The Raftastic Avengers

Writing for a blog can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful. I try to talk about original topics, deliver quality knowledge and entertainment, and I try to stay organized. And don't even get me started on the podcast side of things. Not that you would. So in times of stress it's best to lean back and talk about something fun. Like building a superhero team! Specifically My Ideal Avengers Team!

For this I'll be building a team off of seven key positions: The Leader, The Co-Leader, The Brute, The Brains, The Stealth, The Rookie, and The Wildcard. I'll be looking at every single Marvel character who's been an Avenger and decide who is best for the positions. I also factor in personalities so if you don't see Iron Man or The Hulk, there's your reason why.

The Leader:

The Leader is pretty straight forward, someone who knows their team's strengths and weaknesses and can make clear orders. No emotional compromise, no doubt, just a level-headed person who can motivate their team and take charge. I chose Captain America because he was ready to lead from the day he was thawed out and has years of experience organizing various Avengers. His power-set allows him to be flexible, but grounded in limitations. His only flaw might be his faith in others, and that's debatable. The two runner ups were Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Avenger in 1979, member of A-Force, The Ultimates, and Alpha Flight) and Black Panther (Avenger in 1968, King of Wakanda and member of The Illuminati). All and all Cap is a solid leader and a walking example of heroism. Plus he can deal with anyone he has to work with. Put "Super-Tolerance" on his Wiki Page.

The Co-Leader:

The Co-Leader is second-in-command. As a Co-Leader one is expected to carry out extra tasks The Leader cannot and be an intelligent conservationist for The Leader to bounce ideas off of. For this role I chose The Vision, a super-computer in a nearly-indestructible body. The Vision's cold and calculated mind gels against Cap's moral and fallible mind. As Co-Leader Vision can assume different roles if need be like Stealth, Brute, and Brains. The runner ups were The Falcon (Avenger in 1979, Cap's best friend and-as Captain America-leader of The Avengers) and Luke Cage (Avenger in 2005, founder of The Heroes For Hire and The New Avengers). Though he may not have the emotional capability to lead, he has the mind and body to enforce a leader's command. Being the "Ultron gone right" helps his case too.

The Brute:

The Brute is the heavy muscle, the name shouted when something big needs to be busted. To be The Brute you have to be durable, loyal, careful and savage all at once. I chose Thor for this role. Male Thor. Female Thor is almost as good, but she has cancer and I can see that becoming an issue. Thor was a founding Avenger and a major hero of The Marvel Universe. He's saved the world countless times on his own and with back-up. Not only can he compete with The Hulk, but Thor brings elemental power into the fight, he brings air support, and he brings confidence. The runner ups were She-Hulk (Avenger in 1982, leader of A-Force and more friendly than her cousin) and War Machine (Avenger in 1993, member of The Secret Avengers and straight-man to Tony Stark). Thor is a literal force of nature and has enough abilities to make him a worthy opponent for whoever this team may face.

The Brains:

 The Brains is the smart guy, the hard thinker. If someone needs to know how to shut something off or what setting this on fire will do or where an element is located they ask The Brains. This one seemed the easiest as I chose Mr. Fantastic to be the Brains. Like the other members of The Fantastic Four, Reed Richards has been on The Avengers and he is known to be the smartest man on Earth. His elasticity powers allow him to multitask easily and he's very hard to kill. And when you're in need of some quick math a guy who can't die can be a big help. The runner ups were Beast (Avenger in 1975, founding member of The X-Men and member of The Illuminati) and Spider-Man (Avenger in 1991, founder of The New Avengers). He's worked with his family for so long he's accustomed to being on a team and luckily he'd be around some friendly people. Reed's only flaw is that he focuses on his work too much, but in a "Work Relationship" like this one it's not much of a flaw.

The Stealth:

 The Stealth is the last member you think of because you hardly see them or hear them. If the team needs to get somewhere they can't be or hear something they can't hear it is up to The Stealth to break those "can'ts". Be unseen, be unheard, be completely unnoticed until it's the time to strike. I chose The Wasp as The Stealth because she's a founding Avenger and has sometimes lead the team too. What aids her are her experiences and friendliness, but as The Stealth she'd rely on her ability to shrink to a unnoticed size, fly with hardly any sound, and be a fly on the wall in any circumstance. The runner ups were Black Widow (Avenger in 1973, agent of Shield and former KGB assassin) and The Invisible Woman (Avenger in 1989, founding member of The Fantastic Four). The Wasp is very capable and very dependable, she's expanded past her marriage to the original Ant-Man and earned the respect of female Avengers to follow.

The Rookie:

The Rookie is the young upstart of the team. They keep the group together by sheer force of inspiration, they follow and learn from the actions of others and prove their worth in a pinch. They're the most flexible back-up for any team member. For this role I chose Miles Morales/Spider-Man. Miles follows in the footsteps of Marvel's first teenaged hero and aims to reach success just as Peter Parker did. Miles is clever, kind and can follow the orders of those he admires. He's no kiss-up, but undeniably he can handle himself and those he fights alongside. The runner ups were Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel (Avenger in 2015, founder of the new Champions) and Sam Alexander (Avenger in 2014, member of The Nova Corps, The Guardians of The Galaxy, and the new Champions). Spider-Man is the stable backbone of Marvel's young hero community, his loyalty and adaptability are what make him a good rookie for this team.

The Wildcard:

 The Wildcard is the flawed hero, the most likely to mess up, the liability. But they are also the secret weapon. As The Wildcard, nothing is expected of the hero other than letting loose at a moment's notice. For this role I chose Deadpool. A killing machine, a habitual wise-ass, an immortal pain for whoever gets on his nerves Deadpool is ideal for this team. His powers may not be cataclysmic, but Deadpool is the safest last-ditch-effort that can be chosen. He already respects Captain America and adores working alongside heroes nowadays, he's really grown from his typical 90's attitude. But his abilities are still as ridiculous and it's that unpredictability that make him the secret weapon. The runner ups were Scarlet Witch (Avenger in 1965, has recreated the universe twice) and The Sentry (Avenger in 2005, destroyed Asgard once). Deadpool is a problem child, but as far as fail-safes he's the most dependable there is. More than his killing abilities or his "kill-proof" powers, Deadpool's greatest weapon can sometimes be his mouth!

So there's my ideal Avengers team! Captain America, The Vision, Thor, Mr. Fantastic, The Wasp, Spider-Man, and Deadpool! What do you think of my team? Who would you add to the team? Which villain could they battle? Comment below with your thoughts!
Thanks for reading!