Marvel’s History With Teen Superhero Teams, From Young Avengers to New Champions

Power Pack

The Power Pack series is all about the thrilling journey of a family who take it upon themselves to protect the planet. Conceived by Louise Simonson and June Brigman, the Power Pack family consists of Alex, Julie, Jack, and Katie Power, first introduced in issue #1 of Power Pack in 1984. After an alien named Aelfyre Whitemane (or “Whitey”) crashed on Earth, he bestowed each child with extraordinary powers before his demise. With these unique abilities, the quartet embarked on their heroic missions to save the day.

One of the earliest teams with members under the age of consent was the Power Pack, setting them apart from other notable groups like the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men within the Marvel Universe. Remarkably, Alex, Julie, Jack, and Katie are among a select few characters who have been given the chance to grow older, transitioning from pre-teens to teenagers to young adults during their time in the Marvel Universe.

Recently, Marvel commemorated the 40th anniversary of Power Pack by reuniting its original creators, Louise Simonson and June Brigman, for a five-issue series titled “Power Pack: Riding the Tempest“.

New Mutants

Following the triumph of the X-Men, Marvel delved once more into the story of fledgling mutants mastering their abilities within New Mutants. The New Mutants were established when Professor Charles Xavier thought the X-Men had perished during combat with the extraterrestrial insectoids, the Brood. To avoid endangering another group of mutants, Xavier agreed to instruct the New Mutants, stipulating they would abstain from active fieldwork.

Absolutely, let me put it another way: It’s clear that the ruling had its share of ups and downs. The New Mutants were frequently tasked with various assignments and were under the guidance of multiple mentors, including Charles Xavier, Moira MacTaggert, and even Magneto. However, things changed significantly when Cable arrived on the scene, leading to the transformation of the New Mutants into the military-style team known as X-Force.

20th Century Fox transformed the New Mutants comic books into a real-life film, which eventually hit the big screen in 2020 after facing multiple postponements.

New Warriors

In a period when Marvel Comics had stepped away from young superhero teams, the New Warriors emerged as an unexpected success. Reflecting the grittiness and spirit of the ’90s, they brought fresh characters alongside underused heroes from other titles. The New Warriors, spearheaded by Night Thrasher, didn’t shy away from mature subjects; for instance, Marvel Boy grappled with his father’s abuse, leading him to unintentionally take his life. This event led to a trial in which Marvel Boy was convicted and sent to The Vault, exposing his secret identity to the public.

Marvel made multiple attempts at reintroducing the New Warriors, but it was their questionable iteration that ultimately sparked the events leading to the “Civil War” storyline. Following their stint on reality TV, the New Warriors clashed with the villain Nitro, whose destructive powers brought about the annihilation of Stamford, Connecticut. This tragic event led the government to enforce the Superhero Registration Act, a law later depicted in “Captain America: Civil War” within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The most recent effort to bring back the New Warriors was cancelled before publication due to a negative public reaction on social media towards the new characters, Snowflake and Safespace. Similarly, the live-action New Warriors TV series failed to take flight.

Generation X

Stepping into the shoes of the New Mutants, I find myself part of Generation X, a group of young mutants mentored by Banshee and Emma Frost. Just like how Generation X and the New Warriors ruled the ’90s comics scene, we had fan-adored X-Man Jubilee among our ranks. To this day, characters like Synch and M (Monet St. Croix) continue to make headlines in the Krakoan era of the X-Men. The unique mutants in Generation X, including Chamber, Husk, Mondo, Penance, and Skin, have left a lasting impact on the comic world.

As a hardcore gamer, when I encountered the techno-organic alien race called the Phalanx who were after young mutants for assimilation, it was my team that banded together to save the day. And just like we’ve seen happen time and again, our heroes, Generation X, graced TV screens as a solo flick on Fox.

Young Avengers

The Young Avengers emerged after the occurrences in “Avengers: Disassembled,” leaving the Avengers shattered and dissolved. In response to this gap left by Earth’s strongest heroes, the Young Avengers rose to the challenge, featuring a cast of fresh characters seemingly assuming roles once held by the Avengers’ mainstays: Iron Lad taking on Iron Man, Asgardian/Wiccan standing in for Thor, Hulkling embodying Hulk, Patriot representing Captain America, Kate Bishop stepping into the role of Hawkeye, Stature becoming Giant-Man, and Speed assuming the mantle of Quicksilver. During their initial phase, Vision served as a guide for the team.

Over time, the lineup of the Young Avengers team expanded to feature Kid Loki, America Chavez, a member from the X-Men known as Prodigy, and Marvel Boy. Following the events of Empyre, two members, Wiccan and Hulkling, decided to tie the knot. It seems that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing to officially debut the Young Avengers by introducing and establishing several of its characters.

Runaways

The rebellious group known as Runaways chose an unusual approach by introducing a fresh band of characters, which proved successful! This band of teenagers uncover that their abilities are actually those of powerful supervillains. As a result, they decide to defy the adults and set out on their own journey. The series’ success can be attributed largely to its creators, Brian Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, who managed to blend captivating storytelling with striking visuals. One of the most surprising scenes in Runaways occurred when their leader, Alex Wilder, turned against the team and transformed into a villain.

In the Marvel Universe, The Runaways experienced numerous thrilling escapades, joining forces with their peers such as the Young Avengers during “Secret Invasion”. Later, Marvel Television transformed “Runaways” into a live-action television series that aired on Hulu. Unfortunately, this series ran for three seasons before it was unfortunately canceled.

Avengers Academy

Consequences from the superhero conflict known as the Civil War led to the establishment of Avengers Academy. Meanwhile, the 50 State Initiative was underway, with every state boasting its own hero team for protection and defense. To oversee the development of future heroes, the Avengers launched Avengers Academy. However, it was later revealed in the initial comic that some trainees were being monitored due to potential signs they might turn into villains someday. Characters like Ant-Man and Hawkeye would occasionally visit the academy to impart knowledge, much like the X-Men and their school, the Xavier Institute.

The collapse of Avengers Academy occurred in the miniseries, “Avengers Arena,” which shares similarities with “The Hunger Games.” In this series, the students of Avengers Academy were abducted and transported to one of Arcade’s deadly games. They were compelled to engage in combat and eliminate each other to ensure their own survival.

Champions

The characters Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), and Nova (Sam Alexander) generated quite a stir as they joined Earth’s strongest team, the All-New, All-Different Avengers. However, when these young heroes began clashing with more experienced members like Iron Man, they decided to part ways and establish their own team, the Champions. This group includes Cyclops (a younger version of him), Vision’s daughter Viv, and Brawn (Amadeus Cho).

The Champions consistently championed the underdog, tackling tasks that steered clear of large-scale planetary crises, such as civil rights issues. Yet, much like the Avengers, the Champions also expanded their ranks significantly, welcoming almost every adolescent superhero from the Marvel Universe into their team.

Strange Academy

In a surprising turn, the enigmatic realm of Marvel’s mystic universe has ventured into student life with the creation of Strange Academy. After revamping his own series, Doctor Strange welcomes students at this academy located in New Orleans. The storyline brings forth a fresh batch of magical practitioners, among them Doyle Dormammu, son of Doctor Strange’s nemesis, Dormammu. This educational institution serves to nurture the talents of young mystics, with an esteemed faculty featuring characters like Doctor Voodoo, Scarlet Witch, Magik, and Agatha Harkness.

The peculiar Academy that goes by the name Strange Academy continues to operate today, yet it’s uncertain how the shift in power from Doctor Strange to Doctor Doom as the Sorcerer Supreme might influence its pupils.

New Champions

As a Marvel enthusiast, I conclude by diving into the newest series, “New Champions.” Just like with the adventurous tales of the New Warriors, Runaways, and the previous Champions, this new team is made up of youngsters who could eventually become heroes or villains. Join me as we follow their path, eagerly waiting to discover which destiny they’ll embrace.

In the comic book series New Champions, character costumes and aliases are inspired by well-known Marvel characters from Young Avengers. The debut issue of New Champions becomes available for purchase on January 8, 2025.