It’s the sidekicks’ time to shine in the Marvel Universe. Marvel has quietly been sprinkling in new young heroes throughout several comics over the last year, all leading up to the launch of a New Champions series. While covers for New Champions have featured a hefty number of characters, the debut issue only starts with four characters officially on the team. Now, you certainly can have a superhero team with a small roster, but that doesn’t explain the cover art and promise of a wide range of sidekicks. The answer to this problem calls for a recruitment drive, except it comes in an unexpected fashion. WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for New Champions #1. Continue reading at your own risk!
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New Champions #1 comes from the creative team of Steve Foxe, Ivan Fiorelli, IG Guara, Arthur Hesli, and VC’s Travis Lanham. It begins with the four New Champions — Moon Squire, Liberty, Cadet Marvel, and Hellrune — stopping The Brothers Grimm from stealing a vault. Afterward, they head back to their respective parents, but the only problem is that Hellrune lives with a foster family. All of their parents know they are superheroes, but Hellrune is the only one has gaps in her backstory.
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She tries to solve the mystery of her past by sending ravens out to track down her real family. One raven returns with word of Hellrune’s aunt, so she teleports to an island off the coast of Norway. Meanwhile, Liberty reveals she’s put invisible hard-light tracers on everyone’s costumes so she can track their whereabouts, which is how she knows Hellrune is in Norway. The problem is Hellrune’s tracker went dead. Just as the New Champions start to discuss what their next move is going to be, Hellrune’s birds show up repeating, “Bring me the New Champions!” bringing the threesome to Hellrune’s location.
The New Champions recruit Spider-Boy, Hulkette, Amaranth and more
Just as the New Champions get their bearings, they’re attacked by a hoard of Norse zombies. Right before one of the zombies gets the drop on Liberty, Fantasma shows up to save her. Fantasma is a roller derby-winning Spirit of Vengeance who made her debut in Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes Special #1. Think of Fantasma as a slightly less intimidating Ghost Rider that blazes a trail on rollerblades instead of a motorcycle or car.
Fantasma was brought to Norway by Hellrune’s birds, the same as the New Champions. Hellrune appears and reveals that she was tricked into walking into a ritual sigil used to resurrect the undead Vikings and trolls. She was able to escape and asked her mystical spear to bring her the New Champions. The spear did its job by teleporting her teammates to her location, but since her request was broad and not specific, it cast a wide net across the Marvel Universe.
Just then Spider-Boy comes crashing in riding atop a massive zombie. He’s followed by six more sidekicks, including characters we’ve already been introduced to like Amaranth (Scarlet Witch’s protege) and Hulkette. There’s also a magician named Monte, someone with cosmic-like powers, and a mini Juggernaut. Some of these young heroes will officially become New Champions, though Marvel teases that others may go down a darker path.
