Marvel Editor Reflects on the Young Avengers: "Nobody Liked the Idea"

As a seasoned gamer and comic book enthusiast with decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the Young Avengers were not just a refreshing change in the Marvel Universe, but a game-changer. I remember vividly the skepticism surrounding their introduction, and boy, was I wrong to share it! The Young Avengers were everything but what we anticipated, and that’s precisely why they captured our hearts.

In a surprising twist, Marvel Comics presented the Young Avengers as not what you’d expect. Originally appearing as teenage counterparts to Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Hulk, they emerged after the disbandment of Earth’s mightiest heroes following the “Avengers Disassembled” event in 2004. With the New Avengers taking over, a new team of young heroes also rose, nicknamed “Thor Junior,” “Iron Kid,” “Teen-Hulk,” and “Lieutenant America” by J. Jonah Jameson from The Daily Bugle.

In reality, those Avengers-inspired “kid sidekicks” were assembled via the Avengers Fail-Safe Program: Asgardian (later Wiccan, a.k.a. the mutant mage Billy Kaplan), Iron Lad (a time-traveling Nathaniel Richards, an idealistic teen version of the future Kang the Conqueror), Hulkling (Kree-Skrull hybrid Teddy Altman), and Patriot (Eli Bradley, the grandson of super-soldier Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain America).

Marvel Editor Reflects on the Young Avengers: "Nobody Liked the Idea"

In the Marvel NOW! initiative of 2012, the team would grow to include Kate Bishop as Hawkeye, Cassie Lang (daughter of Ant-Man) as Stature, a new character named Jonas from the 30th century who resembles Vision, Tommy Shepherd, Billy’s twin brother, known as Speed, and a young Loki, along with Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr), America Chavez, Wiccan, and Hulkling. Together, they formed a new squad during this period.

The team became incredibly well-liked, leading Marvel Studios to hint at the assembly of a Young Avengers within the Marvel Cinematic Universe; however, this is merely due to the fact that the debut issue of Young Avengers in 2005 by creators Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung did not match reader’s expectations: instead of adult versions, it featured young counterparts of Earth’s strongest heroes.

Marvel Editor Reflects on the Young Avengers: "Nobody Liked the Idea"

Tom Brevoort, a longtime former editor of the Avengers, initially disliked the concept of the Young Avengers before its release. In his Substack blog, he admitted that he considered it another questionable idea by Joe Quesada, then Marvel’s editor in chief. However, once Allan Heinberg joined the project, Brevoort and others found ways to make the idea work effectively, avoiding the disappointment everyone had anticipated.

As a passionate gamer, I’d rephrase that as: “That’s exactly why our initial ad for the series, which graced the pages of Avengers #500, was all about challenging the preconceived notions with ‘They’re Not What You Think.’ And now, I’m in charge of Marvel’s X-Men comics, including the freshly launched X-Men: From the Ashes saga.

2024-09-09 04:39

Marvel Editor Reflects on the Young Avengers: “Nobody Liked the Idea”

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