hawkeye, along with Quentin Quire, Gwenpool, and America Chavez. The second featured Iron Man, War Machine, Firestar, the original Spider-Woman, and even a heroic Ultron. Despite having a lot of potential, Marvel has consistently positioned the West Coast Avengers as a backup team, and they don’t get the recognition they deserve.

1) New Warriors

For decades, the New Warriors have been a Marvel team with potential, but they haven’t had a successful run in recent years. Marvel has attempted revivals several times over the last 25 years, but none have really taken off. The 2020 reboot, featuring new, internet-culture-inspired heroes, was particularly unsuccessful – it received criticism from all sides and was quickly cancelled. This left the New Warriors with a negative reputation. Given the team’s strong history, it’s time for Marvel to finally give them the spotlight they deserve.

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2025-10-27 19:13