Creating a Superhero Team.....

[Luke]

Okay, fictional scenario ahead.....

It's your job to create a team of superheroes from ANY comic universe for a one-off series where the team are facing a powerful intergalactic enemy. Rather than creating a team that'd work well together, it's your job to pick the heroes who'd be most interesting to read as a team. So, while a team of Superman, Captain America, The Martian Manhunter, The Silver Surfer, and The Flash would certainly get the job done very well and probably get along doing it, it'll be more interesting to vary the choices. For sanity's sake, we'll limit the number of heroes you can pick to 6, and you're allowed to pick heroes who are either dead, or in limbo.

My team;

Judge Dredd (2000AD): While it'd be easy to pick someone like Wolverine to be the anti-hero, I'd rather see Dredd in the role. He's a cold and callous bastard who'll do anything and kill anything for justice; sort of like a far more interesting Punisher. Dredd's single-mindedness and general crossover infancy (I can only remember a couple of Dredd/Batman crossovers) would be fun.

Jack 'Starman' Knight (DC): I couldn't ignore the lead from my all time favourite series. Jack Knight's a relatively inexperienced superhero who doesn't bother with a costume or secret identity. He's a great representative of what your average guy might be like as a superhero, and his interchanges with other heroes in the Starman comic (namely Batman and Superman) was always very interesting.

Spiderman (Marvel): A cheap answer. I just have an undying love for Spiderman that will never go away. I also always find Spiderman crossovers to be interesting.

Hellboy (Dark Horse): I love the mystique and mythology around the Hellboy character. He's essentially a really good guy who'd probably work well alongside Spidey and Starman, and he's a really fresh character. I considered picking Spawn or The Crow instead, but eventually decided that it wouldn't work.

Mr. Hyde (Alan Moore: Wildstorm): Technically dead, but nevermind. Hyde was the best character during the LXG series, I think. Ridiculously vicious, but superbly handy in a brawl. I also found his dialogue hilarious. He'd probably try and eat Spiderman, but it'd be a fun read.

Zauriel (DC): Among the traditional Superman-type heroes who've populated the JLA over the years, I liked Zauriel's more origional approach. It's a shame he's not being used at the moment, but I'd like to see the Zauriel/Hellboy dynamic work. He'd be a good team player too, which my squad probably needs.

So, that's my pick. Logistically impossible, but this is a fantasy thread. I'd love to read the everyone else's picks.

[Missy]

Captain America: Gods have willingly (and proudly) followed him into seemingly impossible-to-win battles not because he's team leader and ordered it, but because Cap exudes confidence and naturally commands respect. He's the best battlefield leader you're ever going to find, and he's loyal to the end. If you want the word "hero" defined, look no further than this man.

Colossus: Others will pick the Hulk, the Thing and even She-Hulk for the group's powerhouse, but all of them are too unpredictable and virtually uncontrollable. On the other hand, Colossus is a good soldier and will follow orders to the letter, especially from someone like Captain America. What truly sets him apart from the three other bruisers I mentioned is his unwavering kindhearted nature. Sure, the Thing has his gentle moments, but he's prone to bouts of self-loathing and this can take his focus off of his teammates in crucial moments. Colossus, however, never thinks of himself and is always willing to throw himself into danger to save those around him.

Kid Flash (Bart Allen): Yes, there are faster speedsters than the current Kid Flash (namely his uncle Wally), but Bart brings a photographic memory, a desire to constantly prove himself, and joviality to the group. And one can only imagine how much Captain America could teach him about leadership.

Human Torch: Never mind his flakiness and short attention span, Johnny is one powerful son of a gun. His powers allow for both long-range and (controlled) close quarters attacks, plus he's great to have on defense. If a retreat is needed, a wall of fire can provide the perfect cover. Let's not forget that Johnny and Bart would get along famously!

Magneto: Despite his oft-villainous ways, heroes and villains must band together when the entire world is in peril. And his power over metal is indispensable. (If need be, they also allow for travel into space.) His want to control every situation will also provide for some interesting leadership struggles with Cap. (It also doesn't hurt to have a second person to take-up the leadership role should Captain America fall in battle or if the team needs to be split-up.)

Doctor Manhattan: Near limitless power and intellect.

[Darque Edge]

The Sandman: Cause if you're going to have a stupidly powerful being, the personification of an idea is the one you'd want. Plus, I really like the idea of the team being in deep shit, and Morpheus being too busy being depressed to do anything about it.

Spider-Man: Because he's the most obvious guy for comic relief. His interaction with anybody has got the potential to be funny, and he'd also serve as the moral compass for the group.

Jesse Custer: He'd be my tactics guy, and the realistic leader of the group. Plus, he wouldn't be afraid to put Dream in his place.

Rogue: My heavy hitter and scout, and also because I think her and Jesse would make for a very fun, flirtatious pairing.

Deadpool: It's fricking Deadpool. Just imagine him teaming up with Spidey, and making fun of Dream. Plus, he'd be my weapons guy. Plus, he'd spend his entire time looking at Rogue's boobs.

John Constantine: I know, I know, I've got three vertigo guys in one group. But John would be my magic guy, plus he'd be really unpredictable. He'd by my wildcard - plus, he'd probably join in with Spidey and Deadpool in making fun of Jesse and Dream, and who wouldn't want to see that?

[Guest]

Alright. Here goes nothing. Keep in mind, I'm a Marvel kid, so this'll be a bit skewed.

Magneto - Natural born leader. Has moments of nobility. Very powerful.

Nightcrawler - The moral compass. Very loyal. Very useful power. Can get places no one else can.

Gambit - Need a guy who isn't afraid to work alone, the charmer of the group. Best social skills of the bunch.

Deadpool - Like Chris said, he's fricken Deadpool.

Guy Gardner - One of many hotheads in the group, who can provide some comic relief when needed.

Spawn - He'll be a total pain to work with, but he's just the kind of guy to pull out a surprise to save the team when the shit gets thick.

[Chops]

Just curious, but do you think Magneto would do well in a group that included non-mutants?

[Missy]

Just curious, but do you think Magneto would do well in a group that included non-mutants?

Yes... if the entire planet and / or all life were in jeopardy.

[James D.]

Since mangas are Japanese comic books, they qualify here:

Captain America: See what Yoda said.

Martian Manhunter: Telepath, extremely strong, loyal to a fault, can pass through solid matter, is a shapeshifter. What's NOT to love about this guy? Also provides a secondary battlefield leader should something happen to Cappy.

Vash the Stampede: The heart and soul of the group. Expert gunfighter who will never kill intentionally, but can certainly disarm an opponent. He can hit targets with unbelieveable accuracy. His agility is comparable to that of a god and it is believed that he cannot be shot due to his blinding speed. In actuality, he isn't a human being, and is over 130 years old. So, it's always nice to have someone who seemingly CANNOT DIE on your team of heroes. (He also provides the tragic outlaw figure for the group.)

Donatello: Martial artist trained in the ways of the ninja, but he prefers to use his mind to solve problems, if possible. Has a brilliant scientific mind, and can whip up gadgets to help his teammates seemingly with no effort at all. He's also the most introspective and level-headed of the Ninja Turtles, so his calm demeanor is something that would benefit anyone's team. It would be very interesting to see J'onn J'onnz and Donnie in a deep conversation, I think.

Zatanna Zatara: Provides the magic, which gives the group any number of escape routes and other useful tactics. Also, I needed at least one female in the group, and damn, does she ever qualify for that. :devil:

Spider-Man: You need a wise-ass in the group, and few are better than Peter Parker. Oh, and he has pretty useful superpowers, as well, if you didn't know.

[tglancy]

Captain America: Every team needs a leader.

Nightwing: Batman without the attitude. Gets the job done and is a great asset and a great second in command.

Spiderman: Never say die attitude and just an all around great hero.

Guy Gardner: An ultra powerful hero with a terrible attitude and huge ego. What's not to love? The interaction between him and cap would be priceless.

Luke Cage: Every team needs muscle and a bad ass mother fucker. Cage fits both roles.

Green Arrow: A personal favorite. A great team member, good fighter, better bowsman than Hawkeye, and the political arguments with Cap would be great. Another guy with enough experience to lead the team if need be.

[LeeAndrew]

Colossus - I like what Yoda said about Colossus. He'd be my powerhouse over all the other choices out there (although X-Men is the first comic I read so no big surprise). I like that he can follow orders and that he's a good person, and he's willing to sacrifice himself to help others.

Havok - I actually really liked the Colossus/Captain America duo Yoda mentioned, but I have to go with Havok as my leader. I like that he's not seemingly perfect like Cap or his brother Scott. I also like that he's kind of in the shadow of his older brother trying to make a name for himself, I think anybody with older siblings can relate. Plus his powers are cooler than silly shield.

Green Lantern (Kyle) - Don't get me wrong, I prefer Hal over Kyle, but for this team I would want Kyle. Give a little youth and freshness to the team, and he could probably still use a team at this point in his career. Hal on the other hand could kick anyone's butt by himself, he doesn't need no stinking team!

Hawkeye - You gotta have someone who's not afraid to butt heads with the leader. Besides I've always had a thing for archers.

Psylocke - Gotta have a woman don't you? Elektra is actually probably my favorite female character but I don't see her working well in a group, so my number 2, Psylocke, would have to take the spot.

At first I was thinking a team of Deathstroke, Punisher and Deadpool would be unbeatable, and they would be, they'd probably kill their victim on the first panel of the comic, then they'd probably spend the rest of the comic trying to kill each other.

[Missy]

Havok - I actually really liked the Colossus/Captain America duo Yoda mentioned, but I have to go with Havok as my leader. I like that he's not seemingly perfect like Cap or his brother Scott. I also like that he's kind of in the shadow of his older brother trying to make a name for himself, I think anybody with older siblings can relate. Plus his powers are cooler than silly shield.

You're right; he isn't perfect but can be a great leader. I especially liked what they did with him in Mutant X.

Welcome to the boards, by the way!

[TheSteve]

I like bringing posts back from the dead.... why? Because I have been away from the boards for... close to a year, and I feel like getting in on the discussions I missed.

The Dream Team:

For the purposes of an interesting read, I would not include a leader. I would be more interested in seeing some guys who work like a group of friends, no leader, common goals, but still issues.

Atom - So what if all he can do is turn small? No one said that everyone's super hero team had to be good at beating up the bad guys. Atom is forced to be smart instead of just be brute, and he will bring a different perspective to most conflicts...namely one looking up.

Hulkling - Ok, so I put someone with some beef behind them. But more importantly I put someone with some serious character going for him. This dude has to lay low, or else he is going to be in trouble with some alien races (anyone who is up on Young Avengers knows why). Plus he does not just stand in for a discriminated against minority, or represent one like a mutant does. He actually is homosexual and so brings a level of reality into the story. Plus, you put him into a situation where he is away from his boyfriend, and you suddenly have a long distance relationship to explore.

Dr. Strange - Besides being one of the coolest characters out there... from where I am standing... he is also one of the more difficult people to work with. He is a very wise person and calm, not really prone to rash decisionmaking. It would be logical for him to try to act like the leader, and that is a source of some good conflict. Working with people who are more doers than thinkers could cause some stress.

Toxin - He has only existed in 7 different issues of comics so far. But he has great potential. He is your anti-hero, not because he has an evil side to him, but because he is totally ignorant of what we call morality. He can be uncontrolled, and worse he can turn on you. He is not a good guy or a bad guy yet, he has the potential to go either way

Jesse Quick - I actually had to look this one up to know enough about her character to decide on her. Super speed is a fun power in any situation. So she can be useful in a fight, but can also be entertaining. Plus she has some great character going for her. She does not want to be a super hero, she wants to be a businesswoman. The best heroes are the people who do not want to be there. I feel like she would really connect with Hulkling over the loss of their parents and it could create a very strong bond... and possibly some angst when she realizes she really likes him, but he is not into the girls in that way. She might need to be younger than she is in proper continuity, somewhere in the 21-22 range.

Green Lantern Girl - Well I am kinda bending the rules here. I want a character that does not officially exist yet, and might never exist. I want a Green Lantern. But none of the ones whom exist now will do. I want a hypothetical Green Lantern who is a 19-20 year old girl. Someone who sees being a Green Lantern as her job, and when she is 'off duty' is free to have fun and just be a normal girl, but to also always be ready to find herself flying away to take on some sort of threat. She needs to have a healthy working romantic relationship with someone not on the team but whom is around (to act as a reminder to Hulking that his boyfriend is elsewhere). She also needs to be able to balance being a Green Lantern with being a fun person. This way she reminds Dr. Strange that sometimes you need to relax, and she reminds Toxin that you can't always just do what you want to do. Who she is, I don't know. But its a fantasy thread, I can make up my last team member if I want.

So thats my team. Not the greatest people to have in a fight, but all of the elements are there. Plus I have no mutants, which means I don't need to worry about Scarlet Witch taking away powers. Plus I have an age spread so its somewhat half adults and half kids. Kids who have had to grow up far too fast, but kids none the less.

[Stavros]

Holder Carver (Sleeper- Wildstorm)- Near invincible, feels little pain and has a mission-based objective working method. Is probably a far more effective team assasin than Wolverine could hope to be, with 1/10th of the baggage.

Green Lantern Alan Scott (DC)- All the powers of a Green Lantern without the problems of working for Oa. A legendary figure, he represents the history of heroism.

Black Canary (DC)- Great Martial Artist, sonic scream and a long time team player. Would Partner well with Carver on mission based adventures. Also prevents the Justice Avengers from being a total sausage-fest.

The Flash Wally West (DC)- You need a Speedster, and this was that guy for years on end. Probably the only sidekick to successfully succeed his mentor in comics, Wally has all the ability and little to prove.

Hank McCoy (Marvel)- Science-guy combined with incredible agility. Hank has been a team player since the early days of the Avengers, there are few who can match his experiance in teamwork and problem solving.

Genis Mar'Vell (Marvel)- Cosmic-guy. I figure a cosmic-guy beats a magic guy and Genis, whilst bringing a certain amount of insanity on occasions, was probably one of the most powerful individuals in the Marvel Universe. He seems to be more mentally stable in a team environment without Rick Jones in his head.

Blue Beetle (DC)- Batman without the broodiness, Ted brings wealth, technology and great skills of deduction to the team. Unjustly slaughtered and replaced with someone who has yet to aknowlage the existance of the lineage of the name, Blue Beetle deserves another chance.

[RedRight88]

Okay, how about this

Booster Gold: Need someone who can work with the press and make the team look good to the generla public.

The Tick: His Nigh Invulnerablility would prove to be a good asset.

Arthur: Comes in package deal with the Tick.

Willow (from Buffy): Gotta have a mystic.

Brock Samson (from the Venture Brothers): Liscense to Kill proves to be valuable

Batgirl (Cassndra Cain): Gotta have another Kick Butt action fighter.

[Bento]

Batman - Great tactician and a perfect leader. No-nonsense, to the point problem solver.

Midnighter - Why another Batman? You take the one guy that can take out Superman and double it... unstoppable. The behind the scenes assassin. Plus the interaction between the two could make for good story telling. Also, I just like those characters =).

Hyperion - Superman powers (the heavy hitter), but not as boring and a little of a loose cannon.

Dr. Strange - The alternate plane guy. Good for interrogation and information gathering. The magic guy who can do almost anything.

She-Hulk - Heavy hitting lawyer who's been around the block. She can defend the team in court, cause they will probably be there a lot, and she can support Hyperion on the field.

Witchblade - Another supernatural, able to support She-Hulk in society, and able to support Midnighter in the field.

Godzilla

[Holacik]

Godzilla

Godzilla could be good as long as you weren't trying to save Tokyo

[Missy]

Godzilla

Godzilla could be good as long as you weren't trying to save Tokyo

[kariyanine]

I would go with:

Batman - my choice for leader

Iron Man - same type of personality as Bruce and also a proven leader which would result in some sparks

Green Arrow - doesn't get along real well with Bruce. I can't imagine him getting along real well with Tony either

Namor - leader of Atlantis and slightly loopy in the head. Add that too Bruce, Tony and Ollie and I don't think anyone will be getting along here.

Reed Richards - Reed is probably smarter than everyone on this team but he tends to lose common sense whenever he is around Namor which could result in some fun.

Wolverine - Every team needs Wolverine.

[Stavros]

Wolverine - Every team needs Wolverine.

Every team HAS Wolverine. He's probably going to be in the Fantastic 4 next year just to complete his membership badge collection.

[TheRetreater]

He's already got a FF membership badge.

I've been really sick of 616 wolvie for years. He can't still be selling as many books as he used to, can he?

[Missy]

Yes he can, and yes he does.

[Missy]

I've been really sick of 616 wolvie for years. He can't still be selling as many books as he used to, can he?

To prove that Wolverine is still a huge money maker, here are the numbers for his various titles. I've started off by listing the last issue of the original series, then added in every issue from the current ongoing as well as Wolverine Origins. Most of the parenthetical notations are there to offer reasons why the numbers may have increased that month.

Wolverine #189: 61,500

Wolverine #01: 159,900 (1st issue)

Wolverine #02: 100,000

Wolverine #03: 90,300

Wolverine #04: 87,200

Wolverine #05: 82,200

Wolverine #06: 82,100

Wolverine #07: 78,600

Wolverine #08: 76,900

Wolverine #09: 74,600

Wolverine #10: 71,400

Wolverine #11: 69,700

Wolverine #12: 69,800

Wolverine #13: 71,100 (Sabretooth appears on the cover)

Wolverine #14: 70,900

Wolverine #15: 68,700

Wolverine #16: 67,500

Wolverine #17: 66,600

Wolverine #18: 65,300

Wolverine #19: 65,000

Wolverine #20: 118,400 (Enemy of the State, by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., begins)

Wolverine #21: 85,700

Wolverine #22: 81,000

Wolverine #23: 82,500

Wolverine #24: 81,500

Wolverine #25: 85,100 (25th issue; Enemy of the State ends)

Wolverine #26: 108,600 (Agent of SHIELD, by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., begins)

Wolverine #27: 101,200

Wolverine #28: 80,900

Wolverine #29: 79,900

Wolverine #30: 76,700

Wolverine #31: 75,600 (Agent of SHIELD ends; John Romita, Jr. leaves)

Wolverine #32: 89,000 (Mark Millar ends his run)

Wolverine #33: 78,500 (House of M)

Wolverine #34: 75,600 (House of M)

Wolverine #35: 73,600 (House of M)

Wolverine #36: 94,400 (Origins & Endings begins)

Wolverine #37: 73,800

Wolverine #38: 73,800

Wolverine #39: 75,200 (Winter Soldier appears on the cover)

Wolverine #40: 77,600 (Iron Man and Captain America appear on the cover)

Wolverine #41: 71,000

Wolverine #42: 112,200 (CW)

Wolverine #43: 116,600 (CW)

Wolverine #44: 111,400 (CW)

Wolverine #45: 110,500 (CW)

Wolverine #46: 107,900 (CW)

Wolverine #47: 106,200 (CW)

Wolverine Origins #1: 164,300

Wolverine Origins #2: 131,500

Wolverine Origins #3: 116,100

Wolverine Origins #4: 110,800

Wolverine Origins #5: 120,200 (first storyline ends)

Wolverine Origins #6: 101,000

Wolverine Origins #7: 103,200

So while, yes, sales wax and wane thanks to company-wide events, storylines and changing creative teams, an average of 85,500 copies of Wolverine are ordered each month. Not to be forgotten, Wolverine Origins receives 121,000 orders on average. Together that's over 206,000 comics a month. And this doesn't take into account appearances in Astonishing X-Men, X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New Avengers or any other titles.

It should also be mentioned that these numbers are estimates (though very good ones) which reflect the number of copies which were order in a given month. So while a comic shop may order 75 copies of Wolverine and 82 copies of Wolverine Origins, they may only sell 70 and 79 respectively.

[TheRetreater]

curse you, wolverine.

I really just don't feel a draw to him and have a difficult time seeing why there is one. It doesn't help that most of my friends feel the same way as I do.

I'm actually a bit surprised Origins does better than the regular series. Of course, comic shops might not have completely settled into their numbers on that book. Just checking the books out every now and then on the racks, it does feel like a more interesting book.

Good detective work, chief!

[Missy]

The problem with Wolverine is that he's too powerful. As much as I enjoyed the CW tie-in issues, some moments were suspect, especially the amount of damage Wolverine came back from against Nitro. When Logan can completely regenerate from a single cell, he turns into Superman (RE: unstoppable). So yeah, I fully understand why some people, including yourself, might find his books and the character uninteresting.

[TheRetreater]

The problem with Wolverine is that he's too powerful. As much as I enjoyed the CW tie-in issues, some moments were suspect, especially the amount of damage Wolverine came back from against Nitro. When Logan can completely regenerate from a single cell, he turns into Superman (RE: unstoppable). So yeah, I fully understand why some people, including yourself, might find his books and the character uninteresting.

I do find his level of regeneration a bit overdone, but I tend to just pretend that it is stupid good (and not the cool kind of "stupid good").

I've never really bit into the whole "everything is a mystery about my past, let's drag that out really long." Seriously, in X-books and his title books, how much could we be told about his secretive past without them ever actually telling as anything about his secretive past? That would also help explain why I'm more accepting of Origin.

Of course, I might still hold a grudge from the Hulk fight.

[Missy]

The reason I like bone-clawed Wolverine over traditional Wolverine is because he could be hurt and even killed. Yes, his healing factor is actually stronger without the adamantium lacing his bones, but his head could still be chopped off and the character killed. Not that Marvel would ever (really) kill Wolverine, but it added a sense of danger to the book and mortality to the character.