Bastard-Bird

To all of Pete's family and friends, it is with sadness that I tell all of you that Pete passed away this morning, 7-13-2016. I know you will all have questions, and we hope to answer them when the time is right.

At this point, no arrangements have been made. We are in the process of doing so, and will let all of you know once they have been.

Thank you, all.

To all of Pete's family and friends, it is with sadness that I tell all of you that Pete passed away this morning, 7-13-2016. I know you will all have questions, and we hope to answer them when the time is right.

At this point, no arrangements have been made. We are in the process of doing so, and will let all of you know once they have been.

Thank you, all.

Inspired by iliaskrzs's My Avengers lineup and pretty much FrischDVH's entire existence.

I'm not really a Marvel fan. That's maybe not quite strong enough, but I'll go with it. I do however pick up bits here and there, and there are things about the universe I enjoy, if not many. I didn't want any mutants involved 'cause they're sort of their own thing, a team composed entirely of villains has been done, and despite my predilection for a crew made entirely of obscure Golden Age Marvel/Timely/Atlas characters I didn't do that either. This isn't so much the 'Perfect Avengers' so much as “Oh! Hey! I remember them! That was back when ____ did _____, yeah?” Kind of explains why only one of them's from after 1980.

And then I realized that I've got tech here, I've got martial arts and magic, and some serious heavy hitters... and this thing could actually work. More Champions or Defenders than Avengers, maybe, and 'volatile' don't quite begin to cover it, but when subtlety's a secondary concern at best? Yeah, this could just possibly be a thing. Avengers Elite?

 (maybe?)
Yeah, Joe Kelly is awesome.

Except for maybe Jack and Songbird this is a crew of strong solo operators, a Council of War only deferring to Druid because they're professionals and understand the efficacy of chain of command. Right up until they get into the field - command gets a little sketchy after that. All plans predicated on improvisation.

Doctor Druid
Anthony Ludgate
Amazing Adventures v1 #1 1961 Marvel
I don't know when he became a joke. Like Aquaman who had a history of decent stories, some serious power, and yet still got relegated to the superhero short-bus. Toned down a wee bit from the full-frontal Leonardo Manco that was Warren Ellis' take on the character, but still tattooed and a whole lot of angry. This is the cat what's in charge.
He's also supposed to have a kid, but this I know little about. Must've been a trip seeing pops go from stodgy also-ran academic hero to heroin-addict-skinny neo-celtic high priest. 

She-Hulk
Jennifer Susan Walters
Savage She-Hulk v1 #1 1980 Marvel
Second in command of this mad mob. She's brilliant. Lawyer, strategist, bit of a perpetual fashion disaster - but that's okay, can toss tanks like cookies after a three day bender, and she's been on pretty much every team in the Marvel U and would be the only one of this lot who wouldn't/couldn't piss off the Pope out of reflex. But still as much a loose cannon as the rest. Everything she's got going and they keep her about for public relations...

Hank Pym
Henry Jonathan “Hank” Pym
Tales to Astonish v1 #27 1962 Marvel
I was aware Hank Pym had adventures before the orange jumpsuit days, but that's where I got into him. Always a fan of the Science Adventure Hero I dig the cargo pockets full of miniature gadgets, but still with the versatility to go ant-or-giant-man sized. Like most folks I'm sure, didn't dig the later characterization, but willing to go with a bit crotchety and not exactly the most personable.

Blazing Skull
Mark Anthony Todd
Mystic Comics v1 #5 1941 Timely
A potentially immortal pacifist reporter trained by (possibly other-dimensional) aliens turned soldier and crime fighter who's gone a wee bit loopy after being tortured by everyone from Hitler himself to al Qaeda? I'd want him as the detective of the lot, somewhere between the Justice League Unlimited Question and Murdock from the A-Team. His head just happens to be on fire.
*an aside* His niece, Violetta, is a sometimes-villainous sentient cloud of ionized gas. She and Simon Williams could make a whole litter of adorable little semi-substantial WMDs. And you thought the scene with Shift and Indigo getting it on was an odd one...

Ares
Venus v1 #4 1949 Atlas
The no-joke, shit-you-not, God of War. He's only here because he's trying to convince Jennifer Walters to be his consort (and I actually dig his modern legionnaire-meets-SWAT look). Brilliant strategist – in that all his strategies boil down to “Kill Everything, Burn it Down, Salt the Earth, and Piss on the Ashes”, but with the more level-headed influence of the She-Hulk even scarier. Seriously, those two are a match made somewhere rather warm and not so conducive to having a good day. And old Ares would actually have to be romantical and considerate, 'cause when it comes to shows of manly prowess Jenn would be a bit hard to impress. And then there's the single father with an extraordinary kid getting back in the dating scene thing which would be ripe for drama and situational hilarity. 

Iron Fist
Orson Randall
Immortal Iron Fist v1 #1 2007 Marvel
Pulp-era gun-fu badass, soldier, drunkard, and son of a Victorian mad genius. The best thing to come out of the rather good Immortal Weapons story-arc.
Yeah, he died in canon, but when has that ever stopped anyone (see Jack of Hearts)? Figure he could do with some purpose and this crowd's about as diverse as his old Confederates of the Curious. Thinking Randall might actually enjoy being part of a crowd of professionals perfectly happy to argue with him – so long as they actually get shit done. That and not being the oldest or crankiest cat in the room might be a novelty. Figure Randall and Todd would have an interesting relationship, one started as a pacifist the other grown sick of violence and death, both soldiers in their time, neither wanting to do it again but seeing little option.

Songbird
Melissa Joan “Mimi” Gold
Marvel Two-In-One v1 #54 1979 Marvel
Former petty criminal turned Unlimited Class Wrestler turned villain turned hero turned leader, and a character who actually evolved in a positive way. Colour me amazed. 
I enjoyed the Kurt Busiek/Mark Bagley Thunderbolts and dig the growth of Mimi as a character since then, and her Dazzler-meets-Green Lantern power-set is amazingly versatile. Could see her helping moderate some of the more extreme personalities involved in this lot.

Jack of Hearts
Jonathan Hart
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu v1 #22 1976 Marvel
The containment suit had to have been as much for his attitude as the energy he generated. Roughly the same origin as the Human Bomb or the Invisible Terror with an alien progenitor twist, but oh so very much angrier. Then he goes and gets some training from Iron Man, hangs out with Quasar and the Silver Surfer, saves some lives, saves the universe, throws down with Thanos, dies, gets better, dies again, gets better again... 
One of those under-rated characters no one ever seems to know what to do with. Figure with this crew, where everyone just lets their asshole flag fly, he could get some of the bad mojo out of his system and actually start to be more than a perpetually pissed-off pinball.


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Thinking then about a proper Avengers, because these things chase themselves about one's head like rats down the commode. The leader isn't all that important (except for name recognition a great many iterations got along just fine without Cappy the A), but for effectiveness the team needs a Thor (and not just a god but a God of Storms for the versatility), an Iron Person (damned near any one will do, but those suits are handy), the Beast (because if one wants the best team in the world one must have Hank McCoy), a spy, a magician, and something cosmic.

Cyclops - the Leader. As Warren Ellis said "Cyclops is the best superhero in the world. He is, as far as I'm concerned, the Batman. He's been in intensive training since his early teenage years to lead the first-ever mutant rescue and security team. This is a guy who gets up every morning asking himself how he can be better."
No, I'm not up on the whole "Cyclops is now Magneto, or some such shit" I'm thinking X-Factor days and the whole Original Five crew getting absorbed into the Avengers. The other three are mostly useless, so don't much care what happens to them.

Beast - Not as a mutant (despite being one), but as a brilliant Action Science Hero. And muscle. And the comic relief. And a voice of reason and compassion. Who else can do all that?

Hannibal King - the Spy. Vampire PI? Definitely trumps a Russian in a catsuit.

Doctor Doom - the Magician (dethroned and skint. I know nothing about Caroline le Fey, but I like the sound of her and as someone to usurp the throne)

Shanna the She-Devil - Using the Plunder family wealth (from Lord Robert Plunder's inventions - there were many many unrecorded) to fund environmental concerns since there's only so much one can accomplish running about the jungle in a fur bikini. Mathew's grown up and living with the natives and Kevin's acting as Savage Land facilitator (mostly because he's just too irresponsible to handle a corporation).

Jack Frost - the Thor. Learned more about his Frost Giant heritage and increased his abilities to include weather control (mostly just cold). Because I can't leave the Golden Age alone.

Bulletproof Briggs - Iron Person. With a stripped down Iron Man armor that slots into his Sentinel. Government liaison, schtupping Val Cooper (who's liaison to Havoc's X-Factor).

Voyager and Moondancer - the Something Cosmic. Formerly of the Shi'ar imperial Guard

aaaaaaaand this isn't much better. Yep. I'm crap at Avengers.

Del Van Dyne – playboy - America
Military Comics v1 #1–12, 20–45

Butch - safe cracker - America
Military Comics v1 #1-4

Hank - cattle rustler - America
Military Comics v1 #1–9, 12, 22–52

Peewee – forger - America
Military Comics v1 #1

Slick Ward – con man - America
Military Comics v1 #1–3

Gramps – pickpocket - from America
Military Comics v1 #1–6, 12, 20–52

Stoney Rock – arsonist - from America
Military Comics v1 #2

Zazzy – thief - America
Military Comics v1 #3–5

Chief Chuck-a-Lug - America
Military Comics v1 #4–12

King Hotintot - North Africa
Military Comics v1 #5–10, 12–52

Boris “the Borsht Eater” Zinoviev – Russia
Military Comics v1 #6–12, 20–52
Flew with the Blackhawks - Military Comics v1 #2 1941

Frere “Jackie” Jacques, the Patchwork Kid - France
Military Comics v1 #7–12, 23–52

"Mademoiselle" from Armentieres - France
Military Comics v1 #8–12
A wash-out candidate for the post of Mademoiselle Marie, rival of Sabine Roth

Goucho - South America
Military Comics v1 #9–12
Gaucho – Santiago Vargas
Detective Comics v1 #215 1955 DC
Would return to Argentina after the war and become a Mystery Man

Prince Totinhot - North Africa
Military Comics v1 #10-12

Yogi - India
Military Comics v1 #20–52



The Blackhawks were

The lads from Poland who faught in the Spanish Civil War
Janos Prohaska – Poland
 Bartholomew “Bart” Hawke
 Blackhawk v1 #108 1957 DC
 Son of Janos Prohaska and Sheila Hawke from Blackhawk v1 #40 1951 Quality
Stanislaus Drozdowski - Poland
Kazimierc “Zeg” Zegota-Januszajtis – Poland


Capt. André Blanc-Dumont – France
Natalie (Gurdin) Reed - Russia
Blackhawk v2 #1 1988
 James “Jimmy” Reed
 Action Comics v1 #617 1988
 Father was Ritter Hendricksen
Ian Holcomb-Baker – England (liaison to the R.A.F.)
Capt. Carlos Sirianni – America (liaison to the O.S.S.)
The Black Falcon
Henri Claude Tibet
Wow Comics v1 #19 1942 Commercial Signs of Canada/Bell Features
Wonder Woman v2 #37 1989 DC
Charles “Chuck” Wilson - America
Wilsons:
Samuel Wilson
All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
Texas Ranger
Maria Wilson
mentioned only, maiden name unrevealed in canon
All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
   Richard “Rick” Wilson
   Outlaw
   All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
   Paloma Wilson
   maiden name unrevealed in canon
   All-Star Western v2 #2 1970 DC
      Mister Wilson
      given name unrevealed in canon
      WWI pilot, lost in Pacific 1922, turned pirate
      Blackhawk v1 #17 1947 Quality
      Missus Wilson
      picture in a locket, name unrevealed in canon
      Blackhawk v1 #17 1947 Quality
         Charles “Chuck” Wilson
         Military Comics v1 #2 1941 Quality

Capt. Olaf Friedricksen - Denmark

Capt. Ritter Hendricksen – Netherlands
Violet
 Elsa Hendricksen
 Blackhawk v1 #245 1976

Lt. Wu Cheng – Chongqing, China by way of London
 Son Lee Cheng
    Grandson Nelson Cheng
Red Cross pilot/worker and cook

Boris Zinoviev – Russia
Joined the Death Patrol
Vladim – Russia
Mentioned in Military Comics v1 #2 1941 as an aircraft designer

Zinda Blake
Blackhawk v1 #133 1959 DC

Sugar
Military Comics v1 #20 1943 
Eve Rice
Military Comics v1 #34 1944)

Sheila Hawke
Blackhawk v1 #40 1951 Quality
Penelope “Penny” van Camp
Blackhawk v1 #182 1963 DC

Duchess Ramona Fatale
Blackhawk v1 #244 1976 DC
Tania
Ayn
Prudence
Blackhawk v1 #248 1976 DC

The Tigresses
Blackhawk v1 #110 1957 DC
Banded together to apprehend Kurt Ostrec, a professional saboteur who had killed each of their husbands. 

Recruited, trained, outfitted, and funded by Contessa Erica Alexandra del Portenza from Superman: Man of Tomorrow v1 #1 1995
Joan Saunders-Smith – America
See Saunders
Husband was Jack Smith who created the Swordfish mini-sub from Hit Comics v1 #22 1942 Quality
Ilse – Norway
Husband was a reporter
Edith – England
Husband was a test pilot
Rita – Spain
Husband was a physicist
Tina – Italy
Husband was a diplomat
Yvette – France
Husband was a secret agent