Alien Avengers

[The Night Phantom]

Since the group’s founding, the Avengers has played host to a diverse, arguably motley collection of heroes: androids, gods, mutants, et al. But what about the aliens?

Granted, the team is Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but they don’t have to all be originally from Earth.

Aliens are not completely absent from the Avengers roster. Deathcry is a Shi’ar, but she never rose above honorary (or provisional?) status. Honorary status was also bestowed on Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) [posthumously!] and Yondu and Starhawk. Jack of Hearts was an alien...sort of: a half-Contraxian, half-human hybrid born and raised on Earth. Starfox and several of Yondu and Starhawk’s Guardians of the Galaxy–honorary Avenger teammates were born off Earth, but they were descendants of humans.

In my mind, there’s never been a really satisfying alien Avenger membership, the way the JLA can claim folks like Superman and Martian Manhunter. (The closest might be the Vision, who is a study in alienation if not outright alienness.)

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What alien characters would you like to see as bona fide Avengers? Anyone in particular? Maybe a brand-new character who’s a member of some established race like the Kree or the Skrulls? Maybe something entirely different? Or is an alien Avenger a bad idea after all?

My #1 pick is Firelord. Maybe it’s nostalgia: his appearances in Avengers #258–261 included the first Avengers issues I ever read (plus I also liked Amazing Spider-Man #269–270, which ran concurrently but led into the Avengers story). This Xandarian former herald of Galactus has some Marvel Universe history—yet he’d seem like a fresh choice, not overexposed and overburdened the way his comrade the Silver Surfer would be. Firelord’s powerful, and his fire-based abilities are, while not unique (even among past Avengers), at least uncommon. He’s got a headstrong streak tempered by nobility—personality aspects which, mixed with outsider status, could make for interesting interplay. And he’s got a wild look.

Your opinions, please.

Modified: I added references to Starhawk, since it seemed odd to overlook him while citing fellow Guardian of the Galaxy–honorary Avenger Yondu. I guess it was because Starhawk doesn’t have the cool head fin.

[Shiryu]

I think Gladiator could be a nice one, he is super powerful if he believes in himself, but gets much weaker if not, and this could make him interesting in those scenarios where you have to believe you can win. He also has quite a strong sense of honor, which would fit well.

[The Night Phantom]

shiryu said:

I think Gladiator could be a nice one, he is super powerful if he believes in himself, but gets much weaker if not, and this could make him interesting in those scenarios where you have to believe you can win. He also has quite a strong sense of honor, which would fit well.

Interesting choice. I think I would never have thought of Gladiator because I usually don’t even imagine him with any team but the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. Maybe the Guard is in for a mighty Marvel shake-up! So, what would be the circumstances of Gladiator’s leaving the Guard and joining the Avengers, I wonder? Would the Shi’ar leadership order him to (as with Deathcry)? (Maybe to spy on the Avengers, à la Spider-Woman?) Would his loyalty as a Guard member end with a regime change? Would Gladiator be framed for some crime and serve with the Avengers while in exile? The whole premise of Gladiator’s membership could be good story fodder.

[fourcolorfigs]

I would love to see a Kree among the avengers, maybe Dr. Minerva or Captain Atlas--I really dug them during Operation Galactic Storm.

Scott

[The Night Phantom]

fourcolorfigs said:

I would love to see a Kree among the avengers, maybe Dr. Minerva or Captain Atlas--I really dug them during Operation Galactic Storm.

Didn’t they die at the end of that story? Well, they may have gotten better. Maybe the Supreme Intelligence teleported them away instead of letting them disintegrate.

I like Captain Atlas’ name (real name: Att-Lass) as a sly homage to both Captain Mar-Vell/Marvel and the Atlas name that Marvel Comics once operated under. But I don’t have much sense of his character. He was a villain, but arguably he was just a soldier following orders, and he did show some sense of honor in “Operation: Galactic Storm”. So, maybe he could “reform” (and re-form) to become an Avenger.

Dr. Minerva is another story. She performed unscrupulous procedures on others (remember when she tried to remove Quasar’s quantum bands—by removing his hands?), and she conspired with the Supreme Intelligence to destroy 98% of the Kree population in order to jump-start genetic mutation in the survivors. She’s a cosmic Joseph Mengele, and I don’t see her as an Avenger, ever. I wouldn’t mind seeing her return as a recurring foe.

[Shiryu]

Gladiator seems an honor bound person. He may decide to join the Avengers as a personal thank for something, or he could be asked to join by Lilandra as an act of gratitude for past help. As you said, he may also be exiled on Earth, like the Silver Surfer was, may be by some kind of Shiar enemy or for some crime.
I think there would be some interesting interaction with the team, and possibly with Thor (if he ever comes back), who may not trust him too much due to the attack he received from the future Gladiator on the pages of "Mighthy Thor" a few years ago (shortly before the Reigning).

[The Night Phantom]

I’ve never found Gladiator to be interesting, but all these possibilities have me intrigued! Seriously, I could enjoy reading such stories.

Fellows like Gladiator, Captain Atlas, and Firelord could make interesting alien Avengers, but what about someone truly alien? Visually, the characters we’ve discussed could easily pass for “typical” Earth-born superheroes—you wouldn’t even need to explain away the odd colorations in a world of Hulks and Adam Warlocks. And I’m not sure their psychologies are all that unusual, either.

Here’s one idea: what about someone like Epoch (offspring of Eon, who was mentor to Mar-Vell and Quasar) as an Avenger? Nonhumanoid, different intelligence... Epoch’s unusual even in his mode of presence: he could manifest a part of himself in our dimension while largely remaining in another. Someone who is, well, weird—yet capable of team-centered fellowship—could be a refreshing change of pace.

[dlw66]

Weird, strange, alien-looking... Do any of you Legion readers recall Gates from the last two incarnations of the series? Did you like him? I kind of did. You know an alien I really liked (but am in no way endorsing him for the Avengers)? G'nort, from the Giffen/Maguire Justice League run in the post-Legends late-80's run. Man, what a hoot!! Great dynamics between he, Guy Gardner, Batman, and Booster and Beetle. That series was hilarious!!

But I like my Avengers a little more on the serious side.

[Shiryu]

Well, that's an interesting idea, Epoch would definitely by fun, albeit strange. I guess people would consider him a frick or a mutant though, rather then a real alien.

[The Night Phantom]

dlw66 said:

Do any of you Legion readers recall Gates from the last two incarnations of the series? Did you like him? I kind of did.

Not a Legion reader, but I looked him up in The DC Comics Encyclopedia. Not quite so odd-looking as Epoch, but yes, you’re getting the idea. What would be the Marvel equivalent? A nice Brood? Bug (of the Micronauts/Microns)?

dlw66 said:

You know an alien I really liked (but am in no way endorsing him for the Avengers)? G'nort, from the Giffen/Maguire Justice League run in the post-Legends late-80's run. Man, what a hoot!! Great dynamics between he, Guy Gardner, Batman, and Booster and Beetle. That series was hilarious!!

But I like my Avengers a little more on the serious side.

I do too...also my Justice League and my Green Lantern Corps.

[fourcolorfigs]

nightphantom said:

fourcolorfigs said:

I would love to see a Kree among the avengers, maybe Dr. Minerva or Captain Atlas--I really dug them during Operation Galactic Storm.

Didn’t they die at the end of that story? Well, they may have gotten better. Maybe the Supreme Intelligence teleported them away instead of letting them disintegrate.

I like Captain Atlas’ name (real name: Att-Lass) as a sly homage to both Captain Mar-Vell/Marvel and the Atlas name that Marvel Comics once operated under. But I don’t have much sense of his character. He was a villain, but arguably he was just a soldier following orders, and he did show some sense of honor in “Operation: Galactic Storm”. So, maybe he could “reform” (and re-form) to become an Avenger.

Dr. Minerva is another story. She performed unscrupulous procedures on others (remember when she tried to remove Quasar’s quantum bands—by removing his hands?), and she conspired with the Supreme Intelligence to destroy 98% of the Kree population in order to jump-start genetic mutation in the survivors. She’s a cosmic Joseph Mengele, and I don’t see her as an Avenger, ever. I wouldn’t mind seeing her return as a recurring foe.

Ahhh, right. Minerva wouldn't work then, but Atlas might. I love the old style Kree uniform with the belt and the crest. Very cool.

Dr. Atlas it is then.

Scott