The Best Young Avengers Moments in Marvel Comics

Since their inception 20 years ago, the Young Avengers have been Marvel’s modern and refreshing take on classic super heroes. Essentially, most of the kids are descendants or proteges of the OG Avengers. But the Young Avengers aren’t just copies of the original team. They’re heroes in their own right. Additionally, these teenagers have been part of some of the coolest and most exciting arcs in comics. While the team roster has changed over the years, each and every YA member — past and present alike — is an integral part of canon.

But what makes them so important, impactful, and interesting? Whether you’ve been a fan since their introduction or you’re just getting to know the team, you might need a history refresher. So let’s break down the best Young Avengers moments in Marvel comics, from assembly to royal ascension and more.

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Iron Lad/Nathaniel Richards Assembled the Team

After fleeing from his future self — AKA Kang the Conquerer — Nathaniel Richards arrived to the Avengers Mansion in the hopes of joining their crusade for good. Unfortunately, Nathaniel arrived in the wake of Scarlet Witch’s mental breakdown and subsequent decimation of the team and tower. Not to be discouraged, Nathaniel built a new Vision out of the ruins of the old system. Then, he integrated this young Vision (later known as Jonas) into his own suit. This system gave Nathaniel access to the Avengers Fail-Safe Program, which helped Nathaniel locate and recruit teen heroes related in some capacity to the Avengers.

The very first Young Avengers roster included Iron Lad (Nathaniel), Eli Bradley, Billy Kaplan, and Teddy Altman. Hungry to prove themselves, these teens took every mission offered, no matter how small. Soon, Cassie Lang and Kate Bishop joined, and the older Avengers became aware of a rising super team. Ultimately, Nathaniel mostly assembled these heroes to fight off Kang. Despite that being his sole motivation, he truly created something wonderful and everlasting in the end.

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Patriot/Eli Bradley Kept Isaiah’s Legacy Intact

Steve Rogers was not the first Captain America. And he also wasn’t the first soldier to receive a Super Serum dose. Instead, the U.S. Army ran illegal human test trials using Black soldiers. Isaiah Bradley was the first man to survive, but the Army refused to make him their Star Spangled Man with a Plan due to his race. Isaiah had the powers yet none of the prestige that came with Steve Rogers’ position. It would take decades for a Black Captain America to emerge when Sam Wilson eventually took on the mantle.

However, Isaiah’s story was not buried or forgotten. His grandson, Elijah Bradley, knew the truth. And when Eli joined the Young Avengers, he did so under the pseudonym Patriot. He also donned a uniform similar to that of Bucky Barnes, paying homage to two iconic 1940s war heroes. Eli’s resolve and determination to secure Isaiah’s legacy within that narrative helped him forge a path into a young hero his family would be proud of.

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Hulkling/Teddy Altman United the Kree and Skrull People

Elsewhere in the galaxy, let’s focus on the half-Skrull, half-Kree shapeshifter named Theodore Altman. Teddy’s hybrid heritage is especially significant because the Skrull and Kree were once longtime rivals. Irreconcilable enemies, they waged war across the stars and killed each other in droves. Truly, theirs was a fraught and bloody history. But then a young alien hero emerged to unite their empires.

Teddy ascended the throne as a prophesied leader. Assuming the title of Emperor Dorrek-Vell, he experienced extreme turmoil and backlash. Once a teen hero rescuing people from burning buildings, suddenly Teddy was thrust into a world of political deceit and personal betrayals. Through it all, though, he had the guidance and support of his loving husband, Billy Kaplan. Ultimately, Teddy achieved victory over each cosmic threat. In doing so, he proved he could care for Skrull and Kree alike, leading them into a peaceful and prosperous future together.

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Wiccan/Billy Kaplan Became the Demiurge

William Kaplan is one of the reincarnated Maximoff twins. He was created by chaos magic as well as fragments of the demon Mephisto. Extremely strong and destined to become even more so, Billy struggled to control his electrokinetic abilities to the point of almost murdering his school bully. Overtime, more abilities manifested, including magic, conjuring, reality warping, and the like. Billy continued to struggle in his personal life due to these skills, especially when his boyfriend worried that their love was simply Billy’s spell.

Still, Billy eventually tapped into the powers he was always meant to have. He became the omnipotent Demiurge, a god-like being capable of both creating and destroying life. And he did so by reconciling with Teddy and reaffirming their love. Once the Demiurge awakened, the Young Avengers defeated an enemy calling itself Mother. Now, Billy Kaplan enjoys life as Prince Consort and all-powerful wizard in Hulkling’s intergalactic court.

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Stature/Cassie Lang Chose to be a Super Hero

Some heroes are born with powers. Others achieve greatness without any superhuman abilities. And some, such as Cassandra Lang, expose themselves to Pym Particles until something happens. After taking in Pym Particles since childhood, Cassie Lang finally achieved shrinking and growth abilities like her dad Scott Lang (Ant-Man). This happened just in time, too, because Scott had recently died. Saddened by his death but determined to continue his avenging, Cassie slipped on a costume and a mask.

As Stature, Cassie fought hard against Kang the Conquerer. She saved the world. Then, when the Avengers ordered the Young Avengers to disband, Cassie refused. She helped train the less-adept team members. Even when facing her mom and stepdad’s extreme objections, Cassie would not bow to pressure or disapproval. Stature went on to prevent a Kree-Skrull war as well as rescue her team members during various conflicts.

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Hawkeye/Kate Bishop Donated her Family’s Fortune

Katherine Elizabeth Bishop was born a wealthy NYC socialite. She enjoyed abundant riches, including a large house, beautiful clothes, and frequent travel. However, as Kate aged, she became disillusioned with her family’s selfishness and status. Her disapproval of their lifestyle only strengthened when she joined the Young Avengers as Hawkeye. Seeing how altruism could benefit the world, she chose to abandon her family’s fortune and immoral ideas about money.

Thankfully, this meant Kate could fund the Young Avengers. She invested in new costumes, equipment, and even a hideout. Kate also donated her money to charity. While she ensured she could live comfortably, she elected to move into a smaller apartment. And super heroism could be considered volunteer work! All in all, Kate’s separation from her family showed how responsible she is. Instead of hoarding her generational wealth, she used those funds to change and save the world.

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Speed/Tommy Shepherd Fought Against Superhuman Registration

The super hero Civil War was a tough time for Marvel fans. Across all continuity comics, characters had to decide whether or not they supported the Superhuman Registration Act. This law enforced mandatory registration of all super-powered individuals residing in the United States. In effect, it erased all secret identities in favor of so-called national security. But the SRA predominately impacted heroes, not villains, necessitating exposure of powers for “humanity’s protection.” Except, those who really wanted to do harm would never register in the first place. Plus, the legislation was just a knee-jerk fear response to M-Day.

Thankfully, the Young Avengers presented a united front on the issue. They fought against the SRA, claiming heroes were trustworthy and only ever intended to do good. Thomas Shepherd aided Captain America’s side in protecting civilians. By accomplishing heroic deeds without exposure, Tommy and Cap successfully demonstrated to the world that the SRA was unnecessary and ultimately detrimental to saving the world.

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Loki Helped Defeat Mother and Empowered his Teammates

Loki’s life is full of time travel, treachery, and trickery. After all, he has to live up to his title: the God of Mischief. And he lived up to that in a big way during his Young Avengers arc, wherein he tricked Billy Kaplan into summoning an interdimensional parasite called Mother. Loki then also tricked Mother by binding the parasite to Billy and Teddy, causing Mother to take the shape of the boys’ family members. When the other Young Avengers tried to assist, their own loved ones got pulled into the spell. Soon, the world was infected with goopy lookalikes and bad vibes all around. At one point, Loki teleported out of battle with Mother, leaving his teammates to die.

However, Loki was then confronted by a manifestation of his guilty conscience. Kid Loki and Loki discussed Loki’s desire to do and be better. Then they swapped forms and Kid Loki swooped in to save the day. Yet that was simply a ploy to gain Billy’s trust before Loki manipulated him even further. Still, at the end of all things, Loki apologized for his behavior. He confessed all of his crimes, regained his lost powers, and made true emotional connections with his friends. Did he forgive himself? No. But that’s another story to tell.

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Miss America/America Chavez Created Portals in her own Eyes

No matter how much we love our heroes, they don’t always love each other. Conflict drives the plot in most super hero media, so of course our faves are always fighting. And those disagreements make for some truly spectacular showdowns. After all, how would we ever find out who’s stronger if these heroes don’t go toe to toe every once in a while? In the Civil War II arc, fans got to witness truly insane on-page brawls when Miss America duked it out against Captain Marvel and Spectrum.

In that battle, Miss America hit Captain Marvel with a chair. Then, Captain Marvel suggested Spectrum convert to light form and fly directly into America’s eye. That was already pretty intense, and a truly horrific thing to imagine. But the goal was, of course, to incapacitate the Multiverse-hopping Miss America. Well, joke’s on the Marvels. Thinking as fast as ever, America generated a portal in her eye. When Spectrum flew inside, she was transported to another dimension.

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Prodigy/David Alleyne Came Out as Bisexual

Coming out can be quite complicated. In many instances, it also takes a lot of courage. So forget fighting interdimensional parasites — self discovery was the hardest part of David Alleyne’s comic journey! This is especially interesting given David’s powers and past, particularly because the two originally collided in such an emotional way. As Prodigy, a member of the X-Men’s New Mutants squad, David was an awesome asset. He learned early on that he could telepathically absorb the abilities and skills of those around him. But the young man was also afraid his intelligence was all fraudulent, a by-product of a mutation instead of his hard work.

So, David could never quite trust his own feelings or skills. He wasn’t sure which were simply sponged up from other people. Wrestling with your queer identity and desire can be difficult enough for people without absorption powers, so we can’t imagine how much David had to sift through to find himself. Ultimately, however, he opened every room in his head. He unlocked a new and special part of himself, and we couldn’t be prouder.

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Marvel Boy/Noh-Varr Discovered Primagen

A space traveler and unrepentant womanizer, Noh-Varr truly coasted through life not caring who he hurt. Well, he didn’t care who he hurt emotionally. Physically, he was as capable a hero as any other, fighting off alien invaders with ease. But Noh-Varr had a lot of growing up to do after a messy run-in with multiple ex-girlfriends. So, he dedicated himself to saving the universe as Marvel Boy.

First, Marvel Boy offered his assistance to the Inhuman Royal Family. The Inhumans had suffered greatly due to the loss of Terrigen Mist, which created new Inhumans. With it destroyed, Inhumans were dwindling, causing Medusa and Black Bolt to lose power and influence. So Noh-Varr worked some technological wizardry on the ruins of the planet Hala. During this experiment, he discovered Primagen, from which Terrigen was derived. Both Inhumans and Kree benefited from this ancient substance. And with it, both species were able to revive their empires.

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What are your favorite Young Avengers moments in Marvel comics? Share your faves’ best scenes at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network. And as always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!