Marvel’s Champions Are Everything the Avengers Should Be

Marvel Comics is bursting with amazing superhero heroes, and we’re lucky that so many of them come together to save the day. Naturally, when it comes to talking about superhero teams in Marvel Comics, there are a few teams that will always come to mind faster than the rest. For example, the Avengers are often considered an integral part of the franchise, which explains why they were at the forefront of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for so long. That said, there’s another team that should be getting just as much attention: the Champions. Marvel’s Champions may be a younger team, but they represent everything good and whole in their respective universe.

To be clear, there have been a few iterations of the Champions, but we’re looking to the most recent version, which began in 2016. This team is all about teenage superheroes, bringing Kamala Khan, Miles Morales, Sam Alexander, Viv Vision, and dozens of other younger heroes to the forefront. Like many heroes, these kids have always wanted to make a difference in the world. They began by following in the footsteps of those who came before them, but it didn’t take long for them to realize that following the Avengers wasn’t the right path for them; thus, they split off and formed their own team.

Reclaiming What it Means to Be a Superhero

There are a few major events that led up to the creation of the Champions, primarily Marvel’s Civil War II. Most readers can remember how that event went, as it once again tore apart the heroes of the Marvel universe, forcing them to choose sides. In this case, the second war deeply affected the younger generation of heroes. This is particularly true given that it was a young Inhuman’s powers who kicked everything off. It didn’t help that Ulysses Cain’s visions implicated at least one younger hero. It’s the sort of thing that leaves a mark, even when everything is sorted.

At the end of the day, this generation of heroes realized that they wanted to make a difference in the world, but they needed to forge their own path to do so. They set aside the rules and expectations of their elders, hoping to redefine what it means to be a hero. Predominantly, they didn’t want to lose sight of what they were trying to accomplish. Many heroes, including Kamala and Miles, saw firsthand how easy it was for the Avengers to get caught up in the biggest events and battles, forgetting how even a relatively small disaster can affect hundreds of people. The Champions wanted to hold that close. They also wanted to be a bit more positive, hence their name.

Idealism and Accountability

It’s tempting to say that all superhero organizations share the same goal: to save the world. However, that would be overlooking a significant amount of nuance. The Avengers are iconically named because they’ve always believed that when they can’t protect the world, they will avenge it. The Champions wanted to fight for the people. Where the Avengers have always had a more global outlook, The Champions wanted to be open to different scales of threats. In other words, they wanted to save the world while maintaining their neighborhood hero roots.

Unsurprisingly, The Champions had to develop a pretty clear code of ethics if they wanted to function as a team. They’re human and bound to make mistakes, but they strive to learn from those mistakes. One of their primary goals was to create a better world through hope. As a superhero team, they understood that sometimes fighting had to happen, but they didn’t want unjust force to be their go-to move.

The Champions try to be mindful of personal responsibility and social justice first and foremost. Given that Ms. Maral is often at the helm of the team, it’s safe to say there’s a constant reminder of these goals. They have historically tackled missions involving environmentalism, refugees, and more. Likewise, they’re not strangers to corporate activism and overreach, as they were all directly impacted by the Underage Superhuman Welfare Act (aka Kamala’s Law), which was spearheaded by Roxxon Corp.

New Takes & Heroes

The Champions is a team full of fresh faces, from new legacy heroes like the new Nova to heroes with completely new origin stories. That may not seem like much, but it opens the door to all sorts of possibilities. Remember that each new hero brings their own baggage, complete with villains and allies. So a team full of fresh faces will always bring with them plenty of surprises to keep readers entertained. Notably, the Champions have teammates from all over the globe, giving them more reason to travel around and save as many people as possible.

It’s important to remember that the Champions aren’t the Young Avengers; they’re a unique team with very specific goals. They may have been inspired by the Avengers, but this means they used the Avengers as a starting point, not a limitation. They’ve utilized the lessons the Avegners have survived to try and take the next step forward as a team.

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