Well, yes, the usual Marvel candidates... Captain America, Spider-man, Iron Man, Thor... wait! Isn't that Captain Britain!?
Too right it is. And most of the rest of MI13 with him! The Black Knight (Top Left), Excalibur - Faiza Hussain (Bottom Right), Gloriana - Meggan Braddock (To the right of Doctor Voodoo) and Pete Wisdom (In front of him).
The Captain Britain & MI13 team of Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk, are doing a few page short story for this issue. And what's it about? Cornell told Newsarama:
Cornell: Well, two of them are absent, off doing something else while the rest of the team is being honoured by Steve Rogers at a reception. A good excuse to get up to something covert in New York. Pete is a bit cynical about this whole new sweetness and light business. But there’s one big thing I wanted to do here which is proper and fitting, and I’m really grateful to Tom (Brevoort) for letting me do it.
Okay, now I really want to know what that is!
The absent two would seem to be Spitfire and Blade. A shame as she obviously has a past connection with Steve Rogers (Captain America). As does Brian of course(The two of them even once drove the Red Skull from kidnapping Prime Minister James Callaghan and invading Britain back in the 70s).
Although what has a lot of people talking is that Newsarama have seen the solicits and raised the following question:
Newsarama: It says in the solicits that a member of MI:13 might be defecting to the United States! Could you tell us a little bit more about that?
Cornell: No!
Well, let's be honest, that would be a bit of a spoiler. It has concerned a few fans of the title though, who desperately want to see a new Captain Britain & MI13 series (Be that as a limited series or an ongoing). The thought that one member might depart? Well, that's not good news. Not at all.
But then again, MI13 HAS always had a rotational membership. All British heroes are members by default. And of course... even if a member were offered Avengers membership by Steve Rogers himself, they certainly don't have to take it.
Here's a link to the Age of Heroes interview on Marvel.com Click Me. And another to the one at Newsarama: And Me! for more information...
The other associated talking point this week, has been the teaser images for Ed Brubaker's new Secret Avengers title.
Ed Brubaker, of course, should know an awful lot about Steve Rogers. His Captain America run has become incredibly revered (Heck, I went out of my way to track down a copy of the first omnibus when I was in Florida the other year, and brought that back in my hand luggage). And given the way in which Marvel tends to use these 'Event' mini series titles to lead into other ongoing books they're launching, some people are wondering if there isn't a connection between the MI13 story in Age of Heroes - organised BY Steve Rogers - and the possible launch of Secret Avengers.
Because Steve is NOT the Captain America who will be appearing in Brian Michael Bendis' Avengers relaunch. That will be his former sidekick, Bucky Barnes. Which has led to a fair few people assuming that Rogers might, given Brubaker's past connection to the character, be masterminding this new Secret Avengers team.
The day after announcing that MI13 were going to be in Age of Heroes, and that one member might be considering defecting to an American team, the following image was put out:
Marvel have been putting out one silhouetted Secret Avenger team member a day, in this poster form. This was number 4 in the series.
And as a few people online have pointed out, that silhouette is kind of flying in a pretty Captain Britain-esque pose...
Looking at the head of the figure, sure, Brian left the helmet behind at the start of Captain Britain and MI13. But if he were to be wearing it again, and a costume more similar to his New Excalibur costume...
Well... they're not a million miles apart now, are they?
And while some people thought it might actually be War Machine, the teaser image today almost definitely IS War Machine. Click Me So, you never now...
Don't you just love Speculation Season, eh? :)
Yeah, it'll probably all turn out to be nothing. But it's a damned good discussion while it lasts... ;)
Would a hypothetical relaunched version of MI 13 do better if it was called AVENGERS UK?
ReplyDeleteWell, possibly. Although, theoretically, The Avengers has always been am International Team. The term Avengers implies that.
ReplyDeleteI'd certainly like to see more international characters involved with the Avengers. Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Namor, Brian...
But I personally preferred MI13 having their own identity.
It does raise an interesting possibility though. Captain Britain has, thanks to Excalibur, largely had strong links with the X-titles (it really was one). Opening up Avengers links now could put a new spin on the team as there are few X-Men links (well no ex-X-Men anyway) and it makes sense to pitch it as another solid team book with a broad remit - if you like the Avengers then you love MI13. Or whatever it is they are going to call it, they are in need of a snappier name and Excalibur is now kind of taken for the time being. Avengers UK might be pushing it (and wouldn't really work with the organisation or the remit) but if Cap is in the team it will raise his profile which should bode well for his future.
ReplyDeleteBut, as you say, it is speculation and we are giving them free publicity (the sneaky devils!!) and all we can really do is... wait and see. It may be their brief appearance suggests some developments... or not. Oh I hate the waiting.
Uh, I made that crack in the hope that someone would point that that there's no way in hell there can ever be a title called AVENGERS UK, 'cus the UK Avengers should always be John Steed and his pals.
ReplyDeleteDon't say such things, even in jest, the walls have ears. It is now only a matter of time... ;)
ReplyDeleteWord verification: glimp
'Glimp' could easily have been the name of a third string member of Gatecrasher's Technet. It sounds about right, doesn't it? :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm. It's been a long time since we saw a (British) Avengers TV revival. Surprised we haven't, really.
The thing is that, for Marvel, the Avengers is a brand which does sell comics. The idea of some kind of European Avengers team, at least, is not too unrealistic someday.
Captain Britain? Quicksilver? Black Widow? The Scarlet Witch?
Fantomex!!
ReplyDeleteI must admit I'm not really thinking of a specifically local Avengers outfit but in the Heroic Age they are talking about working with crossover stories within families of titles and it'd be interesting if a new CB & MI13 fell into the Avengers family, as opposed to the X-Men family that Excalibur tended to group with. Different line-up, different focus (Britain, threats to the UK including out into space?).
Marvel.com has just released its releases for may, which age of heroes is one of them, the write up is...
ReplyDeleteThe Story: Eisner-winner & fan-favorite KURT BUSIEK RETURNS TO MARVEL! THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! The Heroes are restored to their rightful place in this new era, and the world is safer for them. They defeated Osborn & his Siege on Asgard, now they have one last foe to face: the Mayor of New York -- J. Jonah Jameson! Also, MI13 come to the US, but one of them isn't leaving--they are defecting to the AVENGERS?! Plus Dr. Voodoo's Sorcerer Supreme duties infringe on “date night” and how much trouble can Spider-Man get into in one day? The answer: A LOT! Rated T …$3.99
So who will it be? Black Knight has already had a stint in The Avengers, so probably won't be him. If it is Cap joining the Avengers, then that would mean Meggan would also have to play a part, probably a background part. If you remember Avengers Disassembled, Kelsey (Lionheart) was with The Avengers at the time, and left, then reappeared in the pages of New Excalibur. My bets are on Cap, it would be a way to keep him in the mainstream, without having to give him his own title.