Marvel's answer to Justice League Detroit
The horned hero Gilgamesh and Mr. and Mrs.Fantastic are never going to in anyone's Top Five for the Avengers sequel, I fear. Yet, as the new writer for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Simonson was on the horns (ahem) of a dilemma. Byrne had most of the iconic Avengers- Iron Man, Wasp, Hawkeye, Vision, Wanda- at his disposal in West Coast Avengers. Simonson, meanwhile, had written out Monica Marvel, She-Hulk, Namor, Hercules and the Black Knight: the mainstays of the 80s. Who on Earth was available to answer the call "Avengers Assemble", at the dawn of the Nineties?
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Cloak and Dagger: cult favourites who could certainly fill the Vizh/Witch dynamic. But as 80s characters with very dark origins and a subtext about addiction, a little too moody and noir for 1989.
Beta Ray Bill: the horse-faced stand-in Thor would be an odds-on favourite for guest-star but a redundant new member.
Quasar: Gruenwald was about to launch his baby in a solo series. With his Bill Everett ancestry, Quaze represented a heroic legacy but as Marvel's Green Lantern, perhaps he was almost too powerful?
Spider-Man: a very strong possibility. Spider-Man's popularity would be stratospheric in the early 90s. His iconic status and personality would be assets to the team.
Daredevil: the only Silver Age hero to be offered membership only to turn it down. Englehart had spoken about adding him to the WCA a couple of years earlier. Another popular choice.
Giant-Man: a former civilian associate of the Avengers, Bill Foster had recently regained his growing powers in the third West Coast Avengers Annual. But aside from guest spots in the mid-70s and his own short-lived series, the former Black Goliath had a very low profile.
Quicksilver: highly unlikely. Pietro had just reached the end of a storyline that saw him descend into insanity and outright villainy after discovering Crystal's infidelity. A couple of lines of dialogue suggested it was all Maximus' doing. Since I can't recall him influencing anyone other than Inhumans, I think that unlikely. Sad to say, the silver-haired speedster would have been a more effective traitor than redemptive member.
Black Widow: another likely candidate ( but hopefully not garbed in that drab, grey bodystocking introduced by Frank Miller.) Natasha would add glamour and espionage skills the team.
Yellowjacket: Simonson had just used the female YJ in the "Evolutionary War" annual. Rita could be the latest in a long line of reformed villains on the team; think of the interactions with Hank and Jan!
Black Panther: a Kirby Kreation, T'Challa had been very low-profile for most of the 80s. The technological wonders of Wakanda offer a variety of story possibilities. Marvel's first superhero of colour also had a brooding, majestic presence.
The Hulk: the grey, Joe Fixit Hulk had also appeared in that aforementioned annual.Having one of the founding members back on board seems a no-brainer. His brutish personality could bring humour and menace.
I think that Gilgamesh didn't get the chance to show how he differed from Thor. As an Eternal, he represented a totally different species.
So, here's my alternative line-up for Avengers 300- and- onwards:
By the bye, I found Avengers Assemble over-long and very talky on a second viewing.
Avengers 25 is a beautiful thing, though, bold and energetic, if "old-school". The Moon Knight series ended with the cavalry turning up to subdue Nefaria, who was floating about like a laser-vision vampire. I'm going to miss Bendis and Maleev's Fist of Khonshu.
Coming soon: I lost my heart in the Justice Society canteen
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