Iron Man been to almost every one Avengers lineup, but his new team takes the concept of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes further than ever. This new team, which includes not only unexpected heroes, but also unexpected villains, old and new, promises to continue not only the Avengers line, but also the multi-part stories told by their latest authors.
By using Central Bank of the Russian Federationupcoming West Coast Avengers Writer Gerry Duggan has revealed the bizarre composition of the new Avengers lineup, which includes Ultron and “Marvel’s Biggest Jerkass” Blue Thunder. Duggan also gives a first look at Danny Kim’s illiterate art. As Duggan explains
Ultron’s past is an obvious concern, and Blue Thunder’s future appears to be a mess. He has all the makings of a great Spider-Man, not an Avenger. The team’s concept will put redemption and rehabilitation to the test.
The West Coast Avengers are a classic team, and like the typical B-Team, often include even more misfits than the main Avengers roster. In addition to the villainous cohort, this new incarnation of the team includes Iron Man, War Machine, Spider-Woman and Firestar, all of whom have been members of various Avengers teams in the past.
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New debut lineup of West Coast Avengers, including Ultron
West Coast Avengers #1 Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim
Ultron’s role in this team is especially interesting as his character has undergone major changes over the last decade. 2015s Avengers: Wrath of Ultron saw the villain merge with his creator Hank Pym, becoming a new version still committed to evil. This Ultron fought various heroes over the next few years, including the Battle of Duggan. Infinite countdown event before being transported to the future in several stories by writer Al Ewing. Ewing then secretly brought Ultron back into the miniseries. Avengers Inc.where he became the amnesiac Victor Shade, unaware that he was Ultron.
Luckily, Hank Pym prepared for Ultron’s rebirth by basing his identity on “Victor” Mark-12, the heroic Ultron from the original 1980s West Coast Avengers. This individual defeated the evil Ultron, purifying his system. It seems likely then that this – The heroic Ultron of Duggan’s new West Coast team. The team’s other villain is newcomer “Blue Thunder”, a former henchman of the villain who is likely named after the original Blue Thunder, a character introduced by Captain America co-creator Joe Simon in 1940.
West Coast Avengers casts past Duggan characters
The screenwriter will continue to torture Tony Stark and Firestar of the X-Men
This lineup also gives Duggan a chance to return to characters he helped define over the past few years, such as Iron Man, War Machine and Firestar. Duggan wrote Invincible Iron Man (2023)which overlapped with his other major series at the time, X-Men (2021)in which Firestar actively participated. The episode preview shows Firestar despondently drinking at a bar, suggesting that Duggan isn’t done putting her through the emotional wringer. However, what Duggan said about Tony Stark will be interesting to see now that Tony is no longer in the X-Men’s orbit.
West Coast Avengers has long been Marvel’s way of taking a radically different approach to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and Iron Man’s decision to recruit a team of former villains and damaged heroes speaks to that goal. Bye West Coast Avengers will undoubtedly tell a new story that will welcome new readers, and longtime fans will also benefit from seeing Duggan revisit characters like Iron Man and Firestar, for whom he had done so much in recent years.
West Coast Avengers #1 coming out November 27th from Marvel Comics