The Imperial Avengers Assemble!

Since I pushed Mike to present his Avenger’s Dream Team he, in turn, told me that I had to share my own squad of Avenging superheroes. As I have been soaking up Marvel stories lately, and not really interested in the Star Wars content being pumped out by Disney (which has resulted in my having absolutely nothing to say about Star Wars over on my site), I figured I would take Mike up on the offer and share my own team – “The Imperial Avengers.” That said, I should note that whereas I am a savant with Star Wars, my knowledge of the Marvel-verse is plebian compared to Michael. Soooo, you know, just bear with me here as I struggle to explain my rationale for choosing my team.

The Imperial Avengers Assemble!

#1) Lunella Layfatte: Moon Girl (and Devil Dinosaur)

Photo Credit – Marvel Comics

Yeah, that’s right, I am starting out by putting a 9-year-old girl on this team along with her red-scaled sidekick Devil Dinosaur. Believe me, I am as shocked as you, especially since I have professed on my own site that I have some serious reservations about children going to war (See: Ahsoka Tano, Child Soldier and No Place for Children). But, here is what I am thinking…

First off, Moon Girl doesn’t actually have to do any fighting. She can sit back at HQ and help direct things from afar, and any actually combat can be handled by Devil Dinosaur and the rest of The Imperial Avengers. Second, and this is really REALLY important so sit down and read carefully, Moon Girl is the co-leader of The Imperial Avengers. Yeah, that is right, I am putting a 9-year-old girl in charge (along with someone else so keep reading). Why would I put a 9-year-old in charge? Simple – as of right now, in the Marvel Universe, Moon Girl is hands down THE smartest person alive. Her genius makes her capable of analyzing and evaluating situations with precision and clarity, giving the team a distinct edge against foes, while she likewise can spend valuable time back at HQ developing new technology and equipment for the squad. Never-the-less, she is only 9-years-old and the burden of deciding combat strategies – even though she is capable of doing so – should not fall to her. That is why I think it is important she is the Co-Leader of The Imperial Avengers, teaming up to lead the group with…

#2) Bruce Banner: The Incredible Hulk

Photo Credit – Marvel Animation

“Hulk Smash” might be the go-to phrase for The Hulk, giving off the impression that the hero is nothing but an oafish, green brute but there is, in my assessment, far more to him than meets the eye. The Planet Hulk animated film presents the Hulk as misunderstood by his Earthly peers, and given how the film ends (I won’t spoil it) I feel that Hulk could easily rise to the occasion to lead The Imperial Avengers in the heat of battle. Further, I like the idea of Bruce Banner, a brilliant scientist, working side-by-side with Lunella Lafayette, brainstorming ideas and discovering solutions together. And, when Banner turns into his green alter-ego, I love the mental image of The Hulk towering over Moon Girl, but Moon Girl standing tall next to him as an equal.

#3) Silver Sablinova: Silver Sable

Photo Credit – Marvel Comics

Adding Silver Sable to the team is a no-brainer for me because she is easily one of my favorite superheroes. I was first introduced to her while reading The Amazing Spider-Man comic book as a kid in the early ’90s, and subsequently read some of her own series: Silver Sable and the Wild Pack. The “Black Widow” of my squad. Silver Sable is gifted in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, skilled with all sorts of weapons, and has a talent for blending into the shadows and tracking down opponents. Further, Sable has an incredibly strong will and is able to resist psychic manipulation.

#4) Beta Ray Bill

Photo Credit – Marvel Comics

If Silver Sable is the “Black Widow” of my team, then Beta Ray Bill is my substitute for Thor. True, I could just go with Thor but while I am a big fan of the Asgardian god, I have always been intrigued by Beta Ray Bill and feel he is worthy of the spot. While my knowledge of Beta Ray Bill is limited – I have only experienced him a handful of times, most recently in the aforementioned Planet Hulk animated film – his superhuman strength, speed, reflexes and more would definitely give The Imperial Avengers an advantage in any battle. Plus, Beta Ray Bill uses an Asgardian hammer called Stormbreaker, a weapon similar to Mjolnir which gives Bill the power to fly, alter the weather, absorb energy, and also projects the God Blast beam. Leading the charge against cosmic foes, Beta Ray Bill – with Hulk (and the next hero on the list) right behind him – would be able to take the brunt of an attack, ensuring the rest of The Imperial Avengers could jump into the fray and outflank/overwhelm their opponent(s).

#5) America Chavez: Ms. America

Photo Credit – Marvel Comics

If Silver Sable is my Black Widow, and Beta Ray Bill is my Thor, then America Chavez (aka Ms. America) is my Captain America. In fact, here is a thought – let’s just give her the title of Captain America. Ahem, are you listening, Marvel? Just an idea…

Again, like with Beta Ray Bill, my knowledge of America Chavez is limited but she is a character I am going out of my way to experience in various Marvel stories. And to be honest, I am absolutely loving everything I am discovering about her. She was raised by two moms, is Hispanic, she is bilingual (in English and Spanish), and she has some crazy awesome powers. What kind of powers you ask? Ms. America can fly, she has super strength and speed, she is invulnerable, she has a power stomp that can cause an intense shockwave and, oh yeah, she can also travel between dimensions and through time. And, to top it off, she has cosmic awareness of everything going on in the universe. All told, Ms. America is the type of character who is not only capable of holding her own in a fight but can help The Imperial Avengers predict the actions of opponents.

Also, on a personal note, I would just really enjoy seeing America Chavez and Lunella Layfayette hanging out together. Again, I hope Marvel is listening…

#6) James “Rhodey” Rhodes: War Machine

Photo Credit – Marvel Comics

When Captain America: Civil War came out in 2016 I was easily on Team Iron Man. I have always been a fan of Tony Stark in his ironclad suit but I decided, in this case, to go with War Machine instead. James “Rhodey” Rhodes may not have the intelligence of Stark but he is a gifted pilot and engineer, not to mention a Marine Corps officer (thanks for your service, “Rhodey”). Moreover, as War Machine, “Rhodey” brings the same combat capabilities into battle that Iron Man does but without the “showing-off” personality of Stark. And, whereas Stark likes to be in charge, on The Imperial Avengers “Rhodey” would be willing to offer his insight to the squad but allow Lunella and Bruce make the final call on what to do. In other words, his ego isn’t wrapped up in needing to be right, and he would be more than happy to put on the War Machine armor and just go kick some ass.

#7) Brunnhilde the Valkyrie

Photo Credit – Marvel Studios

Beta Ray Bill won’t be leading the charge against cosmic foes alone. Oh no, he will have help from Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, Odin’s handpicked leader of the Valkyrior (the Choosers of the Slain). Gifted with all of the superhuman attributes of an Asgardian, Valkyrie enters battle with her enchanted sword Dragonfang while riding her winged horse Aragon. As well, Valkyrie can sense impending death and will see a “deathglow” around an individual’s body when they are about to die.

Following Tessa Thompson’s fantastic portrayal of Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, my interest in the character really spiked and I have slowly been soaking up as much information about her as possible. And, what makes her all the more fascinating is that, like Thor, she is originally from Germanic and Norse folklore. I have always loved the way folklore bleeds into Marvel comics and that love, and Valkyrie’s all-around badassery, has led me to add her to The Imperial Avengers.

#8) Nick Fury

Photo Credit – Marvel Studios

You may be thinking, “Wait a second, you are adding Nick Fury but not putting him in charge?” And my reply is, “Yup, I am adding Nick Fury and not putting him in charge.” I really like Nick Fury, even more so now that Samuel L. Jackson has been reprising the role since the very first Iron Man film debuted (sorry David Hasselhoff, you were a decent Fury but Samuel L. Jackson is just straight-up iconic as the eye-patched hero). But for my Avengers squad, I want Fury on the team but not running the show. That doesn’t mean he has nothing to offer Lunella or Bruce/Hulk. Oh no, he has a lifetime of experience and would be a great advisor, especially with regards to covert missions and tactics. In fact, I would love to see him and Silver Sable running undercover operations. Moreover, Fury has a ridiculous number of connections with other groups and heroes, so if The Imperial Avengers ever need some assistance then Fury can just make a few phone calls and get some friends to show up for a show down. And of course, Fury can hold his own in a fight, no matter the opponent.

#9) Daisy Johnson: Quake

Gif Credit – ABC Studios/Marvel Television

To round out The Imperial Avengers I decided to go with Daisy Johnson, aka Quake. I have really enjoyed her story-arc since first being introduced to her on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the fabulous Chloe Bennet portraying the character. An Inhuman, Quake has the power to cause powerful vibrations that can, if intense enough, resemble earthquakes (hence her alias). Plus, she is, like a number of others on the team, gifted in hand-to-hand combat and can bring even more covert skills to the team thanks to her work with S.H.I.E.L.D.

And there you have it! The Imperial Avengers have been assembled! If you have any thoughts about my squad, be sure to leave a comment below. Oh, and make sure you check out my site, The Imperial Talker, especially if you like Star Wars.

 

To see who’s on Michael’s Avengers Dream Team, feel free to click here!