CBR: Meet Your Secret Avengers

[Frank]

I know no one will listen to this, but there's little point in nitpicking and analyzing every word of an announcement interview - most of them are off-the-cuff discussions about what we plan, but very few specifics and often minor details are incorrect in these things. For example, Steve isn't becoming the new Nick Fury of Marvel. I just said that was something that had been discussed before we went in a different direction, but somehow that part didn't get into the article. These things happen.

*few* Thanks for doing this. You guys are usualy trigger happy so I just thought it was Bendis/Brubaker being Bendis/Brubaker killing another character.

[Blade X]

IMO, I think it would have made more sense to put Midnight Son on the team in place of Nova, since he would have been a better fit for this kind of secret/covert team of Avengers. If you're going to add a cosmic powerhouse to a secret/covert team, why not add a silent powerful cyborg ninja (who also happens to be the adopted African brother of Shang-Chi) to the team.

[jayntampa]

IMO, I think it would have made more sense to put Midnight Son on the team in place of Nova, since he would have been a better fit for this kind of secret/covert team of Avengers. If you're going to add a cosmic powerhouse to a secret/covert team, why not add a silent powerful cyborg ninja (who also happens to be the adopted African brother of Shang-Chi) to the team.

We won't really know what makes sense until we read the story, but considering the first arc partially takes place on Mars, Nova makes sense as the #1 space cop

[Jackraow21]

why not add a silent powerful cyborg ninja (who also happens to be the adopted African brother of Shang-Chi) to the team.

Honestly, if you re-read that, you'll probably realize that you kind of answered your own question there.

[Ed Brubaker]

Dani Moonstar was *A* Valkyrie. Recently she was a Valkyrie for Hel in New Mutants #11.

*THE* Valkyrie, the character that was a Defender for many years, was Brunnhilde, the mythological leader of the Valkyrie.

Brunnhilde was KILLED years ago in Oeming's Ragnarok/Avengers Disassembled Thor arc.

The current Valkyrie, who looks exactly like Brunnhilde, was a mortal woman named Samantha Parrington, given the powers of Brunnhilde. This happened in Erik Larsen's Defenders series (while Brunnhilde was still alive).

Now, if Brunnhilde herself has come back to life like other Asgardians, it hasn't been addressed. But as far as I know, every Valkyrie appearance since Brunnhilde's death has been Samantha Parrington. So basically, a character that neither Beast nor Moon Knight have any history with.

Marvel.com still lists Valkyrie as Samantha Parrington and Brunnhilde as dead.
http://marvel.com/universe/Valkyrie

In the fairly recent Lady Liberators issues of She-Hulk, PAD was sure writing Valkyrie like she was supposed to be Brunnhilde. In the Hulk Lady Liberators issues, Loeb's Valkyrie had more of a "mortal" speech pattern.

Guess we'll see if Secret Avengers addresses any of this...

I don't know that we'll spend any time addressing continuity and character issues from other comics in a brand new #1 Avengers book, but if you want to know, the Valkyrie in Secret Avengers is the original Valkyrie that Odin kicked out of Asgard in the legends that were adapted for Wagner's Ring cycle. Like the other Asgardians, she's been reborn.

Also, the Val in Defenders had a human persona, as well, Barbara something... even had a husband trailing around after her most of the time.

[40yearoldnovafan]

It reads like cast offs.

The new Captain Marvel would be a better choice than Nova, Iron Fist instead of Moon Knight and so on.

I know Nova and Moon Knight are popular but they don't say Avenger to me, not even secretly.

Just have zero interest in the book, mainly because of the line up.

As a Nova fan from day one, I'm very happy Rich is an Avenger. He aspired to be an Avenger in earlier series. I know you do not feel like he screams Avenger, however, we have Wolverine and Spiderman in Avengers.

The Avengers are supposed to be the best of the best. Why would Nova not make the grade, especially after all these years and his experience and growth? I have seen so many people become Avengers during my 30 plus years of reading comics. Nova is a no-brainer compared to many of them.

Also, I like this approach Marvel is taking. It is almost JLA-ish, where they utilize a lot of heroes in the team, whenever they are needed. It gives fans like me, who enjoy lesser read characters, a chance to continue to see his favorite used more often.

Jimmy

[paulski]

Amazing how much more interesting the book is to me simply by sticking Black Widow on the team.

And then they have to go and put Ant Man in there too.

Makes about as much sense as Man-Thing and Crossbones in the Thunderbolts...

[Blade X]

Honestly, if you re-read that, you'll probably realize that you kind of answered your own question there.

Honestly if you had read Englehart and Lim's (and later, Marz and Lim's) SILVER SURFER run from the late 80's early 90's, you would know why Midnight Son is such a (IMO) cool character and a good fit (again, IMO) for the SA team. Midnight is a former conflicted "villain" who was transformed (by the Kree) into a powerful cyborg who had his memory wiped and was sent to kill the Surfer. He eventually got his memories back and started a new life with the Inhumans on the moon. He last appeared in the B&W MASTER OF KUNG FU one shot that came out last year. In that story, he and Shang fought and then they made peace with each other. In addition to being a skilled ninja cyborg, Midnight has super strength,invulnerability (but he is not indestructible),and the ability to fly (thanks to some type of gravity discs on both his hands and feet). He is also disfigured and unable to speak (he's Marvel's own Snake Eyes).

[Godlike13]

I hope they're redesigning the Irredeemable Ant-Man costume with the classic Helmet, and not just completely putting him in the old suit. Bru saying he can fly now too makes me think so. Giving him Pym's suit would suck IMO.

[blehbeh]

I don't know that we'll spend any time addressing continuity and character issues from other comics in a brand new #1 Avengers book, but if you want to know, the Valkyrie in Secret Avengers is the original Valkyrie that Odin kicked out of Asgard in the legends that were adapted for Wagner's Ring cycle. Like the other Asgardians, she's been reborn.

Also, the Val in Defenders had a human persona, as well, Barbara something... even had a husband trailing around after her most of the time.

Thanks, Ed!

Barbara Norris was killed in an old Defenders issue, I believe, and Brunnhilde lost her alter ego.

The original Valkyrie is pretty easy to bring back, like you said, because all of the other Asgardians came back as well.

If the book is as good as it seems, I'll be fine with imagining Samantha Parrington retired off-panel to make way for the real Valkyrie. :)

[Mikey Brown]

Honestly if you had read Englehart and Lim's (and later, Marz and Lim's) SILVER SURFER run from the late 80's early 90's, you would know why Midnight Son is such a (IMO) cool character and a good fit (again, IMO) for the SA team. Midnight is a former conflicted "villain" who was transformed (by the Kree) into a powerful cyborg who had his memory wiped and was sent to kill the Surfer. He eventually got his memories back and started a new life with the Inhumans on the moon. He last appeared in the B&W MASTER OF KUNG FU one shot that came out last year. In that story, he and Shang fought and then they made peace with each other. In addition to being a skilled ninja cyborg, Midnight has super strength,invulnerability (but he is not indestructible),and the ability to fly (thanks to some type of gravity discs on both his hands and feet). He is also disfigured and unable to speak (he's Marvel's own Snake Eyes).

Midnight Son? Seriously? Why would he put someone so obscure on the team? Why not D-Man? Or Pip the Troll? Or the Masked Marvel?

[Mikey Brown]

This is the Internet; what do you think we're here for?



This is the Internet; what do you think we're here for?

Seriously, though, until the book comes out, the only things we have to discuss about the series is the interview.



I think he's dead, sadly.

Well its pretty easy to figure out if you are gonna like the book or not. I don't care what the interview says, Ed Brubaker is a writer I follow no matter what book hes on and having Deodato as the artist makes it even better. If you have liked Brubaker's work in the past, you will like this book. If not, you won't. Its easy.

[Blade X]

Midnight Son? Seriously? Why would he put someone so obscure on the team? Why not D-Man? Or Pip the Troll? Or the Masked Marvel?

Not every character has to be either popular or well known. Remember, today's lesser known and less popular characters, could be tomorrow's well known popular characters. Why constantly use and play out the same small pool of over exposed A land B list characters?

[Beast]

Not every character has to be either popular or well known. Remember, today's lesser known and less popular characters, could be tomorrow's well known popular characters. Why constantly use and play out the same small pool of over exposed A land B list characters?

Cause they're the ones that people actually want to read about.

[Blackhawkk]

Why isn't Deadpool an Avenger? He should be. I mean if Wolverine and Spider-Man are Avengers, Deadpool is a logical choice.

And Red Hulk.