An promised: something on comics. Unless he’s a guy like Superman, Thor or Captain Marvel, your average superhero is often limited to just one or two specialised powers – the Flash, for example can run really fast, but that’s it. It makes sense, therefore, for superheroic types to team up and form groups in order to better combat crime. Submitted for your approval: the top ten superhero teams. Onward!

10. THE HOWLING COMMANDOS

Notable members: Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Izzy Cohen, Dino Maneli and Rebel Ralston.
Before Nick Fury was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and before he looked like Samuel L. Jackson, he was the leader of the Howling Commandos, a group of soldiers during WW2. Originally made up of human GIs, a later version of the group took a more supernatural bent with members including Nina Price, N’Kantu, Gorilla-Man and Frankenstein’s Monster.

9. THE DEFENDERS

Notable members: Doctor Strange, the Incredible Hulk, Namor and the Silver Surfer.
A group of heroes known more as individuals than team players, the Defenders were first brought together by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru in Marvel Feature #1. Other notable members have included Hawkeye, Hellcat, Beast and Luke Cage.

8. THE JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Notable members: The Flash, Doctor Fate, Green Lantern, Mister America, Doctor Mid-Nite and Liberty Belle.
The original superhero team, making their first apperance in 1940 and featuring the classic Golden Age versions of the Flash and the Green Lantern, the Justice Society of America were the prototype for every team that followed. An updated version of the team appeared in 1999 with members such as Stargirl, Hourman, Judomaster and Power Girl.

7. THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS.

Notable members: Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Kilowog and Guy Gardner.
Less a team and more an orginisation, the Green Lantern Corps operate as a sort of intergalactic police squad, patrolling their assigned planets and keeping the peace. Members of the GLC have also been members of other groups, most famously Hal Jordan in the JLA and Alan Scott in the JSA.

6. THE MINUTEMEN/THE WATCHMEN

Notable members: Rorsach, Ozymandias, Nite Owl, the Comedian, Captain Manhattan and the Silk Spectre.
Known as the Minutemen in the comics and the Watchmen in the movie, the characters of Watchmen are among the most layered and interesting in comics. Inspired by various characters from classic comics, the characters from Watchmen are, thanks to the success of the movie adaptation, almost as well known to casual audiences as Superman and Batman.

5. THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

Notable members: Mina Harker, Doctor Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Alan Quatermain, Captain Nemo and Hawley Griffin.
A group of Victorian literary characters brought together by Alan Moore to protect the intrests of the British Empire. Employed by Mycroft (bother of Sherlock) Holmes, the League have encountered many famous characters, including Victorian characters John Carter of Mars, Fu Manchu and more recent characters such as James Bond, Emma Peel and Bulldog Drummond.

4. THE X-MEN

Notable members: Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Iceman, Shadowcat, Emma Frost, Beast and Jean Grey.
More famous now for Hugh Jackman than as a comic series, the X-Men are nonetheless a classic superhero team. Certainly the most diverse of all the groups of heroes, the X-Men were created by comics gods Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963 are have remained one of the House of Ideas’ most enduring creations with what seems like seventy four million spin off comic book series and four hit movies of varying quality.

3. THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Notable members: Mister Fantastic, the Human Torch, the Thing, the Invisible Girl.
The first hero group of the modern age of comics, the FF were revolutionary when they were introduced as the were the first heroes not to wear costumes (at first) and whose secret identities were known to everyone. Led by Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Ricards, the FF were granted their powers when their experimental spaceship was bombarded by “cosmic rays.”

2. THE AVENGERS

Notable members: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant Man and the Wasp.
I’ve written before on this very blog about the Avengers and they’re one on my favorite superhero teams. First appearing in 1963, the Avengers have undergone more roster changes than almost any other group of heroes, but the classic Cap/Thor/Iron Man trio at the heart of the team is one of the most enduring partnerships in comics.

1. THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA

Notable members: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, the Green Lantern, Hawk Man and Aquaman.
For sheer star power alone, the JLA make the top spot on our list. The list of past and present members reads like a who’s who of DC comics, with everyone from Supergirl to the Martian Manhunter joining the roster at one time or another. Formed in 1960 by the great Gardner Fox in The Brave and the Bold #28, the JLA have been protecting the world in one form or another ever since.

I guess the message here is even superheroes get lonley sometimes. Either that or might makes right, but that’s a tad too facistic for my taste, so we’ll stick to the first one. In any case, lemmie know your thoughts below and stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of the never ending top ten series. End transmission.

10. THE INCREDIBLE HULK

The Incredible Hulk was only a member of Earth’s Mightest Heroes for a single issue of The Avengers, but despite that he is a founder member and therefore deserves a place on the list. Inspired by Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Jolly Green Giant left the Avengers when he learns that the others (Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man and the Wasp) fear his unstable personality. When the others try to find him they are led into a battle with the Sub Mariner which leads to the rediscovery of Captain America. So, in a roundabout way, if not for the Hulk’s short tenure with the Avengers, Cap would never have been brought back and comics history just wouldn’t be the same. So for his being a founding member and for his helping bring Cap back to the Marvel Universe, Hulk kickstarts our list.

9. THE BLACK KNIGHT

Making his first apperance in Avengers #47, Dane Whitman, armed with his trusty lightsaber photonic sword and riding his winged steed Aragorn, joined the Avengers in a very roundabout way. Whilst only a reserve member he fought Kang, who had been given the power to kill the Avengers. Since the Black Knight was only a reserve Avenger he kicked Kang’s ass and was promoted to full membership as a result. Like Lee Falk’s Phantom, the current Black Knight is one of a legacy of Black Knights that stretches back to Medieval England. Despite his awesome armour and lightsaber photonic sword, smarts don’t seem to be the Knight’s strong suit, as he wears the exact same armour as his supervillain predecessor, which has gotten him into fights more than once. But hey, he has a lightsaber photonic sword, so I’m sure that makes up for it.

8. ANT-MAN/GIANT-MAN and THE WASP

Never my favorite Marvel characters, founding members Henry and Janet Pym nonetheless make the list due to their status as founder members of the Avengers. Making his first apperance in a one off sci-fi comic, Hank Pym later became the superheroic Ant-Man, with the power to shrink himself to the size of an ant using “Pym Particles.” Under this guise he and his girlfriend Janet – The Wasp – help found the Avengers. After the first issue, however, Pym changes his alter ego to that of the 12 foot tall Giant Man which, I’m sure you’ll agree is far cooler than Ant-Man. Both went on to become members of the West Coast Avengers. After Janet’s death in 2008, Henry Pym became the new Wasp and leader of the Mighty Avengers.

7. BEAST

More famous as an X-Man than an Avenger, Dr. Hank McCoy is nonetheless a former Avenger and close friend with Wonder Man. Joining the Avengers as a provisional member at first, Beast later gains full membership though he periodically leaves the group to assist the X-Men whenever he is needed by the Xavier crew. It was during his time as an Avenger that Beast decided to reveal his true identity to the world in hopes that it would help ease human/mutant relations – after all, if a mutant was a member of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, how could all mutants be bad? During the time Beast was an Avenger there was a rule in place saying that there could be no more than six in the group at any one time, so Beast decided to leave the team so another member could join as a full time Avenger.

6. THE BLACK PANTHER

Prince T’Challa of the African Nation of Wakanda, the Black Panther was the first black superhero in comics history, predating guys like the Falcon, Luke Cage and Jon Stewart. Debuting in Fantastic Four #55, the Panther joined originally the Avengers in Avengers #52 with the intent of spying on them but soon came to respect and fight alongside them. After helping the Avengers defeat the Sons of the Serpent, T’Challa revealed his true identity to the world and returned to Wakanda. Later the Panther would marry Storm of X-Men fame and, after being defeated by Dr. Doom, passes the mantle of the Black Panther onto his sister Shuri.

5. THE SCARLET WITCH

Sister of Quicksilver and daughter of Magneto, the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) debuted in X-Men #4 as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants but soon saw the light and became an Avenger the following year. After serving in the second generation Avengers alongside Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Cap – the team dubbed “Cap’s Kooky Quartet” by Stan Lee – Wanda and tha the Vision joined the West Coast Avengers, but a series of events transpire to turn her against her former teammates but, of course, soon reverts back to her former superheroic self. During the course of all this, she has romanced an android (the Vision) and a superhero (Wonder Man) and has even had children by the Vision (somehow). The Scarlet Witch makes up for her pretty silly name with some kickass hex powers that affect probability and a rather cool red costume. I’d hate to be invited to her house for Christmas dinner though, what with Vision and Wonder Man glaring at each other, Quicksilver and Magneto not talking and Wanda using a hex to cook the turkey.

4. HAWKEYE

Introduced as a villian in Tales of Suspense #57, Hawkeye becomes an Avenger about a year after his debut. This seems to be something of a recurring theme here, but never mind. Running away from his orphanage home to join the circus, Clint Barton became a master with a bow and arrow and decided to become a costumed hero after seeing Iron Man in action. Deciding to apply for Avengers membership in a manner most unorthodox – breaking into the Avengers mansion and holding the Avengers’ butler Jarvis hostage in order to prove himself to the heroes – he is accepted and becomes a full time Avenger joining Cap’s Kooky Quartet – the second generation Avengers. Hawkeye later became a member of the West Coast team of Avengers and his namesake, the female Hawkeye is a member of the Young Avengers.

3. IRON MAN

Making his debut in Tales of Suspense #39, Iron Man (Tony Stark) is a founding member of the Avengers and has also been a West Coast Avenger, a New Avenger and a Mighty Avenger in his long and storied career. A billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark acts not only as a member of the Avengers, but as their corporate sponsor, donating the Avengers’ Mansion and such gadgets as the Quinjet. Iron Man was also responsible for recruiting many members of thr Avengers including the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and, in a roundabout way, Hawkeye. One of only five heroic characters to appear in the first issue of The Avengers, ol’ Shellhead first appeared as an Avenger whilst still wearing his gold armour (which I love) but soon swapped the bulky gold for the more streamlined red and gold.

2. THE MIGHTY THOR

After Stan Lee created the Incredible Hulk, his next challenege was to create a character stronger than the world’s strongest human. His solution to this seemingly impossible conundrum? Simple. Fuck humanity, make him a god. After the head of the Norse gods Odin decides to teach his son some humility and sends him to earth in the body of the lame Dr. Donald Blake, he discovers the Hammer of Thor in a cave and learns his true identity becoming the superhero Thor. His step brother, the trickster Loki, also comes to earth and it is while battling Loki that the Avengers were born. Along with Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor forms the Avengers but, unlike other members of the group, Thor has not joined any offshoot branches of the Avengers. Not that it matters – he’s a fucking god, he can join any group he pleases.

1. CAPTAIN AMERICA

My second favorite comic book character of all time (rapidly becoming the first due to fans of the Batman films annoying the piss out of me of late) and an “honorary” founder of the Avengers, Steve “Captain America” Rogers was a pussy who wanted to join the army during WW2, but was too weak to enlist. Signing up for an experimental program, he was injected with the Super Soldier Serum and became Captain America, sentinel of liberty! After the death of his sidekick Bucky, Cap is frozen in the waters of the North Atlantic where he remains until Avengers #4 when Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man and the Wasp discover him and thaw him out. Cap quickly becomes the leader of the team and has been an on again off again member since. As well as leading the Avengers, Cap was in the Secret Avengers during Civil War. The secret to Cap’s longevity? Buccaneer boots. Buccaneer boots never go out of style.

So there they are, the ten best members of the best superhero team ever assembled. As ever, if you got comments, post ‘em below. End transmission.